All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

As the focus shifts towards 2025, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly fearful that one of their transfer targets is currently talking to Arsenal instead in what would be quite the move.

Arsenal transfer news

For the first time under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal are really finding out about just how deep the quality in their squad goes. The Gunners enter the North London derby without captain Martin Odegaard, without the suspended Declan Rice, without the injured Mikel Merino and without summer signing Riccardo Calafiori to leave them scratching their heads for options.

If they capitulate, questions will undoubtedly come over their summer transfer window and whether they signed enough depth. Calafiori, Merino and Raheem Sterling all arrived, but Odegaard’s recent injury could highlight Arsenal’s failure to sign an adequate backup in attacking midfield.

The Norway international is undoubtedly a difficult man to replace, such is his creative quality, but those in North London may just be regretting their failure to at least attempt to sign an alternative option.

However, they could yet make up for that regret by beating rivals Spurs to one particular target in 2025. According to Football Transfers, Spurs are now fearful that Eberechi Eze has been speaking to Arsenal or Manchester City instead of them and that he has had his head turned by the Premier League’s leading clubs.

It came as a surprise to everyone that Eze didn’t attract more interest in the summer window, including Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish who said via Sky Sports: “I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael and Ebbs in the same window and we didn’t have in Ebbs the interest that I thought we would have. I was astounded. Genuinely astounded. I mean, the guy’s just an outstanding footballer, an outstanding person.”

"Outstanding" Eze would compete with Odegaard

Not many players in world football are capable of competing with Odegaard, but Eze is one of the select few. A player with plenty of creative flair who also has an eye for goal, Eze still looks destined for the top even without a move in the summer just gone and could yet join title contenders Arsenal in 2025, much to Spurs’ disappointment.

Goals

11

8

Assists

4

10

Take-ons Completed

69

37

Key Passes

54

102

Looking at the numbers, Eze would offer Arsenal something slightly different to Odegaard. The England international is a far more direct player, whereas Odegaard’s intricate passing often tells the story of his quality.

If the Gunners can combine the two then they may well find the key to unlocking the silverware that they have been craving. A lot could still happen, however, and with Manchester City sniffing around, Arsenal must act fast if they are to secure Eze’s signature.

Whether it’s January or next summer, there’s no doubt that Eze has earned a big move and one that even Parish expected him to come close to in the last transfer window.

There’s an early wintry air around Goodison Park, with Everton suffering a bleak start to the season, losing their first three Premier League matches and latterly capitulating against Bournemouth.

But there were signs of promise against the Cherries, having led until the eleventh hour. One of the most exciting points, no doubt, was the performance of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who could be so important going forward.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's resurgence

Calvert-Lewin has experienced peaks and valleys over the years on Merseyside, but now it looks like he’s on the way toward restoring the one-time fitness levels that saw talent scout Jacek Kulig hail him as a “monster.”

However, he featured prominently last season and was even praised for looking “like the DCL of old” by The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland after a dominant display against Liverpool in the Premier League.

He also scored four goals and placed one assist over the final seven fixtures of the season, having carried his athleticism and form into the current campaign, scoring and assisting against Bournemouth before watching in horror as his side slumped to an inexplicable defeat.

Calvert-Lewin is playing the final year of his contract with Everton, who rejected offers from Chelsea and Newcastle United during the summer transfer window, holding out for a £40m fee.

It doesn’t look like the 27-year-old is going to pen fresh terms, but perhaps he’s proving that his on-pitch contribution could be the tipping point in the club’s bid to preserve top-flight status.

They’ve sold free-scoring strikers in the past – Romelu Lukaku, for example – but in this case, it indeed looks like the Toffees made the right decision.

On the topic of Lukaku, the Belgium international has been gone for some time now, but still enjoys a position of prominence on the European stage.

Romelu Lukaku just keeps on scoring

Lukaku, aged 31, is probably the most talented Everton striker of modern times, having been praised as an “elite” player by his Blues manager Roberto Martinez in 2015, who said that he “can achieve anything”.

Everton

166

87

27

0.69

Inter Milan

132

78

23

0.77

Belgium

119

85

18

0.87

RSC Anderlecht

98

41

17

0.59

Manchester United

96

42

12

0.56

Chelsea

59

15

2

0.29

AS Roma

47

21

4

0.61

West Brom

38

17

4

0.55

Napoli

1

1

0

1.00

Oh but doesn’t he score. Lukaku might divide opinion, sluggish at times, wasteful at others, but he’s a hulking mass of prolific energy for the most part and this is reflected through his illustrious and individual success throughout his career.

To this day, Everton remain the outfit he has performed the most fixtures for, having torn the Premier League to shreds as an up-and-coming phenom for the Blues, raising his stock and convincing Manchester United to fork out some £75m – rising to a possible £90m – for his signature in August 2017, departing Ronald Koeman’s side.

Once described as a “world-class” striker by Thomas Tuchel, Lukaku bagged 21 goals and claimed four assists across all competitions last year, and after netting on his debut for Napoli before the ongoing international break, still looks dangerous and hungry for more.

That 21-goal tally is a distance above Calvert-Lewin’s last year, who has actually only scored 16 times since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

Moreover, Lukaku posted more strikes than another former Toffee in Anthony Gordon last year, with the England international winning Newcastle’s Player of the Season award after an excellent year that saw him score 12 times and assist 11 goals for his teammates.

Gordon’s wide-performing role in Eddie Howe’s side of course means that he is not expected to reach obscene tallies surpassing that of Lukaku, but it still illuminates the Belgian’s brilliance in the final third.

Everton were rewarded with a handsome sum for his sale, way back when, but he’d sure be a force to be reckoned with the Sean Dyche’s side could do with at present…

Everton flop left on a free in 2022, now he's outscoring Calvert-Lewin

A former Everton striker has been in wonderful form since leaving Goodison Park

ByRoss Kilvington Sep 10, 2024

The exit of a £200,000-a-week Manchester United player is now not expected to happen this summer, according to a fresh update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Latest on Man Utd exits on deadline day

The future of Jadon Sancho has dominated deadline day from a Red Devils perspective, as he potentially looks to seal a move away from Old Trafford.

The Englishman has never got going in a United shirt since completing a big-money move from Borussia Dortmund back in 2021, even being loaned back to the Bundesliga side last season. Chelsea are believed to be making late efforts to sign the 24-year-old, as the Blues look to seal yet another signing.

However, Erik ten Hag provided an update on Sancho's future during his pre-Liverpool press conference on Friday, saying he expects him to remain at United: "As far as I know, I expect him to stay, yeah. We are happy with him. We need a good squad. We have to play many games until January. After the break we play every third day so we need options."

Away from all things Sancho, a key update has now emerged regarding the future of another Old Trafford ace.

£200,000-a-week Man Utd winger set to stay

According to Romano on X, Antony is expected to stay at Manchester United this summer, with a loan move to Real Betis off the table after the player decided he wants to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford.

There is no question that Antony has been a disappointing signing for United overall, with a lack of end product from his right-sided attacking role something that he has received plenty of credit for. The £200,000-a-week Brazilian has only bagged 11 goals and five assists in 83 appearances for United, which compared to the likes of rivals Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka in his position, is simply not good enough for the Red Devils to close the gap.

That being said, Antony does still possess quality and is only 24 years of age, with Rio Ferdinand describing him as a "threat" and Danny Murphy also praising him last season: "Antony was running in behind and making different types of runs today. There’s been a lot of discontent with him in the first couple of games, but his end product, picking passes better, he was much more decisive in his play today."

There is plenty of competition for places in wide areas at United now, including Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo, so now is the time for Antony to find another gear, or the calls for him to move on next summer are only likely to become more deafening.

He's like Pogba: Man Utd in late talks to sign another CM after Ugarte

Manchester United could sign two midfielders on deadline day.

ByMatt Dawson Aug 30, 2024

The natural ability is there for all to see, in terms of his classy left foot and quick dribbling, but it is now a case of him adding that all-important substance to his game, scoring and assisting at a far greater rate.

Over the course of the Premier League era, Aston Villa have had some enterprising centre-forwards, who have scored some crucial goals for the Midlands outfit. The Villans recently recorded their joint second-highest finish in Premier League history, bettered only by 1992/93 season, when they finished second behind Manchester United. In that time, they have had some excellent centre-forwards.

Indeed, one of those players was the reason for the Villans' fourth place finish last campaign. Ollie Watkins was absolutely superb under Unai Emery last season, scoring 19 goals and grabbing 13 assists in the top flight. He now has 70 goals and 26 assists in 170 games for Villa.

Going back a few more years, another of their legendary centre-forwards is Gabby Agbonlahor, who scored 86 goals and grabbed 54 assists in 391 games in Claret and Blue. Iconic former Man United centre-forward Dwight Yorke also had a spell at Villa Park before moving to Old Trafford, scoring 85 goals in 262 games.

With the transfer window still open for another week, they have been linked with another striker in the remaining days. The Villans would no doubt hope this player can add quality and goals up front, and potentially become another of their iconic strikers.

Villa target La Liga striker

The player in question here is Atletico Madrid and Spain youth international striker Samu Omorodion. The 20-year-old has had a busy summer having been linked with a move away from the Civitas Metropolitano, although that is not something that has materialised.

According to a report from Spain, the Villans are believed to be ‘willing to pay’ the money which would see the 20-year-old make the move from Madrid to the Midlands and Villa Park. The report suggests he is someone who is ‘liked by Monchi and Unai Emery’, the crucial figures to impress ahead of a potential move.

In terms of that price, Atleti are believed to want around £30m to sell the striker this summer, who came very close to joining Chelsea. However, that move fell through, and the Blues ended up signing Joao Felix instead, with Conor Gallagher going the other way.

Why Omorodion would be a good signing

It was a very impressive campaign for the 20-year-old centre-forward, who was an Olympic champion with Spain at Paris 2024. He was on fire in La Liga last season, playing 35 games and getting himself nine goals as well as one assist.

Indeed, Omorodion, in his debut La Liga campaign, was the top scorer for Alaves, with eight goals, having also scored one for Granada before his move. However, it is worth noting that the Atleti striker did not score a league goal after the 10th of February when he got on the scoresheet against Villarreal.

Should Villa bring the Olympic champion to the club this summer, it could provide them with the chance to move Jhon Duran on. The 20-year-old Columbian has been embroiled in transfer controversy this summer after moves to Chelsea and West Ham fell through before he scored against the Hammers at the London Stadium last Saturday.

Last term, he struggled for regular minutes at Villa Park. The young powerhouse played just 462 minutes in the top flight last term, scoring five goals in that time. Those minutes equated to just over five full 90-minute games.

However, he had an astounding record, averaging 0.94 goals every game, as per FBref. Already, he has scored once in just 28 minutes in the Premier League this season. He is certainly a player who has a big impact in a short space of time.

Stat (per 90)

Number

PL Rank

Goals

0.94

5th

Goals per shot

0.25

=5th

Goals per shot on target

0.71

=2nd

Given the fact that Duran’s future has been up in the air this summer, and Omordion, who is a “beast” according to football analyst Antonio Mango, can find the back of the net thanks to elite penalty box movement, it could be a smart move.

For a fee of around just £30m, Villa could strengthen up front and bring in a striker whom they can build their side around ahead of an exciting campaign at Villa Park, as they return to the Champions League.

Imagine him & Watkins: Aston Villa hold talks over Bailey & Diaby hybrid

He is available for transfer in the final few days of the window

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 22, 2024

Liverpool are reportedly closing on their second signing of the 2023 summer transfer window as negotiations with OGC Nice's Khephren Thuram continue.

What's the latest on Khephren Thuram to Liverpool?

That's following an update from transfer insider Rudy Galetti, who claims that the respective outfits are in active discussions over the transfer of the burgeoning France international.

He said on Twitter: "Talks between Liverpool and OGCNice for Khephren Thuram are progressing. The 2 clubs are working to reach an agreement for around €40/45m (£34/39m).

"No issues on personal terms."

Liverpool have already signed World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister this summer for £35m, but will hope to bolster the midfield further after James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's contractual conclusions.

How would Khephren Thuram perform at Liverpool?

Although Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven years after finishing fifth in the Premier League, there is reason for optimism given the moves being made on the market.

And with a late-season purple patch underscoring the lofty heights this outfit can return to – Liverpool won seven matches in succession before a succession of draws closed the play – the ambitious stratagems of the Reds' German manager could yet be realised once again.

Thuram would bring energy and exuberance to the Liverpool fold, evidenced by his relentless driving runs – as per FBref, the 22-year-old ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.

Described as a "monster" by Sam McGuire, the £14k-per-week star could bring the best out of Darwin Núñez, who has endured an indifferent maiden year on English shores after joining Liverpool from Benfica for a club-record £85m transfer.

As evidenced by FBref, the £140k-per-week menace ranks among the top 1% of forwards for total shots and xG per 90 – with the latter metric meaning Nunez has squandered a higher rate of goalscoring opportunities than any other striker in Europe over the past year.

The Uruguayan did still plunder 15 goals across all competitions from just 26 starting displays, also ranking among the top 6% for progressive carries and the top 2% for touches in the attacking box per 90, and Thuram's involvement behind him could finally unlock a prodigious talent.

Indeed, the Nice ace is a "dangerous" midfielder – as praised by Aaron Ramsey – and could utilise his prowess as a central vehicle, pushing through the thirds, to provide Nunez with the support that he needs to flourish – Thuram also assisted eight goals last season.

Liverpool are 'progressing' with a deal, and must now ensure that they do not cede the chance to sign such a vibrant talent, it could just finally ignite the full scale of Nunez's capabilities.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur target James Maddison and his thoughts on a potential move to north London this summer.

What's the latest on James Maddison to Tottenham?

According to The Daily Mail, the chat from around England's international camp over the past week has been that the attacking midfielder would prefer a move to Spurs over other teams.

The report claims that the former Norwich City playmaker is keen on a switch to join Ange Postecoglou's men following on from Leicester City's relegation to the Championship. It states that they are also interested in signing his Foxes teammate Harvey Barnes, although West Ham United and Arsenal are also keen on the winger.

The Northern Echo recently reported that Newcastle United have been working on a deal to sign Maddison for a number of months and that Leicester currently value the mercurial talent at £50m.

Therefore, this latest claim from the Daily Mail should come as a boost to Postecoglou as the player, who was described as a "magician" by Statman Dave, is seemingly ready to snub other teams in order to push for a move to Spurs.

How did Maddison perform last season?

Despite his team ending the campaign in the bottom three in the Premier League, Maddison enjoyed an excellent season on an individual level as the 26-year-old wizard showcased his ability to score and set-up goals on a regular basis from a number ten position.

The Foxes number ten averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.33 across 30 Premier League appearances and contributed with ten goals and nine assists. He also created 12 'big chances' for his teammates and registered 2.3 key passes per game, which illustrates his creative brilliance.

Only Harry Kane (7.44) averaged a higher Sofascore rating in the top-flight within the Spurs squad and no player managed more than 1.7 key passes per match for the Lillywhites.

These statistics suggest that Maddison, who was only outscored by Kane (30) for Tottenham in the Premier League last term, would provide Postecoglou with some much-needed creativity.

Former manager Brendan Rodgers described Maddison as "one of the best" players in the division and this was backed up by his eighth-placed ranking on average Sofascore ratings last season.

The ex-Coventry City prodigy has proven himself to be an exceptional performer in the top tier of English football, having also produced 12 goals and eight assists for Leicester in 2021/22, and that is why the exciting creator could be a fantastic addition to the squad this summer.

Chelsea have shown “no indication” that they will be “prioritising” Declan Rice over their other transfer targets such as Moises Caicedo, believes journalist Ben Jacobs.

The West Ham United midfielder has been heavily linked to Arsenal for much of the last six months, but the Blues have also reportedly shown interest at times.

Chelsea transfer news – Declan Rice

Following the Hammers’ Conference League final win on Wednesday night, chairman David Sullivan revealed that club captain Rice would leave over the summer.

Whilst the team primarily linked to the English international has been the Gunners, other sides have also shown interest, notably Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Tuchel reportedly has “high admiration” for the 24-year-old from his time in the Premier League, per Ben Jacobs.

However, with the player’s believed desire to remain in the country, specifically London, a move to either Mike Arteta’s side or West London seems far more likely.

For the west Londoners’ part, they have yet to show much significant interest in the 6 foot 1 midfielder, instead being heavily linked to Sporting CP’s Manuel Ugarte before he opted to sign for Paris Saint Germain, per Fabrizio Romano.

According to 90min, the club are looking at a potential double swoop for both Caicedo and Rice, but there is yet to be anything concrete linking the West Ham man to West London.

What has Ben Jacobs said about the potential transfer of Declan Rice to Chelsea?

Jacobs recognises that the Blues might be interested in the 24-year-old, but their behaviour in the market so far suggests that, unlike Arsenal, they won’t prioritise the player over their other targets.

Speaking to Football FanCast, the journalist said:

“There’s no indication at this point that Chelsea are going to prioritise Rice over, for example, Caicedo. We know that Chelsea want more than one midfielder, but the fact that they went for Ugarte and the fact that Caicedio is on the radar, perhaps suggests that Chelsea won’t come into the race, and go head-to-head with Arsenal at this point.

“But obviously, Arsenal will be wary of the Mudryk saga, and it is true that Thomas Tuchel also has high admiration for Rice as well.”

Should Chelsea sign Declan Rice?

There is a reason Rice is one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League at the moment, and if the Blues have a genuine chance to pick him up, they should.

According to WhoScored, the “absolute monster”, as described by ESPN writer David Cartlidge, has an average rating of 7.01 across his 36 Premier League games this year.

The underlying numbers for the Hammers captain are just as impressive.

According to FBref, compared to players in a similar position across Europe’s top five leagues, he sits in the top 5% for interceptions, 15% for progressive carries, 17% for clearances, 19% for pass completion and top 20% for progressive passes all per 90.

That said, there is the small problem of his transfer fee.

Thanks to his excellent performances and the interest from clubs like Arsenal, the price for the player is expected to reach a minimum of £92m, per the Telegraph.

That kind of money might be better spent elsewhere for the two-time European champions, especially after outlaying £107m for Enzo Fernandez in January this year.

Everton defender Conor Cody has admitted he shied away from a confrontation with Erling Haaland during a Premier League game.

What happened between Conor Cody and Erling Haaland?

It looks as though this is destined to be a pretty amazing debut season in English football for the prolific goalscorer.

Indeed, Haaland has won the league, the FA Cup, and could make it a treble if Manchester City beat Inter in the Champions League final this week.

In that period of 52 games, the 22-year-old also happens to have scored 52 goals as well as provided nine assists – remarkable stuff really.

It’s no surprise then, that he’s scored one goal each time he played Everton this term, netting both home and away this term. However, in the match at the Etihad, you could say Ben Godfrey rattled Haaland somewhat.

Indeed, the defender opted to be rather physical on the day and succeeded in getting under his skin – as shown by this footage of the City striker pulling a funny face during the game.

While talking about the match on BBC Sounds recently though, Godfrey’s teammate Coady has now spoken about the incident from his point of view.

The Englishman said: “What was funny about it, there’s a little story to that. So we obviously said Ben’s a big strong lad, isn’t he?

“And we obviously said we’ll try and get into him [Haaland] a little bit. Do you know what I mean? Make him feel that he’s in a game. And so Ben, about 30 seconds in gave him a bit, stood on the back of his foot or whatever it was and Haaland stayed down for a little bit.

“So Haaland didn’t know who it was, right? So I’m stood in the middle of a back three and I’m trying to talk, next minute he’s walking towards me.

“Big massive fella, isn’t he? So as he’s walking towards me, I’m looking at him, and he went: ‘was that you?’ and I said ‘no, it was him’ [pointing at Godfrey] and he went ‘ok’ and walked off!”

What did Godfrey say about his fight with Haaland?

It’s clear from Cody’s facial expression that he wanted absolutely no part of any sort of fight with the sizeable Haaland at that particular moment.

You can hardly blame him either as the Man City star has bullied defenders up and down England this term, breaking the Premier League record for the most goals scored in a signed season with his 36 strikes.

At least Godfrey enjoyed the ball, telling TV after (via TalkSport): “Godfrey also said he enjoyed the battle, commenting: “I don’t need to tell you Erling Haaland’s a good player. I just had to do my job.

“Yeah of course he was [upset]. You could see his reaction. He got his goal and is always causing people problems and it’s those challenges you have to look forward to.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed the green light from Ange Postecoglou that he is keen to take on the vacant managerial role in north London.

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

Daniel Levy saw Antonio Conte leave the club back in March following a run of underwhelming results amid the Italian's ongoing issues off the pitch.

But the off-field issues did not end there for Spurs with Fabio Paratici also leaving the club after the director of football was caught up in legal issues from his past.

However, Tottenham could now be heading in the right direction to get their plans for the future underway with the managerial vacancy expected to be filled in the coming days.

Indeed, it is believed the Celtic manager, Postecoglou, will take the reins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium having completed the Scottish treble on the weekend with the Bhoys.

The 57-year-old has never managed in one of Europe's top five leagues with the opportunity at Parkhead presenting him with his first role in the United Kingdom.

However, the Australian is seemingly keen to make the step up to the Premier League with Alex Crook telling TalkSPORT the Celtic boss has informed Spurs of his desire to take the job:

"What I was told last night [Sunday] by sources close to Postecoglou, that it's pretty much a done deal, but he's already given Tottenham the indication that he wants to job obviously still have to formally approach Celtic. They were holding off out of respect until after that cup final at the weekend.

"But it won't be a complicated one because Postecoglou has a 12-month rolling contract, so compensation won't be an issue for Spurs."

Where has Postecoglou managed before?

The Australian has a very short history of managing in Europe with the job at Parkhead marking just his second role on the continent having previously managed Panachaiki in Greece.

Prior to taking the role at Celtic, Postecoglou had mainly managed in his homeland and Japan with Yokohama but it is apparent he has made a positive impression on those within the Premier League.

Indeed, it is believed Spurs were not the only side to have looked at Postecoglou as a potential option with Leeds United and Leicester City – prior to the relegation – both linked with the Australian.

Although some Spurs fans may not look at these links as positives, it is worth mentioning that Postecoglou was also a serious candidate for the job at Brighton & Hove Albion when Graham Potter left.

Again, the Seagulls who many may view as the best-run club in the league, are believed to be seriously keen on one of the Asian stars which Postecoglou has introduced to Europe in Reo Hatate.

Postecoglou may not be a familiar name with some just yet, however, Spurs fans could take a lot of optimism from the attention he has received from the likes of the Brighton board.

After all, Spurs have tried the big names with the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, perhaps it is now time to try a manager who could bring the fanbase back together.

Chelsea have started to explore a deal to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to reports.

Is Romeo Lavia leaving Southampton?

The Belgium international only arrived at the St. Mary’s Stadium from Premier League rivals Manchester City, who do have a buy-back clause available, last summer, but after establishing himself as Ruben Selles’ second top-performing defensive player last season, has caught the eye of Mauricio Pochettino.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Rudy Galetti revealed that the Blues have the 19-year-old at the “top of their list” of central targets and have “already started” talks regarding a potential move, and it’s fair to say that reinforcements will be needed in the months ahead.

The Stamford Bridge outfit have N’Golo Kante and Denis Zakaria both out of contract this summer whilst Mateo Kovacic has reportedly entered negotiations over joining Pep Guardiola’s side so fresh faces will be required which is where the south coast starlet comes in.

Are Chelsea signing Lavia?

According to Football Insider, Chelsea, and by extension owner Todd Boehly, have “sounded out the possibility” of a deal for Lavia ahead of the 2023/24 term. The SW6 side have already “made some early moves” for Southampton’s midfielder, and it’s stated that Pochettino has “marked” the teenager as a player who he is a “huge fan” of. The £25k-per-week gem, who is preparing to leave, is also attracting interest from Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal.

Could Lavia be a good signing for Chelsea?

Chelsea will know that Lavia is still a very young player in the development stages of his career, but having been labelled a “diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the defensive midfielder could be a fantastic signing for the long-term future at Stamford Bridge.

The Elite Project Group Ltd client ranks in the 96th percentile for blocks and recorded a total of 60 tackles throughout last season which was the third-highest number out of the squad on the south coast, as per FBRef.

Hailed as "perfect for Chelsea" by journalist Nick Emms, Lavia is sponsored by Adidas and also occasionally chips in with his team’s efforts at the opposite end of the pitch having provided one goal and the same number of assists during his debut campaign at Southampton.

Finally, Lavia would add versatility to the manager’s ranks with his ability to operate slightly higher up in central midfield alongside his natural role sitting just in front of the backline, and he could only excel even further under the guidance of Pochettino.