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Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is desperate to sign Real Madrid star Federico Valverde this summer, according to an exciting new transfer rumour.

How good is Fede Valverde?

The £181,000-a-week midfielder has grown into arguably one of the best midfielders in the world in recent years, becoming an integral part of a successful Madrid side, winning two La Liga titles and one Champions League crown along the way.

Valverde has stood out as a complete modern player, combining relentless athleticism, technical quality and versatility, allowing him to thrive both in central midfield and a wide role. Last season, he scored seven goals in the league, also chipping in with four assists and averaging 0.9 tackles per game.

While the 24-year-old is surely seen as a vital part of Madrid's future moving forward, there is still huge competition for places in the middle of the park, especially with highly-rated England international Jude Bellingham sealing a big-money move to the Santiago Bernabeu from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer.

There are also the likes of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni at the club battling for minutes, so it will be hard for Carlo Ancelotti to keep everyone happy.

With Chelsea searching hard for new midfield signings this summer, in order to make up for the loss of K'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, it looks as though Blues could be eyeing up an audacious move for Valverde.

Could Chelsea seal sensational move for Valverde?

According to Defensa Central [via The Chelsea Chronicle], the west Londoners' new boss Pochettino would love to bring the Uruguay international to the club this summer. The Argentine is believed to be "obsessed" with the idea of signing the Madrid superstar, pleading with owner Todd Boehly to complete the transfer.

In truth, it is extremely difficult to see Madrid being willing to part ways with Valverde any time soon, considering he is only 24 years of age and an undoubted key man, having racked up 204 appearances for them to date.

Kroos even described his teammate as one of the "top three in the world right now'' during one spell last season, highlighting just what a special addition he would be to Chelsea's squad, should he suddenly be made available in the summer transfer window.

The thought of the Blues having a new-look midfield of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Valverde is a truly mouthwatering prospect for any Chelsea supporter, and if it happened, the entire team could be transformed after a hugely underwhelming 2022/23 campaign that saw them finish 12th in the Premier League.

Valverde could be about the hit the sweet spot of his career, with so many players peaking around the ages of 25-29, which is why Madrid will almost certainly want to retain his services for the foreseeable future.

It is encouraging to hear Pochettino being so bold about Chelsea's transfer business, though, and if they can't sign the Madrid hero, it is essential that someone of a similar ilk heads to Stamford Bridge during the summer instead.

تجاوز إنتر ميلان، مساء يوم الإثنين، خصمه جنوى بصعوبة في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإيطالي موسم 2023/24.

واستضاف إنتر ميلان نظيره جنوى، في إطار لقاءات الجولة السابعة والعشرين من السيري آ، حيث فاز بهدفين مقابل هدف.

نهاية المباراة بفوز إنتر المتصدر على ضيفه جنوى بنتيجة 2-1 في ختام مباريات الجولة الـ27 من الكالتشيو

شاهد أهداف المباراة ⚽️📽️#الدوري_الإيطالي#إنتر_جنوى pic.twitter.com/vPWgnLFP01 — قناة أبوظبي الرياضية (@ADSportsTV) March 4, 2024

تقدم إنتر ميلان بهدف سجله كريستيان أسلاني في الدقيقة 30 من عمر الشوط الأول.

وسرعان ما حصل أصحاب الأرض، إنتر ميلان، على ضربة جزاء في الدقيقة 37 ونفذها أليكسيس سانشيز بنجاح، ليحولها إلى هدف ثانِ.

وقلّص جنوى الفارق بعدما سجل اللاعب جون فاسكيز هدفًا في الدقيقة 54، ولكن ذلك لم يكن كافيًا للضيوف للحصول على أي نقاط.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد إنتر ميلان إلى 72 نقطة في المركز الأول، بينما تجمد رصيد جنوى عند 33 نقطة في المركز الثاني عشر.

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella praised the seam bowling trio of Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Kulasekara and Nuwan Pradeep for holding their nerve late to secure a one-run win over West Indies

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo24-Nov-2016

Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella credited his team’s seamers for holding their nerve against a big-hitting West Indian lower order after Sri Lanka pulled off a one-run win to secure their place in the final of the Zimbabwe tri-series. Dickwella was one of two Sri Lankans to reach the 90s in a total of 330 for 7 before Sri Lanka held West Indies to 329 for 9 in reply.”Our bowlers held their nerve, and our fast bowlers did really well,” Dickwella said. “Suranga [Lakmal], [Nuwan] Kulasekara and Nuwan Pradeep – they were the key players in defending this total. We were confident of defending the score, with our bowling attack. We missed some opportunities that we should have capitalized on, but fortunately we were on the winning side on the end.”Evin Lewis, the West Indies opener, survived two early lbw shouts and was also dropped twice during the first Powerplay in an uncharacteristically sloppy fielding effort by Sri Lanka. Lewis was dropped again off a tough chance at mid-on before he had reached fifty, and he went on to score a maiden hundred. He might have been run out shortly thereafter, but Dickwella disturbed the stumps with his glove before collecting the ball.That was one of his few lapses in the field or with the bat – after his 94 in the morning he eventually ran Lewis out for 148 – to increase Sri Lanka’s advantage at the death. Dickwella then held on to an awkward inside edge off Ashley Nurse’s bat in the penultimate over of the match.”It is kind of a challenge [batting up the order and keeping wicket], but you just have to adapt to the situation, and play according to that,” Dickwella said. “I’m a wicketkeeper-batsman, and when I score runs when we’re batting first, I still have to keep wicket for 50 overs. Obviously I have to do that, for my team.”Batting at No. 3, Dickwella was at the crease in the third over of the match and fell 36 overs later just six runs short of what would have been a maiden ODI hundred in his fifth match.”It was a good track,” he said. “Since the morning, it was a flat track. There was a bit of grass, but it was dead grass, so we didn’t expect it to move a lot. We thought it would move a bit, but that didn’t happen.”It was coming on to the bat. It was a pretty easy wicket to bat on, compared to the previous games. I could have got a hundred, and scored some more runs for the team, but I’m really happy with my performance today.”Performances such as these will help Dickwella state his claim for a spot in Sri Lanka’s touring party for their trip to South Africa in December. He is one of a number of fringe players who have come in to Sri Lanka’s squad in the absence of injured senior players such as Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal.”Some of the senior players back in Sri Lanka, Angelo Mathews and Chandimal, they’re recovering. They’ve started training again. The selectors must be picking up some juniors from this tour for the big upcoming tour, so this is a good opportunity for the juniors to perform and show them that we are good, talented players. This is a good opportunity to play, perform and win even if we don’t have those seniors with us.”

Manchester United are reportedly keen on raiding one of their Premier League rivals, with Erik ten Hag and co seemingly interested in Arsenal's teenage sensation, Ethan Nwaneri.

What's the latest on Nwaneri to Man United?

According to journalist David Ornstein – writing in his weekly column for The Athletic – the Red Devils are said to be among a handful of top-flight clubs who are 'monitoring' the 16-year-old, alongside Chelsea and Manchester City.

The report suggests that with the England youth international's schoolboy registration coming to an end next month, those raft of suitors are ready to pounce if the youngster does not agree fresh terms with the Gunners.

The London-born starlet notably came to wider attention after making his first-team debut for the Emirates outfit at the age of just 15 against Brentford back in September, becoming the youngest-ever player to feature in the Premier League in the process.

Who is Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri?

That record-breaking, senior bow unsurprisingly catapulted young Nwaneri into the public eye, with the 5 foot 5 dynamo notably earning hefty praise from senior teammate, Granit Xhaka, who lauded him as "very, very special" and a player with a "big future".

While Mikel Arteta's side will be hoping that 'future' lies in north London, as far as United is concerned it would represent a real coup to be able to poach such a talent from one of their long-time foes, with the promising midfielder having only recently impressed after scoring for his country in the ongoing U17 European Championship, taking his total tally at that age group to eight goals in only 14 outings.

The diminutive ace – who also has six goals and four assists to his name for the Gunners at youth level this season – would not be the first highly-rated talent to trade life at Arsenal for the Theatre of Dreams, with the playmaker potentially set to follow in the footsteps of Robin van Persie.

Hope will be that Ten Hag can replicate the club's masterclass with regard to the signing of his compatriot back in 2012, with Van Persie having left the Emirates to join Sir Alex Ferguson's side on a £24m deal.

That controversial switch – which came amid the striker's expiring contract at his previous employers – ultimately paid dividends for both the Dutchman and the Red Devils, as the ruthless marksman bagged 26 league goals during his debut season in Manchester to help fire the club to the title.

Hailed as "unbelievable" by the legendary Ferguson, the former Netherlands international would ultimately go on to net just 22 top-flight goals across the next two seasons combined before departing for Fenerbahce, albeit with his switch from the capital having undoubtedly paid off such was his immediate impact.

While in the case of Nwaneri, it may take time for the precocious teen to make his mark on United's first-team ranks, it would certainly please the Old Trafford faithful to be able to yet again prise a high-profile gem from the Gunners, following the success of Van Persie.

Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan has been offered a longer contract to join Barcelona, as the La Liga giants attempt to lure the midfielder to the Camp Nou this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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What's going on with Gundogan and Man City?

The German midfielder has been in sensational form for Pep Guardiola's side, with his stunning brace away at Everton taking his total goal tally to nine this season.

The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and it is currently unclear whether he will extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium.

Barcelona are heavily interested in a move for the veteran, following the departure of Sergio Busquets, and have reportedly offered him a longer deal than City have.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that Gundogan has received proposals from both clubs, with a decision to be made at the end of the season.

"For Ilkay Gundogan, we know he's only focusing on Manchester City now. Gundogan wants to win all the titles with Man City, and then to make a decision. So we have to wait on Gundogan," he stated.

"The proposal of Barcelona is there and what Barcelona are doing to tempt Gundogan, is to offer a longer contract. Manchester City are prepared to offer a contract extension to Gundogan, but Barcelona are offering a longer contract.

"So this is the strategy of Barcelona to convince Gundogan, let's see what the player will decide at the end of the season."

Should City keep Gundogan?

Even at his older age, Gundogan has proven to be invaluable for Guardiola's side again this season. He has previously been described as "incredible" by his manager, and he would likely be a big loss if he were to depart this summer.

If City win the Champions League this season, then Gundogan may feel he has accomplished all he can in Manchester and may elect to leave. Although City may not stand in his way out of respect for the midfielder, who would depart as a club legend, they would need to replace the £140k-per-week star.

Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic has been linked, and finances would likely not be an issue for Man City as they seek a top-class replacement.

Guardiola recently praised Gundogan's leadership qualities, and given his experience, there may only be a handful of players who could come in and bring what the Germany international does to the team.

Crystal Palace are monitoring Flamengo midfielder Matheus Franca ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Franca to Palace?

The Eagles have Albert Sambi Lokonga, Jeffrey Schlupp, Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur all out of contract at the end of the season so Dougie Freedman and Steve Parish will need to enter the market to find central reinforcements, and the 19-year-old is one of the names to have been linked.

The Brazilian is an academy graduate at the Maracana Stadium having worked his way up through the youth ranks to become a regular feature of Jorge Sampaoli’s first-team, having made 45 senior appearances to date.

Globo Esporte reported that the Selhurst Park outfit sent a club official to watch the talented teenager in action just last week as they weigh up whether to make an approach, and whilst no offer has been made, nor talks held, they seem to have been impressed by what they saw.

According to Lance (via Sport Witness), Crystal Palace, alongside top-flight rivals Arsenal, are indeed “keeping tabs” on Franca ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. The Eagles are set to “continue to monitor” the midfielder following their scouting mission having already been “closely watched” in SE25 and at the Emirates Stadium. Flamengo’s “expectation” is that bids will arrive during the upcoming summer window so they are being “patient” and “waiting” for offers to be put on the table that exceed €18m (£15m).

Should Palace make an offer for Franca?

Franca is still at a very young age and obviously has no experience playing in England, but having been hailed a “sensation” by football editor Aaron Stokes, he would be a hugely exciting acquisition for the long-term future of Crystal Palace.

The Nike-sponsored gem, who is naturally an attacking midfielder, has clocked up 13 goal contributions (ten goals and three assists) in 50 appearances since the start of his career, and also has the versatility to play on the ride side of the midfield, out wide on the left wing and as a centre-forward.

The Rio de Janeiro native additionally ranks in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and has recorded more shots in 2023 than any of his teammates, showing that even if he’s not always on the scoresheet, he’s constantly attempting to create chances.

Franca has helped secure two senior trophies at Flamengo so has already had a taste of what it takes to compete and be successful at a high level, and this is another wonderful quality that he could bring to the Premier League.

One win in eight Premier League matches and defeat in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United; merely one week ago, Newcastle United's resounding exploits under Eddie Howe's tutelage looked to have been hampered, but the engine is now churning once again.

Victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. James's Park last weekend preceded yesterday's enthralling encounter at City Ground, where an emphatic Alexander Isak brace sank Nottingham Forest and took the Magpies six points clear of Liverpool, who are sixth in the top-flight.

In both affairs, United entered the closing stages of the match with parity intact, exhibiting their guile and tenacity by seeking out late winners, with £63m record signing Isak's penalty in the 93rd minute against Steve Cooper's Forest integral in the pursuit of Champions League football.

And while successive victories have now been struck, dynamic wide man Allan Saint-Maximin failed to impress in Nottingham, withdrawn from action by Howe at the midpoint.

How did Saint-Maximin perform against Forest?

Last season, Saint-Maximin showcased his fleet-footed brilliance with regularity for his outfit, having signed from Nice for £16.5m in 2019, arguably enjoying his most fruitful year and plundering five goals and five assists from 31 league starts, once hailed as a "marvellous magician" by journalist Luke Edwards.

Howe did reveal in the wake of the encounter that the 26-year-old was struggling with a fitness issue, saying; “Allan wasn’t quite right today, physically, I didn’t think. He’s been carrying a tight hamstring.

"I don’t think it’s a pull, it’s just a little bit of tightness. For me, it was obvious during that first half that he probably wouldn’t be able to carry on."

As per Sofascore, the £70k-per-week phenom recorded a match rating of 6.6, shadowed by the excellence of Isak and Jacob Murphy on the alternating flank, with the duo picking up ratings of 8.2 and 7.4 respectively.

Saint-Maximin managed just one dribble on the night, completing 67% of his passes and failing with both of his attempted crosses and playing a largely peripheral role, branded "ineffective" by reporter Miles Starforth.

Perhaps an encapsulation of his miserable fortunes lies in his success with the ball at his feet; making a total of 20 touches, the ace lost the ball on ten occasions, failing to register a shot or make a single key pass, utterly nullified by the home back-line.

Centre-back Sven Botman arguably suffered the worst performance on the occasion, recording a lowly 5.9 match rating after making a detrimental error from which Forest talisman Emmanuel Dennis capitalised on to take the early lead, but with the £35m summer signing largely imperious this term, vital in asserting the Magpies' authority as the best defensive unit in the division, conceding just 19 goals.

Such a "poor" performance from the wily winger – as remarked by Chris Waugh – is a bitter reflection of the pro's travails this term, having scored just once and started on only nine occasions in the Premier League.

Saint-Maximin remains one of the most exciting and enterprising forwards in the division, but his potency in front of goal, both directly and from a supporting standpoint, must improve if he is to cement a role in burgeoning Newcastle's squad over the coming, potentially illustrious, years.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano says that reported Arsenal transfer target Ivan Fresneda is staying at Real Valladolid, after a loan bid has been rejected today.

The Lowdown: Arsenal interest

Arsenal’s interest in Fresneda has been well-documented, with reports just a couple of days ago that they were moving ‘behind the scenes’ to try and get a deal done.

Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth reported that ‘multiple bids’ were expected from a ‘number’ of clubs in the Premier League and Europe for the Spaniard, and Romano claimed that although it was likely that he would stay at Valladolid, he did not rule out ‘twists in the final hours’ of the window.

The Latest: Definitely staying

Taking to Twitter, Romano has now confirmed that Fresneda will definitely stay at Valladolid until the end of the season, after a loan bid from an unnamed club was ‘rejected’ today:

“Ivan Fresneda stays at Real Valladolid until the end of the season. Loan bid received today has been rejected.

“No Arsenal or Borussia Dortmund, he’s staying and will get top club move in the summer.”

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame for the Gunners to miss out on Fresneda, but at least he will not be joining one of their rivals in terms of interest, and will be available to sign in the summer.

The 18-year-old is very highly-rated indeed, having been lauded by journalist and La Liga presenter Juan Arroita for his ‘beastly’ ability to maraud forward and put in dangerous crosses, while Matt Clark of La Liga Lowdown says that he has been a ‘revelation’ in the Spanish top flight, and is a ‘remarkably complete’ right-back.

This is evident by some of the outstanding statistics that he has been producing in the last year, ranking in the top 11% for tackles, clearances and interceptions per 90 minutes among full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues (FBref).

Nonetheless, with Cedric’s proposed move to Fulham still not being completed, it makes sense for Mikel Arteta’s team to postpone their move for Fresneda, with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu also capable of playing at right-back.

Liverpool have been linked with Ruben Neves for some time now, and a new update on the player’s future could give the Merseyside club the green light to finally strike a deal for their transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to TEAMtalk, the Reds are keeping tabs on an ongoing situation emerging at Molineux, namely Wolverhampton Wanderers’ ongoing links with Nice midfielder Mario Lemina this month.

As per the report, Liverpool remain huge admirers of Neves, and if Wolves were to acquire the services of another midfielder, it hints that there could a potential opportunity for the Reds to snap up the services of the 25-year-old.

Imagine him & Thiago

It is no secret that Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in the middle of the park, with a number of targets already identified who could become the next generation of Jurgen Klopp’s philosophy for success.

Jude Bellingham, Enzo Fernandez, Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo and Mason Mount are all midfielders to have been linked with a move to Merseyside in 2023, although no transfer activity in that area of pitch is concrete as of yet.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will all be out of contract in the summer, so there is ample opportunity to not only free up the wage bill, but also to build the future of the midfield with not just youthful prospects for Klopp to mould into his own superstars but also experienced and hard-working players who can come in and make an instant impact.

Therefore, signing Neves would be an incredible coup for the Merseysiders, as he has proven during his time at Wolves to be a reliable and consistent performer in the midfield engine room.

The talented 25-year-old – who has a reported £31m transfer valuation – ranks in the top 20% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, shots, clearances, passes attempted and interceptions over the past year, also ranking in the top five Premier League players for tackles completed this season.

Across 17 league appearances in the current campaign, Neves –  who has been dubbed “outstanding” by Tim Spiers in the past – has scored four goals and completed 50% of his dribbles, along with averaging 1.5 interceptions, 2.7 tackles, 2.4 clearances and 4.2 duels won per game (Sofascore).

The Portugal international’s strength in defensive transition and positioning could make him the perfect partner to line up next to Thiago Alcantara in the Liverpool team, as his work ethic and ability to be effective in both attacking and defensive play could give the Spaniard more freedom to work his playmaking charms in midfield.

The Reds maestro ranks in the 98th percentile among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90, along with the top 9% for pass completion rate (FBref), all pointing to formidable distribution of the ball.

Combining Thiago’s influential build-up play and passing range with Neves’ clear ability to win the ball in deeper areas of threat on the pitch could give Klopp a dynamic duo who can completely transform the pace in build-up play, with Thiago picking up the ball from Neves, who is adept at winning possession.

With that in mind, it would be a no-brainer for Liverpool to make a move for Neves, as his obvious talent and Premier League experience (159 appearances) could be invaluable to Klopp, especially if a move can be completed this month.

Journalist Simon Phillips says that Everton are eyeing up a potential move for Chicago Fire striker Jhon Duran in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Teenage talent

At just 19 years of age, Duran is one of the rising stars in the game, having scored eight goals and supplied a further six assists in 28 games for Chicago Fire in this year’s MLS (Transfermarkt).

He also broke into the Colombia national team in September and has three caps for his country as a teenager.

The Latest: Everton interested in Duran

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips has shared that Everton are ‘looking at’ Duran in January, adding that Frank Lampard is now ‘pushing hard’ to bring in a new striker.

The journalist said: “There’s a few names they’ve been looking at. The only one that really stands out and I have had solid information on lately is Jhon Duran.

“Everton are there and are one of the clubs that are looking at him. But there are other names and Lampard is pushing hard now to bring a new striker in during January.”

The Verdict: Striker needed

Monday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Wolves showed the Merseyside club’s fragilities in front of goal, as they only managed to score once from 12 attempts in total.

The result means that they have netted just 12 goals in the Premier League all season, the third-fewest of any team in the division, so they could do with adding some more reliable firepower to their attack.

At 6 foot 1, Duran should be able to cope with the physical demands of the English top flight, and he has already shown that he is capable of scoring goals at senior level.

Hailed by his manager Ezra Hendrickson as a player who could become ‘really special’, the Colombian would certainly be an exciting addition by the Toffees if they can bring him to Goodison Park.