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N’Golo Kante’s sudden departure from Stamford Bridge means Chelsea now have to act.

The World Cup winner had been close to an agreement to extend his stay in the English capital, but a €100m (£86m) a season deal with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad suddenly looks set to end his fruitful career in Europe.

His last year at the Blues was ravaged by injury, and he only made nine appearances in all competitions – this prolonged absence was one of the reasons for Chelsea’s spectacular decline into the bottom half of the table.

The 32-year-old must be replaced and Moises Caicedo is a player who can adopt a similar role.

What’s the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?

Having missed out on the signature of CP Sporting’s Manuel Ugarte, the West Londoners are expected to accelerate their efforts to tempt Caicedo to join.

Whilst it seemed that Chelsea were prioritising a deal for the Uruguayan, it’s been revealed that the 2021 Champions League winners have been equally interested in the Brighton star for around £80m.

This has been reaffirmed by reputable journalist Dean Jones, who told GIVEMESPORT: “I don’t think it’s even a case of getting back of the Caicedo trail, they’ve already been on it. The whole time the Ugarte thing has been going on, Caicedo is still the one I’ve been hearing more about. I’ve always expected that Chelsea would go for Caicedo.”

Can Caicedo replicate Kante’s exploits at Chelsea?

Across seven years at Chelsea, the former Leicester City star notched 269 appearances, 29 goal involvements, and six different trophies, winning everything available aside from the Carabao Cup.

The 53-cap international is renowned for his energetic and insufferable ability to break up opposition attacks and protect his backline.

Due to his unbelievable consistency, Cesc Fabregas has labelled Kante as “world-class”, a sentiment that was echoed by Ally McCoist, who described the player as “absolutely magic.”

The beautiful chapter of Kante’s tremendous story at Chelsea has rightfully ended, forging the pathway for Caicedo to possibly repeat the heroics of his positional peer.

Within his age bracket, the youngster has brilliantly excelled as the £60k-per-week star has won possession in the midfield third the most times (142) of any U21 player this season.

Across the continent, the 30-cap international has also emerged as a formidable asset, ranking within the top 26% in Europe’s top five leagues among other midfielders for progressive passes, as well as the highest 11% for interceptions per 90, according to FBref.

So far in his short, but equally dazzling career, Caicedo has demonstrated himself to be a phenomenal pivot with an uncoachable quality to read the game and sniff out danger.

South American Football expert Tim Vickery has described the Ecuadorian as “terrific” and whilst it would be foolish to suggest he can instantly fill Kante’s void if he continues on his currently frightening trajectory, he could be unstoppable.

Liverpool midfielder Fabio Carvalho has suggested he could leave "soon" in a social media post amid some recent exit rumours.

What did Fabio Carvalho say on Instagram?

It's not been a great season for the Reds with key player Mohamed Salah admitting he was "totally devastated" to not finish inside the top four.

One of the most disappointed players in the squad, however, will likely be Carvalho who has struggled for regular game time in his debut season.

Indeed, after arriving from Fulham, the 20-year-old has seen just 340 minutes of action in the Premier League in total with only a handful of appearances in the cup competitions too.

With that being the case, he has recently been linked with a move away from Anfield with manager Jurgen Klopp even admitting as much.

The German recently told the press: “There’s a possibility that he will go on loan, we’ll see.

“This was not Fabio’s best year in his career but it might have been his most important. No player has impressed me more than Fabio. It is true. This very talented boy came here with big dreams and big expectations. It was okay in the beginning but didn’t work out (later in the season). His work ethic will give him a fantastic career."

Well, it seems Carvalho is set on a move as well as he dropped a big hint in the comments section of his recent Instagram post.

Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga commented: "New home…"

To which, Carvalho simply replied: "Soon."

What's the latest Carvalho transfer news?

According to The Athletic, Liverpool have already fielded an offer from an unnamed club from abroad – though understood not to be his native Portugal – have seen an offer knocked back.

On top of that, there has also been interest from some Premier League clubs in taking him on a temporary basis next term.

Importantly, it seems the club have no interest in selling the £40k-p/w attacking midfielder – which is no great surprise after the praise given by Klopp.

Indeed, as well as though quotes mentioned earlier, the German coach also added: “He trained and got nothing (in terms of team selection). His reactions in a row, I never saw before.”

All in all, though, it looks as though Carvalho will be leaving on loan to a new club very soon where he will no doubt hope to get much more game time next season.

Arsenal are reportedly ready to look ahead to the summer transfer window, as the 2022/23 campaign comes to a close this weekend.

The Gunners have endured an unexpectedly strong season, establishing themselves as title challengers alongside Manchester City, in a prolonged run that came to a bitter end in the latter stages.

Despite falling with the final hurdle in sight, Mikel Arteta has given the club lots to celebrate this term, putting Arsenal back among Europe's elite in qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 2016.

Squad depth proved to be a contributing factor to the Gunners’ failure to win the title, but with the summer transfer window fast approaching, Arteta will look to put things right ahead of next season.

Defensive instability saw Arsenal crumble when it mattered most, though recent news emerging has linked a famed defender in Europe to the Emirates.

What’s the latest on Jules Kounde to Arsenal?

According to reports in Spain earlier this week, three Premier League clubs are interested in signing Barcelona centre-back Jules Kounde this summer.

The report states that Arsenal, along with Manchester City and Manchester United, have shown “strong interest” in the 24-year-old, who is speculated to want to depart Catalonia due to arguments over his playing position.

Valued at a reported €75m (£65m), the centre-back could be a worthy addition to the clubs thought to be interested.

What could Jules Kounde offer Arsenal?

When William Saliba was injured in March against Sporting CP, the Frenchman’s absence became quickly noticeable, and the gaps in Arteta’s young squad became clearer.

It was an injury that, as described by journalist Charles Watts, “killed Arsenal’s season”, with the Gunners’ win percentage dropping from 78% to 44%, showing his undeniable influence on the Emirates defence.

Kounde could be the missing piece to Arteta’s title-winning masterplan, as the 24-year-old could not only supply the Spaniard with depth, but competition for his leading centre-backs Gabriel Magalhaes and Saliba, who have no close figures in terms of quality in the squad.

The versatile centre-back, hailed as having “enormous potential” by scout Jacek Kulig, has numbers to support claims that he is one of Europe’s best early into his budding career.

There is so much more to the Frenchman’s game than sitting back and defending pressure, as shown by his FBref statistics, which rank him in the top 2% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for elements in his progressive play.

As per FBref, the “awesome” talent averages 6.74 progressive passes and 1.99 progressive carries per 90 – incomparable to Arsenal’s current defensive rotation option of Rob Holding, who registers 4.35 progressive passes and 0.53 progressive carries per 90.

Lauded by Marca journalist Miguel Angel Garcia as being the “closest thing” to Sergio Ramos back in 2021, the Frenchman has received high praise for his exploits at Barcelona, arguably making him a worthy fit for any defence in Europe with a huge career ahead.

One thing is certain, and that is Arsenal’s desperation to recruit central defenders this summer, as the absence of Saliba paired with the mishaps of Holding dented the Gunners’ success this campaign – and is a stain that is easily rectifiable this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur and by extension transfer chief Fabio Paratici are now plotting a major summer bid, according to a report by Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla.

The Lowdown: Spurs in summer hunt…

Reliable reports suggest the Lilywhites are certainly showing no sign of slowing down as head coach Antonio Conte reportedly sets his sights on more targets.

The former Chelsea boss has overseen a real turnaround at N17, guiding Spurs to a top four finish in the Premier League last season and subsequent qualification for next season’s Champions League campaign.

Club owners ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy even granted a £150 million equity increase which will be used to back Conte in the market and grant him necessary additions.

Paratici is the man tasked with putting plans in place to land Tottenham’s targets with Pedulla now making an exciting claim on what he’s plotting.

The Latest: Pedulla makes Martinez claim…

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According to his sources, the north Londoners ‘will’ make a major bid to sign Inter Milan star striker Lautaro Martinez but it will be difficult to get the deal done.

He explained (via Twitter):

“#Lautaro wants to stay at ANY COST. We have already talked about it, let’s add: #Tottenham will present a proposal of 90 million upwards that #Inter will evaluate that it can legitimately reject.”

The Verdict: Crucial few days?

It will be interesting to see whether the Nerazzurri contemplate selling their forward amid their reported need to make cash through player sales.

The San Siro side may have to generate revenue through letting their big name players leave for pastures new, and if they green-light Tottenham’s mooted bid, Conte may well be boosted by the Argentine’s possible arrival – depending on if they can agree terms,

The 38-cap international, who Romelu Lukaku called a ‘beast’, stood out as one of Simone Inzaghi’s most crucial assets over 2021/2022 – scoring 21 goals and assisting three others in the top flight alone (Transfermarkt).

Martinez would certainly inject real quality in the final third for Conte and provide serious competition for star man Harry Kane.

In other news: Club chief ready to offer £22.5m-rated ‘beast’ in Tottenham talks with Paratici! Find out more here.

West Ham United are interested in Lille midfielder Amadou Onana, according to French outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Lille only signed Onana from Bundesliga 2 outfit Hamburg last summer in a £6.3million deal.

He made 42 appearances in his first year at the club, but he only started 11 out of 38 Ligue 1 matches and two of eight Champions League games.

The 20-year-old has played the vast majority of his football up to this point as a defensive midfielder.

He still has four years remaining on the contract he signed on his arrival and is now valued at £9million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The report states that both West Ham and their London rivals Arsenal have been monitoring Onana over the course of the campaign.

Lille need to ‘gather money’ through player sales, and Onana is one of those who has ‘a chance of leaving’.

The Hammers have yet to make a ‘concrete offer’ but they are thought to be considering it.

As well as Arsenal, they face competition from AS Monaco, who view Onana as a potential replacement for exit-bound Aurelien Tchouameni.

The verdict

What kind of a no. 6 is Onana?

Well, it would probably be best to characterise him as a ball-winner given that he ranks in the 94th percentile compared to positional peers when it comes to tackles per 90 minutes, and the 75th percentile for interceptions (via FBRef).

In terms of players already in the Premier League, he’s similar to the likes of Vitaly Janelt, Oriol Romeu and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice would appear locked into the two midfield slots in David Moyes’ 4-2-3-1 but the manager needs depth, particularly with a Europa Conference League campaign potentially on the horizon.

Onana, billed a ‘huge talent’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would make the squad stronger and could potentially be a starter in the long-term.

In other news, there’s been a key update on a potential attacking target.

Leeds United star Raphinha will likely join Barcelona if they submit an offer of between £50m and £60m for him, sports journalist Pete O’Rourke has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Sky Sports reported last week that the La Liga giants hold an interest in the 25-year-old and are expected to formalise that with an offer. A source told the outlet that the Brazilian ‘would like to join’ Barcelona as he looks to fulfil his ambitions of playing at the ‘highest level’.

Had Leeds been relegated, interested parties would then have been able to pounce on a release clause in the region of £30m in the player’s contract.

However, Raphinha scored from the penalty spot on the final day of the season as Leeds beat Brentford to secure Premier League survival.

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The latest

O’Rourke is confident that Raphinha will move to the Nou Camp, but only if Leeds receive what would be a club-record fee for an outgoing transfer.

For now, Rio Ferdinand’s £41.4m departure to Manchester United in 2002 remains the most lucrative sale in the Yorkshire club’s history.

Speaking about the Brazilian potentially swapping Elland Road for Catalunya, O’Rourke told GiveMeSport: “I think this one could happen, especially if Barcelona do meet Leeds’ asking price. If they get close to £50million or £60million, I would fully expect this deal to happen.”

The verdict

Raphinha joined Leeds in October 2020 for a fee of £17m, meaning they could be about to turn a £43m profit after just two years.

The £63,000-per-week winger has made a key contribution since he moved to Yorkshire, scoring 17 goals and providing 12 assists in 67 appearances (11 and three last season).

According to Transfermarkt, he has reached exactly 100 goals and assists in his career, netting 62 times and setting up 38 goals.

It would be a blow in a footballing sense for Leeds to lose a talent like Raphinha – who has been likened to a “storm” by team-mate Illan Meslier, who also called him “amazing” – but you could also argue that it would be good business from a financial point of view.

In other news, Leeds are ready to trigger this midfielder’s release clause

Reports have now suggested that Lazio prefer to sell star midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to Manchester United.

The Lowdown: £55m bid

Milinkovic-Savic appears to be a man in demand once again this summer after another starring campaign in Serie A. The central midfielder has contributed to 22 league goals in 36 games, with rumours claiming United have already tabled a £55m offer.

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Erik ten Hag looks set to lose a number of midfielders ahead of his first season in charge at Old Trafford, with Paul Pogba the highest-profile potential departee.

The 27-year-old’s agent, Mateja Kezman, believes the Lazio star has ‘better quality than Pogba’, and a further update has now emerged on the Serbia international’s future.

The Latest: Positive news

Sports Witness relayed an update from Corriere dello Sport regarding Milinkovic-Savic on Wednesday. They claimed that Lazio prefer to sell Milinkovic-Savic to Manchester United or another club abroad instead of a direct rival like Inter Milan or Juventus.

Milinkovic-Savic ‘still has the same appeal’ at Manchester United despite the off-field changes, with his contract set to expire in 2024.

The Verdict: Get it done

Ten Hag may have just Scott McTominay, Fred and Bruno Fernandes as senior midfielders on the books, with Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata out of contract at the end of June and Nemanja Matic also set to leave.

Therefore, United could do with a number of midfield additions alongside a move for Frenkie de Jong, which they are working on.

Milinkovic-Savic has been a target since 2019 and has enjoyed the best season of his career when it comes to goals and assists combined, so he could be an ideal signing at a relatively cheap price compared to his £63m Transfermarkt valuation.

In other news: Man Utd source: Sensational transfer twist as Erik ten Hag now hijacking move for ‘golden boy’. 

Albian Ajeti is likely to leave Celtic in the summer transfer window after falling out of favour under Ange Postecoglou, according to Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Ajeta out of favour

The Hoops sealed Premiership glory earlier this week as the 56-year-old completed a memorable first season in charge at Parkhead.

There have been heroes galore for Celtic throughout the campaign, but Ajeti failed to make a big contribution towards that success..

The 25-year-old has been limited to just three league starts in total, with only three goals and one assist coming his way in all competitions.

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The Latest: Summer exit predicted

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie claimed that Ajeti should leave Celtic in the summer transfer window, having been linked with an exit. The 62-year-old stated:

“You look at who could leave this summer. There aren’t too many I want us to get rid of, it’s about trimming the fat.

“Ajeti is the obvious one and I expect him to go as soon as possible. He just hasn’t done it. For him to play so little, with all the injuries there have been, it just tells me Ange doesn’t like him.

“For a moment earlier this season I wondered if there was a way back for him, he got a few goals in Europe. But he never pushed on and that just proved what everyone already thinks. He’s not good enough.”

The Verdict: Time to move on

Sometimes it simply doesn’t work out for a player under a certain manager, and that appears to have been the case with Ajeti and Postecoglou, as McAvennie has hinted.

It makes perfect sense for all parties for the Swiss attacker to find a new club and enjoy regular playing time next season, with his chances clearly limited at Parkhead and no real benefit being gained from his £18,000-a-week wage.

Injuries certainly haven’t helped the 25-year-old, with a long layoff with a hamstring issue holding him back, but he has never quite managed to fully convince at Parkhead since joining from West Ham in 2020, netting just nine goals in 48 matches.

Therefore, it’s not hard to see why McAvennie feels that Ajeti could be cut loose by Celtic this summer.

In other news, an exciting Celtic transfer update has emerged. Read more here.

Liam Kennedy has given his instant reaction after Newcastle United youngster Elliot Anderson fired Bristol Rovers to promotion to League One on Saturday. 

The lowdown: Seventh heaven for Bristol Rovers

Needing to better the result of third-placed Northampton Town or win by a seemingly unlikely five goals more than their rivals, Joey Barton’s side pulled off a miracle second-half display against Scunthorpe.

With five minutes remaining, the Gas were chasing the crucial seventh goal when Anderson headed home to spark wild celebrations at the Memorial Ground, their 7-0 victory enabling them to nudge ahead of the Cobblers, who won 3-1 at Barrow, by virtue of goals scored in the table.

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Having joined on January’s transfer deadline day on a six-month loan deal, the young winger has enjoyed a stellar spell, and one invested onlooker believes than an exciting future awaits…

The latest: ‘Special’ Anderson

Taking to Twitter, Shields Gazette journalist Kennedy hailed the 19-year-old in response to a post congratulating the starlet from Newcastle’s official channel.

The reporter succinctly said of Anderson: “He’s rather special… #NUFC”

The 19-year-old is expected to return to St James’ Park ahead of the 2022/23 season following promotion without the need for play-offs.

The latest: Ready for the big time?

Since joining the Pirates in mid-season, Anderson has scored eight times and provided five assists whilst gaining some invaluable first-team match experience in the process.

Prior to leaving the northeast, the Scotland youth international had lit up Premier League 2 with five goals in just seven appearances, impressing Newcastle assistant coach Jason Tindall, who described Anderson as a ‘bright talent’ based on what he had witnessed at Darsley Park.

Named the League Two Player of the Month for April, the attacking midfielder has earned a staggering 7.23 average Sofascore rating including 3.5 shots, two successful dribbles and eight duels won on average per game during his time at Bristol Rovers, and he now appears ready to make an impact for the Magpies.

In other news, NUFC are now eyeing a move for this former Sunderland ace

Tonight sees Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard host his former club Liverpool at Villa Park, with the title-chasing visitors desperate for three points after being held against Spurs last time out.

Failure to do so will almost certainly hand Manchester City the title, and while the Villa boss will indeed understand the scenario at hand, he will take no prisoners against his old side, who got the better of Villa in the reverse fixture in December.

A win for Aston Villa will see them leapfrog Crystal Palace into 10th place, which will surely be the target for the West Midlands side with just four games to go.

Besides Gerrard, both Danny Ings and Philippe Coutinho will be facing their former club, and despite not starting last time out in the 3-1 win against Burnley, the latter should be restored against Klopp’s side.

Gerrard must unleash Coutinho

Despite a narrow loss to Liverpool in the reverse fixture in terms of the 1-0 scoreline, Klopp’s side stacked an xG total of 2.68, with Villa registering just 0.24. That metric tells you everything about the Villans’ lack of attacking threat at Anfield that day, having fired just four shots towards Alisson over the entire 90 minutes.

However, this was back before Coutinho joined in January, and having not been around for that game, Gerrard should look to unleash the Brazilian star against his former club tonight.

The 41-year-old’s slight switch in tactics to accommodate the likes of Ings, Watkins and Buendia has worked wonders, with all of them scoring a goal each in back-to-back games and Buendia enjoying creative freedom throughout the central areas.

With the 25-year-old Argentinie almost undroppable after his resurgence in form, Coutinho should come in as a central midfielder who can provide creative support for the trio, sitting slightly deeper.

As one of two central players besides a holding midfielder throughout the centre in Gerrard’s 4-3-1-2 system, Coutinho could offer a great deal to Villa, and it is integral that he is on the pitch tonight.

Described as “magic” by Melissa Reddy, the £18m-rated star’s match average of 4.3 passes into the final third, combined with his average of 3.19 progressive carries into the final third, shows that the Brazilian can offer an injection of flair which will be needed against the second-best defence in the top flight, with Liverpool having conceded just 23 league goals all season.

Having gathered seven attacking returns in the form of four goals and three assists since joining Villa, Coutinho will be looking to add to his tally and could well haunt his old club tonight.

In other news: NSWE can save millions by unleashing “perfect” 18y/o AVFC dynamo, Gerrard loves him