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Chelsea have found themselves in a poor run of form in the Premier League ahead of the World Cup break this month, conceding consecutive defeats in their last three outings in the top flight which has seen them fall to eighth in the table.

New manager Graham Potter is in the early stages of establishing his best team and approach that will get the team firing again but may have the opportunity to polish up his philosophy by adding new players to the squad in the January transfer window.

Indeed, the former Brighton and Hove Albion manager will need to churn out some results before the opportunity to add depth to his squad in the new year, however, the transfer window could be the pivotal turning point if the club can acquire the right players in the right positions.

One area of the pitch that requires desperate attention is the midfield with a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of key experienced players and the younger players who have not quite found their feet yet, giving Potter a lot to reflect on as he navigates through the second half of the season.

Conor Gallagher has been given the golden opportunity to take a more senior role at Chelsea after his outstanding season at Crystal Palace over the last campaign, but the club may not be afforded the time to allow him to develop and potentially find his place in the first team if they continue to lose games in the Premier League.

As a result, one player who would be an instant upgrade on the young Chelsea midfielder is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who has already been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this week.

The €80m-valued (£70m) star has been a standout performer in the Serie A where he currently ranks number one for assists and key passes in the entirety of the league, as well as seventh for chance creation.

When you compare Milinkovic-Savic with Gallagher this season, the Lazio talent outperforms his positional peer in goal contributions (10 v 2), shot-creating actions (37 v 19), dribble success (43.3% v 25%) and aerial duels won (58.5% v 42.9%).

Former Chelsea and current Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri has heaped praise on Milinkovic-Savic on many occasions, notably commenting:

“I’ve coached great midfielders, like Zielinski and Hamsik, and he’s one of the best. He really is a complete player with great quality.”

“He also has great determination. And above all he’s improving in some aspects.”

With that being said, there is no doubt that Milinkovic-Savic would be a great investment for Chelsea as they attempt to rebuild their midfield over the next few transfer windows and he could be just the player Potter needs to get his team back on track in the second half of the season.

Nottingham Forest were on the end of a 5-0 thrashing against Arsenal at the Emirates today and Steve Cooper will surely be incredibly frustrated with yet another gutless performance from his team.

Indeed, Arsenal are the Premier League leaders currently so the task was never going to be easy but after beating Liverpool 1-0 last weekend, the manager would surely have been full of hope that his side would show more resilience, confidence and ambition on their trip to north London.

The Tricky Trees were outplayed on all fronts with only 31% possession of the ball, fewer shots on goal (24 v 5), no big chances created and over 250 fewer accurate passes completed (547 v 204) during the performance away from home.

In the first half, the Gunners found their opener early when Bukayo Saka delivered an assist for Gabriel Martinelli’s fifth-minute goal to make it 1-0 and Forest managed restrict any further damage during the rest of the half.

When the game resumed, there was still an opportunity for Cooper’s side to get back in the game but that was quickly dampened when Reiss Nelson bagged a brace in a matter of just three minutes in the 49th and 52nd minute of the second half.

Although Arsenal had successfully killed the game with their 3-0 lead the scoring, unfortunately, did not stop with both Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard finding the fourth and fifth goals of the game to complete a 5-0 victory in front of a roaring home support.

Former Manchester United attacker Jesse Lingard yet again produced nothing of note, completing just five passes and making 14 touches before he was hooked by the Forest boss in the 56th minute, but he wasn’t the only one to blame for the team’s non-existent attacking threat this afternoon.

Morgan Gibbs-White had what can only be described as a nightmare performance, giving the travelling fans no signs or hope that he had any intention of positively influencing the game.

The 22-year-old liability made just eight accurate passes out of the mere 14 he attempted, took fewer touches than goalkeeper Dean Henderson and lost possession of the ball every 1.9 touches.

That was as well as losing 100% of his ground duels and failing in 100% of his dribble attempts.

Not only that, Gibbs-White narrowly avoided a red card with a reckless and unnecessarily nasty challenge on Granit Xhaka which could have put his team in a lot more trouble if he didn’t get away with just a yellow.

The former Wolves star was one of the most expensive signings of the summer for Forest out of their entire 23 new fleet of players in a deal worth a whopping £42.5m including add-ons. Thus, to put on such a lifeless performance today will be extremely frustrating for Cooper.

With that being said, there are going to need to be big changes and vast improvements made if Nottingham Forest are going to have any chance of retaining their Premier League status by the end of the season and as every fixture passes the reality of the difficulty they are in becomes even more obvious.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has shared a pre-Sporting Lisbon update on the fitness of star duo Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Cristian Romero.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Lilywhites pair were left out of the matchday squad for the 2-1 Premier League defeat to Newcastle United last weekend, causing concern that they may have picked up injuries.

However, Antonio Conte has since confirmed that the players were simply fatigued and needed to be rested, with a late decision expected to be made on their fitness ahead of tonight’s game.

The Latest: Conte’s fitness update

Speaking to SPURSPLAY on Tuesday, the boss revealed that Hojbjerg and Romero have only participated in half of a training session, with a last-minute call set to be made on whether they can be involved.

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As quoted by the club’s official website, he said:

“You know about Kulusevski and Richy, they are out, not a possibility, not available. They need a bit of time to recover.

“About Pierre and Cuti, tomorrow morning, we will see. Today, they had half of a training session, and the situation wasn’t so positive, but, we are talking about two important players for us and it’s right to wait until the end, because tomorrow’s game is really important.

“We want to go to the next round, and we have an important opportunity with a win to do that. It will be a great achievement for us, and, for this reason, I want to wait until tomorrow morning and, together, also with players who haven’t played for a long time like Lucas Moura, I need to understand and to pick the best starting XI.”

The Verdict: Massive opportunity

Tottenham are currently in a slump of form having suffered back-to-back league defeats, but the European game vs Ruben Amorim’s side presents an opportunity to turn things around.

Victory in the capital tonight would mean that Spurs finish top of their group and therefore advance to the last 16 of the competition.

The potential return of Romero and Hojbjerg would only increase the chances of that happening, though time will tell whether or not they’ll be in contention to take to the field.

Despite losing the services of key duo Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, Leeds United enjoyed a largely successful summer transfer window, with the Whites’ director of football Victor Orta adding no less than nine fresh faces to Jesse Marsch’s squad.

One of these summer additions was the £25m signing of Red Bull Salzburg forward Brenden Aaronson, the 21-year-old who had been lighting it up for the Austrian side ever since his £11.43m January 2021 move from Philadelphia Union.

Indeed, over his 66 appearances for Salzburg, the USA international scored an eye-catching 13 goals and registered 15 assists – averaging a direct goal involvement every 170 minutes for the Austrian Bundesliga side.

And, despite having only made the move to Elland Road a mere 12 weeks ago, the £30.7m-rated talent has already started to show glimpses of his undoubted ability for Marsch’s side.

Indeed, the attacking midfielder has started all six of the Whites’ Premier League fixtures thus far in 2022/23, having already scored one goal – coming as a direct result of his relentless pressing against Chelsea – providing one assist – teeing up Luis Sinisterra for the equaliser against Everton – and creating one big chance for his side.

The player who Red Bull Salzburg Sporting Director, Christoph Freund, dubbed “extraordinary” has also taken an average of 1.2 shots – 0.5 of which have hit the target – made an impressive 1.5 key passes – the second-most in the Leeds squad – and completed 1.8 dribbles – at a success rate of 100% – per league game so far this season.

Furthermore, the 21-year-old’s suitability for Marsch’s high-pressing system at Elland Road is clear for all to see, with FBref ranking the American in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for pressures per 90 over the past 365 days.

As such, considering his remarkable returns thus far for the Whites, coupled with the fact the attacker currently has a market valuation that is already 23% greater than the fee Leeds paid Salzburg for his services around three months ago, it is evident that Orta very much hit the jackpot when landing Aaronson.

Indeed, not only does the 21-cap international look to possess the potential to become an extremely influential player for Marsch over the coming years, but he could also be an incredibly sellable asset for the Whites further down the line.

Celtic have enjoyed a stunning recruitment record in recent times, having secured a raft of top-class talent on the cheap who have since gone on to become key figures in manager Ange Postecoglou’s side.

One of the most astute captures that chief executive Michael Nicholson has made over the past year or so has been that of Reo Hatate, with the diminutive midfielder having been signed for just £1.4m from Kawasaki Frontale in January.

Part of a triple J-League swoop alongside compatriots Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi, the 24-year-old took little time to settle following his arrival in the winter window, scoring four goals and laying on three assists in 21 games in all competitions during the second half of last term.

That tally included a brace on his Old Firm derby debut back in February, with that stunning display quickly endearing him to the Parkhead faithful.

Following that outing, pundit Gabby Agbonlahor suggested that the one-cap gem would have already “tripled in value”, with the playmaker’s price tag likely to have only risen further having continued to thrive since then.

The 5 foot 8 “baller” – as described by journalist Stephen McIlkenny – has particularly caught the eye in this season’s Champions League journey thus far, playing a crucial hand in the Hoops’ early goal in the recent 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Prior to that, the £2.25m-rated ace had sparkled in the defeat to holders Real Madrid on home soil, with Football Scotland reporter Euan Robertson writing that he ‘didn’t look out of place’ up against the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in the centre of the park.

The £14.5k-per-week man has impressed with both his silky quality in possession as well as his willingness to make an impact in the final third, having already laid on two assists in just six games so far this term.

Such standout form has seen him lauded as “one of the biggest bargains in football” by journalist Will Lancaster, who also made the suggestion that Hatate could command an asking price of around £25m at present.

While Nicholson and co won’t be looking to cash in on the dynamic asset any time soon, such a statement seemingly reflects what a remarkable piece of business it was to bring him to the club for such a small fee.

Everton may have already found their Anthony Gordon replacement…

What’s the word?

According to journalist Simon Phillips, the Toffees are already preparing for life without their homegrown starlet. They could be set to pull off a huge coup, though, swooping in for one of Manchester United’s targets as their Premier League rivals occupy themselves with the Antony saga.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips claimed in relation to Everton: “There’s interest in Cody Gakpo, that’s one name given to me that they could turn to, to replace Gordon.”

The 23-year-old will reportedly be available for £35m, just over half the reported fee that the Merseyside club look set to receive for Gordon.

He’s way better than Gordon

At just two years his senior, Gakpo boasts far better stats than the 21-year-old Englishman.

In 35 Premier League games for Everton last term, Gordon managed just four goals and two assists in a struggling team. Meanwhile, the Dutchman recorded an exceptional 21 goals and 15 assists across various competitions for PSV Eindhoven.

Although the Eredivisie ranks notably lower than the Premier League in UEFA’s association club coefficient, the disparity between their numbers is so insurmountable that it overcomes the gap in quality between the respective divisions.

Gakpo shows no signs of slowing down either, recording two goals and one assist in his first two Eredivisie starts this season.

His performance against Rangers earlier this month also drew praise, as journalist Josh Bunting claimed that the 23-year-old was “so quick and always looking to take on the full-backs, Cody Gakpo is electric, his close control is absolutely outstanding”.

Meanwhile, Gordon has missed one big chance, creating none, and has recorded a disappointing 27% dribble success rate in his opening three Premier League games this term.

Ultimately, the Merseyside maverick only truly excels in the defensive side of the game. He sits in the top 6% for pressures, top 4% for tackles and top 1% for blocks per 90 among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months, but Lampard will want more offensive output from his team, who have struggled in front of goal this season.

Since the Chelsea rumours emerged, his productivity in front of goal has evaded him, although it remains to be seen whether he ever possessed it.

To trade in this raw English talent for the young but accomplished Dutchman would be a stroke of genius by Everton, especially considering that it would leave money left over for further additions. Gakpo is clearly better than Gordon already, with arguably a higher ceiling too.

Newcastle United have made an improved bid for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, according to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards.

The Lowdown: Newcastle’s initial bid

On Saturday, Sky Sports reported that the Foxes had rejected a £40m bid from the Magpies for the 25-year-old playmaker.

As per the report, Eddie Howe’s side were considering whether to make an improved bid for the one-cap England international.

It is believed that Leicester value Maddison closer to the £60m mark.

The Latest: Improved bid made

Edwards has shared a fresh update on Newcastle’s pursuit of the player, revealing that the Magpies have proceeded in making an improved bid to Leicester.

Taking to Twitter on Monday afternoon, the reliable journalist claimed: “#nufc have made a second improved bid for Leicester City’s James Maddison today. Fee is in excess of £45m but payments are staggered. As I’ve said all along, they have been led to believe Maddison wants the move. We shall see. He might also want a new contract!!”

The Verdict: Go for it

When analysing Maddison’s underlying statistics, it is clear to see why Howe is so keen on bringing the 25-year-old to St James’ Park this summer.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the midfielder ranks in the 90th percentile for non-penalty goals, the 88th percentile for assists and the 84th percentile for total shots.

Meanwhile, his haul of 18 goals in all competitions in 2021/22 was more than double Newcastle’s leading scorer for the campaign and equal to the Toon’s top three scorers combined, so he could certainly make them a more lethal outfit.

With the Magpies boss keen on adding a versatile attacker to his ranks, Maddison’s arrival on Tyneside would provide Howe with a playmaker who could dictate the play in the middle of the park, whilst being able to excel in a goalscoring position further up the pitch.

Therefore, having been hailed by The Times’ chief football writer Henry Winter as a ‘special talent’ , this could be a great signing for Newcastle to make, if they can get closer to Leicester’s valuation of the player.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been reacting to Newcastle United’s attempts to sign Brentford star Ivan Toney this summer. 

The lowdown: Magpies interested

A report from iNews claims that the Toon are among the suitors for Toney during the ongoing window after failing to sign Alexander Isak, although Brentford will be holding out for offers in excess of £40million for their prized asset.

Formerly a member of the youth system in the North East, the 26-year-old marksman has forged a prolific career for himself including fruitful spells at Peterborough, Northampton Town and Scunthorpe prior to finding a permanent Premier League home in London.

Upon hearing about the interest in bringing Toney back to St James’ Park, one intrigued onlooker has suggested that it could be the ideal option for all parties…

The latest: Robinson reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Tottenham and England stopper turned Sky Sports pundit Robinson endorsed the potential transfer swoop from the Magpies.

He said: “Toney is a very good player. He is yet to take the Premier League by storm but his opportunities were limited last season. He did not get the amount of chances he did in the Championship.

“In the Championship you get more games and the level of opposition was not as good so he was getting more chances. He is a top player though and I have no doubt that he can do it at the top level. If Newcastle are looking at him, he would be a great signing for them.

“The players they have in behind. They could create chances for him. Toney is a finisher. He knows where the goal is. He could do a job with quality players around him.”

The verdict: At the right price

At a reduced asking price from the currently mooted £40million valuation, Toney would be the ideal candidate to bolster the central attacking ranks at St James’ Park, offering support to Chris Wood and Callum Wilson as Dwight Gayle seemingly nears the exit door.

Strong, direct and capable of running in behind a defence, the workmanlike striker has been described as ‘exceptional’ by Peterborough icon Barry Fry in the past and took to life in the top-flight with apparent ease when netting 12 times and supplying five assists last season from 33 appearances.

Furthermore, boasting an enviable penalty record, having never missed a spot-kick since signing for Brentford, scoring all 17 efforts, the ever-bullish Toney – who has also been indexed to Manchester United this summer – would be a surefire option for Howe when it comes to choosing who is on duty from 12 yards.

Sharing similar stylistic traits to highly regarded Premier League names from the past and present such as Raul Jimenez, Che Adams and Alvaro Negredo (Fbref), the talented marksman certainly appears to have what it takes to make the next step in his career and a return to Tyneside, where there remains unfinished business, could be the ideal landing spot.

Manchester United have been linked with a whole host of former Erik ten Hag favourites this summer, and it seems as if Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech could be the latest man on the Red Devils’ shortlist.

What’s the word?

United have already brought in Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen this summer, while Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez is also imminent, which suggests that the new manager at Old Trafford is targeting players that he knows he can trust.

Ziyech was another star in Ten Hag’s side as they reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, so it would not be a surprise if he was keen to be reunited with the Dutchman in Manchester, especially as his time at Stamford Bridge appears to be up.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones has suggested that United could be an option for the 29-year-old  this summer, saying: “The Ziyech move to AC Milan has stuttered a little and if that situation drags on let’s not rule out the idea that Ten Hag looks to take him to United instead.”

Ten Hag would love him

United have been tipped to sign a new winger for most of the summer, with Antony seemingly the number one target for Ten Hag.

However, the 52-year-old will know just what Ziyech is capable of, as the Moroccan contributed 39 goals and 53 assists in 100 appearances under Ten Hag at Ajax.

His time at Chelsea has been less successful, though, with just 14 goals and 10 assists in 83 appearances for the Blues, although he could reignite his career with a move to Old Trafford.

Ajax youngster Naci Unuvar was full of praise for Ziyech last year, saying: “I think he is a fantastic player. He is so decisive at Chelsea for a reason; he did a great job at Ajax as well.”

Although the 29-year-old’s game-time was limited at Chelsea last season, he still managed four goals and three assists in 23 league appearances, averaging a solid 6.92 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Ten Hag may well be a fan of the Morocco international from their mutual time at Ajax, and it will be interesting to see if United do make a bid to bring him in this summer.

AND in other news – After Martinez: MUFC could sign their own Jota as Ten Hag eyes “absolute phenomenon”

Rangers have a track record when it comes to signing players from other clubs on free transfers during previous summer and winter windows.

Their most recent Bosman signing saw the Ibrox side complete a deal for John Souttar after he signed a pre-contract in January.

Should the Gerst look to continue their theme of bringing free agents to Glasgow, one man with whom they have been linked recently and who could be a solid addition to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad is Tom Lawrence.

After working his way through Manchester United’s youth ranks and having loan spells with Carlisle United and Yeovil Town, the winger joined Leicester City on a permanent basis in 2014.

Having then had periods on loan with the likes of Rotherham United, Blackburn Rovers, Cardiff City and Ipswich Town, the Welshman joined Derby in the summer of 2017.

With 185 appearances to his name for the Rams, the 28-year-old has scored 37 goals and delivered 25 assists along the way.

His latest season with the Midlands club saw the attacker find the net 11 times and provide five assists in 38 league appearances.

Praised for his “inspirational” form by journalist Jake Barker on Twitter, Lawrence’s potential arrival at Ibrox this summer could give Van Bronckhorst the chance to form what could be a scintillating partnership at the top of the pitch alongside one of Rangers’ top attacking talents.

Taking into account how Gers striker Alfredo Morelos has been in double figures in terms of contract at the end of June – in the same team could make Van Bronckhorst’s side a much deadlier outfit.

Bearing in mind how the Welshman has played in numerous attacking positions throughout his career, this sort of versatility could make it easier for the Rangers boss to get him and the Colombian striker in the same team to create what could be a frightening partnership.

If Ross Wilson is able to strike another free transfer this summer, this time for Lawrence, it could be a fine bit of business which would suit the manager, the fans and the club’s finances.

AND in other news: Rangers can land their own David Silva as Van Bronckhorst eyes move for “massive” £2.7m-rated gem