There's rarely a dull moment in the transfer window for Chelsea these days, with their place as one of the Premier League's busiest clubs unlikely to go away any time soon.
The Blues endured a campaign to forget last season, despite spending a reported £600m, and have attempted to solve their problems by splashing the cash once more this summer, with plenty of departures along the way, too.
So far, however, things haven't exactly gone perfectly to plan, with Mauricio Pochettino's side drawing against Liverpool, losing against West Ham United, and beating Luton Town.
What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?
Bidding farewell to a total of 20 players this summer, Chelsea have been absolutely ruthless, and wasted no time in finding replacements, spending an absurd amount of money yet again. You can see just how much money they have spent, and just how many reinforcements they have welcomed this summer below, per Transfermarkt:
Player
Fee
Moises Caicedo
€116m (£100m)
Romeo Lavia
€62m (£53m)
Christopher Nkunku
€60m (£52m)
Axel Disasi
€45m (£39m)
Nicolas Jackson
€37m (£32m)
Lesley Ugochukwu
€27m (£23m)
Robert Sanchez
€23m (£20m)
Djordje Petrovic
€16m (£14m)
Deivid Washington
€16m (£14m)
Angelo
€15m (£13m)
Total
€417m (£358m)
As you can see, the Blues have not hesitated to spend big this season, and what may worry the rest of the Premier League is the suggestion that their business is still yet to end.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have now added Manchester City's Cole Palmer to their list of targets, as they look to welcome one final addition. The Blues are reportedly set to open talks with the Manchester club soon, and see Palmer as their best solution in attack.
"Chelsea add Cole Palmer to list of talented offensive players being considered for final addition! Chelsea are set to open talks soon as they see Palmer as best solution. It remains to be seen Man City position on Palmer but Chelsea really want him."
The transfer expert has since added that an agreement has been reached worth around £45m.
"Cole Palmer to Chelsea, here we go! Agreement in principle reached with Manchester City on £40m deal plus £5m add-ons Exclusive news revealed earlier today then quick resolution between clubs and green light from Palmer. Medical tests to be booked soon."
How good is Cole Palmer?
Soccer Football – FA Cup Third Round – Manchester City v Chelsea – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain – January 8, 2023 Manchester City's Cole Palmer in action with Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
After his goals in both the Community Shield and the Super Cup, it's no surprise that Palmer is attracting interest. The winger has shown the potential to become the next best thing at Manchester City, though, and it remains to be seen whether the Premier League champions would sanction a deal this summer.
The statistics only further prove just how good the 21-year-old is, too. According to FBref, Palmer is in the top 92 percentile for shot-creating actions, with 3.85 per 90, whilst also maintaining a place in the top 99 percentile for progressive carries per 90, successful take-ons per 90, and progressive passes per 90. Every way you look at it, he looks destined to become a star.
Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…
During his time at Manchester City, the winger has earned plenty of praise, including from club legend Paul Dickov, who previously said, via Manchester Evening News after Palmer scored against Swindon Town:
"I don’t care what the competition is or who the opposition is – that was just a world-class finish.
"And Cole deserved it as he was outstanding all night.
"He has created the first goal and was involved in everything that was good and positive about Manchester City."
One Manchester City midfielder still wants to join a new side, but there are a number of barriers blocking his departure, according to a report from Spain.
What year does Bernardo Silva's contract end?
Back in August, Bernardo Silva signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2026, ending the speculation that he may choose to leave Man City after over six years at the club. Speaking after penning his new deal, the midfielder said:
“I’ve had six incredible years at Manchester City and I’m delighted to extend my time here,”
“Winning the Treble last season was extremely special and it’s exciting to be part of a squad where there is such a hunger and passion.
A move to Barcelona has been touted as a possibility for quite some time, with reports from the summer of 2022 detailing the La Liga giants were "fully convinced" they could sign the Portugal international, who was believed to be homesick.
There was also interest from the Saudi Pro League, with the 29-year-old said to be "on the cusp of a move to the Middle East" at one stage, but he ultimately opted to commit his immediate future to the Sky Blues.
However, according to a report from Mundo Deportivo, a move away could still be on the cards, with the Spanish publication revealing a release clause of around €58.5m (£50.2m) was included in the maestro's most recent contract.
The report states "the Portuguese player's desire continues to be to sign for Barca", with a move still possible next summer, but time is running out, given that he will be 30 years of age by that point, which means the Catalonian club may be unwilling to shell out a large fee.
Not only that, but Barcelona have a "delicate economic situation", which suggests they may not be able to match the release clause, despite desire on the player's behalf to make it happen. It remains to be seen whether Barca renew their interest, but they will now be well aware they only need to pay £50m to prise him away from City.
Is Bernardo Silva leaving Man City?
Given that the star is contracted until 2026, Man City remain in a decent negotiating position, as would-be suitors may be unwilling to shell out £50m on a player who will be 30 at the beginning of next season.
However, the Lisbon-born midfielder has previously opened up about feeling homesick, while also adding that he would love to go back and play for Benfica in the not so distant future.
As such, it would not be a surprise if Silva seeks a move next summer, and City would be losing a top player, who Director of Football Txiki Begiristain has described as "exceptional."
Last season, the attacking midfielder was an integral player for Pep Guardiola en route to winning the treble, making 55 appearances in all competitions, and the manager will be hoping he can have a similar impact on Man City's ongoing campaign, but his long term future could be one to watch.
The Premier League has overcome the circus of the summer transfer window, with clubs spending a record £2.36bn on signings in the highly-inflated market. Wolverhampton Wanderers took part in the spending, despite being anonymous for the most part due to restrictions on funds as a result of Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches from windows prior.
The Old Gold welcomed eight new arrivals this summer, including the permanent moves of Matheus Cunha and Boubacar Traore, as well as the deadline day swoops for loanee Tommy Doyle and £12.8m Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
Selling Matheus Nunes on the final day hugely bolstered Gary O’Neil’s chances of strengthening his squad for the season ahead, adding much-needed funds to the bank to enable such moves.
Despite bringing in reinforcements, the club missed out on a number of targets that could have been fundamental assets to O’Neil’s plans to better the squad's form of last season.
Who was linked to Wolves this summer?
The one that got away this summer was most prominently former Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott, whom Wolves made two bids for below the asking price of £25m.
The highly-rated Englishman made the move to the Premier League with Bournemouth, in a deal that highlighted how much of an issue the Midlands club’s financial struggles were at the time.
In July, it was reported that the Old Gold had got talks underway over the potential move for Real Betis’ Guido Rodriguez but nothing came of the rumours. However, it did signify the area that the club were hoping to improve.
Bristol City's Alex Scott
A deadline day saga over the reported interest in Southampton’s Che Adams also equated to nothing as the Saints blocked the striker’s move, leaving Wolves short on forwards.
While missing out on such deals is disappointing, one that truly could’ve made the difference at Molineux was Fluminense midfielder Andre, who was linked with the club by reports in Brazil.
The £35m-valued man was also eyed by Liverpool, who had a bid of £26m rejected by the Brazilian outfit, telling of his talents to be wanted in the Premier League and valued so highly at Fluminense.
A combative and lively central midfielder, Andre could have replenished the wilted middle of the park at Molineux, which was left relatively bare following the departures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.
Who is Andre?
A product of Fluminense’s academy, the 22-year-old has cemented his worth in his homeland, becoming a vital part of the club’s side as highlighted by his 43 appearances over the 2022/23 campaign.
Lauded as “top-class” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his playing style and described as a “roaming play-maker”, the 2001-born gem has a host of attributes that could have been useful at Molineux.
Fluminense midfielder Andre.
To reward the impressive performances of Andre, the Fluminense ace was handed his first cap for Brazil in an international friendly against Senegal in June, the game ended in defeat but marked the start of something potentially special for the rising star.
Competent in both defensive and offensive roles relative to a player of his position, it’s unsurprising that he has gained attention from the Premier League, as both Liverpool and Wolves endeavoured on quests for a player fitting of his style.
South American football expert Nathan Joyes was full of praise for the 22-year-old following his links to English clubs, tipping him to become Brazil’s “next best defensive midfielder."
What could Andre have offered to Wolves?
Hiring from Brazil has already worked well for Wolves this year, with Julen Lopetegui sealing a deal for former Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes in January.
Since his arrival, the 22-year-old has become a key member of the side at Molineux, with his playing style and tackling ability making him a reliable figure to balance play in the engine room.
As per FBref, the former Flamengo whiz averaged 4.00 tackles per 90 during his first taste of the Premier League, a figure that places him in the top 1% of midfielders in the English top tier.
As such, the more progressive Andre could have been the perfect partner in the middle of the park.
Andre averages per 90 in 2023 Serie A.
Pass Completion %
93.8%
Progressive Passes
5.76
Passes Attempted
80.32
Final Third Passes
7.07
Interceptions
1.43
Tackles
2.44
Figures provided by FBref.
It didn’t take long for the new arrival to settle into his new surroundings, which poses the thought of what could have been for Andre at Wolves, should the Old Gold have had the finances to sanction a swoop for his services.
Joyes also described the bright midfielder as an “unbelievable talent”, whom he believes has the ability to “flourish in the Premier League”, praise indeed for a player coming from afar to feature in one the best leagues in the world.
So many players have arrived in England with huge potential and little to show for it at the time of their eventual departure, with the demands of the English game deemed to be incomprehensible to the playing style of some.
Being identifiable as an individual who could take to the Premier League made Andre even more of an attractive coup for Wolves, pondering the question of just how well he would have fitted into the squad.
This summer induced change at Molineux, with long-serving midfielders Neves and Moutinho calling it quits on their career with the Old Gold, leaving behind a sense of instability in the middle of the park in their absence.
andre-transfer-gossip-Fluminense
With reference to his statistics in Brazil, Andre is the definition of stability, averaging a passing accuracy rate of 93.3% per 90, as well as making an average of 2.32 tackles per 90 over the past year for Fluminense, via FBref.
Amid all the chaos over the summer, Wolves could have captured the signature of a talent that could have replaced the calibre of the departed midfield duo, as well as introducing a state of control at a time of need.
Hailed as a “midfield orchestrator” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Old Gold missed a huge chance to seal the signing of a player highly lauded and backed to become one of the best as his career progresses.
Finances and changes within the club acted as a smokescreen to the potential that could have been captured in the window, however with the 22-year-old still playing his football at his boyhood team, maybe a move could still be on the cards in the near future.
While West Ham United's star man Declan Rice completed a £105m transfer to London rivals Arsenal this summer and David Moyes' outfit toiled to a 14th-placed Premier League finish last year, the London Stadium is awash with optimism at present.
Solely going by these facts, one would assume that West Ham have suffered a compounding blow in losing their centrepiece after failing to live up to the past heights under their Scottish manager's tutelage, having finished sixth and seventh in the English top-flight across the previous two campaigns, but that only tells a segment of the story.
Victory in the Europa Conference League final over Serie A side Fiorentina in June secured a first major honour since 1980 – when the Irons won the FA Cup – and clinched qualification to the Europa League once again, with the triumph followed by splendid work in the transfer market, distributing the money from Rice's sale across several exciting additions.
Mohammed Kudus
£38m
Edson Alvarez
£35m
James Ward-Prowse
£30m
Konstantinos Mavropanos
£17m
Sean Moore
N/A
Now that Rice has departed, West Ham have lost the tag that comes with such a highly-touted star in the mix, and the early results of the 2023/24 campaign hint at great seasonal success once again, having secured ten points from 12 in the Premier League so far.
Who is West Ham's best player?
The east London outfit boasts a squad steeped in shiny talent, with first-class aces across each department.
In the defence, Kurt Zouma has proved a brilliant signing since he joined from Chelsea for £30m in 2021, praised as an "absolute wrecking machine" by journalist Andrew Gaffney.
In midfield, Rice might have left the flock but summer signings James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez have both taken to life under Moyes' stewardship with aplomb, crucial in the early-season success this year.
And of course, Jarrod Bowen has been the offensive lynchpin since joining from Hull City in a £20m plus deal in 2020, a consistent goal threat and the match-winner against La Viola in June, with his skills attracting the attention of Liverpool, who are ostensibly preparing for life without Mohamed Salah.
Perhaps, however, it is Rice's positional peer, Lucas Paqueta, who takes the crown as the most talented, influential and important member of the Irons team.
How much did West Ham sign Lucas Paqueta for?
Last summer, West Ham sealed a coup in welcoming Brazil star Paqueta to the fold, signing the player from French side Lyon in a club-record £51m transfer, with South American football expert Tim Vickery heralding him as a "classy" and "elegant" midfielder.
It was a move to add some flair and panache to the fold; West Ham were built upon an industrious foundation under Moyes but had not seen a player of such seamless technical quality since the days of Dimitri Payet, and Paqueta, by Moyes' own admission, was the heir.
The signs were certainly promising, with the 26-year-old plundering 11 goals and seven assists across 44 outings during his final term in France, described as "key in the Lyon system" by journalist Josh Bunting.
West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
The £51m move might have appeared steep to some affiliated with West Ham, especially after the previous club-record purchase of Sebastien Haller for £45m fell flat – the Ivorian scored only 14 times from 53 displays – but it is now, undoubtedly, a success, especially considering his integral role in the resounding success in Europe.
How much is Lucas Paqueta worth now?
While Paqueta suffered a slow start to life in the Premier League, described as a "bit of an enigma" by journalist Paul Brown after not quite settling across the first half of the 2022/23 season, he started to shine as the term entered the later phase.
The £150k-per-week maestro posted five goals and seven assists across all competitions, but only four of those contributions came in the first half of the season, with it his sublime through ball that slid through the central channel to play Bowen through on goal to end an interminable wait for silverware.
A proficient creator, Paqueta also boasts an underrated array of defensive weaponry, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 3% for clearances, the top 9% for blocks, the top 6% for aerial wins and the top 16% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.
Described as "unreal" by an awestruck teammate in Vladimir Coufal, the 42-cap international – with nine goals – was on the cusp of a move to imperious Premier League champions and treble winners Manchester City this summer, with Pep Guardiola's outfit actively pursuing the dynamic gem and prepared to pay £80m for his services but for an FA betting investigation plugging the chances of a move.
A transfer that would have already proved a 57% rise on the fee paid to bring him to London, the fact that Paqueta has already seen a £29m increase on his name is a testament to the first-class, all-encompassing nature of his craft.
If the 5 foot 10 phenom was discontented with the collapse of a move to arguably the best team in the world, he has not shown much disgruntlement in the early stage of the campaign, bagging a goal and assist apiece from the opening four Premier League games of the term.
He has earned an impressive average Sofascore rating of 7.47, complementing his direct contributions with 1.8 shots and key passes per game, a 74% pass success rate – which is not impressive but an indication of his creativity in possession – and an incredible 4.5 tackles and 10.8 ball recoveries per match.
While West Ham missed out on a pretty penny by not selling the player this summer, he still holds four years on his current deal and will likely command a lucrative fee if and when he does depart, and Moyes and co will hardly be complaining that such a superlative force plies their trade at the heart of the Irons system.
Glasgow Rangers have shown a resurgence somewhat since returning to action following the international break.
Michael Beale’s side had won just four of their opening nine matches of the campaign and defeats to PSV Eindhoven and Celtic looked like it would derail their confidence before the season even got started.
Despite a chorus of boos ringing out at Ibrox following the 1-0 win over Motherwell last weekend, a four goal rout of Livingston looked like it could spark the club back into life with a hectic fixture list ahead.
With nine summer arrivals, Beale has struggled to get the majority of them firing on all cylinders, and it has been Jack Butland who has been the standout performer so far for the Ibrox side.
The Gers missed out on a few players this summer who would certainly have made a positive impression in the squad, as the likes of Luis Palma, Auston Trusty and Morgan Whittaker all joined other clubs despite being linked with moves to the Light Blues across the summer transfer window.
This is a recurring theme for Beale as he also missed out on a few talented players only months after he took over the Glasgow side back in the winter transfer window, with one demonstrating that he has an extremely bright future in the Premier League.
Did Rangers nearly sign Cole Palmer?
The 2022/23 season proved to a disastrous one for the Gers as they failed to win any domestic silverware while they finished bottom of their Champions League group, losing all six of their matches, and it eventually cost Giovanni van Bronkhorst his job.
Cole Palmer
Beale took charge in November and by the time January rolled around, the club were aiming to bolster their squad mid-season.
The former QPR boss managed to lure Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin to Scotland, and they fitted his vision of adding players who not only could improve the starting XI, but who would also be a key for any future success.
The 43-year-old could well have added more players to his squad, yet he missed out on them and one of the more surprising names linked was that of then Manchester City midfielder Cole Palmer.
In the dying embers of the transfer window, Beale reportedly had a loan offer for the youngster rejected by City as Pep Guardiola sought to keep him in Manchester as they continued their assault on a potential treble.
It was certainly a surprising approach in the first place from the manager, yet Palmer could have injected the club with the spark that they needed at the time and who knows what a move may have led to, especially if he had impressed in Glasgow.
Where is Cole Palmer now?
Remaining at City, Palmer eventually went on to make 25 appearances in all competitions as he helped the club win yet another Premier League title along with the FA Cup and Champions League titles.
Not a bad collection of trophies to win for a 21-year-old, and it signalled just how impressive a future he could have if he continued his wonderful development.
Indeed, when compared to positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Palmer currently ranks in the top 1% for pass completion percentage per 90 (86.2%) while also ranking in the top 1% for progressive carries per 90 (6.54), top 6% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 (6.71) and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90 (2.93) which indicates that he is among one of the finest performers with regard to these metrics.
Cole Palmer
This clearly impressed Chelsea, who showed interest in the starlet during the summer transfer window, and they finally landed him on deadline day for a transfer fee in the region of £40m.
He signed a seven-year deal and seemed delighted to join the Blues, saying: "I'm excited to get started and it feels great to sign. I've joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents.
"It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special here."
Despite only having 41 senior matches behind him as a professional, £40m represented a major gamble, yet it could be one which is going to eventually turn into a bargain.
How is Cole Palmer performing this season?
As previously mentioned, the summer arrivals are struggling to make their mark in the Rangers side, especially across the forward areas and had Palmer joined on loan back in January and impressed, Beale may have had a chance at extending this, and he would certainly have given the club an extra attacking spark.
He has yet to start a league game for Chelsea this term, yet has created one big chance, averaged one key pass per game and succeeded with 0.8 dribble attempts – a success rate of 75% – suggesting that he can still make a positive impact despite the lack of minutes.
Mauricio Pochettino gave the Englishman his first start for the Stamford Bridge outfit during the midweek EFL Cup win over Brighton and Hove Albion, and it proved to be a stroke of genius.
Across his 75 minutes on the pitch, Palmer grabbed an assist, made two key passes, created a big chance and took two shots in what was a display of attacking intent which the Blues clearly required to get their season up and running.
His potential is vast and had he joined the Gers on loan last season, he may have proved to be the difference which would have given the club a better chance at claiming a trophy or two.
Of course, the Light Blues could never compete with a club willing to spend £40m on a player yet missing out on securing a talent such as his, even on a temporary basis, proved to be a major transfer blunder by Beale, especially considering how poorly they finished the 2022/23 campaign.
Even Guardiola has dubbed the youngster as “exceptional” and the next few years should see him go from pure raw potential into one of the finest players on the continent.
There is a suggestion that one "incredible" Premier League star may be interested in the chance to join Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.
Who have Arsenal signed?
The north Londoners, in their bid to challenge for another domestic crown this season, spent over £200 million on a quartet of major signings in the summer. Declan Rice is perhaps the pick of the bunch, as the England international put pen to paper on a record-breaking £105 million transfer from West Ham. Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber, who is currently sidelined through injury, joined Rice alongside goalkeeper David Raya and Germany international forward Kai Havertz.
Arsenal managerMikelArteta
Rice and Raya have now established themselves as first team regulars for Arteta, with the latter recently usurping long-reigning number one goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale between the Arsenal sticks. Havertz has come under some criticism but recently notched his first ever Arsenal goal, scoring a penalty in their 4-0 win over Bournemouth last weekend. Timber, meanwhile, is yet to display his true quality after suffering his very unfortunate ACL injury during Arsenal's opening league game.
Arsenal transfer news
While Arsenal invested heavily in the summer, there are reports that they could move to sign more attacking players, including the likes of Ivan Toney (Brentford) and Wolves winger Pedro Neto. Sharing an update on the latter star, journalist Pete O'Rourke has some news.
Writing for Football Insider, the reporter suggests Neto could be interested in joining Arsenal, as he is apparently eyeing up the chance to play for a side who will compete for major honours. Arteta's side are long-term admirers of the Portuguese and attempted to sign him in the summer window, but to no avail.
However, there is some potential bad news, as Wolves are apparently very unwilling to let their star forward leave in the winter window. Neto has scored one goal and grabbed four assists over seven league games so far; standing out as their best-performing player per 90 according to WhoScored. He's been praised by manager Gary O'Neil as a result, who's called him "incredible".
"He has been absolutely incredible for the six or seven weeks I have been here," O'Neil said. "I am really pleased with where Pedro is at. He has given absolutely everything and showed a big moment of quality [at Luton] which sums up how he has been for me for the last six weeks."
Sky pundit Jamie Carragher, speaking to the broadcaster earlier this year, also called Neto a "superstar" player two years ago.
“He’s just come back from a really bad injury. He was a superstar player a couple of years ago," said Carragher (via TBR). “I think if they can get him back, he may be able to provide a bit of magic and around the box to create things or get a goal himself over the next few weeks."
If Arsenal can prise him away from Wolves eventually, he could be an astute signing.
West Ham United intend to open talks to sign an exciting player soon after meeting with his agents, and it is believed they're already frontrunners.
West Ham form and results
The Irons are in very good shape, having enjoyed an excellent month prior to this ongoing international break. David Moyes' side have won four out of their opening eight Premier League games so far, all while maintaining their excellent run in Europe where they have gone 17 games unbeaten since the Conference League last term. West Ham have collected some pretty good results recently, despite losses to both Man City and Liverpool, but they can arguably be forgiven considering the two sides could be contending for title glory by the end of 2023/2024.
Their 2-2 draw against high-flying Newcastle, stopping Eddie Howe's side dead in their tracks following the Magpies' pretty incredible run of games, perhaps highlights just how difficult West Ham can be to beat when playing at full potential. Moyes, speaking after West Ham's last game before internationals, praises his side for going toe-to-toe against a "top side" like Newcastle.
"I’m quite pleased with a lot of bits of the performance, especially in the first half when we got in front and we defended well when we needed to. But I think we played a top side and the level of some of the teams in the Premier League at the moment is really, really high and Newcastle are one of those teams," said Moyes after their match against the Magpies to West Ham's official website.
Moyes then went on to hail West Ham's last month, saying he was quite pleased with the outcome of their matches overall.
"I always knew in between the international breaks that we had four games which were Manchester City, Liverpool, Sheffield United and Newcastle, so it was always going to be hard to take too many points. In my head, I thought ‘if we can get four points from those games, that won’t be too bad’, but obviously I was hoping to get more. In between, we had a couple of cup wins as well, which helped, so I’m quite pleased with the way the last month has gone."
Who are West Ham linked with?
Off the field, technical director Tim Steidten and sporting director Mark Noble will be plotting ways to bolster Moyes' overall ranks while adding more strength to the West Ham side. Media rumours suggest they're after a central defender, with the likes of Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba and AC Milan's Malick Thiaw linked.
Physically strong
At ease when dribbling
Technically gifted
However, a report from Premier League Brasil and journalist Guilherme Ramos has now claimed that they want to "open negotiations" for Palmerias starlet Luis Guilherme before the Under-17 World Cup in less than a month, It is believed the east Londoners and Chelsea in particular have an "upper hand" over competitors, making them frontrunners, with West Ham already meeting the player's agents. It's added that they're "new competitors" to sign the midfielder called by the report one of Brazil's most promising gems.
West Ham United have started the season in good form regardless of the notable sale of Declan Rice in the summer to Arsenal, winning half of their games so far and sitting in seventh spot.
It's been the fresh blood added into the building for the Hammers that has seen them perform so well in the infancy of this campaign, the midfield additions of Mohammed Kudus and James Ward-Prowse have been inspired buys by David Moyes – both new faces contributing to 11 of the club's goals in all competitions so far, Ward-Prowse already notching up six assists.
The likes of Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen have also been ever reliable for the Hammers, both players scoring recently in a dominant 2-0 victory against a hapless Sheffield United side at the London Stadium.
It's looking rosy away from just the current crop of first team performers at West Ham too, with teenager Callum Marshall an academy prospect being hyped up to be the next best thing rising through the ranks at the club.
Who is Callum Marshall?
Winning the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for September, Marshall is highly regarded at West Ham at just 18 years of age.
Drawing comparisons to Northern Ireland goalscoring hero David Healy – according to Sammy McIlroy – Marshall born in Glengormley and featured for Northern Irish side Linfield before joining the Irons in 2022 – there's lots of expectation in the air that the youngster will go on to have a fantastic career.
He has 40 goals to his name for both West Ham U18's and U21's, already scoring eight times this campaign in the Premier League 2 from just six starts.
It's even led to the prolific marksman being capped by his country at senior level already, featuring twice for his nation under Michael O'Neill against Denmark and San Marino.
The Northern Ireland manager doesn't want to put too much pressure on the young man's shoulders, although an impressive teenage attacker that "excites people" will always have people raving about the potential he possesses.
The former Stoke City boss said: “I can’t think back to when we’ve had a young striker – they generally come in later…A young striker coming in always excites people.
"Like every country, you want somebody at the top end of the pitch who can be a natural goalscorer, and without putting any burden on Callum, he has the potential and has shown the potential certainly since we’ve had him in. We’ve seen that he has the attributes."
What path could Callum Marshall follow at West Ham?
West Ham will hope that Marshall will follow a similar trajectory to former talisman, Rice, albeit that it doesn't end with another club poaching him.
The England international gradually rose through the ranks to become the star-man for the Hammers, going from a player on the fringes waiting for his moment in the spotlight to captaining the club to Europa Conference League glory, before his £105m departure to the Emirates.
There's no reason why the teenage striker can't start knocking on the door of the first team sooner rather than later, with West Ham's main striker, Michail Antonio, 33 years of age with his career running down.
Likewise, Moyes' other option as an out-and-out striker is Danny Ings, the ex Burnley man 31 years of age and prone to an injury, having netted just three goals for the club to date.
Marshall will just continue plugging away in the youth set-up for the time being, scoring goals by the bucket load if recent evidence is anything to go off.
But, don't be surprised if he's starring up top for the Hammers in a few years time as a raw, exciting and hungry figure, who could potentially be the next best thing since Rice.
He might be sitting in the dugout of another Premier League club at the moment, but Mauricio Pochettino's time at Tottenham Hotspur still defines his career more than any other job he has since held.
He managed to get the Lilywhites regularly challenging for major honours, and one of the core reasons for that was some of the brilliant signings he made at the club.
However, as savvy as he was, Pochettino was still guilty of a few transfer clangers.
With that in mind, Football FanCast has turned the clocks back and created a list of Mauricio Pochettino's worst signings as Tottenham boss.
10 DeAndre Yedlin (£2.5m)
Right, so kicking off our list of the ten worst signings made in the Pochettino era is American full-back DeAndre Yedlin.
Now, some of you may wonder, 'When did Yedlin ever play for Tottenham?'
Which is our point exactly.
Before he was regularly turning out for Newcastle United, the Seattle-born player was, for a brief time anyway, a Tottenham player. He was actually just the fourth signing that Pochettino would make as Spurs boss, when the club paid a fee of around £2.5m to MLS side Seattle Sounders for his services in August 2014.
There was quite a bit of excitement around the youngster at the time, especially after he had just performed admirably at the 2014 World Cup, but he would ultimately last just a year in N17.
In all, the American international would make just one singular appearance for the club before he was sold to the Magpies a year later. The only reason he isn't any higher on this list is the fact that he cost very little in the grand scheme of things.
And hey, things have seemingly worked out for Yedlin as well, considering he is now lining up with Lionel Messi every week for Inter Miami.
9 Ryan Sessegnon (£25m)
You might have two reactions to this inclusion, either that it is too harsh or that you totally forgot that Ryan Sessegnon was still a Tottenham player, and we'd forgive you for the latter.
The rapid winger come wing-back has been a Spurs player for over four years now following his £25m move from Fulham in August 2019, and in that time, he has failed to really do anything if we're being brutally honest.
Granted, he did spend the 2020/21 season on loan with Bundesliga outfit 1899 Hoffenheim, but even in Germany, he was simply just okay. In the three seasons he has spent in north London, he has made just 38 Premier League appearances, scored just two league goals and provided two assists.
In his defence, he has suffered from a string of injuries in N17, which must make it hard to develop any sort of form. Still, even so, for £25m and four years in which to prove himself, he has not shown anywhere near enough for his move to be considered anything other than a flop.
Luckily for him, he is still just 23, so he has plenty of time to prove the doubters – like us – wrong.
Spurs spent £23m to sign Serge Aurier from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, which was quite a bit of money for a full-back at the time, and so there was a general expectation that he was going to be the man to take Tottenham's defence up a level.
In reality, he proved himself to be a liability both for his pretty abysmal defensive awareness and his absurd ability to lose his head over the smallest of things on a football pitch.
Now, this wouldn't have been such a problem for the club had they not sold the far better Kieran Trippier just two years after buying Aurier, meaning that the Ivorian had to play more.
He somehow made 110 appearances for Spurs across all competitions before his contract was terminated by mutual consent in September 2021.
While he certainly isn't the worst player on this list and has actually looked quite good for Nottingham Forest recently, he was a poor signing, especially for £23m.
7 Benjamin Stambouli (£5m)
Okay, so we have moved from the pretty bad transfers to the undeniably rubbish now, and first on that list is French midfielder Benjamin Stambouli.
The Lilywhites signed Stambouli from Ligue 1 side Montpellier in the summer of 2014 for a fee believed to be in the region of £5m, and there was some excitement around the deal; after all, he had been a part of a league-winning team just two years prior.
However, he would last just a single season in England, making 25 appearances across all competitions and scoring just a single goal. He somehow wrangled a move to PSG in 2015, but he also lasted a year there.
6 Federico Fazio (£8m)
Another of Pochettino's first signings makes it onto our list next, and boy, he really didn't have the best judgment during that first summer in charge, did he?
Federico Fazio joined the club from La Liga outfit Sevilla for a fee of around £8m and ultimately failed to make any sort of positive impact at the club.
He made just 20 Premier League appearances in north London and picked up one straight red, which was honestly the most notable thing he did in White.
The unfortunate thing for Spurs fans, though, is that when he was on loan at Roma, he was actually really quite good, and when the move was made permanent in 2017, he remained so.
Sometimes, a player and a team just don't mesh for whatever reason, and this was undoubtedly an example of that.
5 Georges-Kevin N'Koudou (£11m)
Now, if you thought £8m for 20 appearances was bad, wait til you hear about Georges-Kevin N'Koudou.
The club were on the lookout for offensive reinforcements in the summer of 2016, and so they opted to spend £11m on the relatively unproved, but still exciting, French winger, N'Koudou.
Flash forward three years, and he had just been sold to Besiktas for £5m after just 11 Premier League appearances no goals, and one assist to his name.
4 Clinton N'Jie (£12m)
In August 2015, Tottenham were in need of a new striker to replace the outgoing disaster that was Roberto Soldado, and instead of signing an experienced backup to Harry Kane, they opted to go down the unproven route, a decision that backfired massively.
They ended up paying Lyon £12m to sign their young forward Clinton N'Jie, and to say that he was a flop would be kind.
In his first season as a Spurs player, he would make just 14 appearances across all competitions, failing to score a single goal and providing just one assist.
He would be loaned to Marseille the following season and then sold to the French side in the summer.
3 Giovanni Lo Celso (£55m)
The first big-money signing on the list, and despite showing glimpses of genuine ability and form during his time in N17, it just hasn't worked out for Giovanni Lo Celso.
The Argentine arrived on loan at Spurs in the summer of 2019, but the loan fee combined with the payment to make it permanent in January 2020 cost the club around £55m.
What did Spurs get for that enormous fee? Well, honestly, not very much at all.
During his four years as a Tottenham player so far, Lo Celso has made a grand total of 56 Premier League appearances and 86 across all competitions. He has only scored eight goals and provided six assists in that time, and it's hard to see him improving that record once he returns from injury.
The only reason Lo Celso isn't higher up on this list is that there is a slight chance he could still turn things around, although, who are we kidding, he isn't going to, is he?
2 Vincent Janssen (£19m)
Coming in as the runner-up in this list is potentially one of the most disappointing striker signings in the league's history, not just for Spurs.
Signed from AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2016 for around £19m, Vincent Janssen was supposed to be the perfect player to act as a backup, or even challenge, Harry Kane.
He had just come off a season in which he won the Eredivisie Golden Boot after scoring 27 league goals, so the expectation was that he would thrive in England.
That expectation ended up ever so slightly missing the mark.
Across his entire Tottenham career, Janssen made 42 appearances and scored just six goals. He was so bad that he was sent out on loan to Turkey in his second season, and when he flopped there, he was sold to Mexican side Monterrey in 2018.
While his fee wasn't massive, we can't think of many strikers who failed to live up to the hype quite as dramatically as Janssen.
1 Tanguy Ndombele (£63m)
Tottenham's Tanguy Ndombele
Here we are then, the worst signing that Mauricio Pochettino made as the manager of Tottenham Hotspur, and it is quite the corker.
Tottenham were in a spending mood in the summer of 2019, and alongside signing Lo Celso, they also smashed their transfer record to bits by signing Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele for an eye-watering fee of £63m.
There was a lot of excitement around this deal; after all, the Frenchman was a wanted man at the time and had been one of the very best players in Ligue 1 for a couple of years, so there was an expectation that he would flourish under Pochettino.
Unfortunately for the Spurs faithful, he did not flourish and instead regressed into a shell of the player he once was, making a grand total of 91 appearances for the club.
He has spent most of his time as a Spurs player either on the bench, injured or on loan to other clubs, and has seemingly fallen out of favour with every manager he has played under at the club.
There was some hope that Ange Postecoglou could revive his career, but the fact that he was sent on loan to Galatasaray in the summer has since quashed that hope.
Yes, he is still a Spurs player, so he could technically turn this all around, but come on, there is very little hope that he will ever come good.
Ultimately, he is the worst transfer that Pochettino made as Spurs boss.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will have the final say on whether one of his players will be allowed to leave the Emirates Stadium in January following a reported interest in his services.
Arsenal transfer updates…
The Gunners have once again put themselves in with a shout of Premier League title glory this term due to their consistent form in the early part of the campaign. However, recruiting quality additions in January could be crucial to Arteta's hopes of delivering silverware.
According to reports from Spain cited by Sport Witness, both Arsenal and rivals Tottenham Hotspur are in the picture with regard to Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz; nevertheless, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also admirers of the Germany international.
Bayer Leverkusen are believed to value Wirtz at around €80-100m (£69-87m) and it is unclear whether Arsenal would be willing to fork out a significant fee to acquire the 20-year-old.
One topic of conversation in recent months has been Arsenal's need to bring in another striker in the January transfer window, and TEAMtalk has reported that the Gunners have received a major boost in their pursuit of Ivan Toney, who is said to be keen on a new challenge away from Brentford in the January transfer window.
Nevertheless, Chelsea are also keen on the England international following his excellent Premier League campaign last term. Toney netted 20 goals for the Bees before incurring a lengthy ban for breaching the Football Association's betting rules.
In terms of potential departures, out-of-favour Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is said to be a target for both Chelsea and Newcastle United after being ousted by loanee David Raya between the sticks at the Emirates Stadium, as per talkSPORT.
According to fresh reports coming out of Italy, another of Arteta's men could be set to leave north London in January after attracting interest from elsewhere.
Arsenal's next five fixtures – all competitions
Competition
Opponent
Venue
Champions League
Sevilla (H)
Emirates Stadium
Premier League
Burnley (H)
Emirates Stadium
Premier League
Brentford (A)
Gtech Community Stadium
Champions League
Lens (H)
Emirates Stadium
Premier League
Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)
Emirates Stadium
AC Milan keen on Jakub Kiwior
As per a transfer update from Gazzetta dello Sport, AC Milan are keen on Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior and could look to enact a potential swoop for the Poland international on a loan basis with an option to buy in January.
Nevertheless, Arsenal will have the final say on whether the 23-year-old will be allowed to depart. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are Gunners boss Arteta's preferred options in central defence, which could give Serie A giants AC Milan some hope in negotiations as they aim to recruit mid-season reinforcements.
Kiwior, who has previously been dubbed "extraordinary" by Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski, has made just 14 appearances for Arsenal over the course of his time in north London, notching one goal in the process (Kiwior statistics – Transfermarkt).
Looking ahead, it will be intriguing to see if Kiwior is allowed to leave Arsenal in light of his lack of first-team action over the last few months at the club.