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Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and the Nigerian frontman could form a sensational partnership with Christopher Nkunku in Graham Potter's side.

Could Chelsea sign Victor Osimhen?

Recent reports from Italy have suggested that Todd Boehly is willing to offer the young forward a mammoth contract in order to tempt him to Stamford Bridge this summer, as he looks to solve Chelsea's goalscoring woes.

Calciomercato have also claimed recently that the Serie A leaders will demand €150m (£132m) for Osimhen as a result of his superb performances this season, which have been a major factor in Luciano Spalletti's side's domination in Italy's top flight.

The 24-year-old boasts an incredible 19 goals and four assists in 22 league appearances so far this season, with WhoScored awarding him a 7.52 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

For context, Kai Havertz is Chelsea's top scorer in the Premier League with just six to his name, while Thiago Silva is ranked as the top performer (of those to make at least ten appearances) according to WhoScored, with a far-less-impressive 7.03 average rating.

Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and Joao Felix have all been signed in the Boehly era in order to bolster Potter's attack, but the Blues have only scored just 28 goals in 27 Premier League fixtures so far this season, so the need for a clinical striker to finish the chances created is clear.

Owen Hargreaves was full of praise for Osimhen on BT Sport after Napoli's 2-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League recently.

He said (via Football Transfers): "Osimhen is an absolute beast. Physically, his size, he presses the ball. Incredible. He’s incredibly hard to play against. Physically, he’s just impossible to deal with."

The former Genk striker has already spoken about his dream to play in the Premier League, and if the footballing history and wages on offer at Chelsea aren't enough to persuade him to join Potter's side this summer, then perhaps the prospect of playing with Nkunku will.

The "world-class" forward – as dubbd by Achim Beierlorzer, Leipzig's former assistant coach – has already agreed a move to Stamford Bridge ahead of the summer, with the former PSG man viewed as one of the most exciting talents in world football as a result of his displays in Germany in recent seasons.

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The 2021/22 campaign saw Nkunku register a phenomenal 20 goals and 15 assists in the Bundesliga, and he has followed that up with another 17 goals and five assists in all competitions so far this term.

Capable of playing anywhere across the front three, the France international could form a mouth-watering and simply world-class duo with Osimhen at Stamford Bridge, with both players emphasising their attacking qualities in Europe across the last few years.

Chelsea need attacking quality if they are going to mount a serious challenge next season and if Boehly is willing to splash the cash again, Osimhen could be worth every penny.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move to bring Milan Skriniar to the Premier League in the January transfer window.

That’s according to a recent report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that Inter Milan have made the centre-back a final contract renewal offer of €7m (£6.2m) per season – roughly £120k per week – although it is said that the Serie A giants are not overly confident that the 27-year-old will accept these terms.

The report adds that, with the Slovakia international’s current deal at the San Siro set to expire at the end of the current campaign, there is a very real chance that Skriniar could leave the Nerazzurri on a free this summer, with Spurs and Paris Saint-Germain both claimed to be keeping a very close eye on the defender’s situation.

With this in mind, Simone Inzaghi’s side are believed to already be drawing up a shortlist of potential candidates to replace the centre-back ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. One target is believed to be Tottenham’s own Japhet Tanganga, about whom the Nerazzurri have already contacted Spurs in order to determine whether they would be open to selling the 23-year-old.

“Unreal”

Considering just how much success Antonio Conte has enjoyed with Skriniar in the heart of his defence in the past, coupled with the 27-year-old who PSG reportedly lodged a €70m (£62m) bid for last summer now looking to be available to sign for nothing this summer, the argument that the centre-back would be an unreal signing on a free is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances in the Nerazzurri’s title-winning campaign back in 2020/21, the £53m-rated defender was a rock in Conte’s backline, helping Inter keep 12 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.5 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 2.7 clearances and winning 3.5 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

The £95k-per-week talent also impressed going forwards that season, hitting the back of the net three times, in addition to playing an average of 2.6 long balls, making 0.3 key passes and completing 62.2 passes – at a success rate of 92% – per match.

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These returns saw the 54-cap international who FotMob’s Andy Castell labelled “unreal” and journalist Siavoush Fallahi dubbed a “monster” average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as the seventh-best performer in Conte’s squad that term.

As such, considering just how well-suited Skriniar quite clearly is to the 53-year-old’s particular tactical setup and style of football, coupled with the fact the defender – who was the subject of a £62m bid just a matter of months ago – likely to be available to sign on a free transfer, it is indeed easy to argue that signing the Slovakian would be an unreal coup for Fabio Paratici to pull off next summer.

Celtic now turn their attention back towards the Scottish Premiership as they prepare to clash with Hibernian at Parkhead this afternoon.

The Hoops are coming into the match off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in midweek, which has left them sitting at the bottom of their Champions League group.

Ange Postecoglou will surely be hoping to see a reaction from his team against Hibs as they look to extend their two-point lead at the top of the Scottish top-flight table.

When he comes to selecting his starting XI for the match, the Australian head coach may opt against keeping Liel Abada in the side out on the wing.

The attacker was forced off in the first half of the defeat to Leipzig earlier this week and, whilst he has been deemed available for selection, Postecoglou may look to rest him for this game to ensure that the gem does not aggravate the knock.

This would leave a wide position open on the right but the manager must bring in a centre-forward to replace the winger – Giorgios Giakoumakis.

The striker was a substitute in the 2-0 loss to the German side in the Champions League and must be reinstated into the starting XI, with Kyogo Furuhashi – who led the line in Europe – moving either out wide or into a number 10 role to play off the former Eredivisie goal machine.

He has only started one match in the Premiership this season and deserves a run in the team to show what he is capable of, after scoring the winner against St Johnstone in the 95th minute last weekend.

It was his third goal of the league campaign and his 16th strike in 12 starts in the Scottish top-flight since making the move to Parkhead at the start of 2021/22.

A-League writer Sacha Pisani previously claimed that he is one of the Celtic players who can “dominate headlines” and his sensational goalscoring record backs that up.

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The Greek forward, who was once dubbed “underrated” by journalist Josh Bunting, has the potential to be a match-winner for the Hoops as he has proven that he can score on a regular basis, plundering 21 goals and providing one assist in 41 outings for the club to date.

Therefore, Postecoglou must unleash Giakoumakis against Hibernian as he is a menace to opposition defences, and bringing him back into the team will allow Abada to rest, whilst also giving the 27-year-old striker a well-deserved start after his winning goal last week.

He could be in the headlines again if he is at his predatory best at Parkhead but it is down to the manager to offer him the chance to showcase his talent over 90 minutes instead of coming off the bench.

Everton were linked with a move for Leander Dendoncker by Fabrizio Romano earlier this week, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to Saturday’s print edition of The Daily Mail newspaper (via Goodison News), the Toffees have now entered talks with Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign the midfielder this summer.

As per the report, the Toffees have held initial talks for Dendoncker, the move is still yet to develop but Lampard is keen to strengthen his squad this season and is an admirer of the player.

Moshiri can seal the second signing

It is no secret that Everton struggled in the Premier League last season and making signings that can improve and bolster the squad is an absolute necessity if the club doesn’t want to find themselves in another bottom-of-the-table battle or worse, relegated.

There is definitely room for improvement in all areas of the squad but the midfield is definitely in desperate need of a refresh, especially now that Fabian Delph and Donny Van de Beek have departed, making Dendoncker the second signing of the summer should be a priority for Farhad Moshiri.

The £75k-per-week Wolves midfielder has been a consistent and reliable performer when given then the opportunity to play in Bruno Lage’s side.

Over 30 Premier League appearances, Dendoncker scored two goals, delivered two assists and created one big chance, making 1.4 tackles, 1.1 clearances and winning 2.8 duels on average per game, proving that he is a hard-working player who can offer both attacking and defensive attributes from the centre of the pitch.

As a result of his work ethic and consistency in the team, the talented midfielder has drawn high praise from his manager, with Lage claiming that Dendoncker is a “big character” in the team (via Express & Star):

“He’s a big character, since the first day,”

“He is there, understands the role I have for him. He can play in the first, second and third position.”

“He is a top player and a top man with the right mentality.”

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Lampard will be looking to identify players who can come in and make an instant impact to give his team the best chance to get off to the best when they return to action and judging by Lage’s analysis and his performances in the Premier League last season the player is the perfect fit.

With that being said, Moshiri must not pass up on this opportunity to strengthen Everton’s midfield and if possible, must secure the signing before the Merseysiders kick-off against Chelsea at Goodison Park in less than two weeks’ time.

AND in other news: “In progress”: Romano drops update on Everton transfer target, Lampard will be fuming

Sunderland manager Alex Neil has dropped a bold claim on the Sheffield Wednesday supporters ahead of their upcoming League One play-off match against the Owls on Friday night.

The Lowdown: The ultimate face-off

The Black Cats cemented a place in the top six of the second-tier at the end of the season alongside the Yorkshire outfit, and they are now set to face each other in the first leg of the play-off semi-final at the Stadium of Light.

The two sides both won their respective home games against each other earlier in the campaign, so the support from those in the stands could hold massive weight on the result, and whilst the 40-year-old boss previewed the crunch clash, he was full of praise for both sets of fans.

The Latest: Neil’s admiration

During his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Neil said: “I’m probably gonna offend a few teams here, but it’s probably the two most well supported teams in the league.”

The Verdict: Electric atmosphere

There’s no doubt that the atmosphere inside the ground will be absolutely buzzing, with both teams looking to make the jump up to the Championship next season.

Sunderland are reported to have sold a staggering 35,000 tickets for the game and are aiming to have a total of more than 45,000 in attendance. If the club were to achieve this, it would beat the 38,000 that were at the Doncaster fixture back in February, which was officially recorded as the largest crowd outside of the Premier League this campaign.

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Whoever manages to seal the victory in this tie will have one foot in the play-off final, which is set to take place at Wembley Stadium on May 21st, and could be joining Wigan Athletic and Rotherham in their promotion parties.

In other news: Journalist stunned by ‘remarkable’ update from the Stadium of Light…

Luke Edwards has now revealed some Newcastle United transfer news involving Jamal Lewis.

The Lowdown: Left out

In an update shared from the official website of the St. James’ Park faithful on Thursday, Lewis is now one of three players to have been left out of their 25-man squad for the second half of the Premier League season.

Ciaran Clark and Isaac Hayden also miss out to make way for new signings Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett and Dan Burn.

This feels a pretty significant moment for Lewis in particular, being younger than his two teammates and hailed as ‘excellent’ and ‘so athletic’ by Eddie Howe.

The Latest: Leaving?

Taking to Twitter, The Daily Telegraph journalist Edwards has revealed that Lewis will now be going out on loan abroad, after being left out of the squad:

“I believe Jamal Lewis will be heading abroad on loan after he was left out of #nufc 25-man squad.”

Some transfer windows are still open, such as in Turkey, Switzerland and Russia.

The Verdict: Let him go

After the North East club brought in left-back Targett from Aston Villa on Transfer Deadline Day, it should now pave way for Lewis to go.

They already have cover in that position in Matt Ritchie, and Lewis needs to try and rekindle some form elsewhere now that he will not be playing top flight games.

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The Northern Ireland international currently ranks in the bottom six Magpies players in terms of performance in the league so far this term, and with only five appearances made in total (WhoScored), needs to get some game time elsewhere.

He could have gone on loan to Birmingham City in the Championship, but with the domestic window now shut, going abroad is his only other option.

In other news, find out who should now be ‘fine’ for Everton after a previous ‘concern’ here!

With Antonio Conte heading into his first Premier League game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, the Italian manager would have undoubtedly been hoping to get his reign at Spurs off to a positive start against Everton.

However, the fixture turned out to be a rather cagey affair, with Tottenham just edging the greater share of possession, Everton having more shots at goal, Spurs creating more big chances and the Toffees enjoying more attacking momentum than the visitors – although neither side managed to find the breakthrough, with the game ending 0-0.

Despite failing to take all three points from the fixture, there were nevertheless a couple of Tottenham players who will have done themselves no harm in strengthening their spot in Conte’s first-team plans going forwards – one of whom was 21-year-old central midfielder, Oliver Skipp.

93% passes completed

Having broken into the Tottenham first-team this season after a highly impressive loan spell at Norwich City last term, the Italian manager opted to keep the young midfielder in his starting XI for Spurs’ trip to Everton on Sunday, ahead of the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Harry Winks.

And, over his 90 minutes on the pitch at Goodison Park, the £13.5m-rated man did not disappoint, enjoying 58 touches of the ball, completing 43 of his 46 attempted passes – a success rate of 93% – and finding his man with two of his three attempted long balls, as well as making two key passes.

The £24k-per-week England U21 international also impressed in metrics more typical of his defensive midfield position, making three tackles, blocking one shot, making two interceptions and winning four of his seven duels.

These returns saw the 21-year-old who Daniel Farke dubbed a “perfect” player earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.2, ranking him as Spurs’ joint third-best performer on the day.

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As such, while Emerson Royal rightly deserves praise for his own performance at right wing-back against the Toffees, it will perhaps be the performance of Skipp that most pleased the 52-year-old manager, as the youngster ran the show on Sunday.

In other news: Lost 71% duels: £74k-p/w flop has now proven to Conte he’s “not good enough” for Spurs

Get French Football News writer Adam White insists that Tanguy Ndombele has lost the “ferocity” he showed at Lyon amid reports that his future at Tottenham Hotspur is currently in doubt.

Ndombele did not play a single minute for the club in pre-season, and was left out of the squad for the prestige friendly with Arsenal at the weekend, a game that Spurs won 1-0 without him.

New manager Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed that the Frenchman is not injured and he is subsequently unlikely to play against Manchester City in the Premier League opener this weekend, due to his lack of preparatory minutes.

Ndombele did report late for pre-season training due to his paternity leave, but his absence against Arsenal has again thrust his future into the spotlight.

He remains Spurs’ record signing, with the club having paid £53.8m to sign him from Lyon, but he somewhat struggled for consistency last season, making 28 league starts and completing the 90 minutes in the Premier League just six times.

And White, who also covers Ligue 1 for The Guardian, does not think he is the same player he was when he played for Lyon, a club for whom he made 96 appearances.

He said: “His demeanour seems to have changed a little bit at Tottenham.

“There was an intensity to his play at Lyon, the way that he would surge forward and the way he carried the ball, there was an intensity to that.

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“I think at Tottenham, whether that’s coaching, whether that’s the Premier League, whether that’s the big move he’s had between the two clubs, it seems to have lessened a little bit.

“Maybe that’s just that he’s been asked to do a different role but that’s my take on the Ndombele at Tottenham situation. He doesn’t seem to have that ferocity that he had at Lyon.”

West Ham are facing a battle to secure mooted target Chris Wood, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

The Mirror claimed that the Irons are one of three Premier League clubs eyeing up a move for the Burnley striker ahead of the summer transfer window, which is set to open on Wednesday.

Aston Villa and Everton are also said to be monitoring his situation, with the latter waiting to see whether their next manager wants to pursue a deal or not.

The Clarets will not want to lose such an integral player, especially as he has two years to run on his current contract at Turf Moor, but every player has his price and it’s thought that Wood is valued in the region of £30m, as per Football Insider.

Moyes’ next Ferguson

Football Insider added that David Moyes is a huge admirer of the 29-year-old because of his physicality, finishing ability and knack for spearheading the attack.

This should come as no surprise, though, as every club the Scotsman has managed has had a player of this calibre – an aggressive and in-your-face target man.

The most famous example is Duncan Ferguson at Goodison Park, where Moyes’ fellow countryman played 108 times across five seasons under him before working alongside him in a coaching capacity.

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Wood has been a prolific goalscorer in the English top flight in recent seasons, hitting double figures in each of his last four campaigns, including a tally of 14 goals in 32 appearances during 2019/20, via Transfermarkt.

Premier League record scorer Alan Shearer knows a thing or two about scoring goals in the big time and he’s a big fan of Wood, too.

“I like him, I like what he does for the team and he is the focal point for them He is very good at occupying two centre-halves,” claimed the former Newcastle and Blackburn talisman, via Lancs Live, before adding: “He can keep hold of it and bring other players into the game. He is horrible to play against and he won’t give defenders a moment’s peace.”

Wood has also been described as a “natural goalscorer” by his former boss Garry Monk, as well as someone who is “frightening” to come up against by old Milwall teammate Scott Malone, so there are plenty of reasons why the 1.91m (6 foot 3) powerhouse could fit Moyes’ eye.

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It’s no secret that the 58-year-old will be absolutely desperate for another striker this summer, having lost Sebastian Haller during the January transfer window with no backup in sight.

The Irons cannot afford to go into the new season with just Michail Antonio as a centre-forward option, so the vastly experienced 56-cap New Zealand international could well be a shrewd piece of business if West Ham pull it off.

GSB must look to sanction this deal as Moyes may well unearth his next Duncan Ferguson at the London Stadium.

AND in other news, Hammers suffer BLOW in pursuit of “incredible” 30-goal target, Moyes will be fuming…

A claim has been dropped on Eddie Howe by his representative after the Daily Record recently linked him with Newcastle United.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the representative of the former AFC Bournemouth manager quashed rumours that Howe is close to joining Celtic:

“Talks of any deal being close are extremely premature.

“His plan remains to not return to management until the summer at the earliest.”

Howe has also been linked to both Celtic and Crystal Palace, with the former his most likely destination given that John Kennedy is only in interim charge at the Hoops and Roy Hodgson is still in charge at Selhurst Park.

Steve Bruce is still of course in charge at St. James’ Park, but with the North East club currently stuck in a battle to avoid being relegated from the Premier League down to the EFL Championship, the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss may find his managerial position under threat come the end of the 2020/21 term.

Newcastle should appoint Howe if Bruce leaves

If Bruce were to leave the Tyneside club at the end of the season, then they should look no further than appointing Howe as his replacement if he is still available at that time.

Former top-flight striker now pundit Noel Whelan described him as a ‘fantastic’ manager back in March, and he certainly has the CV to prove it, bringing the little Cherries all the way up to the Premier League and keeping them there for five straight campaigns.

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At just 43 years of age as well, Howe is still relatively young as a coach, and can only develop in his next few years in management.

In other news, find out which £25.9m-valued speedster NUFC want to sign here!