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Tottenham slumped to a shock comeback defeat at the hands of Brighton on Sunday, throwing away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at The Amex.

The visitors had led at half-time thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison, but then conceded three within just 21 second-half minutes directly after the break, with Danny Welbeck scoring what proved to be the winning goal. Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou described the defeat as “unacceptable”.

Ange let Spurs star leave in 2023, now he's massively outperforming Johnson

He’d be a treat at the heart of this Lilywhites squad…

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 5, 2024

“Disappointing, frustrated and absolutely gutted with that. Worst defeat since I’ve been here,” the 59 year-old, who took over as Tottenham manager in June 2023, said after the match. “Nowhere near where we should be.”

A number of Tottenham’s players have come under scrutiny for their role in the loss, including both Destiny Udogie and Rodrigo Bentacur, the latter of whom was spotted “jogging back” for Brighton’s equalizer. Striker Dominic Solanke was also criticised, despite providing the assist for Johnson’s opener.

Solanke blasted after England call-up

Last week, Solanke was named in Lee Carsley’s England squad for the Three Lions’ upcoming Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland on October 10 and 13. The last time the Spurs striker played for England was back in November 2017 while he was at Liverpool. Reacting to Solanke’s international recall, former Tottenham scout Bryan King said he was surprised.

“To be honest, I couldn’t really work it out,” King told Tottenham News. “He cost a lot of money and scored some goals. However, they weren’t exactly spectacular goals, and his work has been nothing spectacular either.

“Obviously, Carsley has seen something which I haven’t seen,” he said. “We have to assume that he knows him from Bournemouth. Playing Greece and Finland, they aren’t exactly the biggest nations in the world either.”

Carsley, who is currently standing in as England’s interim boss, told the press that he recalled Solanke because he is “extremely talented”.

“Dom’s a player I’m fully aware of having worked with him in the past. He was really close to being in the last squad but got injured just before selection,” he said. “He did so well at Bournemouth and now he’s taken that form into Spurs. He’s got a lot of really good attributes that I really like, as well as being a really nice person.”

A stellar start for Solanke

Solanke joined Tottenham from Bournemouth this summer in a deal worth £55 million, signing a £90k-a-week contract. Having scored 19 Premier League goals for the Cherries last term, fans were hoping he would be able to fill the void left by club record scorer Harry Kane, who had joined Bayern Munich the previous year.

After an injury-hampered start to his career in North London, however, the Englishman has found his feet in recent weeks, scoring three and assisting one in his last four games. His most recent goal came in Tottenham’s resounding 3-0 victory over Manchester United on September 29.

Speaking late last month about Solanke’s start to life at Spurs, Postecoglou said: “He’s settled in really well. There’s plenty more to come from him.”

West Ham United fell to yet another defeat last night, losing 5-1 to Arne Slot’s Liverpool in the Carabao Cup third round.

Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota secured the win for the Reds after Jarrell Quansah’s own goal put Julen Lopetegui’s side ahead after just 21 minutes.

The Hammers’ defensive frailty was once again evident in the meeting at Anfield, with the five goals taking the club’s goals against tally to 14 in their opening seven outings – averaging two goals conceded per game.

It’s the second season in a row the Hammers have fallen to a 5-1 defeat in the Carabao Cup against the Reds, with the same soft underbelly on display once more, despite the heavy investment from the hierarchy this summer.

One player produced a dismal display, summing up the club’s woeful start to the 2024/25 campaign.

Edson Alvarez’s stats against Liverpool

Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez had an evening to forget on Merseyside last night, producing a woeful performance during the heavy defeat – continuing his below-par start to life under Lopetegui.

The 26-year-old was sent off in the 76th minute after picking up two yellow cards, with the second an idiotic challenge after being booked just a few minutes prior.

However, even before his sending-off, he failed to make an impact on the encounter, losing ten duels, the most of any player on the field.

Alvarez also lost possession ten times, whilst committing five fouls and only completing 19 passes – topping off his shocking display at Anfield.

Minutes played

76

Touches

42

Passes completed

19/24 (79%)

Duels lost

10

Possession lost

10x

Fouls committed

5

However, despite his display, one other Hammers player produced a similarly disappointing display and failed to take advantage of his rare start under Lopetegui.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The player who was just as poor as Alvarez

Striker Danny Ings made his first start since April during last night’s defeat but failed to take advantage of the opportunity handed to him by the Spaniard.

The Englishman featured for an hour before being replaced by Michail Antonio, an understandable substitution given his lack of impact on the encounter up until his withdrawal.

The 32-year-old could only muster 14 touches during his 60-minute display – a tally fewer than goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski who registered 50 – losing possession seven times – meaning every two times he touched the ball he gifted the ball back to the opposition.

He also only completed four passes – an average of one every 15 minutes – often failing to impose himself on the game and provide that cutting edge at the top end of the pitch.

Minutes played

60

Touches

14

Passes completed

4/10 (40%)

Duels won

2

Possession lost

7x

Times caught offside

1

However, he did find himself with an opportunity in front of goal, but strayed offside before slotting the ball home, with the game potentially being completely different had he held his run beyond the last defender.

Ings was subsequently handed a 4/10 rating by the Daily Mail’s James Sharpe following the defeat – further highlighting his lack of impact for the East London outfit.

Given his dismal showing, Lopetegui should look to drop the striker ahead of the weekend’s trip to face Brentford as the Hammers still look to bounce back from the embarrassing showing at Anfield.

His side will be looking to claim their first win in five as they aim to finally kickstart their Premier League season against Thomas Frank’s side.

Lopetegui must axe West Ham man who earns more than Summerville & Todibo

This Hammers talent is approaching the end of the line…

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 24, 2024

Leeds United fans would have been reasonably pleased with the summer business in through the door, as the Whites did leave it late in the transfer window, but have snapped up some potentially quality new additions.

Largie Ramazani is now off the mark for his new employers after costing £10m to get into the building from Almeria, with his goal last time out setting the Whites on their way to a confident 2-0 win over Cardiff City, whilst the likes of Manor Solomon, Ao Tanaka and Isaac Schmidt have also looked equally exciting when they have featured.

Away from these signings that managed to just about get over the line, Leeds have also been cursed many a time by deals going awry at the last minute, with the West Yorkshire giants once in the running to sign a top-class striker in the same year in which they ended up doing the dreaded Jean-Kevin Augustin deal…

Augustin's time with Leeds

Leeds must have wished they hadn’t bothered pursuing Augustin when all was said and done, with the French striker proving himself to be a hassle more than a plus for his side.

Joining initially on loan in January 2020, with an obligation to snap him up on a permanent deal for £18m if promotion was secured, the ex-RB Leipzig man ended up just looking largely out of his depth lining up for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, after so much hype had greeted his signing.

In the end, the 27-year-old flop would only make three first-team appearances in total during his brief but damaging stint in England, with zero goals picked up.

Augustin would just return to Leipzig after the initial loan move expired, therefore, despite Leeds stating that they would sign him permanently, as the German club then ended up ordering the Whites to cough up £24m last year after that alleged breach of contract.

Leeds never got to see these skills on display from Augustin at Elland Road, having also had to endure the frustration of missing out on what would have been a centre-forward upgrade later in 2020.

The man Leeds missed out on

Amazingly, Ollie Watkins could well have joined Leeds over Aston Villa during the summer after Augustin had joined on loan, having revealed this fact during a tell-all interview with Sky Sports in 2021:

“There were quite a few [interested],” he revealed. “Leeds were interested in me, but they signed Rodrigo.”

As Watkins stated, Leeds instead plumped for Rodrigo on a £26m deal that summer to bolster their centre-forward ranks, while Watkins moved on to Villa Park for £33m and has never looked back, with an England call-up even coming his way off the back of his outstanding goalscoring exploits in the Premier League.

Player

Season

Games

Goals

Watkins

23/24

37

19

Watkins

22/23

37

15

Watkins

21/22

35

11

Watkins

20/21

37

14

The £54m star – as per his transfer valuation on Transfermarkt – is now Villa’s top scorer in the Premier League four seasons on the trot, having amassed a mightily impressive 73 goals from 175 games for Unai Emery’s men to date, with three strikes already registered from six games in all competitions this campaign too.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Watkins was even a hero for his nation during the recent Euros tournament this summer, with this beautiful finish right at the death sending England through at the expense of the Netherlands in a finely poised semi-final match-up.

In another reality, Leeds could well have played a part in the “spectacular” – as he was labelled by football journalist Ryan Adsett this year – ace’s rise to stardom.

But, the pull of Villa, with Dean Smith as manager who took the 26-year-old under his wing at Brentford, swayed the move in that direction.

Ultimately, the Whites messed up, with the Augustin saga leaving a real sour taste in the mouth, even more so now with the development that Watkins could have been signed in the same year as that shambolic move.

Leeds will just pray they have learnt from their errors, with the signings of Ramazani and others this summer hopefully success stories, over going down as costly flops as well.

Sold for £7m: Leeds played a blinder with star who's now worth just £800k

The Whites seemingly cashed in on the centre-forward at the perfect time.

2 ByDan Emery Sep 26, 2024

Over the years, West Ham United have wasted a lot of money on players who simply haven’t lived up to the expectations they arrived at the club with.

Nikola Vlasic is just one example, joining the club in a £32m deal including add-ons, before making just 31 first-team appearances, eventually departing the club just 12 months later for a fee in the region of £10m – resulting in a £22m loss.

Felipe Anderson is another player who arrived with huge expectations after his then club-record £42m move to the Premier League from Italian side Lazio.

Whilst the Brazilian made more of an impact than Vlasic, featuring in 73 games, he still departed for a significantly lower fee – returning to his former side during the summer of 2020.

Both players were undoubtedly a huge waste of resources, costing the club massively, but one player was just as poor during his time in East London but did still manage to recoup a significant fee in the process.

Andre Ayew’s time at West Ham

During the summer of 2016, West Ham moved to their new home in the London Stadium, with ambitions of becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League.

The move saw added investment, with the hierarchy splashing a then club-record £20.5m on the signing of forward Andre Ayew from Swansea City – eclipsing the £15m fee the club paid for Andy Carroll.

Given his price tag, there was undoubtedly hype around the Ghanaian’s move to the Hammers, but unfortunately for both parties, the move was unsuccessful.

Ayew moved to the club under former boss Slaven Bilic off the back of a campaign which saw the Hammers register a seventh placed league finish in 2015/16.

However, the forward only lasted 18 months under the Croatian after failing to make an impact at the London Stadium.

He registered 12 goals and five assists during his time at the club, before returning to the Swans in a £18m deal – with the club only losing £2m over the course of his spell with the Hammers.

His career has taken a sharp decline in recent years after departing West Ham, with the club making the right decision in offloading him back in January 2018.

Declan Rice

£105m

Dimitri Payet

£24.4m

Carlos Tevez

£24.4m

Rio Ferdinand

£22m

Gianluca Scamacca

£21m

Marko Arnautovic

£21m

Andre Ayew

£18m

Sebastian Haller

£18m

Andre Ayew’s career after leaving West Ham

Swansea were relegated the same season after Ayew rejoined, with his high wages needing to be shifted off the books, he joined Turkish side Fenerbache on loan for the 2018/19 campaign.

He subsequently returned to the Swans ahead of the 2019/20 season, enjoying a purple patch over the next couple of seasons for Steve Cooper’s side, registering 31 league goals as they twice narrowly avoided a return to England’s top flight.

He rejected multiple new contracts with the Championship side, moving to Qatar, before finally returning to the Premier League – reuniting with Cooper at Nottingham Forest for the second half of the league season in 2022/23.

Ayew only made 13 appearances, totalling just 307 minutes and subsequently being released at the end of the very same season, joining French side Le Havre AC on a free transfer last summer.

Despite scoring six goals in all competitions, it wasn’t enough to earn the Ghanaian a new contract, with the 34-year-old still without a club and remaining a free agent.

Given his rapid decline over the last few years, West Ham made the right call in allowing Ayew to return to his former side, taking the hit on the fee they paid, whilst preventing them from a further loss down the line.

He’s now coming to the tail end of his professional career, potentially nearing retirement after his failure to secure terms with any side for the 2024/25 campaign.

Lopetegui has already sold a "monstrous" Soucek upgrade at West Ham

This might have been a mistake…

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 17, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur seem to be closing in on yet another fine addition to bolster Ange Postecoglou's team…

What's the latest on Micky van de Ven to Tottenham Hotspur?

That's according to The Mirror's John Cross, who took to his Twitter to detail an update on their pursuit of Micky van de Ven.

The Dutch defender has been linked with a north London switch for a few weeks now, but only yesterday was a breakthrough seemingly reached.

Writing on Twitter, the journalist detailed the specifics: "Tottenham are set to sign Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven in a £30m deal."

How good is Micky van de Ven?

Although a relative unknown the 22-year-old has been a stalwart for Wolfsburg recently. In tempting this star from such a club, perhaps they will also mimic Manchester City's success when they acquired Kevin De Bruyne from the German outfit.

Having just won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League within one season, Pep Guardiola has once again written himself into the history books as a record-breaking manager who has completed a feat only done in England once before.

At the heart of that success was the Belgian creator, who has been an integral cog of the vast success earned at the Etihad in recent years.

Across all competitions last term he posted ten goals and a further 31 assists, adding even more silverware to his already sprawling cabinet. The 32-year-old has now won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups and that coveted European trophy too since moving.

It might seem unfathomable for anyone to match such success, but Postecoglou will surely have grand ambitions of forging a dynasty of his own in north London.

Van de Ven could mark the platform with which this success could be attained, as a defensive pillar with all the key attributes to hold down the Australian's back line for the next decade.

Last year in the Bundesliga, he would maintain a 6.85 average rating, upheld through his 88% pass accuracy, 70% dribble success rate, 1.4 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

For comparison, the latter figure would have seen him rank as the third-best in that field within Spurs' squad, with his pass completion again making him joint third-best of those who have played more than five games.

However, it is not merely his technical assets that would allow him to shine. His physical attributes make him something of an anomaly, as despite standing at 6 foot 4 he also boasts frightening speed.

Marcel Schäfer, Wolfsburg’s managing director for sport, sought to detail this: "Left foot, extreme speed, plays every second. Micky [has performed] consistently very well throughout the season. He’s a player with huge potential and this season in particular has shown incredible development, playing himself into the spotlight with his performances."

The future is bright for this young defender, and perhaps a move to England under a coach that would help skyrocket his career would only bolster the fine foundations of this future star.

If he is to have half the success De Bruyne has earned in Manchester since moving from Wolfsburg, he would still be considered a wild success in north London.

Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun is "set to end his 13-year association with the Gunners this summer", according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Who is leaving Arsenal?

Manager Mikel Arteta, from reliable media sources, is said to be closing in on a deal to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice this summer as Arsenal finally agree a fee after multiple rejected bids.

Alongside the 24-year-old, Emirates transfer chief Edu also reached an agreement over the signing of Kai Havertz, who has joined Arsenal in a £65 million deal from Chelsea.

Talks apparently continue over more targets as well, with Southampton's Romeo Lavia and Ajax defender Jurrien Timber remaining firmly on their radar.

It's certainly one of the busiest summers in recent memory at Arsenal, but to make room for these potential arrivals, certain squad members will inevitably have to make way.

The standout names who could make way come in the form of defender Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares, Sambi Lokonga, Balogun and faithful servant Granit Xhaka (Goal).

Jorginho, after reports of a potential exit, has confirmed plans to remain in north London but his midfield partner, Thomas Partey, is being "pushed" towards the door.

Going back to Balogun, there has been an update on his prospective sale, as journalist O'Rourke details in a piece for Football Insider.

The reporter writes that he is "set to end his 13-year association with the Gunners this summer", and Crystal Palace has emerged as a credible landing spot.

The Eagles have apparently set their sights on Arsenal's exciting young striker, who seriously impressed on loan at Reims in Ligue 1 last campaign.

Arteta's side are likely to hold out for a £35 million fee as the Eagles become interested in striking a deal, but they aren't the only side, with European giants AC Milan monitoring the situation.

Balogun has already ruled out another loan move publicly, so any possible transfer will be a permanent one.

What's been said about Folarin Balogun?

The 21-year-old bagged an impressive 21 goals and two assists in 37 French top flight appearances over 22/23, with Kevin Betsy calling him "phenomenal" for his pace and acceleration.

Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is another to have heaped praise on Balogun, with the World Cup winner drawing attention to his "refreshing" mindset.

“He’s a very English-style player who likes to run down the channels but he was missing something, which was his finishing," said Henry to Amazon Prime (via The Evening Standard).

“He’s now starting to score goals regularly and I’m happy for that – happy he has gone abroad.

“When I heard he was coming to France, it made me think he has a refreshing mindset.”

Manchester United are one of the clubs in the race for Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba, according to a report from 90min.

Which defenders are Man United signing?

As per Football Insider, Man United are set to pull out of the race for Napoli defender Kim Min-jae, amid growing interest from Bayern Munich, meaning Erik ten Hag may have to move on to other targets to bolster his backline.

The Red Devils "remain keen" on AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi, who is reportedly set to be available for around €50m (£40m) this summer, while Juventus' Gleison Bremer is also an option following a scouting mission last season.

With Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly reportedly heading for the exit door, United may look at bringing in multiple new defenders this summer, and they have now emerged as potential suitors for Tapsoba – although there will be fierce competition.

According to 90min, Man United are in the race for the Bayer Leverkusen centre-back, though the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle United have also been informed about his situation.

Tottenham Hotspur are also progressing in talks with the 24-year-old and he would be willing to make the switch to north London, but there is still time for the Red Devils to hijack the move.

Who is Edmond Tapsoba?

The Burkina Faso international plays for Bayer Leverkusen at club level, joining the German side back in January 2020 after impressing the club's former sporting director, Rudi Voller, during his time with Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes.

Upon his arrival in the Bundesliga, Voller praised the centre-back for his defensive capabilities, while also adding that he is "dangerous" in front of goal and possesses "really big potential."

Hailed as "solid as a rock" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the 6 foot 4 colossus has certainly fulfilled some of that potential during his time in Germany, establishing himself as a key player for Leverkusen last season by making a total of 33 appearances in the Bundesliga.

The former Guimaraes man averaged 1.1 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga last season, ranking him fourth in the squad. However, there are question marks about whether he would be a real upgrade to United's defence.

Despite his height, the centre-back is quite poor in the air, placing in just the 37th percentile for aerials won per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and he does not particularly impress on any defensive metric.

As such, Man United should perhaps avoid signing Tapsoba, as he is not yet at the level required for a club with aims of going far in the Champions League.

Manchester United have held transfer talks over a move for Leeds United defender Robin Koch, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news involving Koch?

The Red Devils appear to be working behind the scenes looking to make some additions to Erik ten Hag’s quad ahead of hi second Premier League season in charge.

The club’s takeover saga is still ongoing, meaning that the Glazers are still in control at Old Trafford. Reports previously suggested that Ten Hag wanted a midfielder and forward brought in over the coming months, however, a new centre-back also appears to be on the wishlist.

Ten Hag gave the green light to exits for Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof earlier this year, with Napoli’s Kim min-jae reportedly a top target. However, Bayern Munich now appear to be firmly in the race to sign the South Korea international, and United seemingly have their eye on a new target in Koch.

According to Sky Sports’ Plettenberg in the last 48 hours, Manchester United have placed Koch on the shortlist and have held transfer “talks” over a potential deal.

“News Koch: He‘s on the shortlist of Man Utd! Loose talks took place. Confirmed.”

Who is Robin Koch?

Koch is primarily a centre-back but can also turn out in a holding midfield role if needed and currently holds a career-high €18m Transfermarkt valuation.

The 26-year-old made the move to Elland Road back in 2020 from German side Freiburg and has made 77 appearances across three years in Yorkshire, 39 of which came last season.

The German, hailed as “outstanding” by pundit Clinton Morrison for his display against Brentford’s Ivan Toney last year, couldn’t help keep Leeds in the Premier League.

He did average more clearances and won more aerial duels than any other Leeds player last season, though, as per WhoScored, while also ranking highly for number of passes and long balls.

Tottenham have also been linked with a move for Koch, who could well be available on a cut-price deal following Leeds’ relegation, and with Maguire and Lindelof potentially departing, United may need to bolster their defensive options.

Therefore, it looks as if a move to Old Trafford could be one to keep an eye on following this update from the reliable Plettenberg, in what could be a busy few months off the pitch for United.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to bolster their defensive options in the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Jonathan Panzo to Rangers?

According to the Daily Record, the Light Blues are 'edging closer' to securing a £2.5m deal to sign central defender Jonathan Panzo.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are closing in on a swoop for the left-sided ace as they remain in talks to secure the Englishman's signature.

It states that Gers head coach Michael Beale wants to add a left-footed defender to his squad before the end of the window, and they now appear set to do that by beating Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion to the signing of the 22-year-old Nottingham Forest man.

Would Jonathan Panzo be a good signing for Rangers?

The talented Forest enforcer could be an excellent addition for the Ibrox giants as the defender could be a dream heir to current first-team star Ben Davies.

Former Gers sporting director Ross Wilson snapped the defender up from Liverpool last summer and the battler, who turns 28 later this year, enjoyed a strong debut campaign in Scotland.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 across 27 appearances in the Scottish Premiership and displayed his defensive attributes with 1.7 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 67%.

These statistics show that the ex-Preston North End man maintained a strong performance level and was able to dominate opposition forwards on the floor and in the air over the course of the season.

Panzo, who was once described as an "exciting" young player by Forest boss Steve Cooper, could come in with the aim of competing with Davies before eventually taking his place in the XI.

Indeed, Premier League prodigy is five years younger than the Gers talent and has time on his side to dislodge him.

The 22-year-old spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Coventry in the Championship and caught the eye with his performances in the division.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 29 outings and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a 58% success rate in his battles, which shows that the youngster is capable of winning the majority of duels and is not bullied by opposition forwards.

His form for Mark Robins' side suggests that the young star has the potential to be an upgrade on Davies by maintaining a higher performance level whilst also making far more defensive interventions per match to cut out opposition attacks. That said, there is no guarantee that he would be able to translate that form over to the Premiership.

Despite that, Panzo has the potential to be a success at Ibrox as the Englishman could be a dream heir to eventually take over from the former Liverpool defender.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino was in agreement with the club not to overpay for Manuel Ugarte amid the competition from Paris Saint-Germain.

How much are PSG paying Ugarte?

The Blues endured a hugely underwhelming 2022/23 campaign which saw them finish in a disappointing 12th spot of the Premier League table.

But it is apparent Todd Boehly will not allow that to happen again with the American owner already putting plans in place to bring change ahead of next season.

Indeed, Pochettino has already been appointed as the new Chelsea manager and they have been involved in a transfer saga this early in the summer.

However, this was not a transfer saga which ended in Chelsea's favour after they bowed out of the race to sign the Uruguay midfielder, Ugarte, following the competition from the Ligue 1 champions.

Although the west London side had submitted a significant bid for the 22-year-old, they were forced to move away from the negotiations after PSG trumped their financial proposal to the player.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has provided an insight to the discussions behind the scenes at Staford Bridge amid their negotiations with the Sporting CP midfielder.

It is apparent the Blues were keen to strengthen their midfield with the addition of Ugarte, however, Pochettino was not in favour of overpaying for the 22-year-old with PSG offering a reported £2.6m more in annual salary:

"I wanted to tell you something behind the scenes about the situation that Chelsea had regarding Manuel Ugarte."

"I can tell you that Mauricio Pochettino was always involved in the conversation with the Chelsea board. Of course, Pochettino will be into the market this summer together with the board, and also Pochettino when Chelsea told him: 'We are not going to make another bid [for the] player because the idea is not to match Paris Saint-Germain's salary proposal for Ugarte'.

"Also the position of Mauricio Pochettino was like: 'Okay, Ugarte is a great player, but we don't want to enter into any crazy proposal to players, especially'."

Will Chelsea sign Moises Caicedo?

Now the Blues are expected to see N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic depart the club over the coming days, midfield reinforcement will be on the mind for Pochettino.

And with that in mind, it is believed the west London side are eyeing a potential move for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

However, the Blues are not believed to be the only London side keen to potentially bring Caicedo to the capital with Arsenal all credited with interest.

But this is a deal which will not come on the cheap with the 21-year-old having signed a new deal on the south coast following the January transfer window.

As a result, it is suggested the Seagulls will be looking for a fee in the region of £80m – all in – for their midfielder.

The Ecuadorian is believed to be earning in the region of £60k-per-week at Brighton, so if he is to make a big-money move to Stamford Bridge it would be expected his wages will increase significantly like his former teammate, Alexis Mac Allister.