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Chelsea had previously considered bringing Mauricio Pochettino to Stamford Bridge as he closes in on being officially unveiled as the Blues' new manager, according to journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

What's the latest news involving Mauricio Pochettino?

As per 90min, Chelsea are said to be 'inching closer' to appointing Pochettino as their new manager and the two parties only have 'minor details' to iron out before the Argentinian is announced as Graham Potter's permanent successor.

The report also states that Pochettino will be given the freedom to shape his squad appropriately and will have a major say in who is allowed to depart Stamford Bridge this summer.

Sky Sports revealed last week that Chelsea have been 'admirers' of the 51-year-old manager in the past and 'enquired about his availability' following their decision to part ways with Thomas Tuchel in 2022.

Pochettino has been out of work since the end of the 2021/22 season after he left Paris Saint-Germain despite leading them to the Ligue 1 title.

Football Insider claims that the former Spurs boss is already getting to work scoping out potential additions for the Blues, with Bayern Munich winger Sadio Mane thought to be one of his transfer targets.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Sheth thinks that Pochettino will have been given 'reassurances' by the Chelsea hierarchy that will have given him encouragement as he closes in on returning to management at Stamford Bridge.

Sheth said: “I think he was considered a couple of times before by Chelsea, particularly when they appointed Graham Potter. At the time, it wasn't right for Pochettino.

“Something has changed, and in the discussions that he will have had with the Chelsea owners, he would have probably got the reassurances that he wanted, not only about issues like his backroom staff but also about how he's going to need to trim the squad.

“We know that Pochettino likes to work with a squad that's not inflated.”

What happens now for Chelsea?

In all honestly, Chelsea could do with some positive news in the near future, especially given their current woeful run of form in recent weeks.

Caretaker boss Frank Lampard hasn't been able to get a tune out of his squad, losing six from six since being brought in to steady the ship in west London.

Incredibly, despite their enormous spending power, the Blues lie 12th in the Premier League table with five games left to play and sit nine points above the relegation zone, signifying that they are still not mathematically safe from the drop.

Of course, it is extremely unlikely that Chelsea will suffer such a fate come the end of this term; however, it's an indication of how underwhelming this season has been at Stamford Bridge for all involved.

Pochettino will be keen to establish his vision early on in pre-season at the club to avoid a repeat scenario in 2023/24.

Newcastle United chalked up their 17th victory of the season in their Premier League clash with Everton at Goodison Park and Eddie Howe will surely be thrilled with the performance of his team.

The Magpies retain their spot in third following the positive result on Merseyside and have even further cemented their claim to a Champions League qualifying spot, now eight points clear inside of the top four.

Despite being away from home, the travelling Geordies dominated every area of the pitch with 60% possession, more shots on goal (15 v 13), more big chances created (3 v 0) and more accurate passes (332 v 195), proving that the team has come a long way since their last outing on the blue side of Merseyside.

In the first half, the hosts dealt with Newcastle's smothering press comfortably in the opening minutes but were ultimately punished by Callum Wilson just before the half-hour point, with the England striker delivering the opening goal to give his team the lead.

Going into the final 45 minutes, a manageable scoreline for Everton to attack turned into pure disaster with Newcastle running riot against the shaky defence.

Joelinton doubled the lead in the 72nd minute, which was followed up by another from Wilson, and it was substitute Jacob Murphy who delivered the fourth and final blow to an emptying Goodison Park to complete a 4-1 attacking masterclass.

Whilst Wilson will steal the headlines for his brilliant brace, it was Bruno Guimaraes who orchestrated the dominance in the centre of the pitch to give Newcastle full control over the Toffees.

How did Bruno Guimaraes get on vs Everton?

The Brazilian sensation has been a breath of fresh air in the team since making the move to Tyneside in January 2022 and has easily been one of the catalysts in the rapid progress achieved at Newcastle over the last 18 months.

Against Everton, Guimaraes proved again exactly why he has quickly become a fan favourite and cemented a starting spot in every game he has been available for.

Over his 90-minute performance, the £120k-per-week ace had 81 touches of the ball and completed two key passes – one of which assisted Wilson's second goal – as a marker of his immense composure in central areas.

His remarkably combative nature was showcased in the fact that the Brazilian won a whopping 11 duels.

Guimaraes' performance unsurprisingly sparked high praise, with Everton journalist Dan Ghorbal hailing the midfielder on Twitter:

"Bruno Guimaraes has been absolutely sensational for Newcastle yet again. A class act."

With that being said, there will surely be excitement brewing in the North East as the Magpies edge closer to securing their dreams of Champions League football next season and if the team can continue their form they should have no trouble doing so.

Journalist Dean Jones has dubbed striker Anthony Martial "unreliable" due to his inability to get regular minutes at Manchester United.

What's the latest on Man United and Anthony Martial?

It could be a difficult final end to the season for the Red Devils as they've suffered some unfortunate injury setbacks recently.

Indeed, Lisandro Martinez has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign after fracturing a metatarsal bone in his foot, while Raphael Varane is also expected to be out for a few weeks.

On top of that, Marcus Rashford is also out with a muscle injury. This has, however, opened the door for Martial to impress. And the Frenchman really took his chance as he delivered a headline-grabbing performance in the week against Sevilla.

Even so, while speaking on the latest edition of the Chasing Green Arrows podcast, insider Jones explained that he just isn't able to play enough to ever truly be a reliable option for the club.

He said: “He is so unreliable, isn't he? He is so unreliable.

"Not in terms of playing well when he is playing – in terms of actually getting him on the pitch, that's the problem."

Will Martial start and finish the game for Man United against Nottingham Forest?

Martial certainly delivered for Man United mid-week. For instance, journalist Samuel Luckhurst handed him an 8/10 score in the player ratings for Manchester Evening News and wrote: "His assist for Sabitzer's second goal was one of his best pieces of play in a United shirt. His first start in almost three months and he didn't disappoint."

However, within that praise, you can see why Jones has his doubts about the player. Indeed, this was Martial's first start in three months with a series of injuries limiting him to just six starts in the Premier League this term.

Despite his limited game time, the £250k-per-week star has still managed to score seven goals and provide three assists in all competitions, showing glimpses of his quality.

Still, spread across his last three seasons in the Premier League, he has just nine goals in 32 outings – so it's not as if he's been doing enough to make himself a regular in the starting team.

And even with Rashford out, it seems as though manager Erik ten Hag doesn't feel as though he can rely on Martial to play the full 90 minutes in games, either.

He told the press ahead of this weekend's clash against Nottingham Forest (via Manchester Evening News): "Maybe he can but it's a risk and we can't take that risk in this moment," the manager said of Martial starting and finishing a match.

"Because we don't have so many options in the frontline with Rashford injured and [Alejandro] Garnacho injured, so we don't have so many options there.

"We have to be careful and also in the individual prospect we know when there's a lot of load he gets injured. So we have to build it, especially when the games come quick after each other, the recovery time is less, we have to take that in mind, manage that [well] and very carefully."

As a result, it is plain to see why Martial continues to frustrate at Old Trafford.

Liverpool secured their second consecutive league victory when they beat Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday, however, Jurgen Klopp may have now been dealt a devastating blow ahead of the Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

What’s the latest on Darwin Nunez’s injury?

The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter James Pearce has confirmed that Darwin Nunez will be a doubt for the challenging meeting with Carlo Ancelotti’s side this week.

Revealing in his report, the journalist said he is ‘set to undergo a scan to determine the extent of the problem.’

This came following quotes from Klopp in his press conference who commented:

“The bad news is that Darwin has something on his shoulder so we’ll have to see.

“He had to go off with that issue and we need further assessment. I don’t know (the extent) in this moment. In this moment it is painful. Hopefully, it is just painful and nothing more.”

What does Nunez’s injury mean for Klopp?

Liverpool have built up something of a European rivalry with Real Madrid over the last five years with the pair meeting on several occasions in the Champions League.

Out of the three finals the Reds have got to in the European competition under Klopp, the Spanish giants have beaten them twice and also knocked them out of the quarter-finals back in 2021, so the two-leg clash will be extremely difficult even without the injury issues and poor form Liverpool have suffered of late.

Indeed, there is a silver lining for the Liverpool boss as both Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino have returned to action in the last week which gives him options should Nunez be unable to recover in time for the highly-anticipated game under the floodlights at Anfield on Tuesday.

However, there is no doubt that the Uruguayan’s unpredictability, pace and chaotic nature will be sorely missed in the team’s efforts to take a positive result and give Liverpool an advantage ahead of the second leg at the Bernabeu.

Over 17 league appearances, the 23-year-old ace has scored six goals, registered three assists and created a whopping nine big chances, as well as averaging 1.2 key passes, four shots on goal and winning 3.1 duels per game, proving that he is a huge presence in the attacking threat.

With that being said, being without their dangerous frontman for such a colossal tie will be a nightmare for the Reds boss. Although still incredibly raw, he has all of the tools to pose a rampant threat to Madrid’s backline.

Indeed, should he still take to the field, the youngster will be vitally important if Liverpool wish to get a good start in the tie.

As Celtic breezed to a rather comfortable 3-0 win at home to Livingston on Wednesday evening, one standout figure among Ange Postecoglou’s ranks was that of Matt O’Riley, with the elegant midfielder having staked his claim for a more regular role in the games to come.

The former MK Dons gem – who arrived at Parkhead on a £1.5m deal a year ago – had gone into that clash with David Martindale’s men amid what has arguably been the first rocky patch of his spell in Glasgow to date, having been ousted from the starting lineup due to the impressive displays of summer signing, Aaron Mooy.

In the words of his manager, the latter man has been in “outstanding” form since returning from World Cup duty with Australia, having been a truly “immense” figure for his country in Qatar – according to journalist Josh Bunting.

The 32-year-old playmaker’s impact had seen him rack up six goal involvements in his previous six Scottish Premiership outings heading into last night’s encounter, having also netted twice in the Scottish Cup victory over second-tier outfit, Greenock Morton.

That rampant hot streak ensured that the experienced ace was afforded a well-earned rest for the visit of Livi, although the 57-cap maestro has seemingly been warned that his recent starting berth is no more certainty moving forward, such was the impressive outing of his replacement, O’Riley.

The Danish U21 international had only started two of the last four league games since the derby – as well as only featuring off the bench in the cup meetings with both Morton and Kilmarnock – ahead of facing the West Lothian outfit, with it having been a “big chance” for the 22-year-old to remind any potential doubters of his quality, as per journalist Ryan McGinley.

It would appear that the silky starlet more than took that opportunity, having notably played his part in the home side’s opener after delivering a delightful, whipped cross into the penalty area that eventually found its way in following a ricochet off teammate, Daizen Maeda.

That moment of quality was then followed by another key contribution to tee up Kyogo Furuhashi’s 18th league goal of the season, as the one-time Fulham youth product produced a stunning, lofted pass from deep to set the Japanese forward in on goal.

Although the youngster had squandered possession in the build-up to that assist – having lost the ball on 24 occasions in total from his 64 touches – the £12k-per-week menace showed excellent tenacity to atone for that error, proving that he can put in the hard yards defensively, as well as provide quality service in the final third.

That involvement also ensures that O’Riley now has nine assists to his name in the top flight already this season, with that remarkable tally the highest of any player in the division – including Mooy (6).

Such a strong outing – which saw the London-born ace record a solid, 7.2 match rating, as per Sofascore – has illustrated that the 6 foot 2 ace will not simply relinquish his place in the side without a fight.

Despite all of Mooy’s brilliance of late, the one-time Huddersfield Town man will now be aware that he has real stern competition to be the creative hub in Postecoglou’s side.

Leeds United could look to Torino right-back Ola Aina as a potential replacement for Luke Ayling if they do not extend the Englishman’s contract.

What’s the latest?

Whites right-back Ayling now finds his contract winding down to its final months, with it expiring at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The 31-year-old has played 230 times for the Whites since making the move to West Yorkshire in 2016, but there has now been a suggestion he could be replaced by 26-year-old Aina.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has been speaking to Football FanCast amid the January transfer window and has suggested the Serie A defender could become an option if Victor Orta decides against offering Ayling an extended stay at Elland Road.

He said: “Ola Aina has been mentioned before as a potential transfer target for Leeds following his time in Italy with Torino as well.

“So yeah, a good young player, again, a versatile defender, and if Leeds do decide not to offer Luke Ayling a new contract, I’m sure Ola Aina is somebody that they will consider.”

Time to move on?

The Whites have had their issues in the Premier League since the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign which saw them hang on to their top-flight status by the skin of their teeth.

And there are little signs that this season will provide the Leeds fans with anything other than another relegation battle as they sit just two points above the drop zone.

Ayling has not played a huge role in Marsch’s side this season as a result of Rasmus Kristensen’s arrival and injury issues, which have restricted him to 248 minutes in the league (via Transfermarkt).

However, we do have to question what Ayling now provides this Leeds side that would deem him worthy of being awarded an extended stay at Elland Road.

In his fitness issues, you have to wonder whether it is time for Leeds to move on.

With Aina – who was targeted during Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure – Leeds could potentially be adding a versatile 26-year-old who has the ability to play across a number of positions that has been displayed during his time with Torino.

Already this season, Aina has averaged more tackles per game than Ayling and provided Torino with more shot-creating actions per 90 than Ayling has in the Premier League (via FBref).

However, just as his season seemed to get up and running with a goal against Udinese, the Nigerian has been ruled out of action with a bicep muscle injury (via Transfermarkt).

With this in mind, it may be difficult to imagine Leeds making a move for him this month, but with Ayling’s contract winding down to a potential conclusion, he could prove a serious option for the summer.

John Bostock was once considered as one of the brightest prospects at Crystal Palace but the 30-year-old now finds himself in non-league with Notts County.The midfielder was a product of the Eagles’ academy and featured five times for Palace in the 2007/08 season when he was just 15 years old, which led many to believe that he could go on to feature at the very top.However, instead of remaining with the south London side, he would make the controversial switch to Tottenham Hotspur the following summer, which undoubtedly played a big part in him never making it in the Premier League.Former Palace chairman Simon Jordan was understandably frustrated when Bostock made the switch to Spurs, saying:“Like everything in this miserable game, it comes down to pounds, shillings and pence. Surely it should be down to what is best for a 16-year-old boy and where he is most likely to play.”Jordan wasn’t far wrong, as in five years with the Lilywhites, Bostock would make just four first-team appearances before his release in 2013.Since then, the midfielder’s career has taken him to a number of countries in Europe, with his best spells arguably coming in Belgium with Oud-Heverlee Leuven and France with RC Lens, where he hit 26 goals and 14 assists in a combined 106 appearances.The former Palace wonderkid would return to England in 2019, signing for Nottingham Forest, where he would make just nine appearances in the 2019/20 campaign, failing to score but providing two assists.However, that wasn’t enough to earn him a more permanent contract at the City Ground as he joined Doncaster Rovers in League One, but endured an injury-disrupted spell at the Keepmoat Stadium, and left the club after their relegation to the fourth tier last season.Following a number of months without a club, Bostock is now employed once again, as he signed for National League promotion contenders Notts County.He has begun to make headlines again with the Magpies, notably scoring a remarkable free-kick in what was billed as the biggest game in National League history on Monday afternoon.

Level on 100 points going into the game with Wrexham, the side owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, eventually won the game 3-2 courtesy of a late penalty save from Ben Foster.

However, before that, Bostock got things up and running with a stonking set-piece right into the top corner.

It marked a big moment in the midfielder’s career, one that has ultimately been a huge disappointment after dropping out of the top four leagues aged just 30.

Everton defender Michael Keane is set to leave Goodison Park on loan during the upcoming January transfer window. 

The Lowdown: Keane’s season so far

Having been a prominent figure for the Toffees last season, making 38 appearances across all competitions, things have been rather different this term. The defender has featured just three times for Frank Lampard’s side across the Premier League and Carabao Cup so far in 2022/23.

Now that the January transfer window is just a month away from opening, it seems as though the Merseyside club have made a decision regarding Keane’s future.

The Latest: Keane set for loan exit

According to a recent report from the Liverpool Echo, the Englishman is set to wave goodbye to Goodison Park during the upcoming transfer window.

The report adds that a Premier League trio consisting of West Ham United, Fulham and Leicester City are interested in signing the 29-year-old on loan from Everton.

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The Verdict: Would be ideal for Keane

Given the lack of playing time he has had this season, it’s easy to see why Everton think a loan move away from Goodison Park in January would be ideal for Keane.

Bearing in mind how Lampard has the likes of Conor Coady, James Tarkowski, Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate as his other centre-back options, it seems unlikely that, injuries aside, Keane would get a significant haul of minutes across the second half of the season for the Toffees.

Despite the £80k-per-week defender being criticised for his “abysmal” performances in the past by Noel Whelan, that there are reportedly a host of clubs interested in signing Keane in January shows that he can offer something to prospective loan suitors.

If the centre-back can join a club in January on loan where he’d be able to play regularly, this could put him in a good position to return to Everton and have a better shot at breaking back into the team on Merseyside.

Aston Villa are thought to be ready to make an offer for Mallorca forward Vedat Muriqi.

The Lowdown: Muriqi profiled

Muriqi is an out-and-out centre-forward who made a permanent move to Mallorca from Lazio over the summer following a successful loan spell.

The Kosovo international has scored 119 goals during his career for club and country, eight of which have come in 12 La Liga appearances this season.

He stands at 6 foot 4 and has been labelled as a ‘dominant’ player by Smarterscout, with Max Kruse once comparing Muriqi to Robert Lewandowski.

The Latest: Villa links

LazioNews24 relayed an update from Futbol Total regarding Muriqi on Tuesday, claiming that ‘Villa would be strongly interested’ in the forward.

The report even added that Villa ‘would be ready’ to make a €20m bid for Muriqi, although Mallorca are holding out for the player’s €40m release clause.

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The Verdict: One to watch?

Unai Emery is after a new A-list forward at Villa Park in 2023, and Muriqi could well be on the list of potential targets.

The 28-year-old has scored plenty of goals throughout his career and seems to be back to his best after a spell to forget with Lazio where he netted just twice in 49 appearances.

A move could be one to keep an eye on, however, if Mallorca stick to the reported €40m termination fee, it wouldn’t be a shock if Villa looked elsewhere.

Tottenham Hotspur’s sights are set on finding a successor to the long-serving Hugo Lloris and a surprising name has emerged as a potential target…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb, Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte is very interested in Juventus’ £10m goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and would like to bring him back to north London, some five years after leaving arch-rivals Arsenal.

The Poland international – who is in line to start at the World Cup this week – is out of contract in the summer of 2024 and it’s thought that the Old Lady aren’t willing to offer him an extension at this moment in time, meaning he could even be sold.

That’s because the Serie A giants have already lined up Empoli’s Guglielmo Vicario as his replacement. However, it remains to be seen exactly how much the 32-year-old would command, with his current value in the region of €20m (£18m), per CIES Football Observatory.

Lloris successor

Szczesny was a divisive figure for the Gunners throughout his 11-year association with the club – some considered him a fan-favourite but others thought he was something of a “liability”.

He eventually lost his place to David Ospina because of his erratic nature between the sticks.

Indeed, former Juve great Stefano Tacconi slammed the Pole for his performances whilst on loan to AS Roma. He said to Gazzetta TV (via the Independent): “He’s a good goalkeeper, there’s no doubt about that,” before adding: “But he’s an uncontrollable lunatic – he’s completely mad. And for this reason, he’s a risk.”

The 6 foot 5 veteran has certainly turned things around as he has now been the no.1 at the Allianz Stadium for a little over four years, replacing the legendary Gigi Buffon, and is set to feature at his second World Cup and fifth major international tournament.

That evolution is probably best surmised by Spurs’ current sporting director Fabio Paratici, who was the man to bring Szczesny to Juventus. He once described the shot-stopper as ” one of the best goalkeepers in the world” to reporters in 2020.

As per FBref, the former Arsenal graduate has the second-best save percentage (85.7%) of any keeper in the Serie A this season, and has conceded the fewest goals per 90 (0.35) of any glovesman too.

Whilst Lloris will always be remembered as a “legend” for his devotion to Spurs, there’s no denying that some of his own displays have been questionable the older he has gotten and at 35, it certainly would be wise to plan for life after the £100k-per-week stalwart.

Szczesny may be a controversial signing but Paratici has got it right with several questionable signings from the Italian top-flight, where both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur were heavily out-of-sorts.

The former foe could therefore be a surprise successor to Lloris, if Conte’s interest is genuine.

AND in other news, Spurs still keen on £40m “exciting talent”, he could be a surprise World Cup sensation…