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West Ham United have made an offer to sign a forward who they were actually chasing as far back as 2021, as co-chairman David Sullivan looks to support now-official new manager Graham Potter with potential signings.

West Ham announce Graham Potter as new manager

On Wednesday afternoon, the Hammers confirmed Julen Lopetegui’s dismissal as head coach after just six months in charge, and it didn’t take long for the club to officially announce Potter as the Spaniard’s heir.

£120k-per-week Arsenal player decides to leave with West Ham approach made

An exit is seemingly beckoning.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 4, 2025

The tactician was out of work since April 2023, following his sacking by Chelsea, but is now back in the dugout and ready to try and turn around West Ham’s dismal fortunes under his predecessor.

Potter has put pen to paper on a two-year contract at the London Stadium, and he will take charge of his first West Ham game in the FA Cup against Aston Villa on Friday.

“I am delighted to be here,” said Potter after taking the West Ham job. “It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the Club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United.

Fulham (home)

January 14

Crystal Palace (home)

January 18

Aston Villa (away)

January 26

Chelsea (away)

February 3

Brentford (home)

February 15

“My conversations with the Chairman and the Board have been very positive and constructive, we share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the Club forward in the medium to long term.

“West Ham United is a huge Club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world. I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023, and it was clear that this is a Club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.”

With their managerial situation now resolved, attention turns to January, as West Ham seek to sign a new forward before deadline day on February 3.

West Ham make offer to sign Benfica star Arthur Cabral on loan

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, via Sport Witness, Benfica attacker Arthur Cabral is back on their radar. Interestingly, the Brazilian was a target for David Moyes, with West Ham holding meetings over Cabral as far back as 2021 – during his time at FC Basel in Switzerland.

Now, it appears Sullivan and technical director Tim Steidten have returned to the bidding for his services, and it is believed West Ham have tabled an offer to sign Cabral on loan with the option-to-buy.

Serie A side Torino have done the same thing, but Benfica rejected both of their approaches – insisting that any temporary deal must include a mandatory purchase option. The Primeira Liga heavyweights want the buy-clause to be set at around £12.5 million, which doesn’t seem like much on the face of it, but Cabral hasn’t exactly been prolific over the last two seasons.

That being said, the 26-year-old centre-forward did finish 2022/2023 as the Europa Conference League’s top scorer with seven goals – the year West Ham won the competition.

Nottingham Forest are simply blessed with attacking talent in their current crop of forwards. The men in Garibaldi Red have been on fire this season, and find themselves flying high in the Premier League in third.

Chris Wood has certainly remembered his shooting boots this term. The New Zealand striker is the in-form player in the Forest side, with 13 goals in all competitions this term, more than any of his teammates.

The midfield trio behind him are equally as productive. Callum Hudson-Odoi has four goal involvements this term, Morgan Gibbs-White has seven to his name and Anthony Elanga is flying with eight goals and assists.

Incredibly, it seems like Forest could be looking to add more firepower to their already deadly attack with one Premier League star.

Nottingham Forest's search for a striker

The player in question here is Bretford forward Yoane Wissa. The DR Congo attacker has been on fire this term for the Bees, but could well depart the club before the transfer window slams shut in February.

At least, that is according to a report from John Percy of The Telegraph. Forest are expected to ‘explore a move’ for the 28-year-old in the coming days, as they look to add to the depth in attacking areas, should Taiwo Awoniyi depart.

However, they will not be alone in the chase for the Brentford star. North London giants Arsenal, who are one of only two teams above Forest in the Premier League table, also have the forward on a list of new recruits for attack. At this stage, a price for the attacker remains to be seen.

Why Wissa would be a good signing

It has been an exceptional season for Wissa so far in 2024/25, starring up front for the Bees alongside Bryan Mbuemo. The pair have really stepped up since Ivan Toney left the club in the summer for Suadi Arabian side Al-Ahli.

This term, Wissa has scored 11 times in the Premier League, grabbing two assists along the way, in 18 appearances in the top flight.

He has scored and assisted multiple goals in a game four times, which included two crucial strikes against Bournemouth to give his side a 3-2 win. He has certainly been “massively underrated”, as football analyst Ben Mattinson explained.

The DR Congo star could be a fantastic long-term upgrade on Awoniyi. The Nigerian striker seems like he could be on the way to Forest, with Percy explaining he is a ‘target’ for West Ham but they are yet to make a bid.

Although the former Union Berlin striker has shown some promise in that Garibaldi Red shirt, with 18 goals in 71 games for the club, he has not performed well this term.

He has just one goal in 16 Premier League appearances all season, with that strike coming in the recent 3-0 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In fact, when looking at the statistics of the pair over the past two and a half seasons, since Awoniyi first moved to the Premier League, you can see the quality Wissa possesses compared to the Forest number nine.

For example, according to FBref, the Brentford attacker takes an average of 2.31 shots and averages 0.36 goal-creating actions per game. In comparison, Awoniyi averages 2.19 shots and 0.34 goal-creating actions.

Although those numbers are fairly close, Wissa is a superior player when it comes to his dribbling ability. The Bees’ number 11 averages 1.66 progressive carries each game, compared to 1.01 progressive carries per 90 minutes from the Nigerian striker.

Stat (per 90)

Wissa

Awoniyi

Shots

2.31

2.19

Goal-creating actions

0.36

0.34

Assists

0.13

0.13

Key passes

0.9

0.71

Progressive carries

0.66

1.01

Given his hot form this term, Wissa seems like he would be a big upgrade on Awoniyi, who seems destined to leave the club. He would certainly add to the attacking firepower at the City Ground this term.

The former Lorient star could be exactly the player Forest are looking for to help spur them on to Champions League qualification.

Imagine him & Anderson: Nottingham Forest targeting "ball-carrying machine"

Nottingham Forest are targeting another addition to bolster their Premier League title ambitions.

ByEthan Lamb Jan 16, 2025

Details of Carlo Ancelotti's rant over Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Jr.'s running stats have surfaced following Real Madrid's loss to Arsenal.

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Ancelotti was frustrated with front trio Told them they ran less than Thibaut Courtois Arsenal beat Madrid 3-0 on Tuesday in the Champions League Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

In the aftermath of Arsenal's stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, RadioMarca has revealed details from a conversation that Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti had with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo in February, following their 5-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Supercup. The Italian manager took the opportunity to address his star trio, comparing their performance with that of Arsenal’s 5-1 victory over Manchester City two months ago.

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Ancelotti addressed Vinicius, Mbappe, and Rodrygo after Real Madrid's 5-2 defeat to Barcelona, highlighting the distance covered by Arsenal’s players — Leandro Trossard (10.85km), Kai Havertz (10.85km), Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka (11-13km) — and contrasting it with his players: Vini Jr. (8.7km) and Mbappe (5km), the latter “less than Courtois,” Ancelotti joked.

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A shocking stat in the aftermath of Real Madrid's staggering 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday revealed that the Madrid players ran a whopping 12.7km less than Arsenal players.

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Los Blancos will be aiming for an insurmountable comeback in the return leg against Arsenal at the Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday. Before they try to progress to the Champions League semi-finals, though, they'll face Alaves on Sunday in hopes that they can reduce the gap between and Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table.

Durham’s lead trimmed to just four runs as Middlesex dig in at Riverside

ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2022John Simpson defied Durham with a brilliant century to steer Middlesex to near parity on day three of the LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash at Seat Unique Riverside.The 34-year-old continued his impressive Championship form, scoring an unbeaten hundred to guide the visitors out of potential trouble at 201 for five. Simpson was dropped on 33, and duly capitalised with his third ton of the season, and was ably supported by the lower order after inroads from Stanley McAlindon and Chris Rushworth had threatened to allow Durham to take control.Middlesex ended the day on 417 for 7 at the close, trailing the home side’s first-innings total by four runs with Simpson positioned on 132 and Tom Helm on 43 ahead of the final day.Durham began the day in miserly fashion, bowling six maidens on the bounce before Middlesex finally got off the mark as Mark Stoneman worked the ball off his legs. There was no respite from the Durham bowlers in the opening 45 minutes, conceding only three runs. Frustration eventually cost Stoneman his wicket, cutting a wide ball from Ben Raine into the hands of Tom Mackintosh.Middlesex continued to struggle amid tight bowling from the hosts and McAlindon kept up the pressure on Sam Robson and Steve Eskinazi. The youngster found Robson’s outside edge and Eskinazi then presented Nic Maddinson with a simple catch at cover for 18, reducing the visitors to 72 for 3. Pieter Malan and Max Holden steered the visitors into lunch without further damage, although the morning session was not an overly productive one for Middlesex adding only 46 for the cost of three wickets.Malan seemed poised for a substantial knock, but he gave his wicket away playing a loose pull shot straight to Maddinson at square leg, ending a stand of fifty for the fourth wicket. Holden and Simpson took advantage of the softening ball and the flat wicket at the Riverside, mustering quick runs in the afternoon session.There were few chances, but Borthwick spurned an opening when he put down Simpson for 33 off his own bowling. The Durham skipper returned to prise out Holden for 47 to halt the partnership for the fifth wicket on 79, although Simpson made the most of his life after passing fifty. Luke Hollman looked extremely fluent in the middle with four blistering strikes to the fence, but he fell on the stroke of lunch to the new ball and Potts, losing his off stump for 25.Toby Roland-Jones provided a more than useful cameo with a 34-ball innings of 35 to push the Middlesex score beyond 300 before he became Rushworth’s 599th first-class victim. Sensing that he was running out of partners, Simpson pressed on with his innings and reached his third century of the campaign from 138 balls, striking Raine through the covers to the boundary.Simpson and Tom Helm made a surge in an attempt to bring up maximum batting points for the visitors, but fell narrowly short. The two players reached their century stand for the eighth wicket as the Durham bowlers toiled late in the day, with the contest seemingly heading towards a draw at Chester-le-Street.

Granit Xhaka is considering a move to Galatasaray from Bayer Leverkusen, according to a new report in Germany.

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Xhaka considering Turkey moveGala interested in deal for midfielderContract expires in 2028Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per Sky Germany, Leverkusen midfielder Xhaka is considering a move to Galatasaray this summer, and has told his entourage to explore the possibility of a move. Gala are long-term admirers of the former Arsenal star, but he has a contract with the Bundesliga side until 2028.

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Leverkusen are said to be willing to negotiate a deal for Xhaka this summer and are willing to take a low transfer fee, due to the Switzerland international's exemplary service. The midfielder has made 96 appearances for the club and played a key role in their Bundesliga triumph last season.

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Xhaka spent seven years at the Emirates, winning the FA Cup twice. The veteran midfielder has also won 135 caps for Switzerland.

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Leverkusen play Augsburg this weekend and must win to delay Bayern Munich's coronation as Bundesliga champions.

Visitors plod their way to total control in relegation battle with Warwickshire

ECB Reporters Network14-Sep-2022Somerset’s greatest display of aggression came before the start of the third day at Edgbaston when they issued a media release stating that the ECB’s current cricket schedule was “unacceptable” and that the south west needed “the highest standard” of men’s and women’s cricket to be able to sustain the game in the region.”The current domestic playing programme, which resulted in only four one-day matches being played in Taunton over 43 days in the height of summer this year, with 17 Somerset players unavailable, is unacceptable to the club, its members and the South West’s cricketing public,” Somerset said as the debate continued over the future structure of the English game.Their point made, on the field they plodded their way into total control against Warwickshire on the third day of their LV=Insurance County Championship Division One relegation battle at Edgbaston. They closed the third day on 277 for 4 – 300 ahead – to virtually insure themselves against defeat heading into the last day of this crucial game.On a pitch which remained slow but lost its menace, Somerset, led by captain Tom Abell’s obdurate 87 from 173 balls, batted through the day for 264 runs in 101 overs. Supported by Tom Lammonby (40 in 170 minutes) and George Bartlett (91 not out, 209 balls), the skipper lifted his team into a position whereby they have it in their power to simply bat Warwickshire out of the game.It was another tough day for the home side, who took just two wickets in three sessions. They must now lift themselves to bat well enough on the final day to avoid a defeat which would severely damage their prospects of survival.After resuming on 13 for 2, Somerset settled straight into the slow lane, Lammonby and Abell adding 55 runs in 36 overs in the morning session. At one stage, one run arrived in seven overs while Lammonby went 11 overs without scoring.It was gritty stuff, not easy on the eye but a totally understandable approach in the match situation. Warwickshire’s hopes of an early clatter induced by India internationals Mohammed Siraj or Jayant Yadav were thwarted as the pitch blunted the pace of the former and offered only very slow turn to the latter.The second-wicket pair added 79 in 41 overs before Lammonby edged Olly Hannon-Dalby to Rob Yates at slip. Bartlett seamlessly took up the cudgels of caution and settled in alongside his captain while Warwickshire skipper Will Rhodes shuffled a bowling attack that plugged away nobly to ensure that runs at least never came quickly. The fourth-wicket stand was worth 72 in 25 overs when Abell’s 246-minute vigil ended when Danny Briggs turned a beauty onto his off stump.Again, home hopes of one wicket bringing two were in vain as Lewis Goldsworthy added his application to the collective diligence. Bartlett and Goldsworthy put up a century stand in 202 balls and were still there together to resume in the morning having so far added 121.

Sheffield United supporters would been relieved to see Leeds United only pick up a drab point away at Burnley on Monday night after the Blades fell to a surprise 3-0 defeat to Hull City.

As a result of the Whites playing out an unmemorable 0-0 draw at Turf Moor, Chris Wilder’s men are only two points off the Championship summit, with a big win away at Derby County needed next for the South Yorkshire outfit to get their promotion efforts back on track.

Nobody can accuse United of being quiet in the transfer window either in their bid to return to the Premier League, with another potential deal on the cards taking the total of incomings up to a sizeable four.

Sheffield United interested in deal for EFL star

As per an exclusive report from the Sheffield Star, the promotion chasers are keen on adding Harry Darling to their ever-growing group before next month’s abrupt deadline as Wilder goes about strengthening his defensive numbers.

Darling has generated quite a lot of interest this transfer window to date owing to his Swansea City contract expiring this summer, with Bristol City and Birmingham City previously looking at the 6 foot 2 centre-back before the Blades started sniffing around.

With Harry Souttar out of action for the rest of the season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, Darling would very much gift Wilder another rock in the heart of defence away from the injury-stricken loanee.

Moreover, United have tasted success when buying from the Swans in the past, with Oli McBurnie turning into a fan’s favourite at Bramall Lane after waving goodbye to Wales.

What Darling could offer Sheffield United

Before delving deeper into Darling’s strengths as a centre-back, the 25-year-old can only hope to be as popular as McBurnie was in South Yorkshire if he does make the switch shortly.

In particular, his efforts during the 2022/23 campaign still stick out to this day, as his crucial 13 strikes from 38 league games helped the Blades push up to the Premier League.

Darling possesses a similar goalscoring knack even when lining up as a defender for Luke Williams’ men, with the Swansea number six helping himself to nine goals in the Championship across his impressive career to date.

In the past, Wilder has loved working with defenders who can fight and battle but also have the ability to fire home a killer goal, with Darling perhaps becoming his next Jack O’Connell or Harry Egan in that sense, alongside also being an arguable upgrade on the unfortunate Souttar.

Stat – per 90 mins*

Darling

Souttar

Games played

28

21

Goals scored

2

0

Assists

3

0

Touches*

79.2

69.0

Accurate passes*

58.4 (89%)

49.6 (86%)

Ball recoveries*

3.9

2.4

Clearances*

4.6

5.1

Total duels won*

4.9

5.0

Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, Darling does better his injured counterpart in many different areas this season in the Championship, with more accurate passes managed per contest as a competent performer out from the back, alongside other numbers going in his favour.

Indeed, the “heroic” ace – as he was labelled by Williams earlier this campaign – averages more ball recoveries as a tenacious presence, whilst his numbers in terms of clearances registered and duels being won fall flat just when weighed up next to the 6 foot 7 man mountain.

Wilder will pray that Darling’s signature can be won, therefore, as he looks like the best possible replacement for Souttar in the short-term, with the added impressive qualities of being able to join in with attacks and spray the ball about with more ease.

United fans will be blown away by how much business has been done so far this window, with plenty more expected before this coming Monday’s dramatic deadline.

He'd be amazing next to Choudhury: Sheffield United pursuing late £2m deal

Sheffield United’s spending this January is showing no signs of stopping.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 27, 2025

Stokes, Brook and Curran in the runs as Pakistan are beaten by six wickets at Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2022England 163 for 4 (Brook 45*, Stokes 36) beat Pakistan 160 for 8 (Masood 39) by six wicketsLiam Livingstone signalled his World Cup readiness with a comeback cameo of 28 from 16 balls – including one massive six that sailed clean out of the stadium – as England capped their tournament build-up by thrashing Pakistan by six wickets at the Gabba.Livingstone sat out each of England’s preceding 10 T20Is against Pakistan and Australia as he nursed an ankle injury sustained during the Hundred. But in a contest that was reduced to 19 overs a side by rain, he slotted into a middle-order that blazed 12 sixes to Pakistan’s one, to romp to victory with 26 balls to spare.Despite the inconvenience of the fixture – described by David Willey as one they “could have done without”, given they now face a five-and-a-half hour flight to Perth ahead of their tournament opener against Afghanistan on Saturday – England made optimal use of the game-time, not least Ben Stokes, who struggled with the bat against Australia but found his range on this occasion with 36 from 18.Chasing 161 for victory, the contest was sealed in comprehensive fashion by Harry Brook (45 not out from 24 balls) and Sam Curran (33 not out from 14). With Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali both opting not to bat after featuring in the field, the only first-choice batter to miss out was Alex Hales, who made 9 from 13 balls, but Phil Salt, the alternative opening partner to Buttler, managed only 1 from 3 alongside him.For Pakistan, only Shan Masood could match England’s explosive approach with the bat, as he opened the innings in the absence of both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and responded with a hard-hitting knock of 39 from 22 balls.However, from a comfortable 67 for 1 after 6.2 overs, Pakistan lost their next five wickets for 57 to slump to 124 for 6 after 14.4, whereupon only Mohammad Wasim’s 26 from 16 could revive their hopes of a competitive total. England rang the changes in the field with as many as eight bowling options, including a three-over burst from Mark Wood, and two wickets for Willey.Pakistan’s fielding endured an off day, with several dropped chances undermining their prospects, as England completed (albeit in an unofficial capacity) their fifth win in as many completed T20Is, following back-to-back wins to defeat Pakistan 4-3 on their recent tour of the country, and last week’s consecutive eight-run wins over Australia.”I think everything we wanted to get out of today, we did,” Buttler told Sky Sports after the match. “It’s great to see Liam Livingstone back on the field as well after a significant injury, and getting some overs into Chris Jordan as well. He’s coming back from broken finger. Brook and Curran getting some time in the middle as well … we tried a few different things that guys were wanting to experiment with. And this is the perfect time to try to do that.”

Arsenal are reported to be ready to test Barcelona's resolve to hang on to right-back Jules Kounde with a £55 million ($73m) bid.

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Kounde is first-choice right-back at BarcaBut Gunners want to tempt him awayFrance international is under contract until 2027Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

has reported Arsenal are ready to make a significant move to bolster their defence with a bid for the Barcelona defender, who has played a crucial role in the Blaugrana’s push to win the treble this season.

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Kounde is under contract until 2027 and has established himself as a key part of the Barcelona defence. He has played 51 times in all competitions this season, scoring three goals and providing eight assists. However, a substantial offer for his services could be appealing to Barca in the sense that a sale would further improve what is now a less perilous financial situation.

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Despite becoming a regular at right-back, Kounde has expressed a preference for playing in the centre of defence. Gaining that opportunity at Arsenal would be difficult with William Saliba and Gabriel likely to remain as the preferred partnership. Gabriel is sidelined with a hamstring injury but is likely to be fit for the start of next season. However, Kounde’s versatility in being able to play on the right and in the middle would give Mikel Arteta more flexibility to be able to contend with potential future injuries at the back.

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Transfer speculation is likely to be the furthest thing from Kounde’s mind, with Barca set to face Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday before taking on Inter in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday. Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the other semi-final on Tuesday. There is a distinct possibility Arsenal could face Kounde in the showpiece in Munich next month. That game could play a role in determining how aggressive they are in their pursuit of his services.

Two years on from splashing the cash on the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke – among others – in the January transfer window, Chelsea took a far more measured approach this time around, amid what was a relatively muted deadline day for the Blues.

Indeed, much of the late activity centred around outgoings, with the exiled Ben Chilwell seeking out regular game time on loan at Crystal Palace, while further temporary moves were secured for the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka, Joao Felix and Axel Disasi – the latter trio joining Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Aston Villa, respectively.

While there may be concern at not moving to replace those wantaway stars, with the west Londoners still competing in the FA Cup, Conference League and Premier League, the 2-1 win over West Ham United on Monday night has certainly helped to lift the mood amid what has been a testing last month or so for Enzo Maresca’s side.

That comeback victory has moved the Blues back into the top four amid the heated race for Champions League football, while further positivity can be found in the solitary piece of business that the club did do on deadline day, following the capture of highly-rated teenager, Mathis Amougou.

Why Chelsea signed Mathis Amougou

Reportedly joining from Saint-Etienne for a fee in the region of £10m, the 19-year-old has helped to bolster a key area for Maresca and co, with Chelsea’s midfield options having been somewhat depleted amid the continued injury woes of an unfortunate Romeo Lavia.

While there were reports that the club were considering recalling Andrey Santos from his stunning loan stint at Strasbourg – where he has scored eight times already in 2024/25 – the Blues instead opted to seek out another star of Ligue 1, with Amougou joining on the cheap as the latest addition from France.

Signings of the likes Disasi and Benoit Badiashile from Ligue 1 may be reason for concern – with Disasi now on the books at Villa amid his Stamford Bridge woes – yet the hope will be that Amougou can buck the trend, having been hailed as a “really exciting midfield talent” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

After enjoying a “stellar” first season in senior top-flight football, according to Mattinson, the midfield machine will be seeking to continue that momentum at the Bridge, tussling for a backup role behind the starting pair of Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

While Maresca isn’t exactly blessed with depth in that department, the signing of Amougou could prove the final straw for one forgotten talent, with that late deal having perhaps shifted a certain Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall even further down the pecking order.

How Amougou's signing could impact the Chelsea squad

The events of deadline day have perhaps shone a light on Chelsea’s summer dealings, with the decision to bring former loanee Felix back to the club still a head-scratching one. Signed on a £46.3m deal from Atletico Madrid, the Portuguese wizard has already sought out pastures news, albeit temporarily, after just six months back in England.

Perhaps the same can be said of the Blues’ move to reunite Maresca with the star of his title-winning Leicester City side in the Championship, with Dewsbury-Hall arriving on a £30m deal, after contributing 27 goals and assists under the Italian last season.

With the new boss having looked to instil new methods at the Bridge, the belief was that recruiting a familiar face would be perfect for the task. Indeed, pundit Adrian Clarke even suggested that the Englishman could ‘lead [the] Maresca revolution at Chelsea’.

Fast forward just over half a season, however, and the former Foxes star is now largely a bystander to proceedings, having started just one Premier League game in 2024/25 to date.

While he did register an assist on that solitary start against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the 25-year-old looks destined for life in the ‘B’ team, with much of his action having come in the Conference League, where he scored twice in six group games.

Stat

Amougou (Ligue 1)

Dewsbury-Hall (PL)

Games

17

6

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

1

Big chances created

0

1

Key passes*

0.4

0.3

Pass accuracy*

78%

88%

Tackles*

1.2

0.3

Interceptions*

0.7

0.2

Total duels won*

46%

36%

Possession lost*

6.4

3.0

As writer Zach Lowy has poetically put it, Dewsbury-Hall is a “strong contender for one of the most pointless signings of 2024”, with it having been no surprise that speculation was rife over an early exit during the winter window.

No such move occurred in the end, yet with Amougou in the door, Dewsbury-Hall’s days look numbered. There is certainly a player in there, as he showcased in 2023/24 at the King Power, but quite whether he’ll ever get to showcase those talents at Chelsea remains to be seen.

A swift summer exit, in truth, looks all but certain…

5/10 Chelsea dud proved why Maresca should have spent big on deadline day

Chelsea secured three vital points against West Ham United last night, taking them back into the top four.

ByEthan Lamb Feb 4, 2025