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Chelsea's dressing room is reportedly absolutely buzzing over the potential appointment of Mauricio Pochettino.

What's happened to Chelsea this season?

The Blues' season has gone from bad to worse since the sacking of Graham Potter, avoiding defeat just twice in their last eight games and mustering only three victories in their last 17 fixtures. In fact, the Stamford Bridge outfit have had three different managers – including interim – in the time it's taken them to get from 38 to 39 points in the Premier League.

In brighter news however, it looks like Todd Boehly has found his long-term solution, with various reports suggesting the club are on the brink of appointing former Tottenham boss Pochettino. Indeed, according to Sky Sports, Boehly is "edging closer" to wrapping up a deal for the Argentine, who has been out of work since leaving PSG last summer.

What are the players saying about Pochettino?

According to Football Insider, sources in west London report the dressing room sees Pochettino as an "exciting appointment". The tactician is highly respected by the "big-name stars" at the club, and they believe he's a "top-class operator" with the ability to turn their fortunes around. The report also claims an annoucement confirming Pochettino's arrival could even come in the next few days.

This will of course come as a huge relief to Chelsea fans, who have watched their club essentially descend into an almost bizarre level of turmoil this season. The appointment of a young and attack-minded manager who clearly commands the respect of key figures in the squad is perhaps the only route back to normality and success.

Known for utilising an attack-minded 4-3-3 formation that relies heavily on high-pressing and aggressive play off the ball, Pochettino can reinstil the mean streak that for so long was a key part of the spine running through Chelsea's most decorated teams.

تحدث معتمد جمال، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن مكاسب المباراة الودية التي جمعت الأبيض مع كسكادا، اليوم الإثنين.

ونجح الزمالك في تحقيق الفوز برباعية نظيفة على كسكادا (أحد أندية القسم الثالث)، وسجل الأهداف محمود علاء وسامسون أكينيولا وإبراهيما نداي وعمار ياسر.

وقال معتمد في تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي لنادي الزمالك عقب اللقاء: “كان من المهم أن يخوض الفريق مباريات ودية في خلال فترة التوقف الحالية؛ من أجل تغيير النمط بخوض التدريبات بشكل متواصل”.

طالع أيضًا | أحمد فتحي يروي كواليس طلب الزمالك ضمه وحديث الخطيب معه.. ويصرح: تعجبت من عرض بيراميدز

وأوضح: “مهما كان يؤدي اللاعبون بقوة في التدريبات الأمر يصبح مختلفاً بلعب المباريات الودية ليكونوا في حالة جاهزية أكبر”.

وأشار المدير الفني للزمالك، إلى أن مشاركة مصطفى شلبي في المباراة كان أمرًا إيجابيًا بعد فترة طويلة من الغياب بسبب الإصابة، خاصة أنه ظهر بشكل طيب في المباراة وصنع العديد من الفرص.

واستمر: “كما أن مشاركة محمود حمدي الونش خطوة لحصوله على مزيد من حساسية المباريات وتجهيزه بالشكل الأمثل هو الآخر”.

وعن مشاركة عمار ياسر ومصطفى شكري ثنائي فريق الشباب، شدد معتمد جمال على أن الجهاز الفني يسعى لتصعيد العناصر المميزة بشكل مستمر في الفريق الأول.

Tottenham Hotspur making a move for Brendan Rodgers wouldn't be a surprise, but his appointment would not go down well with the supporters, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

Who could Tottenham appoint as new manager?

Tottenham have identified a number of targets to replace Antonio Conte, and they have now set their sights firmly on Julian Nagelsmann, cementing the former Bayern Munich boss as their number one target, as per Football Insider.

However, having recently been sacked by Leicester City, Rodgers has also emerged as a potential option for Spurs, with Michail Antonio saying the Northern Irishman would be an "unbelievable" appointment and claiming "it would definitely work."

Alan Hutton has suggested Tottenham fans "would love" the 50-year-old to take over as manager, due to his attractive brand of football, however Taylor has a very different viewpoint, while he has recently relayed to GiveMeSport.

The journalist hinted that Spurs could appoint the former Leicester boss when asked of their chances, but he also says it wouldn't be popular as a result of the Foxes' severe drop off.

Taylor explained:

"It wouldn't surprise you, but I think Brendan's stock has fallen so drastically in the past 18 months and I think that would be an appointment that wouldn't be received well at Tottenham, even though it probably would have been a decent move. It wasn't long ago when he was at Leicester and flying, back-to-back fifth finishes and an FA Cup; because of that, the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle we're looking at him. It's crazy how football changes; it's such a fickle sport because, suddenly, nobody's interested in Brendan Rodgers."

Should Tottenham appoint Brendan Rodgers?

Man City boss Pep Guardiola has praised the manager as "top quality", and he has definitely earned that description with some of his achievements throughout his career.

While success is expected as manager of Celtic, the Carnlough-born manager won the league in emphatic fashion, amassing an incredible 106 points in the 2016-17 season.

That said, Rodgers left Leicester in the relegation zone upon his sacking, despite having players like James Maddison and Harvey Barnes at his disposal, which will be a real concern for chairman Daniel Levy.

As such, Tottenham should instead focus on other options this summer, and Nagelsmann, who was hailed for his "elite coaching" during his time with RB Leipzig would be a very exciting appointment, should they manage to beat Chelsea, who are also interested, to his signature,

Relegation-battling Everton travel to Stamford Bridge this evening to face Chelsea in the Premier League with the knowledge that an unlikely victory could be imperative in taking control of the congested bottom-half of the table.

Just five points separate Crystal Palace in 12th and Southampton at the bottom of the division, with Sean Dyche's Toffees perching in 15th place, just one point and three places above Bournemouth in 18th.

Everton were in a far more distressing position when former Burnley boss Dyche took the reins at the club in January, replacing Frank Lampard in the Goodison Park dugout, and have languished in the danger zone across seven of the past nine match-weeks, with a dogged home victory over high-flying Brentford at the weekend restoring safety for the time being.

Mere weeks, Chelsea's victory on home turf against an outfit such as Everton would have been thrown into question, with Graham Potter's Blues boasting just two victories from 15 matches across all competitions, but the cogs finally appear to be falling into place in west London, and three successive victories and qualification to the Champions League quarter-finals has rewritten the narrative.

A quintessentially dogged Dyche masterclass will be needed to quell the home side's threat, and the 51-year-old must consider unleashing Conor Coady to ensure defeat is not outcome.

Should Coady start against Chelsea?

Since signing for Everton on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer, Coady has been a solid and commanding presence from the heart of the defence, ensuring last season's frailties were not so profound this time around.

And while the Merseyside Blues find themselves embroiled in turmoil once again, the resolve of the back-line has discernibly improved, with only 38 goals shipped from 27 fixtures.

Having made 22 appearances in the top-flight, the 30-year-old "rock", as lauded by Chuck Booth, Coady has completed 85% of his passes and averaged a remarkable 3.7 clearances per match, as per Sofascore.

According to FBref, the £55k-per-week dynamo also ranks among the top 25% of centre-backs for goals per 90, when compared to those playing across Europe's big five leagues, which could prove invaluable as Everton seek to bypass the home resilience from a multitude of angles.

With the Premier League regular having made 174 appearances in the competition, his experience and galvanising presence could indeed pay dividends for the Toffees, who will look to emulate fellow relegation contenders Saints' 1-0 victory at the ground four weeks ago.

Chelsea are creeping back towards prominence, but Dyche has the perfect recipe for disrupting the flow, and should his outfit implement it successfully, the fear of plummeting down a division could look a distant possibility.

On that note, defeat could send the Blues spiralling back into trouble, and with Coady at the back, organising and motivating his peers, a landmark result could be achieved.

Tottenham Hotspur must look to avoid a repeat blunder as interest in one of Antonio Conte’s key stars increases ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Emerson Royal’s future at Spurs?

Lilywhites right wing-back Emerson Royal has looked like a reborn animal in recent weeks but such exploits have seen other teams attracted to the prospect of signing him.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb, AC Milan could land the Brazilian dynamo in a swap deal, with Spurs keen on signing central defender Fikayo Tomori, formerly of Premier League rivals Chelsea.

It’s thought that the arrival of Pedro Porro in the winter market will eventually force Emerson out in north London.

Spurs must avoid Kieran Trippier repeat

However, despite Emerson’s past inconsistencies – having been dubbed as “a complete liability” by talkSPORT’s Jamie O’Hara earlier in the season – it would surely be a major, yet familiar, mistake to let him go in 2023.

Against defending champions Manchester City, the 24-year-old produced a “defensive masterclass” – in the eyes of Express journalist Ryan Taylor – with that 7.1-rated display being followed up with a recent goal and 7.5 rating against West Ham United, via Sofascore.

It seems as if the extra competition has lit a fire in Emerson’s belly, something that transfer insider Dean Jones has even alluded to this month.

“The switch has flicked for him and he’s just starting to understand his role and got himself to the perfect moment; it’s not a bad thing at all for Tottenham to have this kind of competition,” he told GIVEMESPORT.

It would, therefore, seem foolish to give up on him after he’s improved considerably, especially as it would leave Spurs – and manager Antonio Conte – back at square one with problems in the right wing-back role.

This situation would be similar to chairman Daniel Levy’s past mistakes, having let Kieran Trippier join Atletico Madrid for around £20m, not too long after giving up Kyle Walker to the aforementioned Citizens.

Still to this day, it’s an issue that has lingered around Hotspur Way and now with Emerson battling Porro for the starting spot, it’s the first time in a long time that the Lilywhites have healthy and quality competition.

As such, Levy must ensure that the £26m man remains a Spurs player going forward. Even if central defenders are needed in the squad, there’s no point weakening another area in a bid to get one.

AND in other news, Levy had transfer disasterclass with Spurs “liability”, he’s lost 45% value in 5.5 yrs…

Chelsea’s transfer business over the previous few years has been something of a mixed bag. The positive incomings have been far outweighed by players arriving on inflated fees who quite simply haven’t produced the goods.

The likes of Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and Alvaro Morata arrived in London to much hype and fanfare, yet for the large sums of money that they have cost Chelsea, they couldn’t fire the club to greater heights.

Indeed, some players who join Chelsea often struggle at the club before leaving and regaining their form elsewhere, with Timo Werner being a key example.

What has Timo Werner done since leaving Chelsea?

Considering Chelsea’s attacking options at the start of the campaign, it was a surprise when the club sold him back to RB Leipzig for £25m just two years after signing him from the same club, and it looked as though Thomas Tuchel was undergoing a rebuild at Stamford Bridge.

However, with the Blues’ centre-forwards scoring just four times all season, that move now looks even harder to explain, especially since his form has been superb since returning to Germany.

In the Bundesliga this term, the 26-year-old has scored five times in 14 matches while also creating three big chances, making 0.5 key passes per game and taking 2.3 shots per match, which suggests that he is getting back to his clinical best.

It is not only domestically that he is shining, with Werner performing well in the Champions League for Leipzig, scoring twice in six group stage matches including a goal against Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old also recorded an assist, created two big chances, made one key pass per match and had 1.7 shots per game in Europe, proving that he can excel on the biggest stage in club football and surely making Chelsea regret selling him last summer.

He is certainly living up to his “deadly” nature – as he was dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2020 – and although he managed to score a credible 23 goals in 89 appearances for Chelsea, it clearly wasn’t enough to show Tuchel that he had a future at the club.

It could well have been different under Graham Potter. The Englishman has been forced to deploy Kai Havertz as a striker due to injury issues elsewhere, and it could have been the ideal chance for Werner to prove himslef and stake a claim to be the club’s main number nine.

Selling Werner can be considered another transfer blunder committed by the club in recent years.

Presenter ExWHUemployee has claimed that Jose Mourinho is not likely to become West Ham United manager at this moment in time.

What’s the word?

Over the course of this season, the Hammers have struggled for consistency and find themselves potentially in a fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

As a result, there has been plenty of talk about who could come in to potentially replace David Moyes if the current Irons boss is sacked. The Roma manager is one name to pop up recently.

Indeed, as per the Daily Mail (via West Ham Zone) the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur man could be key on a return to England and the West Ham job may be offered to him.

However, in a new update shared via The West Ham Way Patreon, Ex revealed that Mourinho is yet to be seriously considered by the board as an option.

He explained: “Despite a lot of speculation today on social media that Jose Mourinho could be in line for a move to West Ham, once more we can deny there is any truth in this.

“The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs manager has been quoted as saying he is unhappy in Italy and that he would like a return to English football. In the past he has often said the English game is where he feels most connected.

“Despite all of this he isn’t a manager that West Ham have ever considered.

“We were told once more by a top source that they remain “desperately keen for David Moyes to turn things round and the signs are better” before going onto say that “Mourinho is not a name that has ever been in our minds”.

Too good to be true?

It’s certainly exciting for the club to be linked with such a high-profile name. After all, having won the Champions League, Premier League, La Liga and numerous over major trophies, managers don’t come much bigger than Mourinho.

He’s tasted success with Roma recently too. Indeed, after winning the Europa Conference League with the Italian side last season, Joe Cole praised the coach, saying: “Roma have got an outstanding manager in Jose.”

At Chelsea and Manchester United he picked up an average of 1.96 and 1.97 points per game and while that dropped to 1.77 at Spurs, that’s still higher than Moyes has managed at West Ham in his current spell (1.53) or anywhere else for that matter.

With that in mind, Mourinho would be a great upgrade, in theory, but it doesn’t seem as though there is much truth in the reports at this moment in time.

Manchester United are confident their Argentinian youngster, Alejandro Garnacho, will put pen to paper on a new deal at Old Trafford.

What’s the latest?

The Red Devils are flying in the Premier League once again after picking up three huge points against their city rivals on the weekend.

And a player who made a big difference in that game was Garnacho after he came off the bench late on in the game to provide Marcus Rashford with the assist for the winner.

Garnacho’s current deal at United still has 18 months left until it expires at the end of next season, however, his sudden rise this season has the Red Devils wanting to extend his future at Old Trafford.

And speaking on the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has suggested the powers that be at United are convinced the 18-year-old will put pen to paper:

“I’m told the Man United are still convinced of this contract extension, convinced and relaxed that everything will be resolved very soon.

“So conversations between Man United and Garnacho continue to extend the contract. They want him to have an important contract as an important player.”

Tie him down at Old Trafford

Garnacho only made his debut in the Premier League at the age of 17 less than one year ago under Ralf Ragnick in a draw at home to Chelsea.

But his rise this season has been huge with the Argentinian having now made seven appearances in the top flight as well as four in the Europa League (via Transfermarkt).

And across those two competitions, the 18-year-old has been able to return Erik ten Hag’s trust with two goals and two assists.

What is perhaps most impressive is the magnitude of some of the games he has affected already having scored the winner in the final group game in the Europa League to clinch the top spot against Real Sociedad.

More recently, he came on with just 18 minutes remaining of the derby against Manchester City and was able to work his magic down the left to put it on a plate for Rashford to seal the points.

And it is apparent his displays for United are not going unnoticed with the likes of Real Madrid believed to be showing an interest in the youngster.

With the same report suggesting Garnacho’s representatives have rejected United’s £20k-per-week offer, the Red Devils will be hoping for no more pushbacks in their bid to tie the youngster’s future down at Old Trafford.

However, Romano’s comments may provide fans with some confidence that Garnacho will be playing his football at the theatre of Dreams for years to come.

Although this may not deter Madrid from attempting to take him in the future, it would provide some insurance for United on their asset.

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has been a stalwart for the club, serving for over a decade and encapsulating the highs and the lows of the prestigious football club during his tenure between the sticks. 

Signing from Spanish La Liga giants Atletico Madrid on a permanent deal in 2011, De Gea has made 511 appearances for the Red Devils, keeping 177 clean sheets and winning multiple major honours including the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

But over the past few seasons, the Spaniard has encountered multiple bouts of criticism over his performances, with journalist Dominic Booth branding the 32-year-old as “woeful” after a dreadful Champions League display against German outfit RB Leipzig.

And now, according to The Sun, the Everton ‘keeper is attracting attention from the likes of United and Tottenham Hotspur, despite revealing to the Everton hierarchy that he wishes to remain at the club.

Despite this, Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri is unwilling to offer much more than the current £100k-per-week contract he is tied to, and with suitors promising a lucrative upgrade in salary, Everton boss Frank Lampard might face a strenuous task in succeeding in clinching the new deal, with his current contract set for expiry at the end of next season.

Time to ditch De Gea

Signing for Everton in 2017 in a – then – club-record £30m transfer from Sunderland, Pickford has established himself as a mainstay in the perennial Premier League competitors as well as earning the No. 1 spot in the England set-up, making 50 appearances.

Across the past two seasons, despite his Merseyside outfit’s struggles, the 28-year-old has recorded average league ratings of 6.87 and 7.11, as per Sofascore.

De Gea had been struggling for form, however, a recent purple patch in the Premier League has boosted his average rating up to 6.95, bolstering his overarching desire to remain at the Theatre of Dreams while he still feels at the top of his game.

However, with the £23m-rated Pickford four years his positional peer’s junior, and with De Gea indeed on a lucrative wage of £375k-per-week, shifting the man at the bedrock of Ten Hag’s team could be a prudent move indeed.

Pickford, who was dubbed a “monster” by journalist Joe Crann, has devoted years of stellar servitude to an Everton outfit that have been wayward in direction and spluttering in strategy, and it could be time for the shot-stopper to earn a move to a European-challenging outfit.

If his performances with the national team are anything to go by, recording an average rating of 6.86 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and keeping three clean sheets from five outings, then United would prosper with a composed, assured leader to signify the embody of the changing of the guard at the club.

Liverpool have been linked with the signing of Jude Bellingham for a great deal of time and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s pursuit of the player as the transfer window opens for business.

What’s the latest?

According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, Liverpool are still “leading the race” to sign the Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder in 2023.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: “I do think that Liverpool are leading the race for Bellingham.

“They’re going to have competition, but I think that there’s a cautious optimism on the Liverpool front that, because they started earlier than most and because they have put in a lot of legwork and they’ve been very hands-on, they believe that they’ve done all they can at this point in the race to make progress and land Jude Bellingham. Then we’ll wait and see how other suitors move and how that affects the situation.”

Liverpool’s next Stevie G

There is no doubt that the signing of Bellingham would be a monumental move in the club’s efforts to rebuild their midfield in 2023 as the England midfielder is one of the brightest young talents in football.

The 19-year-old star – who was dubbed “scary” by Jack Grealish – ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, dribbles completed, touches and progressive passes received, as well as ranking in the top 15% for assists and shots on goal, proving that he is a real threat to opponents in the centre of the pitch.

Liverpool have found themselves struggling to retain their dominance in the Premier League and are currently sixth in the league table due to a number of inconsistent performances and several injury problems plaguing the squad over their first 16 outings.

Three midfielders including Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will be out of contract in the summer, whilst Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is coming to the latter stages of his career, making it the perfect time to acquire the services of Bellingham to bring in their next leader in the heart of the team.

Liverpool could even land their next Steven Gerrard with comparisons between the two talented midfielders already being made despite Bellingham’s short career so far.

If he could replicate his Dortmund form at Anfield, having scored nine times this term, there’s certainly no reason why the Birmingham-born ace couldn’t follow in the footsteps of one of his “heroes” by captaining the club.

The legendary Premier League midfielder and former Aston Villa boss has already lavished praise on the £131m-valued youngster, claiming he was “excited” to watch Bellingham play for England at the World Cup:

“I’ll be focusing my attention on England,” he said prior to the tournament in Qatar getting underway.

“I’m really excited to watch Jude Bellingham, I’m a massive fan of him. I think the next 10 or 15 years, he’s going to become an England superstar.”

With that being said, if Liverpool can secure the signature of Bellingham – who like Gerrard is a goal-scoring midfielder – either this month or over the summer it could set up the centre of Liverpool’s team for many years to come.