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Southampton are among those to have ‘contacted’ the representatives of Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, according to 90min. 

The lowdown: Rising star

A product of the acclaimed Cobham academy system at Chelsea, Chalobah has spent time on loan at Ipswich, Huddersfield and FC Lorient during his fledgeling career.

The 23-year-old England youth international has also made 30 outings for the Chelsea senior side having cut his teeth with 74 appearances across the various youth levels.

However, as Chelsea attempt to sign Leicester City star Wesley Fofana having already added Kalidou Koulibaly, now it appears as though Chalobah could be on the move and the south coast is among the possible landing spots…

The latest: Saints named

As per 90min, Southampton, Everton, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest are all attentive to the three-cap Under 21 ace’s situation.

It’s claimed that Serie A duo Inter Milan and AS Roma have both ‘expressed an interest’ as Chalobah nears a ‘possible loan exit’ from Stamford Bridge.

The report states that the Saints ‘would be interested in signing’ the versatile starlet – who was lauded for an ‘unbelievable’ UEFA Super Cup performance in 2021 by Rio Ferdinand – and they have ‘contacted’ the player’s representatives.

The verdict: Bednarek replacement

Should central defensive mainstay Jan Bednarek leave St Mary’s as now seems certain amidst interest from Napoli and Aston Villa, it’s imperative that the hierarchy find an adequate replacement to fill the void.

As things stand, Bednarek’s departure would leave Ralph Hasenhuttle with only Lyanco, Jack Stephens, Mohammed Salisu and summer signing Armel Bella-Kotchap at his disposal as genuine centre-back options.

Last season, Chalobah scored four times and provided two assists in 30 senior outings across all competitions, proving his Premier League credentials whilst earning a superb 7.23 SofaScore rating comprising of 4.8 successful duels and 2.1 clearances on average per game.

Sharing similar stylistic traits to renowned top-level defenders such as Joel Matip, Pau Torres and Ibrahima Konate (FBref), signing the talented £18million valued Englishman would be a sensational coup for Southampton, even were it to only be on a temporary basis.

A claim has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso and his future at the club in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has revealed that he believes that the Argentine international will be on his way back to Villarreal.

The dud spent the second half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan to the Spanish outfit and he now looks set to return to La Liga.

Bridge told GIVEMESPORT:

“Lo Celso, I expect him to sign for Villarreal. Reguilon, I expected him to go to Sevilla but with them getting Alex Telles, I don’t really know what goes on with him there.”

Fabrizio Romano has since claimed that a move will go ahead on a season-long loan with an option for him to sign permanently.

Antonio Conte could be relieved

The Italian head coach could be relieved by this news as he may not want to keep hold of a player who is not good enough to make the squad.

Last season, he was sent out on loan to Villarreal by Conte and this suggests that the ex-Chelsea boss does not see a place for him in the team.

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His move to Spain came after he struggled in the opening months of the campaign. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.72 in nine Premier League outings, which placed him 18th in the squad overall.

The midfielder was unable to prove to the manager that he was deserving of regular game time in the middle of the park, leading to his loan move.

Four central midfielders averaged higher ratings than the 26-year-old in the top-flight – Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Harry Winks, and Ollie Skipp – and the club have since moved to bring Yves Bissouma in to bolster their options in that area of the pitch.

In 2020/21, he averaged a score of 6.78, which would still have landed him behind the aforementioned players in 2021/22, and this shows that his performance levels have not been good enough in recent years.

This means that, based on his form for the club over the past two seasons, Lo Celso would be the sixth-choice in that position, which would leave him watching on from the sidelines more often than not – barring injuries.

Conte would surely not want a player wasting their career – and the club’s wages – by not being in contention to play serious minutes in the division.

Therefore, he will be relieved by the former Real Betis man’s prospective move to Villarreal before the end of the window as it would mean that he does not have to manage that difficult situation this season.

West Ham United are looking to finalise a €42m (£35.7m) deal for Sassuolo attacker Gianluca Scamacca.

 What’s the word?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter late on Friday night to issue an update on the Irons’ interest in multiple transfer targets.

The Italian stated: “West Ham and Sassuolo are preparing paperworks for Gianluca Scamacca deal. Full agreement for €36m plus €6m in add-ons. Details on personal terms to be finalised tomorrow”.

Romano also noted the Hammers’ interest in Filip Kostic, for whom they have submitted a bid and await a response.

Moyes will be buzzing

At last West Ham seem to have found the successor to the extraordinary and irreplaceable Michail Antonio.

His role for the club has been a selfless one, as he has sacrificed his body for the greater good of the team. The Jamaican runs relentlessly and challenges for everything in the air, and Moyes will look to mould Scamacca in this image.

Standing at a hulking 6 foot 4 but good with his feet, the Italian appears to possess all the natural abilities to succeed in the Premier League. His 16 goals last season only further sells him to this notion, as he clearly knows how to find the net.

The seven-cap Italy international also averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.03, bested only by Domenico Berardi amongst his Sassuolo team-mates.

Italy under-21 coach Luigi Di Biago even compared the 23-year-old to other great Italian strikers in Serie A, with Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti among those mentioned. He went on to label Scamacca “very strong” and claimed that “he has the technique of a 1.75 m tall player and the physicality of a 1.95 m tall player.”

Di Biago continued: “He is complete: right foot, left, head, he attacks from deep, but also plays on the edge for his teammates. He can become a very high-level centre-forward.”

It’s also worth noting that Scamacca ranked in the 93rd percentile for non-penalty goals among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues in 2021/22.

Moyes will be buzzing to finally capture a striker of similar ilk to Antonio who could potentially even replace the 32-year-old Jamaica international as West Ham’s go-to man up top in the coming years.

AND in other news – “A big blow”: Journalist shares West Ham update, supporters will be worried

Manchester United chiefs John Murtough and Richard Arnold have been spotted in Barcelona to seemingly continue talks regarding a move for Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: First signing done

It took longer than many may have hoped and expected, but the Red Devils have finally secured their first signing under Erik ten Hag.

Left-back Tyrell Malacia penned a four-year deal at Old Trafford from Feyenoord last week, with Murtough labelling the defender ‘exciting’.

The 22-year-old could be joined by fellow countryman De Jong, who was called a ‘genius’ by his Barcelona manager Xavi, with rumours regarding a move to Manchester ongoing.

The Latest: Murtough and Arnold spotted

Sport Witness relayed an update from journalist Gerard Romero, who shared a video of Murtough and Arnold in Barcelona in the last 24 hours, meeting Catalan chiefs Mateu Alemany, Rafa Yuste and Jordi Cruyff.

Sport Witness said that it appears that the United officials have jetted out in order to try and reach an agreement for De Jong.

The Verdict: Final straw?

A move for De Jong was first thought to be in the pipeline towards the end of April after Ten Hag was announced as United manager.

There hasn’t been a major breakthrough since then, which has resulted in Murtough and Arnold heading to Spain for what could be showdown talks with Barcelona officials.

If a deal still can’t be agreed over the coming weeks, United may well be better off moving on to alternative midfield targets, especially with the new season fast approaching and the club’s shortage of central midfield options.

Liverpool’s next transfer target has been revealed, following the recent signing of Benfica hotshot, Darwin Nunez…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed that the Merseyside outfit’s next priority this summer will be to focus on bringing in a central midfielder, having wrapped up a club-record deal for the Uruguayan in recent days.

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Looking ahead to what manager Jurgen Klopp will do next in the current window, Jones stated that the centre of the park is the German’s main focus: “I think it’s the next big position that he’ll be looking at. We know they’ve had an eye on players like Tchouameni recently, and they might have gone through with it, but they were definitely keeping an eye on players at that level.

“If Milner would have gone and Oxlade-Chamberlain was leaving, then I would feel like they had reason to strengthen right now. But, as it stands right now, Liverpool have got loads of numbers in that area of the field.”

As the respected source alluded to, the Reds had been heavily linked with a move for French starlet Aurelien Tchouameni in recent months, although the 22-year-old has since opted to make the switch from Monaco to 14-time European champions, Real Madrid.

Supporters buzzing

That verdict will no doubt be music to the ears of the Anfield faithful, with supporters likely to be demanding even more transfer activity in the coming weeks, despite fending off rival interest to land the highly-coveted Nunez.

Even at the end of a campaign that so nearly saw Klopp’s men swoop an unprecedented quadruple, the belief is that the Premier League powerhouse will need to strengthen once again if they are to keep pace with title winners Manchester City, particularly with the Etihad outfit having added Erling Haaland to their stellar squad.

Having begun to assemble an enviable forward line of their own – even with Sadio Mane’s looming exit – the FA Cup winners will now need to focus on other areas of the pitch, with adding further quality in the centre of midfield seemingly a must.

The current first-choice trio of Jordan Henderson, Thiago and Fabinho were instrumental in that stellar campaign last term, although some younger, fresher legs could well be needed, hence the previous interest in the aforementioned Tchouameni.

Equally, the former Borussia Dortmund boss also has a number of fringe players in his midfield ranks that may need to be moved on, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain having been heavily linked with a £10m exit this summer.

There has been a suggestion that England wonderkid Jude Bellingham is a top priority for FSG, although the teenager is likely to be a target of the future, with it yet to be seen just who could be coming through the door in the current window.

Nevertheless, just knowing that Liverpool aren’t resting on their laurels and are still keen to bolster their ranks will be welcome news to the club’s supporters.

AND in other news: Bid made: FSG now in LFC talks to land “world class” £60m “storm”, imagine him & Nunez

Sunderland journalist and podcaster Philip West has been left bemoaning some transfer news that he has now heard from Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Interest

As per Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, Swansea City are now ‘rivalling’ the Wearside club to sign Gooch as a free agent, as his contract at the Stadium of Light expires at the end of the month.

Preston North End are also thought to have shown an ‘interest’ in his signature, but it looks as if it is going to be between the other two clubs.

The Latest: West reacts

Taking to Twitter, West bemoaned the transfer news after hearing it, claiming that it would ‘be a real shame’ if Gooch were to move on from the Black Cats this summer:

“I think it would be a real shame to see Lynden Gooch move on this summer. He’s the ultimate team player, Alex Neil seems to value his versatility & work rate, and we all saw how much the Wembley victory meant to him, as well. Keep him if possible, for me.”

The Verdict: Keep

Given interest from a number of their Championship rivals, Neil’s side need to give Gooch a new deal and keep him at all costs.

The United States international was a mainstay in the team last season, supplying six assists on route to promotion from League One, and it would be devastating to see him leave for nothing.

Nonetheless, there is still time for the club to sort out a new contract, which in turn would also protect his market value should they wish to sell Gooch later on in his career.

In other news, find out which ‘bullish’ predator SAFC now hold an ‘interest’ in here!

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Filip Kostic to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim that Fabio Paratici is now planning to launch an offensive for the Eintracht Frankfurt left wing-back in the off-season, with Antonio Conte believed to be extremely keen on the signing of the 29-year-old.

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The report goes on to state that Juventus are also tracking the Serbia international ahead of a potential move of their own, while further reports have revealed that the Bundesliga side could be tempted into parting with Kostic this summer, as long as they were to receive an offer in the region of £25m.

Bye-bye Reguilon

Considering just how impressive Kostic has been in Germany this season, coupled with Sergio Reguilon having been heavily linked with a move away from north London this summer, it is easy to see why Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the Serbian to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Indeed, over his 31 Bundesliga appearances this term, the £18m-rated talent was Oliver Glasner’s standout performer, scoring four goals, registering nine assists and creating 16 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 2.8 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £43k-per-week wing-back who Fredi Bobic dubbed “extraordinary” average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.25, not only ranking him as Eintracht’s best performer in the German top flight but also as the 15th-best player in the league as a whole.

In comparison, over Reguilon’s 25 Premier League outings this season, the £32m Spain international scored two goals, provided three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.8 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the £68k-per-week defender who George Sessions labelled “shocking” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Tottenham’s 12th-worst performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, should Paratici indeed be able to shift Reguilon this summer, it would appear an extremely wise move to replace the 25-year-old with Kostic, as not only would the latter be a much more budget-friendly option for Tottenham, but he is also quite evidently a much better option at left wing-back.

AND in other news: Contact made: Conte now plotting £55m bid for “stunning” Spurs target, he’s Diaz 2.0

West Ham bowed out of Europe last night at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-finals as a historic opportunity escaped from their grasp.

David Moyes had steered the Premier League side to a first European semi-final since 1976 and despite a 2-1 defeat in the first leg, there were genuine hopes that they could turn it around.

The Hammers got off to the worst possible start, though, with Aaron Creswell receiving his marching orders following a VAR check in the 19th minute, leaving his team to play for more than an hour with ten men.

Three minutes later, Manuel Lanzini had to be taken off and replaced by Ben Johnson. Frankfurt took full advantage of this opening 25 minutes of chaos from the away side to score a splendid goal which put them in pole position to secure a place in the final.

The goal seeped any life out of West Ham, but some performances were poor. Lanzini was particularly off-colour before he was replaced.

The £69k-p/w dud barely contributed during his time on the pitch, losing 100% of his duels and taking only seven touches. His 22-minute spell also saw the Argentine lose possession twice, make only four passes and get dribbled past on one occasion.

All in all, it was a forgettable performance from the player on a night when Moyes needed everyone to step up and make themselves heroes. Although Lanzini was taken off after only 22 minutes, this was a time in which West Ham really needed to take advantage and score an early goal to give themselves some degree of hope.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be for Moyes and his team, but he can be proud of the European run and how much it meant to the supporters, even if the 29-year-old Argentine let his side down last night.

With the Hammers sitting seventh in the Premier League table, there is hope that the Scot can deliver Europa League football again next season.

AND in other news, Forget Rice: Moyes now set for West Ham disaster on “remarkable” £125k-p/w giant

A misfiring middle order, a slightly below-par death-overs specialist, and a captain batting out of position may have all contributed to the defending champions’ horror start to the season

Vishal Dikshit27-Apr-2018A few days ago, you could sympathise with Mumbai Indians because they were putting in the performances but narrowly missing out on results. Before their last match, they had lost four out of five games; all four in the last over while defending targets, and two by one wicket.On Tuesday against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai had no one to blame but themselves. Chasing 119, they collapsed to their lowest-ever IPL total of 87 on a fresh Wankhede pitch against an attack that was without Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Billy Stanlake.What has gone wrong for them? Here are a few factors that have combined to put Mumbai Indians at the bottom of the table.ESPNcricinfo LtdMiddle-order woesMumbai’s strength during last year’s winning campaign has turned into their weakness. The personnel has remained similar, after an auction in which they attempted to retain the core of the Pandya brothers and Kieron Pollard, but that core has not fired.Mumbai’s think-tank also decided to open with Suryakumar Yadav after their first two losses, so that Rohit Sharma could add stability to the middle order. Even though Suryakumar has adapted well, the lack of runs from the Pandyas and Pollard has hurt Mumbai.In each of their six matches so far, at least one of their top-order batsmen – Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar – has given them a start. The hole in the middle order was exposed the most against Delhi Daredevils, when all of their top fired to power Mumbai to 141 for 2 in 13 overs. From there, they unravelled in the attempt to accelerate and ended on 194 when they were on course for 220.Hardik Pandya’s case is unusual. He started off well in the opening match at No. 5 but has moved down to No. 7 since then, below Krunal Pandya and Pollard. Apart from two unbeaten innings of 22 and 17, he has scored nine runs across three innings while coming out to bat in the last three overs. It could be that bowlers have found out Hardik’s weakness and don’t deliver the ball in his arc anymore. When Mumbai head coach Mahela Jayawardene was asked about this, he didn’t dismiss the possibility.”We knew that there will be people bowling at a different level because we analyse other opposition, we do analyse our guys and we give them information that this is something you look forward to and this is something that we need to work on,” he said. “Every year you can’t bat the same way. If people don’t evolve and improve, there is no progress. Young guys like Hardik will learn that and need to work harder, the talent alone will not get you there. Reading the game and thinking about the game, that’s the part they need to keep learning and especially with international bowlers coming and doing various things, you have to evolve, otherwise you won’t be able to be consistent.”ESPNcricinfo LtdWhere is Pollard?Pollard’s transition from a fixed asset to a non-performing one seems to be happening rapidly this season. He doesn’t bowl in the IPL anymore, he hasn’t won his side a match in times of crisis, and he takes one of the four overseas spots. Apart from the lack of runs, it is also his position that is under scrutiny now. He has been coming out to bat with not much time left in the innings and is striking at 88.23 in his first 10 balls, the fourth-worst of all batsmen to have faced a minimum of 30 balls this season. Will Mumbai now look to move him up the order or will they drop him altogether?ESPNcricinfo LtdBumrah’s 19th-over horrorsJasprit Bumrah has made such a reputation for himself in the death overs that even a small drop-off in his performance leads you to wonder what’s wrong with him. He has bowled well mostly – his Smart Economy Rate this season is 6.36 – but a couple of poor 19th overs have cost Mumbai games they might otherwise have won.The first time was when Chennai Super Kings needed 27 from 12 balls and Bumrah started the penultimate over. He attempted to bowl the yorker four times in the first five balls and got only one of them right. The other three went for sixes off Dwayne Bravo’s bat. Bumrah got him out off the sixth ball, but only after his over had gone for 20.That being the tournament opener, it is possible his confidence took a hit. Against Rajasthan Royals, Bumrah bowled a superb 17th over, varying his pace beautifully to pick up two wickets, and only conceding one run. When the 19th over began, Royals needed 28. Bumrah bowled short and wide twice, to Jofra Archer and K Gowtham, who both slapped him for four, overstepped on one occasion, and failed to nail his yorker even once. He leaked 18 in the over and Mumbai suffered close defeat.ESPNcricinfo LtdIs Rohit batting in the right position?Rohit Sharma clarified after his 94 against Royal Challengers Bangalore that he would continue in the middle order to allow Suryakumar and Kishan to flourish at the top. Rohit may have been batting at No. 4 on that particular day, but he walked out in the first over, with Mumbai 0 for 2, effectively opening the innings – which is where he bats for India.Opening works for Rohit because he is at his best when he has time to get his eye in, and time is a luxury in T20 cricket. In all T20s since 2015, he has a first-10-balls strike rate of 117.6, with a dot-ball percentage of nearly 50 in that time. If he opens for Mumbai, he can afford to go slow early on, since he will have Lewis or Kishan to do the early hitting at the other end. Once he’s set, Rohit is capable of murderous acceleration: once he has faced 30 balls, he strikes at 177.3. That was exactly the case against Royal Challengers; he was on 40 off 30 after 14 overs, and then launched into the quick bowlers to score 54 runs off his next 22 balls.As captain, Rohit might be thinking long-term by promoting Suryakumar and Kishan up the order. But given the situation Mumbai are in, he will have to prioritise immediate results over developing younger players. And for that, moving back up to open might not be a bad idea.

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2016Dhananjaya de Silva got three boundaries away, but he could not kick on; he was out for 25, caught off Graeme Cremer•Associated PressAsela Gunaratne, batting on Test debut, hung around longer•AFPHe managed to mark his maiden Test innings with a fifty•Associated PressTharanga, holding firm at the other end, got to a second Test hundred just after tea•AFPCarl Mumba dismissed Rangana Herath with a short ball for his maiden Test wicket•AFPEventually, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 537 in the final session. The Captain Cremer topped the bowling figures for Zimbabwe, taking 4 for 142•Associated PressIn reply, Zimbabwe lost opener Brian Chari early but Tino Mawoyo and Hamilton Masakadza went to stumps unscathed as the hosts ended at 88 for 1•AFP