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Sunderland will be desperate to stop the rot this Saturday when Stoke City travel to Wearside, Michael Beale keeping everything crossed that his Black Cats side don't succumb to their third defeat in a row in the Championship.

If they were to lose another game – putting them onto 13 losses already after 29 games played – the playoff picture could become even more distant for the stuttering Black Cats and Beale's job could even eventually be on the line.

Beale could attempt to win back over the hardened Sunderland masses with this January buy, therefore, shopping in France potentially to win the player in question's services.

Sunderland want to sign Lyon midfielder

According to a report in French outlet L'Equipe, Sunderland are interested in signing Olympique Lyonnais' midfield warrior Skelly Alvero who comes in at a lofty 6 foot 7 frame.

With the 21-year-old finding himself frozen out of the first-team in France currently – absent from Lyon's last five league encounters – Sunderland could come to the rescue and offer Alvero more game-time.

German side Werder Bremen are also reportedly interested in signing Alvero on a loan deal until the end of the campaign according to L'Equipe, Sunderland just behind the Bundesliga outfit in the queue for the young midfielder.

Having success recently signing Pierre Ekwah, who is a fellow compatriot of Alvero, the 21-year-old could well come into the Sunderland side and usurp the settled Black Cats first-teamer's presence regardless.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

The current Lyon man could well come in and form an intimidating midfield duo with Dan Neil in the process, a transfer for Sunderland fans to certainly keep an eye out on.

How Alvero would slot into the Sunderland team

Joining Lyon from fellow French side Sochaux just last summer, Alvero starred for his former club before making the big leap to the Groupama Stadium.

During his time with his previous employers, Alvero would bag five goals and pick up four assists playing for both the Sochaux B team and the senior side.

Moreover, looking at FBRef statistics, Alvero excels in his diligent defensive duties more so than Ekwah currently does at the Stadium of Light.

Helped by his imposing frame on the pitch, Alvero – over the last year on average per 90 minutes – has won 3.05 tackles and 3.98 aerials in contrast to Ekwah's lesser 1.87 tackles and 0.69 aerials.

Whilst Neil in the central midfield two enjoys roaming forward more than the Sunderland number 39, as seen in Neil's 7.01 progressive passes averaged over the same time period, Alvero could come in and fulfil the role of anchor in the Black Cats side far more impressively than Ekwah.

Still, Alvero beats Neil when it comes to successful take-ons – the former coming in at 2.24 to Neil's 0.96 – and could complement Neil's tenacity on the ball brilliantly with similarly brave runs going forward.

Ekwah has also had his fair share of off-days in the Sunderland first team ranks recently, notably giving the ball up against Newcastle United in the already tense Tyne-Wear Derby after a short goal kick out from Anthony Patterson for Alexander Isak to then rifle home.

Signing Alvero would see the Black Cats shop in a left-field market, but with the potential deal being risk-free by loaning Alvero into the building until the end of the season, it could be a buy that pays off.

The USMNT are ready to battle Copa America rivals that “don’t like you very much”, with Matt Turner taking positives from a 1-1 draw with Brazil.

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Suffered humbling defeat to ColombiaBounced back to hold Selecao in OrlandoCountdown on to Copa opener vs BoliviaWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States are preparing to fill the role of hosts at a major international tournament this summer. Their preparations for that event got off to a shaky start when suffering a 5-1 friendly defeat to Colombia. They followed that up by holding their own against a star-studded Brazil side in Orlando, meaning that confidence has been restored heading into clashes with more South American foes.

AdvertisementWHAT TURNER SAID

First-choice goalkeeper Turner, who made 11 saves against Brazil, has told reporters of the USMNT readying themselves for bigger challenges to come: “I think at the end of the day, tactics don't matter, whoever’s out there shouldn't ever matter. It's about representing something bigger than yourself. When you put on this crest, there's a certain level of expectation and we need to know that friendly or not, it doesn't matter, you're the USA, and you're going to play in Copa America and you're going to play against South American teams that don't like you very much and want to prove a point. So we have to have a certain level of intensity every single time we step out onto the pitch that we lacked in the Colombia game, but we had tonight.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Head coach Gregg Berhalter is another that sees his squad heading in the right direction, saying of the response offered to a humbling setback against Colombia: “We feel like we made a little step. It's not a huge step, but it's a little step, to be able to play against amazingly talented Brazil team and bend but not break, and I think give them problems as well, push them as well. We think it's a good end to our preparation camp and we're ready for Copa America.”

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WHAT NEXT?

The United States will open their quest for Copa America glory against Bolivia at AT&T stadium in Texas on June 23, before going on to face Panama in Atlanta and Uruguay at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas across their other Group C fixtures.

Michael Beale picked up his second win as Sunderland manager last weekend, but one of the goalscorers on the day was even more overjoyed than the new Black Cats boss come full-time.

Nazariy Rusyn finally broke his goalscoring duck for the second-tier side, taking the Ukrainian summer recruit ten whole games to eventually find the back of the net at the expense of Preston North End on Saturday.

Yet, despite the previously goal-shy striker getting up and running now in a Black Cats strip, Beale could well still be in the market for a striker this month to significantly bolster the attack at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland transfer latest – new striker search

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie stated late last month on social media that Sunderland were interested in bringing Jay Stansfield to Wearside, despite the former Exeter City forward still being contracted to Birmingham City on loan away from parent club Fulham.

Sunderland aren't the only club thinking of swooping in for the current Blues sharpshooter though, with Football Insider revealing at the end of December that Championship automatic promotion candidates Ipswich Town had already held preliminary talks with the 21-year-old over a January move.

Excelling with the Grecians in League One and finding it rather easy to find the back of the net in the lower depths of the Championship with Birmingham, Sunderland could well be the natural next destination for Stansfield to test himself at a club vying for promotion to the Premier League.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

The Black Cats will hope the added boost of being a talismanic figure up top on arrival would sway the young attacker to join Beale's side over Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys, Rusyn dropping out of the side completely if this deal came to fruition for Stansfield to strut his stuff.

The stats that show why Stansfield would be a good fit for Sunderland

Stansfield has been a rare silver lining for the downtrodden Blues so far this season, the only slight positive from Wayne Rooney's doomed reign as manager.

Scoring seven times this season – six more than Rusyn has managed – Stansfield has an assuredness and swagger present in his game that would perfectly complement the likes of Jack Clarke and Alex Pritchard and their exuberant creativity.

Those seven goals have come from just 15 shots on target according to FBRef, the 21-year-old maturing into a clinical sharpshooter that Sunderland are in desperate need of.

Stansfield's instant impact at St Andrew's saw Football League World fan pundit Mike Gibbs describe the striker as 'absolutely incredible' earlier this season, the young striker a major fan favourite from the get-go at a downbeat Birmingham.

Stansfield could well fill the void left behind by Ross Stewart as a result, a gap Rusyn has found hard to fill in stark contrast – the apprehensive summer signing only managing ten shots in total this season, with just two going down as on-target efforts.

The current Birmingham man could well be the missing piece of the puzzle for Sunderland in their hunt for promotion, Stansfield a relentless bundle of energy in attack that has been sorely lacking this campaign – rolling his sleeves up when required with 1.41 tackles per 90 minutes over the last year, the 21-year-old not just an out-and-out goalscorer.

With Beale speaking of the possibility that Mason Burstow could be allowed to return to Chelsea after a poor loan spell to date recently, and Rusyn not guaranteed yet to score goals regularly, signing Stansfield – the scorer of 16 EFL goals to date – could be a huge plus for Sunderland when they need a potent striker to step up to the mark in the crunch months to come.

Michael Beale picked up his second win as Sunderland manager to start 2024 off for the Black Cats in great fashion, the Championship promotion hopefuls comfortably overcoming Preston North End 2-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Beale's men were clinical in front of goal instead of spurning chances in this encounter, Alex Pritchard's stunning opener early on setting the pace whilst Nazariy Rusyn looked relieved scoring his first Sunderland strike at the tenth time of asking to secure the three points.

Pritchard coming back into the starting eleven was a masterstroke of a selection decision by Beale, replacing an unfit Patrick Roberts in the lineup and playing the role of a livewire throughout for his team in the win over the Lilywhites.

Alex Pritchard's game vs Preston in numbers

Although the Sunderland number 21 was put down as a winger when the teamsheet was announced, Pritchard was far more comfortable drifting into pockets of space centrally in the game and exploiting a lack of Preston shirts closing him down.

Drifting into a free part of the Stadium of Light turf allowed the experienced midfielder to open the scoring in the game, the 30-year-old midfielder almost egged on to shoot from distance by the Preston shirts failing to pick him up.

Expertly taken by Pritchard – a wonderful swerving effort tricking Freddie Woodman in the North End net – the goal was surprisingly the former Huddersfield Town's man first strike of the season.

The attacking midfielder was lively away from just this wondergoal, successful with three dribble attempts in the game – as per Sofascore – when advancing forward alongside getting stuck in when needed with three ground duels won.

This stellar individual display against Ryan Lowe's Lilywhites means he will more than likely get more first-team opportunities in the weeks to come, an infrequent starting player under the previous managerial reign of Tony Mowbray.

Minutes Played

85

Touches

55

Accurate Passes

32/39 (82%)

Crosses

0/5

Shots on target

2

Dribbles

3/5

Duels Won

3/6

Possession Lost

16x

One player who has been a colossus all season shone also in the 2-0 win, Pritchard's standout display stealing the headlines but Pierre Ekwah was equally important in helping the Black Cats comfortably beat the visitors from Lancashire.

Pierre Ekwah's performance vs Preston in numbers

Ekwah might not have had an audacious strike up his sleeve in the game, but the current Nottingham Forest transfer target was solid and dictated play from a holding position.

Amassing 71 touches in the game, the Black Cats number 39 only misplaced five passes in total with one of those accurate passes going down as an assist for Pritchard's sensational strike.

The 21-year-old showcased his defensive capabilities in the contest as well, winning six of his seven ground duels to thwart the Lilywhites venturing forward and to help his side keep a clean sheet.

It led to football journalist Andy Tomlinson of the Roker Report handing out an 8/10 rating to Ekwah in his post-match thoughts, stating that the ex-West Ham United youngster was a 'big presence' all over the pitch in the 2-0 win.

Sunderland sit pretty in sixth spot now after that assured victory on their own patch, with a mouth-watering Tyne-Wear Derby up next for Beale's Black Cats in Cup action as a New Year treat.

Canada have named former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch as their new manager.

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• Marsch joined Canada as their manager
• Last managed Leeds in Premier League
• Korea wanted him to replace Klinsmann

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The American, who has been out of work since February 2023 after being sacked by Leeds, will now take charge of the Canada men's national team. His first major assignment as Canada boss will be at the Copa America 2024 where the nation are set to make their debut.

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• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  On Monday, Canada Soccer's CEO and general secretary, Kevin Blue made announcement of Marsch's arrival as he was heard saying: "I’m about to call Jesse Marsch and confirm that he will the next head coach of our Canadian men’s national team. We’ve been working on getting this done and excited on finally having it ready to go."

  Blue then connected with American on a video call where the newly appointed head coach said: "I appreciate so much your trust and belief in me. I assure you I will pay you back at every level. And this team is gonna be something the entire Canadian community is going to be so excited about."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former US assistant coach was linked with a move to South Korea as the Asian side considered appointing him as their new manager as a replacement for Jurgen Klinsmann. Clubs like Monaco, Leicester City and Birmingham City were also reportedly interested in hiring him.

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• (C)Getty images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CANADA?

  Canada, under Marsch's leadership, will begin their journey in the Copa America on June 21 in the inaugural fixture of the tournament against reigning champions Argentina.

Brighton and Hove Albion could be set to lose one of their first-team stars next year, with a fresh report revealing that he’s wanted by a high-profile club in the summer.

Brighton's recent departures

The Seagulls sanctioned the sales of 21 players during the previous window on either a permanent or loan basis, with some of the biggest names to leave for good being the likes of Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez, but there could soon be more following in their footsteps.

Roberto De Zerbi has Danny Welbeck, James Milner and Adam Lallana who will have all reached the expiration of their deals at the end of the current season (Brighton contracts), so they are likely to be heading for the exit door should they not be offered the chance to extend their stay.

At The Amex, Kaoru Mitoma first joined the club back in 2021 and he’s since gone on to make a total of 60 appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Mitoma statistics), and the left-winger was recently rewarded for his efforts by putting pen to paper on fresh terms.

Back in October, Japan’s international signed an improved contract which means he is set to stay at the club until at least 2027, as per the above outlet, but despite him committing his long-term future just two months ago, that hasn’t stopped the 26-year-old from emerging as a target for an admirer in the Premier League.

Man City interested in Kaoru Mitoma

According to Spanish reports (via The Hard Tackle), Mitoma is of interest to Man City ahead of 2024. The Sky Blues are keen to strike a deal for the forward upon the conclusion of the campaign, with Pep Guardiola being a huge admirer of his target.

Brighton have set a price tag of €70-80m (£59-68m) in order to sanction the sale of their prized asset, so it’ll be interesting to see whether this is a deal that comes to fruition.

Brighton need to keep "beautiful talent" in Mitoma

In the Premier League this season, Mitoma has racked up seven contributions (four assists and three goals) in 13 appearances, so considering his excellent current form alongside the positive influence he has on the side, Brighton need to do everything that they possibly can to retain his services.

The Kawasaki native, who is sponsored by Puma, has recorded 23 shots over the course of the term which is more than any other of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Brighton statistics), highlighting how he stands out in the final third compared to his peers.

De Zerbi’s “beautiful talent”, as hailed by journalist Josh Bunting, is even a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the grass since the start of his career, including three roles across the frontline and two in the midfield, so it’s a no-brainer of a decision to keep him in the building beyond next summer.

Arsenal seem to be carrying on their form from last season to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, as Mikel Arteta’s side sit just one point below the summit after 12 games played.

The Gunners narrowly missed out on claiming their first Premier League title since 2004 last term, gracefully falling short to eventual treble winners Manchester City, who obliterated everyone in their path on their road to glory.

Aside from the initial disappointment of not claiming the title, the north Londoners took a lot away from the 2022/23 calendar, which saw them finish in the top two for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s 2015/16 season.

The progression at Arsenal was traceable both on and off the pitch, as players evolved and the belief within the squad grew thanks to the tireless enthusiasm of Arteta, who went head to head with his former colleague, Pep Guardiola.

Out of all the players that represented the Gunners last season, one stood out as transforming his time at the Emirates in that term in particular, as Granit Xhaka emerged from the smoke as one of the club’s most crucial assets.

How much Arsenal signed Granit Xhaka for

Wenger purchased Xhaka from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2016, welcoming the Swiss international as a 23-year-old in the bid to bolster his side’s options in midfield.

Arsenal were aware of the calibre of central midfielder they were to receive in the Monchengladbach whiz, who had recorded 140 appearances for his prior employers playing in a range of competitions including the German top-flight and the Champions League.

During Xhaka's final season in the Bundesliga, his defiant presence in the squad was highlighted by his stellar average of 2.4 tackles and 2.7 interceptions per game, reinforcing his defensive stability in the engine room.

For those reasons and the demographic of player that Wenger yearned for in his squad, Arsenal handed the German outfit £30m for the 23-year-old's services, making him the third most expensive capture in the club’s history at the time.

Granit Xhaka's career at Arsenal

Not many could have predicted the twists and turns that would prevail from the signing of the Switzerland international, with many sides of his playing style and personality both adored and hated in north London.

Once lauded as a “warrior” by journalist Anu Nande, Xhaka’s combative edge caused him more trouble than good in the early days of his Arsenal career, as highlighted in the table below as the Basel-born gem was consistent with his yellow card tally in the Premier League.

Goals

Assists

Key passes p/g

Tackles p/g

Yellow cards

2

2

1.1

2.4

5

1

7

1

2.1

10

4

2

1.4

1.8

10

1

2

0.5

1.5

10

1

2

0.5

1.6

7

1

2

1.2

1.2

10

7

7

1.3

0.9

5

What is most prominent are the ups and downs of the midfielder’s form, with a drop notable during Unai Emery’s reign, and a rise under Arteta, particularly last season.

The 2019/20 campaign was a particularly difficult one for the £30m man, whose career at the Emirates looked dead and buried when he was booed off the pitch to which he reacted with hostility – ironically while he was the club captain.

Emery stripped the Swiss of captaincy and he was left at rock-bottom, with limited backing from the fans and a lot to prove whilst fighting his own upset at the situation.

The 2022/23 campaign marked an act of moving full circle for Xhaka, who discovered his best form in his final season at Arsenal, where he won back the love and trust of the fans by showing his love for the club through his ability on the pitch.

Arteta trialled handing the 31-year-old a more advanced role in his final campaign, which worked to stellar effect as he recorded his best goal contributions tally in his entire career thanks to being handed the freedom to roam.

Before last term, Xhaka’s highest goal contribution tally in the Premier League was his eight contributions in the 2017/18 campaign, a figure that was smashed out of the park by his seven goals and seven assists in 2022/23 to showcase his effectiveness in the refreshed role.

A change in attitude, a change in role and a change in squad goals had a fundamental impact on the midfielder, enabling him to end his seven years in north London on a high note after experiencing some of the lowest lows earlier in his journey.

Unfortunately for Arsenal, seven years in England was enough for the two-time FA Cup winner, who departed in search of a new challenge and returned to Germany to sign for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for a fee of £21.4m.

What Granit Xhaka is doing now

The Gunners were uplifted after Xhaka’s departure as his exit enabled space to be available in the squad for Declan Rice to arrive, with the Englishman not giving Arteta’s side a need to look back in memory of their departed star.

That being said, what Arsenal do miss is the role that the 31-year-old so sturdily made his own last season, with his ability to break the lines and his presence in the final sorely missed.

After finding his best-suited role at the Emirates, Xabi Alonso has relished in signing the beast that Arteta unearthed in the free-roaming role, as the 6 foot 1 dynamo excels back in the Bundesliga.

Prior to his exit, the Swiss was praised as “phenomenal” by analyst EBL on Twitter X, which has been reinforced by his chart-topping form at Leverkusen in the 2023/24 calendar so far.

As reported by Squawka, no player in Europe’s top seven leagues has made more successful passes into the final third than Xhaka this season, in which the 31-year-old has recorded a magnificent 129 passes.

Back in north London, Arteta is yet to get anything near the best out of his other summer midfielder acquisition, Kai Havertz, which only reminds those at Arsenal of what they are missing in their former hero since his departure.

Average

Rank in Bundesliga

Kai Havertz's PL average

94.84

Top 1%

29.62

92.4%

Top 1%

81.6%

11.82

Top 1%

2.65

101.26

Top 1%

35.80

110.94

Top 1%

46.76

The table above makes for painful reading for the Gunners, who haven’t yet been able to unlock their £65m signing, while their offloaded talent continues to thrive as one of the best in Germany.

Xhaka enjoyed seven eventful years at the Emirates and will always be remembered for his contributions both negative and positive, with the mourning period set to continue for far longer if his form remains at such levels going forward.

Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal continue to sit out to nurse injuries; Mahmudullah to lead

Mohammad Isam25-Oct-2018

Raton Gomes/BCB

Bangladesh have handed maiden call-ups to four uncapped players: Ariful Haque, Mohammad Mithun, Khaled Ahmed and Nazmul Islam in the 15-member squad for the first Test against Zimbabwe in Sylhet.They have left out Kamrul Islam, Rubel Hossain and Nurul Hasan while Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan are still injured. Mahmudullah will lead the side in Shakib’s absence, because of a finger injury. Tamim, meanwhile, is recovering from a wrist injury sustained at the Asia Cup in September.Kamrul and Rubel picked up just one wicket between them on the two-Test tour of West Indies in June-July, and have lost their places to Mustafizur Rahman and Khaled, the 26-year old right-arm fast bowler who has 48 wickets in 20 first-class matches. Khaled also snared his maiden 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket, in Sylhet Division’s victory over Dhaka Metropolis. Nurul, meanwhile, has been left out of despite being one of just two Bangladesh batsmen on tour to make a half-century in the Test series. That means Mushfiqur Rahim will keep wickets.Ariful, who has only played T20Is for Bangladesh, has been picked on the back of a strong domestic showing. Earlier this month, he struck 231 for Rangpur against Rajshahi in a first-class fixture. Mithun, meanwhile, has been picked on the back of his limited-overs form.”The team management were looking for a bowler who could bowl straight stump to stump, which is why we picked [Nazmul Islam] Apu,” said chief selector Minhajul Abedin. “We didn’t consider [Abdur Razzak] Raj on current form and fitness. The management also wanted a batsman who could be a big-hitter at No 7 or 8 and who could also tackle the low bounce, which is why we decided on Ariful.”Tushar Imran, the veteran batsman, hasn’t been considered despite making three first-class centuries this month is because the selectors are building towards the future, according to Abedin. Imran, who debuted in 2002, averages 44 across 163 first-class matches.”We have established batsmen like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah at No 4 and 5 where Tushar usually bats in domestic cricket. We are also looking at some players who can be our future, at least in the next two or three years.”Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Mominul Haque, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Mithun, Khaled Ahmed, Nazmul Islam

Chelsea could soon splash out on a new number nine who has been hailed as a "monster", according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

Chelsea transfer news

It's fair to say that life under Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge has gotten off to a disappointing start, having arrived in the summer with plenty of hope that he could turn things around. Both results and performances haven't been good enough in the Premier League, already giving Chelsea lots of work to do in the top-four battle, and the manager may even find himself under pressure if things don't improve significantly in the coming months.

It may be that Pochettino looks to sign players in the January transfer window, in order for his team to go up a gear, and the attack is undoubtedly the area in most need of surgery, unless Christopher Nkunku immediately hits the ground running on return from injury.

Nicolas Jackson is struggling at the moment, not providing enough ammunition in the final third, and a fresh update suggests Chelsea could look close to home to sign a highly thought of player.

Update on Chelsea links to Ivan Toney

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that Chelsea could look to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney, claiming the Blues will see his proven Premier League status as a big draw:

"It's a good value deal [Santiago Gimenez for £40m] and there's no doubt that will have some appeal, but from what I understand, they would look for somebody more established. Whether that's in European standing or in terms of having Premier League credentials, they want one or the other.

"I think it'd be a massive risk to bring in another player that the fans have little understanding of, and little expectation of, because it's just too hard for players to live up to it.

"They've already got in Nicolas Jackson, a player of promise, he's got that. I said from the moment he came in, he's a good signing, but he cannot be trusted to be Chelsea's main source of goals because he won't deliver enough. There's no history of him scoring enough goals at a high enough level to show that he can carry the burden of being Chelsea's main number nine.

"And we're still in that situation right now. I think that Chelsea's temptation will be to go and spend almost double that amount on Ivan Toney, rather than take another punt on somebody actually fixing their problem."

Toney could be a great signing for Chelsea when he is back available again, having impressed so much for Brentford, making a seamless step up from the Premier League to the Championship.

At 27 years of age, he is right in and around the peak of his powers, with Toney's statistics of 68 goals in 124 appearances for the Bees summing up his prolific threat, and those numbers can surely go up a notch playing in a traditional 'big six' side.

He has been described as a "monster" by Brentford writer Billy Grant, and he possesses the finishing ability and physical expertise to slot straight into Chelsea's attack, especially having already got plenty of Premier League experience under his belt.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino may have received a welcome boost in his hunt for additions in January after it emerged that the Blues had been spoken to regarding the potential availability of one of Europe's brightest young stars.

Chelsea striker links

Despite Chelsea winning four of their last six matches across all competitions, there is no doubt that a missing ingredient in their squad is an elite-level striker who can convert opportunities with regularity at Stamford Bridge.

Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja are the only recognised central striking options on the books in SW6 and have struggled between them to make a desired impact across this term, netting just four goals between them from a combined 16 appearances (Chelsea squad statistics – Transfermarkt).

Unsurprisingly, scoring goals in the Premier League has been a problem for Chelsea once again in 2023/24 and in total, the Blues have just 13 strikes to their name in the English top-flight, placing them as joint-tenth highest scorers in the league alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers, which is not good enough for a side keen to try and stake a claim for continental qualification.

Looking ahead to January, it has become clear that bringing in another forward is on the radar for the Blues as they seek to improve their levels of productivity in the final third. According to 90min, Chelsea have Brentford striker Ivan Toney in their sights and have held talks with his representatives, with the England international believed to be keen on seeking a fresh challenge away from the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford are looking to recoup a fee in the region of over £80 million for Toney and Arsenal are also reported to be hot on his tail – both Chelsea and the Gunners have looked at including players in exchange to try and drive the overall cost of any potential transfer down.

Now, Chelsea have been given an unexpected boost after reports emerged that one of the most exciting goalscorers in European football may be available to move clubs in January.

Benjamin Sesko could now be available

According to a separate transfer update from 90min, Chelsea have been contacted regarding the availability of RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko, as have a host of other clubs.

Intermediaries have also contacted the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle United and Arsenal to convey that the Austria international could be on the market in the New Year, with RB Leipzig believed to be open to selling Sesko for a fee in the region of £40 million.

Benjamin Sesko's goal record in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

13

Goals

6

Assists

0

Sesko, who has previously been labelled as a "machine" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig, has carried a relatively potent goal threat despite playing second-fiddle at times to Lois Openda this term, taking on around 1.4 shots per fixture in the Bundesliga (Sesko statistics – WhoScored).

Nevertheless, a quickfire switch to English football could now be on the cards for the Slovenia international to continue his development, though we will need to wait and see if anything materialises on that front in January.