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أكد توماس توخيل، المدير الفني لفريق تشيلسي أنه من الأفضل مواجهة فريق غير إنجليزي في هذه المرحلة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، بعدما أسفرت القرعة عن مواجهة أمام ريال مدريد الإسباني.

وأجريت اليوم الجمعة قرعة دوري أبطال أوروبا حيث سيواجه تشيلسي الإنجليزي نظيره ريال مدريد الإسباني في الدور ربع النهائي، والفائز سيلاقي الفريق الفائز من مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد ومانشستر سيتي.

وقال توخيل في مؤتمر صحفي نشرته شبكة “فوتبول لندن”: “قرعة قاسية، التحدي لا يمكن أن يكون أعلى بكثير من كونك تلعب مباراة الإياب في البرنابيو مع وجود الجمهور”.

وأضاف المدرب الألماني: “إنه تحد كبير ولكن هناك بعض الإثارة حول هذه المباراة، نحن نعلم ما هو قادم، ستكون مباراة مثيرة وتحديا صعبًا”.

وواصل توخيل تصريحاته بشأن القرعة: “من الجيد أن تواجه فريقا أوروبيا في هذه المرحلة بدلاً من فريق لعبت معه مرات عديدة في المنافسات المحلية”.

وعن احتمالية اللعب بدون جمهور مع العواقب المفروضة على تشيلسي بسبب المالك الروسي رومان أبراموفيتش، أفاد توخيل: “سيكون هذا عيبًا لكن هذه مباراة، مخصصة للمشاهدين وتتغير اللعبة مع المشجعين”.

وأتم: “أنا متأكد من أن الجميع سيقاتل من أجل الفرصة هذه المباريات، أي مباراة مخصصة للمشجعين والمباراة مختلفة إذا كان المشجعون حاضرين”.

يذكر أن تشيلسي أقصى ريال مدريد في الموسم الماضي وتوج في النهاية بلقب دوري الأبطال على حساب مانشستر سيتي.

Sunderland had one task that stood tall above the others during the winter transfer market; find a left-back.

It was Kristjaan Speakman’s biggest priority as he embarked on his first window in charge of their recruitment.

Unfortunately, it didn’t really pay off. The Mackems were linked with a number of left-backs, including Wimbledon defender Paul Osew.

They ultimately ended up with Jake Vokins, landing the young full-back on a loan deal from Southampton.

On paper this looked like a wise move. Vokins had played against Arsenal in the Premier League just a matter of days before penning terms in the north-east.

Things haven’t worked out for the Saints defender since signing though, enduring a horrendous debut that was described as one of the worst in the club’s history. His game time has since been halted by the ongoing pandemic and a worrying heart problem.

Though, on the field of play, it’s Callum McFadzean who has been left to take the majority of criticism.

He has been the mainstay at left-back while Denver Hume recovers from injury and it’s safe to say he’s been well below par.

The 27-year-old has been caught out on a number of occasions this term and has been left stranded by a whole host of wingers and flying full-backs.

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McFadzean was given the run around by Otis Khan in the EFL Trophy final as the Tranmere defender completed four dribbles.

The Mackems full-back was led a “merry dance” by Olamide Shodipo against Oxford United and was again terrorised by Mallik Wilks in the draw with Hull City this week.

Wilks beat him on countless occasions, providing two assists for the Tigers’ goals. With that in mind, a left-back should be near the top of Sunderland’s agenda again this summer.

Back in January, the Black Cats were touted with a switch for young Hibernian talent Josh Doig.

The defender is just 18 but has caught the eye of not only the lower leagues but also the likes of Leeds and Manchester City.

Luring him to the Stadium of Light, therefore, would be quite the accomplishment but it’s something they have to do.

Doig is very adept going forward and has contributed to four goals in the Scottish Premiership this season. Crucial, though, are his defensive attributes.

The teenager is very strong in the tackle and has won 1.7 challenges per match. That tally significantly betters McFadzean who has made just one successful tackle a game in League One.

It might not mean much to Sunderland supporters but Doig comes with a glowing recommendation from a certain Jack Ross too: “He has been brilliant this season for a young man who has just turned 18,” the Hibs boss said.

With a high ceiling and plenty of potential, the Scottish defender definitely seems like a better option than McFadzean. The Black Cats must try their best to prise him away.

AND in other news, Forget Jones: SAFC gem with 36 key passes now stealing the show, he’s very “dangerous”…

Crystal Palace have finally started committing their players to new contracts, with promising fullback Tyrick Mitchell being the first to be tied down to an extended deal.

The left-back’s original deal at Selhurst Park was set to expire this summer, with Steve Parish risking losing the starlet on a free transfer.

However, confirmation of an extended stay at the club was announced on Tuesday, Mitchell penning a new deal that is set to run until the summer of 2025.

His show of commitment is a huge boost to the Eagles heading into the 2021/22 campaign.

At the age of just 21, the Palace youngster has already shown immense promise on the Premier League stage.

Afforded opportunities at the back end of last term, it is throughout the current season where Mitchell has forged a place in the first-team having made 14 appearances in all competitions for the club.

He will now continue that progression at Selhurst Park, hopefully furthering his immense development.

After all, his improvement in just a short period of time is clear to see with Mitchell already contributing more tackles, interceptions and clearances per game this season compared to last according to WhoScored.

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So whilst his decision to remain at Selhurst allows Palace to retain an extremely promising member of their squad, it also allays considerable fears concerning the state of the position going forwards.

Whilst Mitchell’s previous contract was ticking down, fellow left-back Patrick van Aanholt is also edging closer to leaving the club upon the expiry of his own deal.

Should both have departed, that would have seen the Eagles go into the new campaign without a recognised left-back, potentially leading the club into the transfer market in the summer for a new defender.

However, with Mitchell signing an extended deal, any pressing need to buy is considerably reduced, allowing funds to be spent on areas of the squad that are more necessary.

Parish will be delighted to have agreed a new long-term contract with his promising left-back.

AND in more news, take a look at how Jack Butland’s career has gone so wrong…

Many Everton fans have been left to laud a transfer update from Fabrizio Romano on Max Aarons.

As per a tweet from the Italian football journalist and transfer guru, the Goodison Park faithful are ‘leading the race’ to sign the Norwich City star, and advanced talks are ‘progressing’.

The Merseyside club have started contacts since February and ‘hope’ that they can reach an agreement soon, with Aarons set to leave Carrow Road in the summer window.

With Seamus Coleman not getting any younger, the 21-year-old would be an ideal long-term replacement for the Republic of Ireland international, and has experience of playing in the Premier League before in the 2019/20 term with the Canaries.

Nonetheless, Aarons would certainly be a big coup for Carlo Ancelotti’s team given the competition for his signature, and with NCFC willing to sell, a deal is very much possible for the Blues.

Everton fans on Aarons transfer update

These Toffees supporters lauded the transfer update on Aarons on Twitter:

“Aarons and Godfrey back ahhhhh”

Credit: @taylor_davies77

“Let’s go Fabrizio!!”

Credit: @Lawemannen

“It’s a party…But if the price is right. But for now we party”

Credit: @gersonselema

“Music to my ears.”

Credit: @DavidFo38145364

“SIUUUU”

Credit: @AnarchoNat

“Here we gooo”

Credit: @_DL96

In other news, find out what Patrick Boyland update has left EFC fans fuming here!

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Graham Roberts has told Football FanCast that the club could well appoint Steven Gerrard as their new manager if Jose Mourinho is sacked.

Spurs are enduring a torrid season and are in very real danger of failing to finish in the top four.

The 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at the weekend has left the club six points behind fourth-placed West Ham United with seven games of the season to go.

Spurs have won just one of their last four games, and there have been various reports claiming that Mourinho’s future could come under scrutiny if the club fail to qualify for Europe.

He does still have the opportunity of silverware, however, with the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City looming.

Still, Gerrard has enjoyed a fantastic season by comparison, guiding Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title without losing a game thus far this season.

The former England midfielder has been touted as a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp at his boyhood club, Liverpool, but Roberts thinks he could just as easily make the move to north London.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he asked why the 40-year-old wouldn’t be considered.

He said: “He’s won a trophy.

“He’s only been in it two years, just over two years, he plays the right kind of football so my argument would be, well if he’s good enough to be at Liverpool, why is he not good enough to be in the running for Tottenham?”

It has only been just over a year since Liverpool swooped for Takumi Minamino but the Japanese wideman is already being linked with a permanent departure from Anfield.

The 26-year-old, currently on-loan at Premier League rivals Southampton, is interesting Sevilla, with the Spanish giants reportedly willing to pay up to €10m for the player according to reports in Spain..

Despite Minamino not having had the best of times with the Reds since his arrival from Red Bull Salzburg, it would certainly be a mistake to let him go this early.

In his first season with the Reds, he struggled for form, failing to get off the mark for goals. However, he has certainly improved during the 2020/21 campaign, scoring six goals and notching two assists for Liverpool and Southampton combined in all competitions. They are numbers that are certainly not too bad.

They are certainly better statistics than the likes of current Reds’ wide options, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who have just one goal and five assists between them this season.

For a player who appears to be finally getting to grips with life in the Premier League, it seems quite premature for Liverpool to cut Minamino adrift so soon.

It is not like the Anfield outfit would be receiving any considerable financial benefit should he leave having forked out a reported £7.25m to bring the Japanese international to the club. Meanwhile, his wages are not the biggest burden on the club, with Minamino earning £72k per week – less than Shaqiri, Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner, amongst others.

With Jurgen Klopp proclaiming the Japanese as a “wonderful” signing upon his arrival at Anfield, it would seem unlikely that opinion will have changed in the 14 months since.

Minamino has certainly shown enough potential to be kept around so Liverpool should definitely not let him leave so soon.

AND in more news, have a look at which Championship star Liverpool must sign this summer…

With Leeds enjoying a superb return to the Premier League this season, one eye will firmly be on how Marcelo Bielsa’s side will look to strengthen come the start of the summer transfer window.

The Whites currently find themselves in mid-table in their first season back in the top flight after almost two decades of exile, and have been led in part thanks to the goals of Patrick Bamford.

The 27-year-old has bagged himself 14 goals in the division while also chipping in with an impressive seven assists, but there is a real issue in terms of cover for him.

The Whites have already been linked with the likes of Brentford’s Ivan Toney, but Victor Orta could potentially save millions in the transfer market by allowing Bielsa to unleash Joe Gelhardt.

Football Insider claimed that the 18-year-old is seen as “electrifying” and “phenomenal” behind the scenes, while Leeds’ current main man up top has similarly raved about about the striker.

Bamford said: “He reminds me – I don’t want to say the same level as (Wayne) Rooney – but he is the same kind of build as Rooney was. A stocky lad, great finisher.

“It is just whether or not he kind of sticks with it, he is young, isn’t he, so he can look good at that age and not make anything of it. It is up to him to kind of push on.”

Bielsa himself is seemingly a big fan of the talented teenager, with the Leeds manager saying: “He’s a player that always creates danger in a game. He’s a player who’s more linked with the finalising of chances rather than the creation of them. He has resources to beat an opponent and he has a final shot, a finish that is very good.”

Given that one of the big criticisms of Bamford in recent years has been a lack of clinical touch – even this season has seen him miss 17 statistically-defined big chances – Gelhardt’s natural finishing instincts may be exactly what Leeds could do with either off the bench or even as a starter on occasion.

Also, given that he’s netted 11 goals in 15 games at Premier League 2 level, including a hat-trick last time out against West Brom, Gelhardt has showcased that he seems to be ready for a first team opportunity.

Meanwhile, Leeds must surely rue letting this star leave…

Leeds United have bounced back from their previous two losses in the Premier League thanks to a 3-0 win over Southampton. The evening clash at Elland Road saw Marcelo Bielsa set up rather differently to his usual unwavering formation.

As highlighted by Sofascore, the Argentine opted for a 3-3-3-1 formation, which is very surprising considering he rarely strays away from his 4-1-4-1 staple. This saw a back three of Diego Llorente, Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk protecting the goal.

Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas played further forward, operating more in the midfield, whilst an attacking three were deployed to aid Patrick Bamford who led the line.

However, this formation clearly didn’t suit one player, who was hauled off in place of Helder Costa after the restart.

Jack Harrison was uncharacteristically off-form

Jack Harrison hugely struggled to get into the swing of things at Elland Road tonight. His usual pacy presence was extinguished by the Southampton defence, who kept him extremely quiet.

According to Sofascore, the £15,000 per week loanee managed just six passes in the 45 minutes he was on the pitch. This is lower than any other Leeds player who started the match and fewer than the amount of passes both goalkeepers put in. This is a huge step down from the 25 accurate passes he managed against Wolves, which the Whites lost 1-0.

Harrison also failed to complete any of the dribbles or crosses he attempted and registered no shots on target. This performance comes as a surprise for the man who is boasting the second highest goal tally at the club so far this season. He currently sits on six goals and four assists, behind only Bamford who’s way in front on 13 goals and five assists, as per BBC Sport.

He has been noticed by many professionals and pundits alike, with Paul Robinson recently lauding him as a player with “a lot of talent”.

Whilst this isn’t a performance to be worried about, it’s a strange blip on the radar for someone as consistent as Harrison. He will get a chance to rectify his sluggish display this evening when Leeds take on Aston Villa at the weekend.

In other news, Leeds run high risk of losing Raphinha the more he shines…

Tottenham Hotspur chief scout Steve Hitchen was a busy man this week, keeping tabs on Championship outfit Norwich City and whilst he was there to watch impressive loan midfielder Oliver Skipp in action, he was also taking a closer look at one of his teammates…

What’s the word?

According to the Sunday Mirror (24/1, page 71), Spurs are keeping tabs on Canaries right-back Max Aarons ahead of a potential bid for the 21-year-old.

They claim that the former Premier League outfit value him at around £20m.

It’s also thought that Hitchen was in attendance for their win over Bristol City in midweek, something that has also been confirmed by football.london’s chief football writer Lee Wilmot.

The true right-back option?

After signing Matt Doherty in a £15m deal from Wolves in the summer, a new right-back doesn’t seem like a wise move, but the Irishman has been underwhelming to the point of being usurped by Serge Aurier in the starting XI.

Indeed, the 29-year-old has started just eight league games this term and has failed to hit the same heights in north London – in the Midlands last term, he contributed towards seven goals, but in Mourinho’s system, he’s only managed to assist one goal, per WhoScored.

That is largely in part to him being asked to do a different role. Under Nuno Santo, he was a wing-back in a five-man defence, but the Spurs boss mainly deploys a flat back-four, meaning he has to do his defensive duties too, which he has done, seeing improvements in his tackling, clearances and interception numbers, via WhoScored.

But as we outlined here, his sending off against Leeds United summed up his lacklustre time in N17 thus far.

Similarly, it was only last season that Mourinho claimed he was ‘scared’ of Aurier’s defending and in the past, he’s been dubbed a “liability” by former Spurs striker Darren Bent.

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The Ivorian is also out of contract in 18 months and has even been linked to Paris Saint-Germain since ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino took the helm this month.

It seems as if the north London club are yet to truly replace Kyle Walker, who left for Man City in the summer of 2017. The fact that Mourinho has chopped and changed between Doherty and Aurier all season would certainly suggest he has doubts over both.

Therefore, the scouting of Aarons is a wise decision as he could well be the long-term option in the role, thus solving this ongoing headache.

The England U21 international has continued to impress in the Championship this term. Despite being a right-back, he’s managed to provide 1.4 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, and is only one of two Canaries players to start every single game this term (the other being Skipp).

Those figures suggest he’s the sort to bomb on up the wing, whilst 1.6 clearances and one interception per game, also suggests he’s equally adept defensively.

Also, The Coaches Voice’s analysis of the emerging star is equally positive. They wrote: “Aarons enjoys the physical contact of a one-on-one battle and tries to use his upper-body strength to manipulate his opponent’s position and shake them off the ball. He engages his opponent at pace and looks to force them off balance to draw an error.”

Doherty has doubts at the back, whilst Aurier is a little suspect on the whole, so Aarons could well be the solution.

Last month, Norwich boss Daniel Farke dubbed the 5 foot 10 dynamo a “special player” with an “unbelievable future” whilst Three Lions U21 coach Aidy Boothroyd claimed: “He gives 100% in training and matches, in all the games I’ve seen him at Norwich he’s been outstanding and had a real energy and go about him.”

For just £20m, Levy must end the ongoing nightmare at right-back with a swoop for Aarons – not to mention that it would aid that homegrown quota too.

AND in other news, Spurs can FINALLY axe Moussa Sissoko by signing “remarkable” beast for £30m…

This has been a rather troubled January for Leeds United. They have won just once and have failed to strengthen their ranks in the transfer window.

Though, despite Marcelo Bielsa insisting he’s happy with his squad, rumours of potential incomings are swirling around.

On the chalkboard

One of the names linked with Leeds in recent days has been Nottingham Forest youngster Brennan Johnson.

The winger is currently on loan at Lincoln City where he’s been tearing League One to shreds with five goals and six assists in 20 outings.

It’s an impressive record for a 19-year-old who is doing all the right things in terms of his personal development.

The Whites haven’t been afraid to strengthen their youth ranks in recent years and that was evident last summer. Victor Orta brought in the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Cody Drameh and Crysencio Summerville.

Though, with a host of young attackers in their midst, signing another even if they are talented, fails to make much sense.

Unleash Poveda

There is no doubting the supreme talents of Johnson. However, rather than spending on new recruits this month, Leeds must look at unleashing someone already in their ranks.

That happens to be Ian Poveda. The 20-year-old signed from Manchester City a year ago but has only made one senior start since.

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He has appeared ten times as a substitute in the Premier League this term but is yet to play from the off. Poveda’s only chance to shine from kick-off was against Crawley in the FA Cup.

Of course, that was a dismal affair for the Whites as they lost 3-0. However, the English winger was a ball of energy and if anyone could come away from the game with credit, it was him.

He was devastating in the final third and a wonderful piece of trickery in the first-half summed up his game. Poveda attempted four dribbles – two of which were successful – and also provided a key pass all within 58 minutes.

For various reasons, he hasn’t been given a regular chance in the Premier League but we reckon that should change in the back half of the campaign. After all, he possesses qualities that can frighten defenders.

Discussing the youngster earlier this season, Noel Whelan said: “You can see now when you talk about people changing games and bringing a different dimension, he’s very, very quick, got great feet, very tricky, likes to run at players. Very much like Raphinha as well.”

If Leeds really do have another Raphinha in their clutches, it can only be a good thing. The Brazilian has been a radiant ball of attacking quality since signing from Rennes and with three goals and three assists, is improving all the time.

It’s time Poveda was given a similar platform to try and do the same. Leeds would only harm his development further by bringing a player like Johnson to the club.

They must ignore him and unleash their own young players.

AND in other news, 3 new signings, Bielsa favourite axed: How Leeds’ XI could look after deadline day…