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Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has dropped a big Chelsea transfer update live on TV involving Benfica central midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

The Lowdown: Fernandez ‘wants’ Chelsea

It has recently been reported that Fernandez ‘wants’ to move to Chelsea in this window, amid strong interest from the Blues in the Argentina international.

However, The Times report that Graham Potter’s side need to improve their offer to at least €120m (£105.5m), the value of his release clause.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Speaking live on Sky Sports’ The Transfer Show (19:04pm), Sheth has revealed that after speaking to a contact of his who has close links to Benfica, there will be ‘no deal’ in January as it stands for Fernandez, and there is still ‘a lot of work’ to do if a deal is to be struck:

“This is not an easy deal to do, between Chelsea and Benfica.

“I’ve been speaking to a contact of mine in Portugal, who has close links to Benfica, and he says that there’s no deal between Chelsea and Benfica as yet, and there will be no deal in January.

“Noises coming from Portugal suggest Benfica aren’t too enamoured by the way Chelsea have handled this. Everyone knows that what the release clause is. They want the release clause down, or at least a huge chunk of that.

“I’m told Enzo Fernandez requested not to play in Benfica’s game against Braga – his first game since the World Cup final. He ended up playing. 

“There is still a lot of work to do between Chelsea and Benfica if a deal is to be struck.”

The Verdict: Pay up…

It is clear that Chelsea will have to pay up Fernandez’s release clause in full if they are serious about signing him in this window.

Hailed as a ‘beast‘ by CBS Sports broadcaster Ives Galarcep after winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina, the 21-year-old won the Young Player Award at the tournament, and was his country’s fourth-best performer overall, scoring one goal and making one assist in his seven appearances (WhoScored).

With Benfica, Fernandez ranks in the 99th percentile of all midfielders in Europe’s top leagues over the past year for expected goals and expected assists combined, as well as for passes attempted and progressive passes per game (FBRef).

Nonetheless, he is a generational talent already, and so the Blues must weigh up whether he is worth the extraordinary transfer fee.

Newcastle United are enjoying a phenomenal Premier League campaign so far and Eddie Howe will be thrilled with the progress his squad has made since he joined the club when they were in the relegation zone in November 2021.

The Magpies are currently third in the top flight after losing just one game ahead of the World Cup break and the manager will be hoping that his side can continue to bask in their outstanding form when they return to action after Christmas.

Qualifying for Champions League football this season would not have been in the wildest dreams of even the most optimistic Newcastle supporter ahead of the current campaign, but could now become a very comfortable reality for the club especially if they take advantage of the January transfer window next month.

Adding depth to the wide forward role has been reported as a target for the North East giants when the market reopens and one player who has been linked with a move to St James’ Park is Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic, with reports suggesting the club are ready to make him their next statement signing.

Pulisic, who could cost £35m, hasn’t been able to get feature consistently in the starting line up at Stamford Bridge over his time there and now Howe could offer him the opportunity to help Newcastle secure their top-four spot over the second half of the season.

The talented 24-year-old – who was dubbed “world-class” by Frank Khalid – has averaged just 57 minutes per performance over 113 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 26 goals and registering 21 assists with a goal contribution every 162 minutes.

Not only that, Pulisic has more recently been representing the USMNT at the World Cup in Qatar, helping his team to progress to the round of 16 knock-out stages in the prestigious international tournament.

Over four appearances, the winger was in tremendous form, scoring one goal and delivering two assists.

He won the Man of the Match award when the American’s faced off against England, with the former Borussia Dortmund man making life rather difficult for the Toon’s Kieran Trippier, as he attempted three dribbles, hit the woodwork and made a key passes.

In total, Pulisic averaged 2.3 key passes, 2.3 shots on goal, one successful dribble and won 4.8 duels per game during his time in Qatar, proving that he has been a huge attacking threat for his nation.

With those statistics in mind, Howe could even land Newcastle their next version of Hatem Ben Arfa.

The American attacker is extremely versatile in his positioning on the pitch just like the former Magpies hero, who could play attacking midfield and both sides of the wide forward roles, something Pulisic is comfortable doing too.

It is with the ball at their feet where they are most comparable, with the Chelsea ace performing a career seasonal high of 2.4 dribbles per match in the 2017/18 Bundesliga campaign. By way of comparison, Ben Arfa’s highest tally was as many as 4.5 during a game in 2015/16 with Nice.

With that being said, it’s clear they are both beautiful technicians capable of producing a bit of magic in the final third.

Thus, the signing of Pulisic would be a great piece of business for Newcastle and if they could secure his signature in the new year it could be a great boost for the attacking threat at St James’ Park over the second half of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur have scouted Marcus Thuram ahead of the January transfer window and journalist Dean Jones believes he could add a lot to Antonio Conte’s squad…

What’s the word?

It’s believed that the north Londoners have been keeping an eye on the Frenchman’s situation at Borussia Monchengladbach as his current £53.8k-per-week contract is set to expire in the summer.

They are likely, however, to face stiff competition from arch-rivals Arsenal and some reports have suggested that the Bundesliga side are willing to sell him for as little as €10m (£8.7m) because they risk losing him for free otherwise.

“Yeah, definitely they could both [Thuram and Youssoufa Moukoko] add to what they’ve got. They both make sense in different ways from things I’ve heard about how they intend to move the squad on,” he told GIVEMESPORT.

Bargain of January

If Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici still want to bolster the frontline with further reinforcements, having signed Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison in recent windows, then they should look no further than Thuram, who could be the bargain of the window.

For a fraction of the £60m they paid Everton for the Brazil no.9 in the summer, they could get a similar profile of player as the France international is also capable of playing anywhere along the frontline and has proven his ability over the last 12 to 18 months.

This campaign alone, Thuram has delivered 13 goals and four assists, including strikes against both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Such versatility has seen him earn comparisons to a fellow native by a manager that knew him better than anyone.

“Thierry Henry had the timing of the smartest footballers. He was also very strong physically, and technically he could do everything,” former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger told Der Spiegel back in 2020. “In fact, there’s a player in the Bundesliga who reminds me of him – Marcus Thuram from Borussia Monchengladbach.”

The Gladbach star is just as much a creative presence and threat as he is a goalscorer, having averaged 1.73 successful dribbles and 3.09 shot-creating actions per 90 over the last year, feats that see him rank within the top 8% and 22% of his positional peers across Europe, via FBref.

With the prospect of the Champions League knockout stages, the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League and multiple domestic cups after the World Cup break, it would make sense for Conte to want further bodies available and that makes Thuram a rather intriguing option.

The attacker, who Saudi Arabia boss Herve Renard once dubbed a “physical monster”, could well be the biggest bargain of the January window for whoever decides to pull the trigger.

For Spurs, it would be wise if Paratici did just that as he won’t be taking a big chunk out of the war chest and could bolster Conte’s playing. squad with additions elsewhere too.

AND in other news, Conte may be about to ditch £100k-p/w Spurs “legend” for “mad” £18m-rated “liability”…

Celtic’s hopes of taking anything from their final European game of the season have now become even slimmer with the Hoops boss, Ange Postecoglou, revealing that his Parkhead troops will be a man down on Wednesday evening.

The Bhoys have had a rough time of it in the Champions League this term, with Celtic scoring just three times and picking up only two points from a tough group.

Tests get no sterner than the one they’ll face this evening too, with Postecoglou’s side travelling to the Bernabeu to face Real Madrid.

Perennial winners of the competition, it’s highly likely they’ll win the encounter, but there is still pride at stake and a chance to impress inside one of the greatest footballing theatres on the planet for Celtic.

Unfortunately, defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will not be afforded such a luxury, with the American defender ruled out of the clash after failing to come through Livingston’s plastic pitch unscathed.

He has been left at home in what can only be described as a big blow to Celtic. There is some good news, however, with Carl Starfelt among the travelling party.

The Swede hasn’t been seen since early September due to a knee injury which has subsequently kept him out of 13 matches.

Although the Scottish giants sit at the top of the Premiership table, there is a sense that they have missed his influence in the middle of the backline.

Initially enduring a slow start to life at Celtic when he arrived, he quickly became a crucial cog for his Australian coach, playing 34 times in the league throughout 2021/22.

His influence has obviously waned this term due to injury, but now is the perfect time to unleash him again. After all, Moritz Jenz and Stephen Welsh have struggled with their own fitness of late and it’s a scary thought thinking about how they might fare against a player of Karim Benzema’s class.

Starfelt, on the other hand, has been capped five times by Sweden, and is more accustomed to facing some of the very best attacking players on the continent.

Last term, no centre-back at the club won more than his 1.2 tackles or 4.4 aerials per game domestically, indicating he may well be the best defender Celtic have. Dominant whether the ball is in the air or on the deck, he has become a pillar of consistency and his re-emergence in the first-team picture will be huge for the team.

Perhaps the biggest compliment that has been paid since his arrival in Glasgow is from Paul John Dykes, who said of the 27-year-old last season: “He’s got a bit of Tony Mowbray to him. He reminds me of Tony Mowbray with the way he moves about the park.”

Should he register numbers like the statistics above, then there is every reason Celtic could keep Madrid quieter than was previously anticipated.

That said, not having his partner in crime next to him in Carter-Vickers, will be a seismic loss for the Hoops.

Leeds United winger Luis Sinisterra is back from suspension and is expected to start against Arsenal in their Premier League clash this afternoon…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to The Athletic’s ever-reliable Phil Hay, who delivered his verdict ahead of today’s kick-off to supporters. He said:

“Luis Sinisterra is back from suspension. It would make absolute sense to start him – which presents the choice of Patrick Bamford or Rodrigo at nine.

“I’m conflicted there because while it seems obvious that Bamford is more suited to that role in this system, he really didn’t look at all sharp at Palace. But is it best to go with him?”

It remains to be seen exactly who the Colombian winger will replace in manager Jesse Marsch’s starting lineup but his return will serve as a big boost, however, after he missed last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Boost for Marsch

The Yorkshire giants haven’t won in five league outings and now face the league leaders at Elland Road later today, a team they have not defeated since May 2003 either, so it’s one tough task ahead.

Sinisterra’s likely involvement will certainly aid the chances of some sort of result – at this point, many would take a share of the spoils against a side in such great form, you’d imagine.

Leeds have struggled in front of goal recently, with only two players surpassing the one-goal mark for the season so far, one of which is the 23-year-old winger, who joined in a £21m deal from Feyenoord in the summer.

Only Rodrigo (four) has scored more than Sinisterra (two), whilst in the final third, he has managed a better shots-per-90 rate (1.6) than Jack Harrison (0.8) and Brenden Aaronson (1.2), via WhoScored.

The young dynamo also carries a threat on the ball, having averaged a 50.7% dribble success rate from 6.3 attempts per 90 – nearly 6% better than the aforementioned Englishman on the other flank.

It’s evident that, on his day, Sinisterra is an absolute menace and capable of being Leeds’ biggest threat in the attack, so his presence is a welcome return against the Gunners, who despite sitting top have conceded more goals than sixth-placed Newcastle United and are tied with Chelsea, who Leeds stuck three past in August.

There won’t be many unhappy with Hay’s claim that the Colombian is in line for an instant recall to the starting XI as his attacking nous is a bonus, even against a team of Arsenal’s form right now.

AND in other news, Marsch must finally unleash Leeds’ £8.7m-rated wonderkid, he “always creates danger”…

Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Newcastle United are now planning a new contract offer for Bruno Guimaraes.

The Lowdown: Madrid ‘conversation’

Bruno admitted earlier this week that he had had a ‘conversation’ over potentially moving to Real Madrid.

They have reportedly had their sights set on the Brazilian since the summer, and could look to step up their interest in the January transfer window.

The Latest: Contract offer

Taking to Twitter, Romano has revealed that the St. James’ Park outfit are now planning a new contract offer for Bruno, as Dan Ashworth has recently confirmed they do not want to sell him amid reported interest from Madrid:

“Newcastle are planning to offer Bruno Guimarães a new contract very soon, including salary increase as part of the negotiation as many top clubs are monitoring him after super performances. “We don’t want to sell him”, Dan Ashworth said in the last hours about Bruno.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Tying down Bruno will be one of the most important pieces of businesses that the North East club do for their long-term project.

Eddie Howe recently admitted in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match away at Manchester United in the Premier League that they are desperate for Bruno to stay for the long-term, and could not speak highly enough of what he brings to the team both on and off the pitch.

The defensive midfielder has been their best-performing player in the top flight so far this season, chipping in with two goals and one assist (WhoScored), and it will be crucial for the Magpies to keep him on Tyneside, so that they can attract other big names to the club in the future.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has raved over unseen youngster Luca Gunter following some ‘terrific’ exploits for the club’s Under-19s.

The Lowdown: Spurs academy flourishing

The Premier League side’s first team have been backed to succeed this season under trophy-laden boss Antonio Conte but the N17 academy is also, arguably, one of country’s most promising.

Hotspur Way has birthed some major talents in recent years with midfielder Oliver Skipp even tipped to one day become captain of the north Londoners.

Meanwhile, forward Dane Scarlett is setting the south coast alight on loan at Portsmouth – having scored three goals in five League One starts whilst also grabbing an assist (WhoScored).

The Latest: Gold raves over unseen Gunter…

Now, going by the reaction of Spurs journalist Gold, there could be yet another bright youngster to watch out for.

Akin to Hugo Lloris in Tottenham’s senior 2-0 defeat to Sporting last night, Under-19s shot stopper Gunter appeared to enjoy a fine evening against the Portuguese youngsters in the UEFA Youth League but could do little about the result.

Gunter made some ‘terrific’ saves in the pouring rain, but much like Conte’s side, the Spurs starlets fell to a 2-0 loss – Gold stated:

“Luca Gunter having a terrific first half in goal so far for Spurs U19s in their UEFA Youth League match against Sporting. Some acrobatic saves in the constantly changing weather.”

The Verdict: One to watch?

Still yet to make his senior debut, Gunter is building quite the reputation.

Gold isn’t the only Spurs source to draw attention to the 17-year-old with Football Insider pundit John Wenham calling the teenager a ‘standout’ in the academy.

Wenham goes on to say he is ‘really excited’ about the Gunter, and going by his latest exploits, supporters may well want to keep an eye on him.

Nottingham Forest are on the search for another centre-back after Moussa Niakhate sustained a serious injury, and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Nottingham Forest have joined the race to sign Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah this summer.

As per the report, the newly-promoted Premier League side will need to compete with Inter Milan, Roma, Everton, Leeds United and Southampton to secure the player’s signature before the transfer window closes on September 1st.

Ideal Niakhate alternative

Steve Cooper confirmed last weekend that the newly-signed Forest defender Niakhate will be out for “months”, so the opportunity to sign Chalobah could not have come at a better time for the Tricky Trees.

Although Chalobah currently finds himself out of favour in the Chelsea team over this season sitting on bench for all three of their Premier League games so far, last season the 23-year-old was given an opportunity by Thomas Tuchel to display his talent in the back-line and he didn’t disappoint.

Over 20 league appearances, the Englishman scored three goals, made two tackles, 2.1 clearances and took 73.7 touches per game, as well as successfully completing the overwhelming majority of his dribbles (83%) and winning 61% of his duels.

Not only that, according to FBref, Joel Matip, Pau Torres and Ibrahima Konate featured in his most comparable players over last 12 months, with Chalobah ranking in the top 10% of positional peers across the top five European leagues for pass completion, dribbles completed and assists.

The young defender has been showing clear signs of his quality whilst playing in a high-pressing team, something that would be more than advantageous to Cooper who likes to deploy attacking-minded tactics and players in his starting line-ups.

Chalobah has even earned high praise from legendary former Premier League centre-back Rio Ferdinand, who hailed the defender “unbelievable” on his podcast last season.

With that being said, the Chelsea star would be a dream alternative for Niakhate over his absence in the team and beyond if they can seal a permanent deal this summer, he could become a really important player for Forest over the season ahead.

Nottingham Forest attacker Nuno Da Costa is ‘considering’ a return to Caen this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour on Friday.

The Lowdown: Da Costa not needed at Forest

The 31-year-old spent the whole of last season on loan at Caen, having been deemed surplus to requirements by then-manager Chris Hughton.

Da Costa is now back at Forest as the new Premier League season gets started but it is clear that Steve Cooper also doesn’t see a future for him at the club.

For that reason, it is expected that the Cape Verdean will depart the City Ground before deadline day ends, either permanently or on a temporary basis.

The Latest: Caen return mooted

According to Ouest France [via Sport Witness], Da Costa is ‘considering’ a move back to Caen for the 2022/23 campaign, despite there being strong interest from Auxerre, with a two-year deal reportedly agreed.

That transfer ‘may not be so good’ now, paving the way for a possible return to Ligue 2 outfit Caen instead.

The Verdict: Right decision for all parties

Da Costa is a talented player – he has been described as a ‘real leader’ by Caen president Olivier Pickeu – but it hasn’t worked out for him at Forest, with only 13 appearances coming his way and no goals scored.

For that reason, it makes complete sense for the Reds to either get him off their wage bill for good or at least loan him out again and allow him regular playing time.

It seems nailed-on that Da Costa will depart this summer, and while going back to Caen may appeal, signing a permanent two-year deal at Auxerre wouldn’t go amiss from a financial point of view for the Reds.

Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension their manager Antonio Conte, are eyeing a move for Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic as reports from Italy share an update over the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Spurs signings possible…

The Lilywhites have completed many deals already with the signings of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence, yet it is reliably believed that more Premier League incomings are possible.

The Evening Standard claimed that Spurs and managing director Fabio Paratici remain in the market for a creative midfielder, whilst the acquisition of another centre-half isn’t entirely ruled out either.

After Sky Sports revealed Tottenham ‘talks’ to try and sign the player last summer, Milenkovic is back on both Paratici and Conte’s radar as Italian newspaper La Nazione share an update from Sunday evening.

The Latest: Milenkovic eyed by Tottenham…

They claim that the north Londoners are in contention to sign the 37-cap Serbia international as his future in Serie A becomes a real talking point.

La Nazione don’t rule out an ‘assault’ by Spurs and Paratici in the next few days for Milenkovic, and they even moot the idea of midfielder Giovani Lo Celso going the other way.

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The Verdict: Make the move?

Dubbed a ‘beast’ by members of the press over the last few seasons, the 6 foot 5 powerhouse certainly lives up to that tag by physicality.

In terms of quality, Milenkovic was also a crucial player for Fiorentina over the 2021/22 season, playing the second-most league minutes out of anyone in their squad whilst making more clearances per 90 than any of his team-mates (WhoScored).

Therefore, it’s not hard to see why Tottenham’s powerbrokers are reportedly eager to revisit the links with the 24-year-old.