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Chelsea face Tottenham Hotspur this week in a game that follows on from their epic exertions in the Carabao Cup final.

Maurizio Sarri’s side lost to Manchester City on penalties after a 0-0 draw across 120 minutes.

They have just three days rest before welcoming Spurs to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday in a game that could be decisive for both clubs.

Maurizio Sarri’s men are still outside of the top four and are battling to overhaul both Manchester United and Arsenal, while Spurs need to regain a foothold in the Premier League title race after losing to Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.

The two sides have met three times already this season, with Spurs winning twice – in the league and the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Wembley, though they were beaten in the second leg and ultimately exited the competition on penalties.

And Spurs fans are delighted that Chelsea have been forced to run the gamut of extra time ahead of this week’s encounter, seemingly believing it will be a key boost for their side.

Take a look at the best reaction on Twitter below!

Jesse Marsch should attempt to lure Sergino Dest from Barcelona to Leeds United, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown

In the words of ESPN senior writer Tom Hamilton, the 48-year-old has become ‘the most successful American coach in Europe’ and a ‘pioneer’ for his country.

He led Red Bull Salzburg to two league titles and two Austrian cups before earning a move to RB Leipzig, who were Champions League semi-finalists in 2020. The former New York Red Bulls coach is now taking on the Premier League with Leeds, having succeeded Marcelo Bielsa at the end of February.

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Leeds are reportedly looking at 21-year-old Dest, with 17 caps for the United States, in addition to compatriot Brenden Aaronson, and the Whites believe that the former would be an ‘excellent addition’.

He is represented by ICM Stellar Sports, whose clients also include Elland Road duo Patrick Bamford and Dan James.

The latest

Jones told GiveMeSport that Leeds face some pretty daunting competition for Dest, who made a ‘dream’ move to Barcelona in 2020, but he thinks that Marsch may be able to exert some pulling power.

The journalist claimed: “Sergino Dest has much bigger clubs interested in him right now. He’s got huge ambition and doesn’t even want to leave Barcelona because it was his dream move.

“But if Jesse Marsch has got any pull over him, then he should give it a go.”

The verdict

Dest started 10 of Barcelona’s first 11 La Liga matches this season, but since Xavi took over in November, the American has only been named in five starting line-ups. Injury problems have played a part, but his place looks considerably less secure than it did under Ronald Koeman.

If Marsch could tempt the £16.2m-rated wide man and Leeds could make an offer to Barcelona’s satisfaction, then there would be cause for celebration at Elland Road.

Dest, who can operate in both full-back positions and as a winger, was Ajax’s Talent of the Year in 2020 and also featured in the IFFHS Under-20 Team of the Year alongside the likes of Alphonso Davies, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Ansu Fati, so his potential is huge.

Indeed, Barcelona team-mate Dani Alves declared that ‘he has everything to be one of football’s greats’, so if Marsch does have any sway over possibly enticing the 21-year-old to Leeds, he absolutely must utilise it.

In other news, this Leeds man could leave the club after Marsch spoke to him about his behaviour. 

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now dropped a claim involving Newcastle United and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund.

The Lowdown: FFP thoughts

Of course, with the riches that the consortium possess, they will have to have one eye on Financial Fair Play (FFP) before they start splashing the cash in the summer.

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The St James’ Park club had already spent around £90m on five signings in the January transfer window, but The Daily Telegraph have reported that the owners have ruled out making ‘expensive superstar signings’ when the summer market opens.

They want ‘room for manoeuvre’ under FFP regulations, but that does not mean they won’t spend a lot of money providing that the club can stay within the parameters.

The Latest: Jones reacts to PIF/FFP development

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has now claimed that PIF will put FFP in the back of their minds if an ‘amazing’ transfer opportunity comes up for Newcastle over the summer.

He stated: “They’ve always got that ability to land big signings based on the fact that their budget is almost limitless.

“I know people talk about FFP, but to be honest, that’s something they’ll think about further along the line if an amazing opportunity crops up.”

The Verdict: Exciting for Newcastle fans

It is certainly exciting for the Toon Army that it seems as if PIF will look to spend big this summer.

Newcastle have already been linked with some star names like Kalvin Phillips, Jarrod Bowen and Victor Osimhen, so if they can bring in a few players to strengthen their starting XI, then the Tynesiders can well and truly kick off their long-term project.

Nonetheless, they will need to comply with FFP rules, but everything appears to be pointing towards a busy summer for the Magpies on the transfer front.

In other news, find out what could be the ‘best money’ that NUFC have ‘ever spent’

Wolves’ transfer business over the last two seasons has been astute, to say the least.

The club are setting themselves up to challenge for European football season on season and their strategy in the transfer market is a big factor in the stability of their squad.

The Old Gold currently sit in eighth place in the Premier League standings, as well as boasting the fourth-best defence in the league with just 28 goals conceded.

A large part of this defensive discipline shown by Bruno Lage’s side is through their stability in midfield, with Ruben Neves one of the main components for Wolves when out of possession.

However, with the Portugal international looking as if he could be moving on to pastures new this summer, Wolves may well need a viable replacement for the 25-year-old.

What’s the word?

With Neves’ future at Wolves uncertain, the Old Gold need to find a well-rounded replacement who is as defensively capable as the aforementioned Portuguese maestro.

And, according to a recent report by Brazilian media outlet Globo Esporte, Wolves believe they could have found their answer in the form of the 17-year-old midfielder, Andrey Santos.

Santos has caught the eye of several big clubs across Europe, with the likes of Barcelona having already made a proposal.

There is a small caveat though. The young Brazilian has only made four appearances this season for Vasco, with all of his minutes coming as a substitute.

This has not put off the likes of AC Milan, Monaco, Benfica and Wolves, however, who are all reportedly keeping tabs on the €30m (£25m) talent ahead of a potential summer swoop.

Repeating Success

If reports are to be believed, it looks as though Wolves will continue down the same path that they trod when signing a young, relatively unknown defensive midfielder by the name of Ruben Neves.

It was an approach that paid dividends for the Old Gold last time, so do not be surprised if they use the same strategy again.

Especially due to the fact that there could be an option of a cut-price deal for Santos, with reports suggesting that Vasco Da Gama would be willing to sell their starlet for between €6m-€7m (£5m-£6m), despite his £25m buyout clause.

For a fee as low as £5-£6m, Wolves would be wise to take a risk on a youngster who could turn out to be Ruben Neves 2.0.

In other news: Fosun must finally sanction Wolves move for “quality” 179 G/A gem who “has everything”

Leeds United correspondent Graham Smyth has provided an update on winger Ian Poveda and a return to Blackburn Rovers.

The Lowdown: Poveda’s Leeds career

Poveda was brought to the club by Victor Orta back in 2020 and has gone on to make 20 appearances for the first-team at Elland Road, 14 of which came in the Premier League last season.

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The 22-year-old was sent on loan to Blackburn Rovers for the 2021/22 campaign, however, he has been out through injury since November.

The winger has been recovering at Thorp Arch in recent months, but now looks set to make a return to Ewood Park.

The Latest: Smyth’s post

Smyth took to Twitter on Monday to provide an update regarding Poveda and a return to Blackburn.

He confirmed that Poveda will ‘return’ to Blackburn ‘this week’, labelling it as a ‘trial of sorts’ with Tony Mowbray to decide if he wants the Leeds man around for the final three Championship games.

“Ian Poveda will return to Blackburn Rovers towards the end of this week for a trial of sorts, to see if his loan spell can resume.

“A chance to finish the season on a high, after a lot of potential and promise was dashed by injury.”

The Verdict: Caution needed

Poveda has returned to the grass in recent weeks but hasn’t played competitively in 2022, so there could be a risk of a new injury occurring if Rovers overload the winger in the coming weeks.

However, you can see why Blackburn want to see Poveda in action, especially as they have continued to pay a percentage of his salary while he has been sidelined.

Blackburn’s playoff hopes are also fading quickly as they are without a win in five, so they may see Poveda’s return as a welcome boost as they look to turn things around and finish in the top six.

In other news: Leeds and Orta want ‘extraordinary’ ace in Bosman move; same agent as Bamford. 

Rangers have the chance to return to winning ways today after the Ibrox club lost their place at the top of the Premiership earlier this week.

The Gers were beaten 3-0 by Celtic away from home, with Reo Hatate scoring twice and Liel Abada rounding off the scoring before half-time.

Gio van Bronckhorst tasted defeat for the first time in charge of the club and could look to make changes to the XI in order to make sure he does not suffer another loss.

Match-winner

One player he must unleash from the start against Hearts is January signing Aaron Ramsey. The Wales international is yet to make his debut since signing on loan from Italian giants Juventus and today could be the day Gers fans get to see him in action for the first time.

Van Bronckhorst must name him in the starting XI as he has the quality to be a match-winner with his knack for scoring and assisting goals from midfield.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown previously dubbed him an “outstanding technician” and it is easy to see why when you look at his club career. He managed 65 goals and 65 assists in 371 matches for the Gunners, before providing six goals and six assists in 70 games for Juventus.

This shows that he has the ability to make telling contributions in the final third and is a player who could pop up with a vital goal or assist. Therefore, he could be the difference-maker in tight games when Rangers are struggling to break a team down. His quality in possession could be decisive for van Bronckhorst and that is why he should be named in the starting XI today.

It could also make the atmosphere electric before kick-off when the crowd hears that he is in the team. His appearance could give everyone a much-needed lift after the drubbing against Celtic, which is another reason why he should start this match as the confidence his presence could bring may be important after such a dismal performance.

Joe Aribo could be taken out of the XI after the Nigeria international failed to create a single chance against the Hoops in midweek. He was given a poor SofaScore rating of 6.4 – the lowest in midfield – and could be placed on the bench to accommodate Ramsey as the attack-driven midfielder in the three.

AND in other news, Forget Barisic: GVB must brutally axe £6.4k-p/w Rangers dud who lacks “experience”…

Journalist Ryan Taylor has now dropped some Newcastle United transfer news on Hugo Ekitike.

The Lowdown: January bid

A reported £33m deal for Ekitike to move to St. James’ Park from Reims fell through on deadline day in the January transfer window, so Chris Wood from Burnley was the only striker brought in to boost Eddie Howe’s forward ranks.

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However, given recent links to the likes of Victor Osimhen and Arnaud Kalimuendo, it is clear that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) would like to bring in another forward to the North East in the summer, with Wood only finding the back of the net twice for the Magpies.

The Latest: Ekitike update

Taking to Twitter, Taylor has shared that the Tyneside outfit have now been ‘told’ that they can sign Ekitike this summer, following comments from Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot:

“Newcastle have been told they can sign Hugo Ekitike this summer after January deadline day deal collapsed. #NUFC

“Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot: ‘Hugo will be allowed to go & he’s probably going to leave.’ Also interest from West Ham, Wolves, Fulham.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The summer window is shaping up to be an exciting one for the Toon Army, and more so given this update on Ekitike.

Described as a ‘very special‘ player earlier on this season by Reims manager Oscar Garcia, the French teenager has a big future ahead of him, and many in France even go as far as to claim that he could be the ‘next Mbappe‘.

Like the now PSG superstar did at AS Monaco, Ekitike has burst onto the scene, with ten goals and four assists in 24 games in total over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt), and at just 19 years of age, he could be a real coup for the Magpies.

In other news, find out which NUFC target is ‘definitely an upgrade on Ciaran Clark’ here!

West Bromwich Albion have not had the smoothest of seasons back in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League last time out.

With 38 league games played, the Baggies have only managed to win 14 of them, drawing 12 and losing a further 12 along the way, highlighting how unpredictable they’ve been throughout the campaign.

Having started the term with Valerien Ismael in charge, the Frenchman only lasted seven months before the club sacked him and brought in Steve Bruce to steady the ship and see out the remainder of the season.

In terms of individual performances, one player that has been a consistent and useful figure for the Baggies across the campaign is defender Matt Clarke.

Signed from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion on a loan deal back in the previous summer transfer window, the 25-year-old has played in 26 league games for the Baggies, starting all of them.

In those appearances, the centre-back, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £21k-p/w according to Salary Sport, has racked up a total of 38 tackles, 46 interceptions and 80 clearances, highlighting just how prominent he has been at the back for the Midlands club.

Labelled as “outstanding” by Michael Doyle, the on-loan defender has also managed to have 20 shots at goal, which is more than the likes of Conor Townsend, Adam Reach, Andy Carroll and Jayson Molumby. This shows that he can be a danger to the opposition’s goal as well as protect his own.

His overall performances have earned the Englishman an overall season rating of 6.96 from WhoScored, making him the third-highest rated player in Bruce’s squad, higher than the likes of Townsend, Alex Mowatt and Karlan Grant who have a combined total of 17 league goals and nine assists between them.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that the centre-back has been a rock-solid performer for the Baggies throughout their topsy-turvy campaign and Bruce since his arrival.

Moving forward, should the Midlands club fail to secure promotion back to the Premier League by the end of the season, which looks likely at this moment in time, the Baggies should definitely make an approach to Brighton to see if they would be willing to negotiate a deal that would see Clarke stay at the Hawthorns.

In other news: WBA heading for disaster over “powerful” 30-goal “diamond”, supporters will be fuming

Arsenal rejected the chance to bring Aaron Ramsey back to the club on deadline day, it has emerged…

What’s the word?

According to JOE Media, the Gunners were given the chance to sign their former midfielder on loan from Juventus in the final few hours of the January transfer window before he made a shock move to SPFL champions Rangers.

It’s believed that the Wales international was also offered to top-flight rivals Brentford, West Ham United, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace as Juventus desperately looked to move him on but they all turned down the opportunity.

Deadline day howler

After leaving the Emirates Stadium on a free transfer in 2019, the vastly-experienced 31-year-old has struggled for game time at the Serie A giants, especially under Massimiliano Allegri, who put him on the transfer list soon after replacing Andrea Pirlo.

Ramsey been restricted to only 112 minutes of action all season, whilst he’s made a total of only 70 appearances for the Old Lady, in which he’s delivered six goals and six assists.

That’s a long way off the standard he set in north London but a fairytale return to the club could well have sparked that former glory and the Gunners were in desperate need of additions.

Indeed, the club offloaded as many as six players during the January transfer window, including striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has swapped north London for the Nou Camp on a free transfer – all without signing a single player that can contribute this season.

It certainly leaves manager Mikel Arteta light on options in the attack, whForget Auba: Edu dropped huge deadline day howler at Arsenal with 71-cap “technician” – opinionilst the engine room appears to only be an injury or two away from disaster. That’s why a loan move for Ramsey would’ve made sense but instead, Edu Gaspar and co may have dropped a late, late howler.

Capable of providing goals and creativity from a deep midfield position, the 71-cap Welshman would surely have been a risk-free option for the Gunners. The Serie A outfit were so desperate to get rid that they would’ve paid a fair chunk of his wages and then in the coming months, Arteta can decide about a permanent move ahead of the summer.

Across 371 appearances, Ramsey won three FA Cups, scored 65 goals, provided 65 assists and was one of the Premier League’s greatest midfielders – earning comparisons to Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

“He continues to mature as a player and develop. He’s a real leader now in this Arsenal team,” once claimed Arsenal legend, Martin Keown, to BT Sport in April 2019 (via the Daily Mail).

“Playing in a deeper role, as he did under Arsene Wenger – I think that’s the best role for him. If you want Ozil and him in the same team. He’s so imp to everything to do. It’s the energy – the box to box energy. He’s become an outstanding technician.”

Forget about leaving Arteta in the lurch up front, the Gunners may have made a huge blunder by not bringing Ramsey back. The 31-year-old would have been a wonderful squad option to have, and one that knows all about the club, given his history here.

AND in other news, Arsenal offered strikers in late twist on deadline day…

Aston Villa and Everton are two of several top flight clubs who have been linked with a move for Blackburn Rovers defender Darragh Lenihan, TEAMtalk report.

The Lowdown: Lenihan profiled

Lenihan, a two-cap international for the Republic of Ireland, has been with Rovers since 2011 and has been labelled as ‘special’ by Tony Mowbray.

The 27-year-old has made 237 appearances for his current employers and has captained the club on numerous occasions in an impressive Championship campaign.

The centre-back, who can also play as a holding midfielder, is out of contract at Ewood Park at the end of June, and Villa are one of the sides seemingly keen on a possible cut-price move.

The Latest: Villa keen

According to TEAMtalk, Villa, Everton, Leeds, Newcastle and Wolves have registered their interest in Lenihan ahead of a possible free transfer.

Lenihan is eager to play in the Premier League and looks set to delay contract talks until the end of the season. Should Rovers earn promotion, he would consider penning a new deal with the club.

The Verdict: Avoid

Villa have recently announced the signing of Calum Chambers from Arsenal, so bringing in Lenihan could be a backwards step.

Yes, he has been Blackburn’s best performer this season and can play in multiple positions, however, he has no Premier League experience, and at the age of 27, you’d expect he could be in his prime now.

Therefore, it may not be a shrewd buy when building for the future and could also stop academy signings Josh Feeney and Kerr Smith from progressing into the first team.

Villa have high hopes for the future and have spent big on some high-profile names in recent years, so Lenihan may not be a smart signing when thinking long-term.

In other news: ‘Bottled it’ – Many Villa fans react to Fabrizio Romano transfer update.