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Tottenham are now set to spark into life late in the transfer window as they look to improve what has been a dismal Premier League campaign under Ange Postecoglou so far.

Tottenham announce Danso deal

After astonishingly hijacking Kevin Danso’s move to Wolves at the 11th hour, the Austrian has officially become a Tottenham player. The Lilywhites agreed a loan move for the RC Lens star, which also includes an obligation to buy the right-footed centre-back, who will wear the no.4 shirt at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Danso, who already has Premier League experience courtesy of a short loan spell with Southampton, arrives to bolster a defence that has been crippled by injuries so far this season.

Though Spurs welcomed back Micky van de Ven in midweek, they lost Radu Dragusin to a knee injury, with fears that he could miss the remainder of the season after being forced off in the win over Elfsborg.

Danso is capable of playing on either side of defence, which will allow Posteoglou more opportunity to manage the minutes of both Van de Ven and Cristian Romero when the Argentine returns from injury.

It is reported that the Austrian will set Spurs back a total of €25m (£21m), with Danso likely to pen a long-term deal when his loan move becomes permanent in the summer.

His arrival could spark a flurry of late activity in north London too, with the club once again looking to the future as much as the present after being turned down by Mathys Tel last week.

Tottenham have bid rejected for winger

Sport Witness have relayed reports that Tottenham have had a bid rejected to sign Valencia teenage forward David Otorbi as they look to continue their plan to recruit elite young talent from around Europe.

The 17-year-old Spain U18 international has reportedly caught the eye of both Tottenham and Aston Villa, despite not making his debut for Valencia’s senior team yet. It is claimed that the winger’s “performances and profile” have convinced at least Tottenham to try and land him early, despite regulations meaning that he cannot move to England until January 2026, when he turns 18 years old.

Described as a “powerful” winger who has “insane speed matched with agile running and footwork” by one U23 scout, Otorbi has grabbed two assists in 12 outings for the Valencia second team this season.

Tottenham make surprise late approach to sign £195k-per-week Chelsea star

Spurs are looking to raid their London rivals.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 1, 2025

Now, Tottenham have reportedly tabled a €4m (£3.3m) offer to take him away from Los Ches and bring him to north London. However, it has been knocked back by Valencia, with the Spanish outfit asking for a fee of €5m (£4.1m) to allow him to leave, “plus a percentage on a future sale” should Spurs look to cash in down the line.

Of course, given Otorbi’s age and the fact that a move would not occur for another 12 months, there is no rush to beat the transfer deadline in the coming hours for a deal for the Spanish youth international, which may see Spurs look elsewhere in the more immediate term as they hunt for a new forward, before returning to a deal later in the season.

The veteran broadcaster discusses the state of the Bundesliga and connecting with the next generation of fans via EAFC

As he speaks about the various levels of his love for the Bundesliga, Derek Rae often dips into his knowledge of the German language. He was born and raised in Scotland, but Rae can mix these terms in with ease. He's been doing this for a long time. His love affair with German soccer goes back decades.

On one particular occasion when discussing Borussia Dortmund, he uses the word "Stallgeruch." Literally, it means "the smell of the stable." But it isn't a word meant to be translated directly. It's a word often associated with Dortmund, who have generally shunned outsiders to instead lean on those that understand their stable's particular smell to lead them.

"In other words," Rae says, "unless you can understand that, unless you know that smell of the stable, you're not qualified to be there."

Few know the smell of the Bundesliga stable better than Rae. The veteran ESPN announcer fell in love with German soccer years ago and that love has taken him all over the world. One of the game's most famous commentators, Rae has covered everything from World Cups and Champions League finals to MLS and Scottish Premiership matches.

He's been the voice features in billions of virtual matches, too. If there's a corner of the earth hosting a soccer game, real or otherwise, Rae – famously the voice of the EAFC video game – has likely been there to talk about it. And for those that know him, you can bet he said everyone's name correctly.

The Bundesliga, though, is his home. He's commentated on the German matches since 2009 and is now ESPN's lead for their coverage of the league. When given the chance to dive deep into his love for German soccer, Rae's eyes light up. He loves this sport and everything that comes with it: The feelings, the moments, the culture, all of it.

For him, nothing quite captures all of that and bottles it all together quite like the Bundesliga. He'll be busy again with Bayern Munich against RB Leipzig, which kicks off Saturday at 9:30 a.m. ET, live on ESPN+.

So, with the league potentially being decided this weekend, Rae discussed Bayern Munich's progress, criticism of Harry Kane, Gio Reyna's future and more in Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

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  ON HARRY KANE, BAYERN MUNICH

  GOAL: When it comes to Bayern, any given team is always going to be compared to the ones before them. As someone who has watched this team all season long, what has impressed you most and what are your takeaways of where this club is as they prepare to be champions again?

  RAE: I think it will all take a few years, in retrospect, to be able to assess how good or otherwise this particular Bayern side is. I think normally when Bayern win only one trophy, and it looks like it will be the Bundesliga, you would say that's a slightly disappointing season because they have very high standards for themselves. I do think there's been an element of back luck, and I don't like to talk about luck. But when it comes to their cup elimination at the hands of Leverkusen, the Champions League – some of the performances were incomplete. But as Joshua Kimmich said recently, I think, on the whole, Bayern were better in most games. But against Inter, they were ultimately on the losing side.

  This first season with a new coach, with [Vincent] Kompany, I think he's made their football on the whole quite watchable. But it's an incomplete assessment because I want to see what he does next season and what kind of squad he has to work with next season. His ideas are there. He had to stake a step back and sort out the high line after Barcelona exposed it – and Frankfurt did a good job against it, as well, in the autumn. I think this will go down as a building season just because there has been so much turmoil these last couple of years. I would say, right now, it's difficult to know whether this is one of the very best Bayern teams or one of the poorest, but my suspicion is that it's somewhere in the middle.

  GOAL: He's suspended this weekend, so he may not play a part in the match that actually wins them this thing, but what does this all mean for Harry Kane, given the trophy criticisms he's always been associated with? And, just on a human level, as a fan of the game, does it feel a little bit nice to see him finally have a trophy that everyone would generally agree he has more than earned?

  RAE: I think anybody with a generosity of spirit would feel that way. He is a terrific footballer and a good guy, and I think that's maybe an overlooked aspect of it. Ask anybody at Bayern about Harry Kane and they'll tell you what a great person he has been and what an addition he's been to the Bayern dressing room. The fact that he's had to wait so long is a real pity, a real shame, because we know what a great player he is and what a team guy he is. But he's been in the wrong place, sadly, from the point of view of actually winning trophies. When I look at Harry Kane, if anything, I would say I underestimated just how good he is. I'm not saying I didn't think he was good, but, since coming to Bayern, I think I've seen an extra string to his bow.

  And I've seen the way he is appreciated, but doesn't make it about himself. To be a top striker, there's an element of egomania where you have to be selfish, and he has some of those qualities, but he brings other players into it, too. It's a pity. And I was commentating on his game last week when he got that suspension and I knew that meant he would miss Leipzig. But in the grand scheme of things, I don't think it's a huge problem because they won't lift the trophy on Saturday anyway. I'm sure he'll be there. I'm sure he'll run onto the pitch with everyone else if it happens. I'm sure he'll be in Munich playing when Bayern do actually get to lift the Meisterschale.

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  ON BORUSSIA DORTMUND'S IDENTITY

  GOAL: This season hasn't been the best for one of Bayern's traditional rivals, Dortmund, and it seems the club is going through a shift in identity. For years, Dortmund have had a guy in their squad that you could look at and point at as someone that was going to be world-class, with Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham being the big examples recently. Where do they stand now that they don't have that? Where is the club heading?

  RAE: I think they have gone away from that, maybe partially by design because I think they were partially fed up hearing that they are a "stepping-stone club." You get Haaland for a year or two, Bellingham for a year or two, and then they move on. Now, the new stepping-stone club, and I would say not just in the Bundesliga but in Europe, is Eintracht Frankfurt – who have stepped into that role with [Randal] Kolo Muani or [Omar] Marmoush or now with Hugo Ekitike. I think they're the club that a young player might look at and say that's where I'd rather go!

  I feel like Dortmund have not done as good a job in identifying targets and finding the right fee to pay for them and then understanding how you can sell the player on to use that for your own benefit. I'm not sure [summer signings Serhou Guirassy and Waldemar Anton], as good as they are, have upside in terms of selling them on. I can definitely see that with Maxi Beier, but he's someone where, hopefully, he's at Dortmund for a little while. I think the big problem in Dortmund is that, if you go player by player – and I did this quite recently – and you compare and contrast them with Bayern or Leverkusen, there really aren't that many Dortmund players that would get in either side. And I think that does tell you all you need to know.

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  ON GIO REYNA

  GOAL: Everyone has their own opinions on Gio Reyna, from why it hasn't worked to what he should do next. As someone who has watched him go from Dortmund's next star to a player that looks set to leave this summer, what do you make of it all?

  RAE: I do have to mention the injuries, and I know that's a convenient excuse, but he's missed a lot of important games at a big point in his footballing life. Dortmund, at some point, has to say that they can't trust him or also put his own welfare first as well. The injuries certainly came at the wrong time for him. I think also the problem with a player like Reyna is that he is a very good, talented footballer, but you can make the argument that he's a bit of a luxury for certain teams and there aren't many teams that can build around a player like that. It does happen, but you sometimes have to go further down to find a team where you can have one exceptional player surrounded by workers that can compensate.

  I'm not saying that Reyna is a lazy player, he's not, but no one would say workrate is one of his biggest strengths. It's his vision, passing and creativity that a side would look at when he's at his best. His next club needs to be the sort of club that will give him license – and I think he made a bad choice with that going to Nottingham Forest. I think he was possibly slightly overrated a few years ago, and I think he definitely was by a lot of American fans. I even got complaints from fans as if I was making the decision!

  What I would say is that there is nobody in Dortmund these last few years who has been asking 'Why is Reyna not in the team?' That's not a big topic there. The time for a departure was actually sooner than this, but injuries got in the way. For him to prosper, he needs a team that can build around him as a playmaking figure and, unfortunately, that means you drop down to another club or another league that isn't as good. If I were in Reyna's shoes, you have to say to yourself that, wherever you go, you have to play football more.

  GOAL: Reyna aside, it wasn't the best year for Americans in the Bundesliga, largely due to injuries. What stood out to you with the Americans in the league this year?

  RAE: It certainly hasn't been the best year. You had [John] Tolkin with Kiel getting injured shortly after he got there. James Sands at St. Pauli another one. I've not given up on [Kevin] Paredes. I commentated on him the other week against Mainz and I thought he had a really good game. I thought he buzzed around. He's somebody that I think has a future, but whether we're talking about a front-line player for the USA, I don't know. I know they rate him highly at Wolfsburg. You're right, though. It has not been a season for the annals in terms of American players in the Bundesliga.

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  ON THE BIGGEST MOMENT OF HIS CAREER

  GOAL: You've done just about everything you can do as a commentator and called games at every level imaginable. Is there a game or a moment that sticks out?

  RAE: The one that stands out and will always stand out, and I doubt it'll ever be topped, was the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul. I was working for ESPN in those days and the final was a big part of our coverage. It was a ragtag Liverpool that was not even a particularly good team, and how they even got to that final was a minor miracle. Milan were the cream of the crop and the team we all looked to and said that anyone who wanted to win the Champions League would have to face Milan. I went into that final thinking about how great it would be to commentate on it, but I was pretty sure Milan were going to win.

  Milan are up 3-0 and I spent halftime flicking through my notes, making sure I had the biggest margin of victory in a European final ready. Lo and behold, before we knew it, it was 3-3. I remember looking around the commentary area and seeing all of these greats from the past. Oliver Bierhoff was just in front of us and he was so animated as a former Milan player not happy about what was going on.

  What I'm most proud of, though, is that I had my research done. I say that because, just over 20 years earlier, Liverpool had taken part in the European Cup final against Roma and that had gone to penalties as well. The goalkeeper, Bruce Grobbelaar, had done this little jelly-legged sort of act on the line, moving his legs in a weird manner. That stayed with me. So [Jerzy] Dudek is in this penalty shootout doing the Grobbelaar, as I would put it, and I remember saying it on commentary: "Dudek is taking a leaf out of Grobbelaar's book from that final all those years ago." I'm so happy I said that because, as it turns out, Dudek had actually taken inspiration from Grobbelaar. He'd been watching his videos. When it all comes together like that, you then have to find the words. That is one that will stay with me.

Liverpool’s relentless march to the Premier League title continued with an excellent 2-0 victory over an in-form side Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.

Arne Slot would have been wary of the threat the Cherries possess, especially after they shocked Nottingham Forest in midweek, scoring five goals against the side that sit third in the Premier League table.

Knowing that his side would go nine points clear of Arsenal with a win at the Vitality Stadium, the Anfield outfit delivered a professional performance on the south coast.

It comes as no surprise that Mohamed Salah was the hero, scoring both of Liverpool’s efforts to reach 178 Premier League goals, overtaking Frank Lampard to become the sixth-highest scorer in the history of the competition.

A new contract for the Egyptian talisman hasn’t materialised yet, but surely it won’t be long before Slot presents an offer.

Mohamed Salah’s game in numbers vs Bournemouth

Salah was as influential as ever for the Reds. His first goal was a well-taken penalty after just 30 minutes before he netted a delightful curling effort in the second half to secure his brace and ensure Liverpool took home three points.

He also made two key passes, registered four shots, delivered one accurate cross and succeeded with two of his three dribble attempts throughout the game.

Who knows where the club would be without their star man and if he remains fit and in this sort of form over the coming months, the Anfield side could win a couple of major trophies.

It is a team effort, however. As such, Ryan Gravenberch is the fulcrum behind their title charge, no doubt about that.

The Liverpool star who's driving the title charge

The Dutchman has started every single top-flight game for the Reds this season, signifying his importance to the cause as Slot aims to win the title in his first season as manager.

He may have registered just two assists, but his job in controlling the midfield has been crucial during the club’s title charge over the previous few months.

Against the Cherries, Gravenberch not only succeeded with 93% of his passes, but the midfielder also won nine ground duels, lost possession on just three occasions and made a staggering seven tackles throughout the 90 minutes.

Salah may have got the goals, but Gravenberch deserves the plaudits after another flawless display.

The 22-year-old received a match rating of 7/10 from Danny Gallagher at the Anfield Watch, who stated that ‘a big, elegant, statue of ball-playing midfielder is exactly what you want on gritty afternoons like this, and the Reds’ most-improved player of the season delivered’.

Deliver he did. If Liverpool go on to win their 20th domestic title in May, Salah’s goals may well prove to be the deciding factor. But in Gravenberch, they have solidity in the midfield area, which, during tight games like today, helps massively.

Dream for Salah: Liverpool keen on £67m star who's "destined for greatness"

Liverpool are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Bundesliga sensation.

By
Dan Emery

Jan 31, 2025

Scientists have reported that Liverpool fans caused a series of tremors at Anfield as they celebrated the Reds' Premier League title-winning victory.

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• Liverpool won the Premier League on Sunday
• Seismologists measure tremors created by fans
• Mac Allister's goal was 1.74 on Richter scale

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Last Sunday evening, Liverpool confirmed their 20th Premier League title after a 5-1 hammering of Tottenham Hotspur, as the Reds came back from an early deficit at Anfield. Arne Slot's side dominated the title race despite pressure from Chelsea and Arsenal as Mohamed Salah took charge with his goal-scoring prowess.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Seismologists from the University of Liverpool have disclosed that they used cutting-edge seismic equipment on the site on Sunday to record ground movement from the fans during the game, as per The Daily Mail. According to the data, there was genuine seismic activity produced by the 60,415 spectators, especially in reaction to the five goals that were scored during the match by Slot's side.

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  TELL ME MORE…

  As per the study, the biggest tremor was created when Alexis Mac Allister gave Liverpool a 2-1 lead in the 24th minute, as the Richter scale recorded its maximum magnitude as 1.74. Mohamed Salah's goal in front of the Kop in the second half caused the second-largest tremor, which measured 1.60. Celebrations during Destiny Udogie's own goal were measured at 1.35, while Cody Gakpo's effort was rated 1.03, and Luis Diaz's initially disallowed equaliser was measured at 0.64.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  The Reds have had a superb season in the Premier League; however, their strengths did not translate into their other competitions. They will now have time to enjoy their league title until the end of the current season.

Manchester United have received a huge offer for Bruno Fernandes from Al-Hilal but the Red Devils are unlikely to sell their captain this summer.

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• Al-Hilal swoop for Fernandes
• Man Utd skipper unlikely to be sold
• United could part ways with Mainoo & Garnacho

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per , reigning Saudi Arabian champions Al-Hilal have tabled a three-year contract for United captain Fernandes to join them this summer. Officials of the Saudi giants have initiated talks with Fernandes' lawyer Caetano Maria and agent Miguel Ruben and have informed them that the club are ready to accept all the financial demands of the Portuguese midfielder. If they manage to reach an agreement with the player's representatives, Al-Hilal will formally approach the Premier League side. The 28-year-old's current contract at Old Trafford runs until June 2027.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While the Red Devils can expect to receive a lucrative offer from the Saudi Pro League club, it is unlikely that they will part company with Fernandes. The midfielder, along with Harry Maguire, Amad Diallo and Patrick Dorgu, has been clubbed in an exclusive group of players who won't be sold during the upcoming summer transfer window, according to the .

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The Red Devils are planning to sell a number of other players at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, though, as they are looking to fund fresh transfers to bolster their squad, while complying with financial regulations. Alejandro Garnacho, who has attracted interest from Chelsea, could be sold this summer alongside players like Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro, Rasmus Hojlund, Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee and Christian Eriksen, the Daily Star report added.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  After a frustrating loss at Brentford last weekend, Ruben Amorim's side will now hope to seal their place in the Europa League final as they face Athletic Club in the second leg of their last-four fixture. The Red Devils head into the clash at Old Trafford with a 3-0 lead.

Liverpool are now likely to pursue a summer move for an “unbelievable” player, at which point his £75m asking price is set to drop, according to a report.

Reds eyeing a centre-back

The Reds had a quiet January transfer window, with Arne Slot perhaps not wanting to rock the boat, given that his side are faring well in their pursuit of the Premier League title.

Having been unable to bring in a new central midfielder last summer, it has been quiet on the transfer front for quite some time at Anfield, but they may be forced into action at the end of the season.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk still yet to sign new deals, Slot may be forced to rebuild his squad this summer, while he is also looking for a partner for his captain.

Liverpool are gearing up for a marquee signing in the summer, and they have reportedly identified Nottingham Forest’s Murillo as a concrete target, although the centre-back will not come cheap, with the Tricky Trees looking to hold out for £80m.

Liverpool now closely monitoring summer transfer for £41.5m "joy to watch"

A summer move to Anfield could be on the cards.

By
Henry Jackson

Feb 4, 2025

The Brazilian is not the only Premier League defender the Reds are keen on, however, with Football Insider reporting Liverpool are likely to join the race for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi in the summer.

The Eagles were holding out for a fee of £75m in the January transfer window, which was enough to dissuade potential suitors, but Guehi’s price tag is expected to drop at the end of the season, at which point he will have just one year left on his contract.

Most of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ are set to fight it out for the Crystal Palace star in the summer, with Tottenham Hotspur seeing a £70m bid rejected in the latter stages of the winter window.

Guehi has been "unbelievable" for Crystal Palace

It is no wonder the England international is attracting so much attention from the country’s top clubs, given that he has been extremely impressive in a Palace shirt for quite some time.

The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam provides an overview of the 24-year-old’s key strengths, while also relaying a quote from former manager Patrick Vieira.

The only concern over signing the former Chelsea man is the fact he struggles somewhat aerially, given that he is just 6 foot, as pointed out by the BBC’s Alex Howell, but he makes up for that slight weakness with his positional awareness.

Liverpool’s priority should be to keep hold of Van Dijk, but if Slot decides a new centre-back is necessary, Guehi could be an excellent addition.

Chelsea lost to Brighton and Hove Albion once again, this time in the Premier League. After a 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup last weekend, Enzo Maresca was out for revenge against Fabian Hurzeler.

The game didn’t go to plan for the Blues, however, as a double from Yankuba Minteh alongside a well-taken goal from Kauro Mitoma saw the Seagulls prevail 3-0 at the AMEX.

Since the turn of the year, the Stamford Bridge side have only won two top-flight matches as they have slipped further down the league table.

Several players haven’t been performing to their full abilities of late. Cole Palmer has failed to score in his previous five matches. Considering Chelsea have won just two of those fixtures, his downturn in form is perhaps no coincidence.

Another player who hasn’t been at their best of late is Levi Colwill, especially against Brighton on Friday evening.

Levi Colwill struggled against Brighton

The defender played the full 90 minutes against the South Coast side during the 3-0 defeat, but he struggled to cope with the frantic nature of the home side.

He may have won eight of his nine total contested duels during the clash, along with completing 93% of his passes, but Colwill was poor in dealing with the threat Brighton posed, especially in his own penalty area.

Indeed, he was given a match rating of just 3/10 by the Standard and was heavily criticised by Blues content creator Vdyk for his display on Friday evening and unless he improves rapidly, he could find himself out of the starting XI, that’s for sure.

This performance was a culmination of a series of poor displays leading up to the match. Against Manchester City a few weeks ago, the Englishman made an error for one of City’s goals as the Blues suffered a 3-1 defeat.

Back in 2021, Chelsea sold a centre-back to fellow Premier League club Crystal Palace. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the finest defenders in the top flight.

Right now, he is certainly better than Colwill, without a shadow of a doubt.

How much Chelsea sold Marc Guehi for

After making just two senior appearances for Chelsea after coming through the academy, Marc Guehi knew that a move elsewhere would be the only chance he would have of igniting his career.

He spent time on loan at Swansea City, but by the summer of 2021, Crystal Palace were keen on keeping him in London. A deal was struck which saw the youngster move to Selhurst Park for a fee in the region of £20m, which was an impressive profit secured by the Blues.

Although he hadn’t been tested in the Premier League, his success with the Welsh side in the Championship meant he was an interesting signing.

Over the next three and a half seasons, Guehi has gone from raw potential to gaining 22 caps for England while making over 100 appearances for Palace.

How Chelsea would love a player of his quality still at the club.

Marc Guehi’s Crystal Palace statistics

Across his first two seasons at Palace, Guehi missed just three Premier League matches, establishing himself as a regular at the club.

A knee injury restricted his appearances to 25 in the top flight last season, but during his time on the pitch, the 24-year-old was a dependable part of the defence.

Across the entire campaign, Guehi won 60% of his total duels contested in the Premier League, while also making 3.5 clearances, 1.1 tackles, and recovering 4.8 balls per game for Palace.

These statistics show just how impressive he was for the club as they retained their status in the top flight for yet another season and he was hailed by a former teammate at youth level, Josef Bursik, who said: “He’s an absolute tank.

“It’s like having a brick wall in front of you, he’s massive.”

His strength is undoubtedly one of his finest attributes, evidenced by the fact he won over half of his total duels last term.

Given Colwill’s recent poor form, Chelsea must now come to regret selling someone like Guehi, who has developed at a quicker rate than the current Chelsea centre-back, that’s for sure.

Marc Guehi is better than Levi Colwill

Comparing the two defenders with regard to their performances in the Premier League this season proves that there is one who is outshining the other.

Indeed, Guehi has registered more goal contributions (four vs one) in the top flight this term, along with registering more shots (0.43 vs 0.3), tackles (36 vs 29), percentage of dribblers tackled (67.9% vs 64.7%), progressive carries (ten vs nine) and aerial duel won (57 vs 53).

The best thing is, Guehi hasn’t actually been performing at his very best, especially during the first few months of the season, yet he has still managed to outperform the current Chelsea centre-back.

This speaks to just how impressive of a talent the England international is and exactly why the club should regret selling him, as he could have been a great option for Maresca right now.

How much Marc Guehi is valued at now

Chelsea have shown some interest in bringing Guehi back to Stamford Bridge due to his rise at Palace.

Newcastle United did make several offers last summer for the Englishman, but they were rejected by the London club as they looked to build their team around him.

According to GIVEMESPORT, Chelsea are now the favourites to lure the defender back to his first club, although it would take an eye-watering amount to make it happen.

This summer could be the perfect chance to sign him, as he only has a year left on his current contract by the time the summer comes around.

Palace will still demand a fee of around £75m, however. Depending on the other areas of his team that Maresca needs to strengthen, might this prove to be a stumbling block?

Only time will tell, but by signing Guehi, the Blues will be improving their defensive options. That’s a certainty.

Fewer passes than Jorgensen: Chelsea's 4/10 flop let Maresca down

Chelsea suffered another defeat to Brighton on Friday night in the Premier League.

By
Ross Kilvington

Feb 15, 2025

Real Madrid strolled past a much-changed Sociedad side as two Bernabeu legends marked their farewells with three points

Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Luka Modric received a wonderful farewell as Real Madrid strolled to a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad that will be remembered more for the occasion than the result. Carlo Ancelotti was also able to deliver a victory in his final game in charge before he leaves the Liga giants and takes over as Brazil head coach.

Indeed, the game felt like a procession from the first minute. Madrid had nothing to play for, and it showed. They had most of the ball, without doing much with it and it was a stroke of luck that gave them the lead after a VAR-aided decision saw Los Blancos handed a very soft penalty. Mbappe stepped up, had his first effort saved but tucked the rebound home with ease – his 30th goal of the league season.

It was otherwise a relatively quiet affair. Madrid probed for opportunities, the excellent Arda Guler finding pockets of space and sharp angles. La Real, who benched some of their main men, occasionally threatened without ever truly looking like they would score.

Mbappe made it two after 84 minutes, smashing one in at the near post after a fine pass from the returning Vinicius Junior but the game will ultimately be remembered for the man who was subbed off late on, a guard of honour greeting Modric as he strolled off the Bernabeu pitch for the final time.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players following their final game of the 2024-25 La Liga season…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andriy Lunin (6/10):

  Made one good save and pretty much had nothing else to do.

  Lucas Vazquez (6/10):

  In the XI for what will likely be his last game at the Bernabeu. Enjoyed a nice send-off from the home fans.

  Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):

  A solid shift at centre-back, where he looks more and more comfortable. He will hope he won't have to play there much next season, though.

  Raul Asencio (5/10):

  Not the best afternoon at the back, as he was rather dragged around. He will have to fight for a spot next year.

  Fran Garcia (7/10):

  Sprinted up and down the right with ease, and got involved in some creative stuff, too. Is he first choice next year? Time will tell.

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  Midfield

  Federico Valverde (7/10):

  Sat at the base of midfield in the first half, drove forward a bit more in the second. Spent a lot of his time dumping the ball off to Modric after winning it back.

  Luka Modric (7/10):

  Completed 106 passes, did some lovely stuff on the ball, and marked his Bernabeau finale with a wonderful send-off.

  Dani Ceballos (6/10):

  Made 18 passes into the final third but was badly exposed defensively at times.

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  Attack

  Brahim Diaz (6/10):

  Had some energetic moments, created a couple of chances, then exited due to injury.

  Kylian Mbappe (8/10):

  Buzzed around without Vinicius Jr, missed a penalty, but then grabbed his goal. Added a second goal to take his tally to 31 and is now pretty much assured of claiming the European Golden Shoe.

  Arda Guler (7/10):

  Found all sorts of pockets of space and created chances. He's got real attacking quality.

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  Subs & Manager

  Jesus Vallejo (6/10):

  Another 40 minutes for the forgotten man.

  Vinicius Jr (6/10):

  On the ball a lot but did a good job of losing it in his half hour of action. Assisted Mbappe's second.

  Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Chema Andres (N/A):

  Will be remembered as the guy who replaced Modric on his Madrid farewell.

  Carlo Ancelotti (8/10):

  Said goodbye to Madrid with three points. An appropriate scoreline for a club legend.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was heavily backed by the board in the summer transfer window last year as they made several big-money signings to bolster his squad.

USA international Auston Trusty was brought in from English side Sheffield United for a reported fee of £6m to compete with Liam Scales for a starting berth at centre-back.

The Hoops also agreed a £9.5m deal, with an initial fee of £8.5m, to sign Ireland international Adam Idah from Norwich City on a permanent basis, after he spent the second half of last season on loan and scored the winner in the SFA Cup final against Rangers.

Idah was not the only signing to threaten Odsonne Edouard’s club-record deal – a £9m move from PSG in 2018 – as Belgian central midfielder Arne Engels arrived from Augsburg for a reported fee of £11m.

The 21-year-old talent has racked up nine goals and 12 assists in all competitions so far this season and has the potential to be one of the club’s next big sales in the future.

Celtic are no strangers to cashing in on their best players as they have made millions over the years by doing exactly that, with Matt O’Riley’s move to Brighton & Hove Albion last summer being the most recent example.

Celtic's biggest sales

The Scottish giants have made a habit out of making big money on their stars and it shows that the club have an excellent recruitment strategy, as they have consistently found quality young prospects and developed them into hugely valuable assets.

O’Riley is a brilliant example of that because Celtic swooped to sign him from English League One side MK Dons for a fee of £1.5m in the January transfer window at the start of 2022, before going on to sell him for a significantly higher fee just two-and-a-half years later.

As you can see in the table above, current Celtic forward Jota, who re-joined the club in the recent January window, is among the club’s biggest-ever sales.

Kieran Tierney has agreed to join the club on a free transfer from Arsenal in the summer, which means that two of Celtic’s top three record sales will be back at Parkhead together for the 2025/26 campaign.

One player the Scottish giants may wish they could bring back to Parkhead is central defender Virgil van Dijk, whose move away from the club does not crack the top five biggest sales in the team’s history.

How much Celtic sold Virgil van Dijk for

In the summer of 2015, Premier League side Southampton swooped in to sign the Dutch centre-back for a reported fee of £11.5m, with a further £1.5m in potential add-ons.

The Hoops had signed the Netherlands international from Groningen for a fee of €2m (£1.7m), according to manager Neil Lennon, ahead of the 2013/14 campaign and this means that the club made a huge profit on him by cashing in for just shy of £10m more up front.

Van Dijk racked up a staggering 115 first-team appearances for Celtic in just two years at the club and contributed with an eye-catching 15 goals and seven assists from a centre-back position.

The giant central defender then proved his worth in the Premier League with the Saints over the next two-and-a-half years before being snapped up by Liverpool for a record fee.

According to BBC Sport, Jurgen Klopp’s side made Van Dijk the most expensive defender in the history of the game with a £75m swoop for his services in January of 2018.

As you can see in the table above, the Dutch star has been included in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year in four of his six full seasons at Anfield, after joining them midway through the 2017/18 campaign.

Celtic, however, were once able to cash in on a centre-back for even more than they got for van Dijk, despite what the Dutchman has gone on to achieve, as they hit the jackpot with Kristoffer Ajer.

Celtic struck gold with Kristoffer Ajer

Back in February 2016, the Hoops swooped to sign the Norwegian giant for a reported fee of just £650k after a trial spell at the club from Start in his home country – a fee that would go on to look insignificant in the face of the money they raked in for his services.

The young defender arrived as a youth team player at first, playing five times in the UEFA Youth League in the first half of the 2016/17 campaign, before being sent out on loan to Kilmarnock to gain some valuable experience in senior football in Scotland.

Ajer returned to Celtic for the 2017/18 season, with Rodgers in the dugout in his first spell at the club, and emerged as a regular first-team player for the Hoops, as he went on to play 176 times for the Hoops in total throughout his spell in Glasgow.

The Norway international, who scored seven goals for the Bhoys, won three Scottish Premiership titles, three League Cup trophies, and three SFA Cup trophies, which shows that it was a successful period for him and the club.

In the summer of 2021, Premier League side Brentford swooped in to sign the centre-back for an initial fee of £13.5m, with an undisclosed amount of add-ons that could increase it, which meant that he was sold for £2m more than van Dijk – not including add-ons – was six years earlier.

This shows that Celtic hit the jackpot with Ajer because they turned a £650k signing for their development squad into an incredibly successful player, given the nine trophies he won with the Scottish giants, who was then sold for a mammoth profit.

At the time of writing, the Norwegian titan is valued at €18m (£15m) by Transfermarkt. This suggests that the Hoops did well to cash in on him for an initial £13.5m as his value has only marginally increased over the past three-and-a-half years, whereas van Dijk’s soared to a staggering £75m in a similar timeframe.

He was worse than Kuhn: Rodgers must finally drop 117-pass Celtic star

The Celtic defender had an evening to forget against Aberdeen on Tuesday.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 26, 2025

Rodgers will, now, hope that he can help the current crop of Celtic youngsters to develop and improve, to the point where they go on to become the next big-money sales to propel their careers to the next level.

Jorginho is poised to join Flamengo from Arsenal after posting a heartfelt farewell to the Gunners faithful on social media.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Jorginho set to move to Brazil
• Made just 15 league appearances
• 33-year-old to embark on new challenge

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Jorginho is set to move to Flamengo this summer after spending two years at Arsenal. He saw his playing time severely limited under Mikel Arteta this season, making just nine Premier League starts, and is now poised to embark on a new challenge in Brazil.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Per reports, the Italy international has already signed his Flamengo contract and the midfielder has posted a touching farewell on Instagram, insisting that when he joined the Gunners he joined a "family".

• WHAT JORGINHO SAID

  Jorginho wrote: "Thank you, Arsenal."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The midfielder is poised to head to South America. In the meantime, Arsenal are scheduled to begin pre-season against AC Milan on July 23.