Tottenham have held "positive contacts" with Feyenoord coach Arne Slot who could beat other managers to the job, explains Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

Spurs are ever so slowly whittling down their long list of managerial candidates from the last fortnight, with former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann out of contention among others.

The likes of Vincent Kompany (Burnley) and Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso were also of interest to chairman Daniel Levy, but both managers have recently committed their long term futures.

The Lilywhites are rumoured to be targeting Sporting Lisbon's head coach Ruben Amorim, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Slot as a result – with Celtic's Ange Postecoglou also under real consideration.

Levy is reportedly stepping up his chase for a new manager with key meetings scheduled in the coming days, and as the summer transfer window approaches, this could be good news for Spurs supporters.

Going back to Slot, there has been an update on Spurs' strong links to the Dutchman courtesy of Sky reporter Di Marzio, who shared news on his personal website.

The transfer journalist claims "positive contacts" have been held with Feyenoord's coach, fresh off his first ever Eredivisie title win, and he's now a "serious candidate" who "could eventually beat the competition from the other profiles".

Not much is said after this revelation, but Di Marzio's update will be promising for sections of the Spurs fanbase who wish to see Slot succeed Antonio Conte.

Who is Arne Slot?

The Dutchman has been very impressive for Feyenoord, not only guiding them to a title win this season, but also nearly clinching a UEFA Europa Conference League title last year.

Slot narrowly lost out to Jose Mourinho's Roma but all the signs of an exciting, young and hungry tactician are certainly there.

Media members from his homeland, like Netherlands football journalist Marcel van der Kraan, are in no doubt over Slot's huge potential and attacking style.

The 44-year-old has drawn comparisons to Man City manager Pep Guardiola, with van der Kraan claiming to talkSPORT he imposes a similar style.

“He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time."

“He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

Van der Kraan also branded Slot the "most exciting" manager he's seen in the last 10 years.

The second match of India’s upcoming ODI series against New Zealand is likely to be pushed back by a day. According to the original schedule released by the BCCI, the day-night match was to be played on October 19 at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. But it is now set to be played on October 20, with the BCCI having approved a request from the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) to not have it clash with the North Indian festival of .”It is a big festival in Delhi,” a senior BCCI official said. “We realised having a day-night match during the festival might be disruptive.”The selectors, meanwhile, will meet in Delhi on September 12 to choose India’s squad for the three-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins on September 22 at Green Park in Kanpur. The first Test is set to be India’s 500th Test match.New Zealand’s tour will begin with a three-day warm-up match against Mumbai from September 16 to 18. They will then play three Tests in Kanpur, Kolkata and Indore, and five ODIs in Dharamsala, Delhi, Mohali, Ranchi and Visakhapatnam.

India Blue’s marathon innings ended on 707 at stumps on the second day of their 2016-17 Duleep Trophy match against India Green, after centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Cheteshwar Pujara scored his 32nd first-class century from his favoured No. 3 position•Associated Press

India Blue’s marathon innings ended on 707 at stumps on the second day of their Duleep Trophy match against India Green. Cheteshwar Pujara (166) and Sheldon Jackson (105) joined Mayank Agarwal as first-innings centurions as India Blue ground India Green into submission in Greater Noida on Monday.On an unhelpful surface that offered neither swing nor turn, India Green made matters worse for themselves, handing reprieves to batsmen through no-balls and dropped catches. Some of the batsmen who benefited from these lapses did not capitalise, but these were small mercies for India Green.India Blue’s towering first-innings total gives them a significant advantage as they look to push for a lead that would take them through to the final against India Red. India Blue are already ahead of India Green on the points table, by virtue of the point they earned through the washout against India Red.Resuming on 63, Pujara played a chanceless innings, almost never taking the aerial route – he hit 24 fours, but not a single six. Pujara seemed equally at ease against spin and pace and didn’t seem troubled at all, irrespective of the length. He eventually fell for 166 off 280 after an inside-edge onto the stumps. Failing to pick a Shreyas Gopal googly and seeing that it was short, Pujara made room to cut. But with the ball spinning back in, it was too close to the body and he chopped on. “Even when I was facing spinners, it was very difficult to pick the googly under lights,” Pujara said after his dismissal. “A little difficult to pick the seam on the pink ball.”Pujara said that facing up to the new ball under lights on the opening day was the toughest phase of his innings. “This was my first game with the pink ball. I enjoyed batting on this wicket. There wasn’t much help for the fast bowlers. The most difficult session was the third session [on the first day], under lights, when they took the second new ball. It moved about and came on faster.”Pujara’s 32nd first-class century came from his preferred No. 3 position, although he acknowledged the importance of being adaptable. “Sometimes, you have to be prepared to bat at any number. If given a choice, and because I have scored so many runs at No. 3, I know how to bat there, I know how to build an innings. Given a choice, I would like to bat at No. 3, but I’m happy to bat wherever.”By the time Pujara was dismissed, Jackson had already raced to 26 off 31 balls and had added 46 runs for the sixth wicket. Jackson brought a different style to the table, stepping down to the spinners at will and unafraid to launch the ball in the air. Where Pujara was all patience and grind, Jackson provided a neat study in contrast with his brute force and muscle. He had his slice of luck – he was dropped by M Vijay at slip on 74 – but otherwise provided a brilliant display of clean hitting. He brought up his 10th first-class century with a drilled boundary down the ground off Shreyas.”I consider myself lucky; I was dropped in the 70s,” Jackson said. “The wicket was good and the ball was coming on nicely. When the new ball comes, it gets difficult [to sight it] because the speed changes, the ball skids on at good pace, so making the minor adjustment takes a little bit of time.”Every match I score is important, but to score in such matches is very important because it is live and people are watching. It [the surface] should behave a little differently on days 3 and 4. Both the sides [of the ball] are scuffed up a little bit.”Jackson found good support from Parvez Rasool, who scored 25, and Karn Sharma, who stroked his way to 57. By the time he fell – holing out to long-on to give Shreyas his fifth wicket and bring the innings to a close – he had ensured India Green were buried under a mountain of runs.

Chelsea have entered the race to sign outgoing Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi this summer, according to journalist Pablo Gravellone.

Who will Lionel Messi sign for?

With Messi's departure from PSG now confirmed, the forward has been linked with a move to several top clubs, including Barcelona, with manager Xavi calling on the board to bring him back to the Nou Camp this summer.

However, reporter Guillem Balague claims that "no formal offer has been made" by Barca, despite the fact the Argentine would "seriously consider" a return to his former club, while he also adds that an offer from MLS side Inter Miami "arrived weeks ago".

Saudi Arabian newspaper Okaz report that a move to Al-Hilal is "imminent" (via Morocco World News), with the 35-year-old's father, Jorge Messi, already visiting his son's potential place of residence in Riyadh, in preparation for the move.

That said, with the move not yet confirmed, there is still a chance the Barcelona legend makes a sensational switch to the Premier League, with Pablo Gravellone reporting Chelsea have joined the race.

The Argentinian journalist claims that both the Blues and Newcastle United are interested in signing the World Cup-winner, however he does not detail whether either club stand a realistic chance of winning the race for his signature.

Could Messi join Chelsea?

Given that a move to Saudi Arabia appears to be advancing, it seems unlikely the £1.1m-per-week forward would make a switch to Stamford Bridge, however he proved that he is still very much capable of performing at the highest level last season.

The Rosario-born attacker registered 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 appearances at club level during the 2022-23 campaign, averaging a goal contribution per game, while he also played a vital role for Argentina en-route to their World Cup triumph.

In seven games, the Argentina captain amassed three assists and seven goals, striking twice in the final against France, displaying that he is still a top player, despite now being 35-years-old and way beyond his peak years.

Hailed as the "Mozart of football" by former Real Madrid manager Radomir Antic, the Argentine still has a lot left to offer before he hangs up his boots, and he is still capable of competing for the top honours in European football.

That said, considering Chelsea are not in the Champions League, it does not seem realistic for the Blues to be able to attract Messi this summer.

Despite making 92 points in the league this year, Rangers ended their campaign in second place, seven points behind their bitter city rivals.The club also failed to pick up any silverware in the country’s domestic competitions and suffered a pretty miserable Champions League campaign to boot.In a bid to improve their fortunes next year and challenge the Hoops for league glory, Micheal Beale’s side are interested in bringing Swansea City’s Morgan Whittaker north of the border, per Football Insider.

What’s the latest on Morgan Whittaker?

According to the report, the 6 foot 3 winger had already been the subject of ‘multiple’ failed bids from Rangers, reaching up to £1.5m.

It was around that time that Beale made his feelings towards the player crystal clear, labelling the wide-man “excellent” in an interview with Sky Sports Scotland.

Those comments came just after Whittaker had been recalled from a supremely successful loan spell with then League One side Plymouth Argyle, where he had been “quality”, per manager Steven Schumacher.

It was during his time with the Pilgrims that the Derby-born player burst onto the scene, scoring nine times and creating seven assists in just 25 league appearances, per Transfermarkt.

Despite his return to South Wales not going to plan, starting just two games since January, he is still a wanted man.

Unsurprisingly, Argyle are linked to the player, but their comparatively restricted finances make any deal unlikely.

The primary rivals for the players’ signature are Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland and Coventry City.

Having just lost the services of Manchester United youngster Amad Diallo, the Black Cats are on the lookout for an explosive winger and have the financial muscle to compete with the Gers.

Would Morgan Whittaker be a good signing for Rangers?

With the way the Rangers boss has been talking about Whittaker, it doesn’t sound like his miserable second half of the season with the Swans has put him off the player, nor should it.

His primary body of work came from his time in the Southwest, so it would make sense to judge him based on that.

According to WhoScored, the tricky winger averaged an impressive rating of 7.02 and earned four Man-of-the-Match awards in just 19 starts in the league.

He clearly made an impact on former boss Schumacher, who lauded the player back in December, saying: “He has a left foot to die for.”

The expected departures of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morales this summer should also make it easier for the player to play his way into Beale’s starting lineup.

The Teddy Bears also need some attacking reinforcements, as their top goalscorer in the league this season is defender James Tavernier with 15 in 33 games, just six more than Whittaker achieved at Argyle in eight fewer games.

The signing would also give the Scottish giants some much-needed flexibility as the England youth international has frequently played across the wings and in attacking midfield.

Fifties from Paras Dogra (57) and Robin Bist (50 not out) helped Himachal Pradesh rebound from their dismal first-innings score of 36 to take a 142-run lead over Hyderabad on the third day in Guwahati. Himachal scored 232 for 6 in their second innings, having dismissed Hyderabad for 126 earlier in the day.Hyderabad resumed from 99 for 7 before their innings was wrapped up quickly by Mayank Dagar, Gurvinder Singh and Rishi Dhawan, who finished with a career-best innings haul of 7 for 50. Dhawan, who had taken a six-for on the previous day, bagged the wicket of Balchander Anirudh who scored 64 of his side’s 126 runs.Ankush Bains contributed a 21-ball 35 at the top of the order for Himachal in their second innings before Dogra, Bist and Sumeet Verma steadied the innings through half-century stands. Verma and Dogra added 59 for the third wicket, before a 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Dogra and Bist. Dogra’s 101-ball knock included seven fours, while Bist had played 113 balls until stumps.Shubham Rohilla’s 72 not out steered Haryana to 122 for 3 in their chase of 371 against Andhra at Wankhede Stadium. Earlier Andhra were restricted to 220, after having taken a 150-run first-innings lead. Hanuma Vihari scored 50, and a cameo of 42 from D Siva Kumar pushed their total to 220 after they were struggling at 136 for 6 at one stage on the third day.Rohilla and Rajat Paliwal steadied Haryana’s chase with a 67-run partnership for the third wicket after two wickets had fallen by the 14th over with the score on 48.File photo: Rohan Prem’s 11th first-class century gave Kerala a chance of recording their first win this season•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Batsman Rohan Prem’s century helped Kerala set Chhattisgarh a target of 328 in Jamshedpur. Chhattisgarh ended the day on 15 for 0 in 11 overs.Prem, who had scored 62 in the first innings, remained unbeaten on 123 when Kerala declared their second innings at 307 for 2. He also shared an unbroken third-wicket stand of 125 runs with Sachin Baby who was not out on 70 off 86 balls.Early on the third day, Kerala limited Chhattisgarh for 187 to take a 20-run lead. K Monish took a four-for, while Iqbal Abdulla had returns of 3 for 26. Prem and Baby then built on solid partnerships in Kerala’s top order. Opener VA Jagadeesh scored 45 before retiring hurt while Bhavin Thakkar scored 37.Centuries from the overnight pair of Shubham Khajuria and Ian Dev Singh helped Jammu & Kashmir pile on 379 for 6 against Services on the third day in Jaipur. They ended the day trailing Services’ score of 477 by 98 runs.Having added 55 on the second day, Khajuria and Ian Dev extended their partnership to 179 before they were separated. Khajuria was dismissed by Vikas Yadav for a 257-ball 111, his second first-class century. Ian Dev was the next wicket to fall, but not before he had added 62 with Bandeep Singh for the fourth wicket. Ian Dev’s 24-ball 120 was his 13th first-class hundred. After their wickets, Parvez Rasool saw the side through to stumps, finishing on 41 not out.A 98-run eighth-wicket partnership between Rajat Dey (56*) and Gurinder Singh (41) helped Tripura stretch a slender 14-run first-innings lead over Goa to 240 in Bhubaneswar. The partnership rescued Tripura from 128 for 7 to 226 for 7 after Shadab Jakati’s 5 for 42 had cut through the batting order.Jakati had troubled Tripura with the bat earlier in the day. Goa resumed the third day at 220 for 8, trailing Tripura by 63 runs but Jakati’s stubborn 47, and his last-wicket partnership of 30 with Felix Alemao, whittled the deficit down to 14 runs. Jakati’s 47 came off 76 balls with six fours and a six.

AB de Villiers is clinging on to a slim hope of making a comeback from an elbow injury sooner than expected, in South Africa’s first day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide

Firdose Moonda07-Oct-2016

AB de Villiers is clinging on to a slim hope of making a comeback sooner than expected, in South Africa’s first day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide. Even though de Villiers has been ruled out for the entire tour with an elbow injury, the man himself believes he could still be part of the series, albeit only for that final Test.”I am holding on to that. According to the surgeons and the doctors, there’s no chance. They gave me six weeks before rehab starts but I always feel the rehab phase can be sped up a bit,” de Villiers told Five AA radio in Adelaide. “Maybe after the six weeks if I do fly over straight away, I will be there for the second Test match, have the opportunity to prepare during that game, not play in it and then be ready for the Adelaide Test which would be a dream come to true to play in a day-night Test match against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.”When de Villiers was initially sidelined on September 27, South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee said he would require eight to ten weeks of recovery, which would make him available between November 22 and December 6. As a result, Moosajee said, de Villiers would target the home series against Sri Lanka, that begins with a Boxing Day Test, to make a comeback. De Villiers had surgery on his elbow on October 3. The Adelaide Test starts on November 24, which would put de Villiers’ recovery time at just over seven weeks.The injury, which causes pain to de Villiers when he plays certain shots, was sustained earlier this year and was being treated conservatively with physiotherapy and cortisone. Because de Villiers continued to experience discomfort when batting, he had to undergo surgery, even though the timing was not ideal. “I’ve had to sort this out,” de Villiers explained. “It came at a really bad time. There’s one Test series you don’t want to miss out on and that’s playing Australia in Australia so I am really sad about it, but I had to get it sorted out.”The exact cause of the injury is not isolated but rather due to general overuse and overload that comes with the packed cricketing calendar. De Villiers had played without a break since last October, when South Africa toured India. That was followed by a home series against England, the World T20 in India, the IPL and the CPL. De Villiers admitted that was too much while carrying various niggles.”In the last couple of seasons I did push it too much. I was driven to go and win the 2015 World Cup, so an injury was never going to keep me off the park. I was always going to just work through it,” he said. “After the 2015 World Cup, there was a big dip in my fitness, both physically and mentally. I was a little bit drained. I only realised after the World Cup, I had been pushing it a bit hard. For the last two seasons, playing all three formats with the hectic schedule from the ICC, I didn’t manage it as well as I could have and I am paying the price now.”The price began when de Villiers was ruled out of the home Tests against New Zealand in August, which would have been his first in charge since he was appointed permanent Test captain in February. He has also sat out the ODIs against Australia but his absence has not affected South Africa’s performances. Under Faf du Plessis, they have won both series and no one is happier than de Villiers.”They are doing well without me, It’s great to see that without guys like myself, Hashim, Morne Morkel, the depth is still there and the talent is coming through nicely,” he said. “We are a very inexperienced team, playing the No. 1 team in the world. Yes, Australia are also lacking in the bowling department a little with a few injuries but still to beat the No. 1 team in the world, a few games in a row, speaks volumes of our depth and is great for the country’s cricket.”With a smooth transition to another leader and de Villiers’ recent history of hinting that he will need to address workload issues, the topic of an early international retirement is likely to come up again. But de Villiers continues to insist that is not on his mind, at least for the next three years while he targets the only unticked box on his cricketing CV. “The biggest dream for me is 2019 World Cup but I will have to manage myself to get there,” he said. “I am still in good shape, I am a fit guy and I am not too heavy on my feet, so I can definitely move around maybe even further than 2019, but to me the World Cup dream is the main one. I would love to be around for that 2019 World Cup.”

نجح مانشستر سيتي في تحقيق فوز صعب على برينتفورد، في مباراتهما مساء الثلاثاء، المؤجلة من الجولة الثامنة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتغلب ليفربول نظيره لوتون تاون، مساء الأربعاء، في مباراة ضمن لقاءات الجولة السادسة والعشرين من البطولة، بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدف.

في حين أن آرسنال لديه مباراة ضد نيوكاسل يونايتد في الجولة نفسها، مساء السبت القادم، على ملعب “الإمارات”.

ويخوض مانشستر سيتي مباراة يوم السبت ضد بورنموث في الجولة المذكورة، 26. جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي 

1- ليفربول، 60 نقطة.

2- مانشستر سيتي، 56 نقطة.

3- آرسنال، 55 نقطة.

4- أستون فيلا، 49 نقطة.

5- توتنهام، 47 نقطة.

6- مانشستر يونايتد، 44 نقطة.

7- برايتون، 38 نقطة.

8- نيوكاسل يونايتد، 37 نقطة.

9- وست هام، 36 نقطة.

9 – برايتون، 35 نقطة.

10- تشيلسي، 35 نقطة.

11- ولفرهامبتون، 35 نقطة.

12- فولهام، 29 نقطة.

13- بورنموث، 28 نقطة.

14 -برينتفورد، 25 نقطة.

15- كريستال بالاس، 25 نقطة.

16- نوتينجهام فورست، 24 نقطة.

17- إيفرتون، 20 نقطة.

18- لوتون تاون، 20 نقطة.

19- بيرنلي، 13 نقطة.

20- شيفيلد يونايتد، 13 نقطة.

ويمكن متابعة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2023/24، محدث بشكل مستمر من هنا.

Aston Villa are one of the few teams in the Premier League with something huge to play for on the final day as the opportunity to play European football next season hangs in the balance.

The Villans will host Brighton and Hove Albion at Villa Park this afternoon as the chase for the Europa Conference League spot in seventh remains tight between themselves, Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford.

To beat Brentford and Spurs to the final spot in European football it will be as simple as taking all three points from their final fixture and will have the advantage of being in front of their home support over their north London competitors who will travel to Elland Road, whilst the Bees will take on the Premier League champions Manchester City in their final fixture later today.

In terms of injuries, Philippe Coutinho and Jed Steer remain unavailable for selection, but the biggest blow for Emery has been Alex Moreno's hamstring injury that has needed surgery to repair, with the Villa boss confirming in his pre-match press conference this week that the talented left-back will now be out for the foreseeable future:

"We will be without Alex Moreno. He had surgery last week on his hamstring. We are going to follow it; he’s going to be out for two to three months, perhaps back early August, OK, so it’s two or three months."

As a result, it could be the perfect opportunity to unleash Ashley Young in the starting eleven this afternoon, as the Villa ace could be the perfect player to not only replace Moreno but also provide the passion needed to secure European football for the club.

Will Ashley Young start vs Brighton?

The 37-year-old defender has been a consistent and reliable player over the current Premier League campaign and has stepped up in the moments when he has been needed the most, with his display against Liverpool last weekend a testament to the important role he plays in the squad.

Over his 37-minute performance at Anfield, Young helped Villa stay in the game to ultimately earn a deserved point – making three clearances and winning 100% of his aerial duels, whilst also completing three interceptions and two tackles during his short stint on the pitch.

The £50k-per-week gem – hailed "outstanding" by former boss Steven Gerrard – has been solid defensively throughout his 29 league outings with eight of the club's 12 clean sheets being tallied up when Young has featured in the team.

Not only that, the former England international has been the second-highest rated defender in the squad for tackles completed (1.7) – as per WhoScored – with only Matty Cash completing more per appearance and positional competitor Lucas Digne tallying much fewer (1.1), which is a testament to Young's dominance in the back four.

With that being said, whilst Young is more commonly found in the right-back position it would be a no-brainer to start him on the left side where he has comfortably made five appearances and has scored one goal from this season so far, as he could be the key to making Villa's dreams of European football a reality at last.

Chelsea will look to spend big on a striker this summer to help solve their goalscoring woes that have dogged them this season, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news involving striker targets?

As per Football Insider, Chelsea are 'keen' on Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez and have assessed the possibility of bringing the Argentina international to Stamford Bridge.

Incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino is said to have spoken with the Blues in negotiations about signing Martinez, who will be available for around £70 million in the off-season.

talkSPORT report that Napoli forward Victor Osimhen is also a target for Chelsea and he is believed to be at the 'head of their summer shopping list.

ESPN understand that Juventus frontman Dusan Vlahovic is also someone being considered by Chelsea and state that the Premier League giants have made an offer worth €80 million (£69.4 million) to try and lure the Serbia international to England.

Harry Kane's current employers Tottenham Hotspur are also 'anticipating' that Chelsea will be part of the race to sign their talisman amid uncertainty over his future in N17, according to 90min.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has backed Chelsea to throw some significant cash around to land a new striker this summer.

Jacobs told FFC: "The one thing that of Vlahovic, Osimhen and Martinez have got in common is that they're all capable of getting you 20-plus goals a season. If they settle and succeed in the Premier League, then the likelihood is that they would do that with regularity. That's what Chelsea ultimately are looking for as an urgent priority. At the time of recording, which is before the game against Manchester United this evening, they've scored 36 Premier League goals, which is a goal a game and last season, they scored 76. There's 40 goals difference at the moment between Chelsea last season and Chelsea this season. What they need is to be able to rely upon one name to add, at worst, 20 goals, because that 20 goals might make all the difference from being in mid-table mediocrity to being back in the Champions League. If that's worth paying a bit extra for as long as Chelsea can balance the books and get a deal done, I would expect them to do that because they know how important that goal scorer has become."

Do Chelsea have anyone in-house who could help to solve their striking issue?

One topic of conversation that has hit the headlines in recent times is the notion of loanee Romelu Lukaku potentially returning to Stamford Bridge next term from Inter Milan and playing a part in 2023/24, with The Telegraph claiming that Pochettino would be 'open' to re-integrating the Belgium star if he was keen to do so.

Nevertheless, Lukaku looks to have signalled his intention to stay at San Siro next season, telling Het Laatste Nieuws via The Daily Express: "I was good at Chelsea last season. But I knew then that if it didn’t work out at Chelsea, I still had Inter. When I signed again, I knew: I belong here. I had that too at Anderlecht. I take this club seriously. I want to do my best. The people here see that. Being encouraged here is the best thing there is."

German outlet SPORT BILD also report that RB Leipzig attacker Christopher Nkunku is on his way to west London, which may offer some hope to Chelsea fans given that he has bagged 20 goals and seven assists in 34 appearances in 2022/23, as per Transfermarkt.

The Blues have a very busy window ahead and it wouldn't be a surprise to see even more high-profile names linked to the club as it draws ever closer.