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Chelsea are preparing an offer to sign Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto this summer, according to fresh reports.

The Lowdown: Gnonto profiled

The Italian international first arrived at Elland Road from FC Zurich back in September 2022 and has since taken the Premier League by storm despite only being 19 years of age.

The Whites winger’s contract isn’t to set expire until 2027, but being a standout performer in Javi Gracia’s relegation-battling side, has caught the eye of Graham Potter.

The Blues were heavily linked with an interest in Raphinha last summer, but having failed in their pursuit to secure his signature which resulted in him moving to Barcelona, Todd Boehly will be hoping that he will be more successful on his club’s second visit to Yorkshire.

The Latest: Chelsea readying offer

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta.it (via MOT Leeds News), Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal are all ‘lining up a bid’ to sign Gnonto ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Leeds’ starlet is ‘expected to leave’ Elland Road during the upcoming window should his side get relegated and the three mentioned clubs above are ready and ‘waiting to pounce’.

The SW6 outfit are ‘credited with interest’ alongside a number of unnamed potential suitors, whilst Inter Milan ‘are not’ in the race for his services despite previously regretting selling him to Zurich.

The Verdict: Potential bargain

Gnonto could be available for a cut-price should Leeds drop down to the Championship at the end of the season, so Chelsea should pounce on the opportunity to land this potential bargain.

The Puma-sponsored ace has clocked up 54 goal contributions in 142 appearances throughout his career, including seven in 20 for the Whites, which is an impressive return for a player who is still in the process of developing and discovering his potential.

The Verbania native currently ranks in the 90th percentile for most progressive carries per game and has whipped a total of 35 crosses into the box this term, highlighting his desire to consistently increase his side’s efforts in the final third (FBRef).

The Whites attacker would also bring excellent versatility to Stamford Bridge having operated in seven different positions since first emerging onto the scene, which is no doubt one of the attributes that Potter is most attracted to.

Finally, Gnonto has been described as a forward who has ‘electric’ pace by talent scout Jacek Kulig, making this a no-brainer of a deal to complete should the chance present itself.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has praised Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo for his "immense" recent form.

What's the latest on Junior Firpo and Leeds?

It wasn't that long ago, that the Premier League defender's future seemed uncertain at best. Indeed, back in January, journalist Beren Cross for LeedsLive wrote about how he could be on his way out, noting he was coming to a "crossroads".

What's more, reports in Spanish media throughout the winter window claimed that former club Real Betis were interested in signing Firpo.

However, in recent weeks, under new manager Javi Gracia, the left-back has improved his form and become a regular in the team again.

And while talking about Firpo on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan was full of praise about how he's managed to turn his career around.

He said: “We needed a left-back in January, and the reason we needed a left-back was to replace Firpo, was to get [Pascal] Struijk out of that left-back position.

“But what he's done right now is… you know, I think that that was his sixth game on the bounce. And I don't think he's done that for Leeds yet, which is great.

"And I think he's been immense. I think he's been very, very, very good."

Why is Firpo starting for Leeds again?

Since coming on for Struijk against Manchester United after 23 minutes, Firpo has since started every league game for Leeds.

This means manager Gracia hasn't had any reason to drop him, even though Struijk has been fit and on the bench for the past three – meaning the defender has started six games in a row for the Whites.

Indeed, in a recent article on BBC Sport, it was claimed that Firpo is "finally showing his class" and praised him for rediscovering his best form at the perfect moment when he scored the winner against relegation rivals Southampton.

What's more, a LeedsLive article recently claimed that the 26-year-old is the "biggest winner" of Gracia’s tenure so far and noted that he is now "one of the first names on the teamsheet" due to his improved defensive and attacking displays.

All in all, it's been a good period for the defender and if he can stay on top of his game for the final run-in, he may just do enough to help Leeds avoid the drop.

West Ham United’s recruitment over the previous decade has yielded a vast collection of underwhelming transfers coupled with a considerable financial outlay.

The club have had particular problems recruiting in the forward ranks over the years, with some excruciatingly bad signings among them. Think back to Lucas Perez, Benni McCarthy and Marouane Chamakh, who were all woeful signings that contributed very little during their spells at the club.

Another terrible signing was that of Albian Ajeti, who arrived at the London Stadium in the summer of 2019 to much fanfare from the supporters, especially considering his performances for FC Basel in his homeland.

Like so many others though, Ajeti failed to live up to the reputation upon arriving in the Premier League, departing after just one uneventful season, costing the club a colossal amount in the process.

How much did Albian Ajeti cost West Ham United?

The Irons shelled out £8m to sign the Switzerland International four years ago and on the surface, it appeared to be a solid investment by then-boss Manuel Pellegrini as he looked to take the club to the next level.

The striker had netted 43 goals and grabbed 21 assists in just 96 matches for the Swiss side, and he was also capped 11 times by Switzerland, scoring once. Therefore, a fee of £8m seemed like it had the potential to be a real bargain.

It soon turned out that playing in the Premier League is a harder prospect than the top flight in Switzerland and Ajeti was soon found out. He played just 12 matches in his one and only season in England, failing to score a single goal in that time.

The striker earned £53k-per-week during his 53-week stint at West Ham and combining this with his transfer fee, he rinsed the club for £10.8m during his underwhelming stay in London.

They did manage to recoup a £5m by selling him to Celtic in 2020, yet his time north of the border was also littered with poor performances and a lack of goals, scoring just nine times in 48 appearances.

Former Celtic striker turned pundit Frank McAvennie described him as “lazy” during his second season at Parkhead, and it’s clear that his time at West Ham – and indeed Celtic – were a disaster.

It was yet another failed move for a once-proven striker by West Ham, and it appears they have not learned their lesson, with recent acquisition Gianluca Scamacca scoring just eight goals so far with the forward positions appearing to be a poisoned chalice when it comes to recruitment in this area.

Southampton are monitoring Juventus defender Koni De Winter ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.

Southampton make De Winter enquiry…

The Belgian initially joined the Serie A outfit’s U17s five years ago and has since worked his way up through the ranks to become a member of the club’s Next Gen side, as per Transfermarkt. The 6 foot 2 colossus’ contract at the Allianz Stadium isn’t set to expire until 2026 but he’s currently out on a season-long loan at FC Empoli where during his ten starts and two substitute appearances, via WhoScored, has caught the eye of Ruben Selles.

Italian outlet Tutto Juve reported in November that the Saints, alongside their top-flight rivals Crystal Palace and West Ham, all made an enquiry regarding a deal for the 20-year-old with a view to taking him in January, and despite a move failing to materialise, they are still very much keeping a close eye on their target ahead of the upcoming window.

According to Tuttomercatoweb (via Sport Witness), Southampton still “like” De Winter who is being “followed closely” by the hierarchy at the St. Mary’s Stadium. Juventus are believed to be “happy” to sanction his sale should they receive a “good offer”, with the south coast outfit one of the clubs to have “viewed” him in recent weeks.

Sport Republic are “deeply attentive” to scouting younger players for the future with the defender one of the ideal candidates to have been identified and he has “no shortage of offers”, making this “one to watch” in the months ahead.

Should Southampton cash out on De Winter?

Italy and Juventus captain Leonardo Bonucci has claimed that De Winter is a player that has “no fear” with “enormous room” for improvement and he would be an exciting signing for the future of Southampton should they secure his services in the summer.

The Antwerp native is currently averaging 4.1 clearances per league game, highlighting the rock he is at the heart of the backline, and is recording an 86% pass success rate, displaying his calmness and composure when playing out from the back (WhoScored).

De Winter is also a threat at set pieces having scored three goals and provided two assists throughout his career so far with the versatile operator having additionally played at right-back and as a defensive midfielder, making this a no-brainer of a deal to complete (Transfermarkt).

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale looks set to be boosted by the return of Connor Goldson before the crucial Scottish Cup semi-final at the end of the month.

What’s the latest on Connor Goldson’s injury?

The Rangers' defender wasn’t named in the starting XI against Celtic last weekend due to suffering a hip problem prior to the match and the club slumped to a 3-2 defeat.

There was uncertainty over how long the centre-back would remain absent, however, Beale has delivered some good news ahead before the club take on St Mirren.

Speaking to RangersTV (via Rangers Review), Beale has stated that Goldson will be available for the tie against Aberdeen next week:

"From last weekend, Connor won’t return. He’ll be more likely to back for Aberdeen, or certainly the semi-final at the end of the month.”

How important is Connor Goldson to Rangers?

The answer in a nutshell is he is absolutely vital to the club if they want to achieve glory in the Scottish Cup this term.

John Souttar started in place of Goldson last weekend and committed a major error which gifted Celtic their third goal. The Scot mishit a back pass to Allan McGregor and the 41-year-old – arguably the slowest person on the pitch – failed to get to the ball before Jota, who slotted it home.

With Ben Davies making a mistake just minutes prior, Goldson is urgently needed back in the Rangers' defence in order to provide a cool head and offer words of reassurance to his partner.

The £3m signing from Brighton five years ago has missed just 14 matches due to injury during that time, proving to be an incredibly reliable player for the club.

During his absence earlier this season, the Ibrox side won just five of their ten matches without Goldson, conceding 13 goals and since returning, they have lost just twice in 20 games, coincidence? Absolutely not.

There is a reason why he was dubbed a “rock” by Sky Sports producer Andrew Dickson last season and across his 23 matches in the Premiership this season, he has kept 12 clean sheets, made 1.5 tackles and three clearances per game along with winning an impressive 67% of his total duels, and he is comfortably Beale’s finest defender.

The manager can use his absence to perhaps give a player who hasn’t had much game time of late a run out against St Mirren tomorrow, but with the news that he should be fit and firing ahead of the Scottish Cup semi-final, Beale could breathe a big sigh of relief.

تمكن فريق ليفربول من التقدم مرة أخرى في مباراته الجارية حاليًا ضد نيوكاسل يونايتد، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة الفريقين في إطار منافسات الجولة العشرين من البطولة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وأحرز كورتيس جونز الهدف الثاني لصالح ليفربول، في الدقيقة 74 من عمر المباراة.

الهدف جاء بعد عرضية من النجم المصري محمد صلاح، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى ديوجو جوتا، الذي مررها بدوره إلى جونز الذي أسكنها الشباك.

وتشير النتيجة في الوقت الحالي إلى تقدم ليفربول بهدفين مقابل هدف، مع العلم أن محمد صلاح سجل الهدف الأول لكتيبة يورجن كلوب. هدف ليفربول الثاني أمام نيوكاسل

Everton, few would argue, are one of the worst ran clubs in the Premier League. Since Farhad Moshiri's acquisition, a club that was upheld for many years by David Moyes has slowly regressed amidst increased investment, as managers and players alike have rinsed the club and left for nothing.

This marked a stark alteration from the years preceding the Iranian's arrival alongside Bill Kenwright, where they would instead forge top assets only to sell as soon as the price became tempting.

One statement that the Chairman once made still brings frustration to Evertonians to this day, given their trophy drought and subsequent failures, as the 77-year-old smugly claimed: "One very famous football club said to me two or three days ago 'whenever we have a problem we say 'what would the Everton board do because they always get it right?'"

What would Everton do? Well, languishing outside of the relegation zone on goal difference, as the only team not to make a signing in January despite the £45m sale of their star academy graduate, it is a question that still needs to be answered.

Tracing back through the depressing archives, numerous failed transfers crop up with each season that passed by. However, perhaps one of the most surprising failures was the £11m acquisition of Ashley Williams, who promised solidity but delivered anonymity.

How much did Ashley Williams' value drop?

Such a low fee for such an experienced player made this deal seemingly foolproof, but the former Swansea City centre-back would not translate his prior qualities into Merseyside. This made his £70k-per-week deal all the more costly.

Just 73 appearances for the Toffees led to his eventual exit in 2019 on a free, having been challenged from all directions for his poor displays.

Journalist Ben Marlow even claimed that he: "Thought he would be great for us but turned out to be a total liability. Awful defender".

Despite that, and the consensus of the fanbase likely supporting that view, Sofascore suggested that his time in Royal Blue was not as woeful as it might have seemed.

The 38-year-old's debut campaign at Goodison Park saw him record an average Sofascore rating of 7.13, upheld by a mammoth 7.9 clearances per game. However, that would drop dramatically in the season after, where a 6.84 rating was more appropriate.

What exacerbates the steady decline of the defender more than anything is the drop in valuation. From his initial £11m transfer fee, this would plummet by a depressing 84% to only €2m (£1.7m) just two years later, as per Transfermarkt, before the Wales international would depart for nothing.

Many have signed for Everton in recent years for big money, and with big reputations, yet very few have lived up to their promises. Williams in particular boasted the latter, which made his lack of impact and rapid decline particularly frustrating for Moshiri.

استكمل منتخب مصر للشباب تحت القيادة الفنية للمدرب الوطني وائل رياض، تدريباته في المعسكر المقام حاليًا باستاد القاهرة الدولي.

وخاض منتخب مصر مرانه لليوم الثاني، والذي استمر قرابة الساعة ونصف تقريبًا بدأت بتدريبات بدنية بقيادة قاسم قدري مخطط الأحمال.

منتخب مصر للشباب يخوض معسكرًا جديدًا بحضور ثنائي محترف

وأدى لاعبو منتخب مصر تدريبات على بعض الجمل الفنية والتكتيكية قادها علاء عبده المدرب العام، ثم تدريبات  لتصحيح الأخطاء وتمركز المدافعين قادها رامي عادل مدرب المنتخب.

وأنهى منتخب مصر للشباب تدريباته بتقسيمة تحفيزية بين اللاعبين تحت إشراف وائل رياض المدير الفني.

الجدير بالذكر، أن معسكر المنتخب انطلق أمس الاثنين بقيادة وائل رياض، ويستمر حتى الجمعة المقبل.

 ويحرص الجهاز الفني لمنتخب الشباب على التواصل دائما مع اللاعبين من خلال المعسكرات المتواصلة لتحفيظ اللاعبين أفكار الجهاز الفني.

Arsenal return to Premier League action tonight, as they host Southampton in what is a must-win clash; although, with just seven games left as they battle for the title, every game has taken on such importance.

That is what makes their recent slips against West Ham United and Liverpool all the more frustrating, especially given they squandered leads in both.

Tonight, however, they face a wholly different challenge, as they welcome the 20th-placed team in the division with the hopes they can use it as a return to form. With a trip to face Manchester City on the horizon, tonight marks a fine opportunity to bolster confidence in preparation for such a monumental game.

However, they are to once again be without William Saliba, as Mikel Arteta admitted:

"He’s not progressing as quickly as we hoped and it is a bit delicate so we want to be certain that when we push him, he’s ready to absorb the load and the risk that we’ll take, and that’s not possible at the moment."

Whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko is at a more advanced stage in his recovery, a start tonight also seems unlikely given the risk it would pose in a fixture they should be able to win without. However, his absence could pose an interesting opportunity for a tactical shift.

How could Arsenal line up against Southampton

Arteta could make as many as three changes to the side that drew 2-2 at the London Stadium, with alterations made both due to necessity and with one eye on Wednesday's crunch match.

Aaron Ramsdale will be seeking to put aside his disappointment from last week with a fine showing tonight, but will have to remain sharp when his moment comes. The 24-year-old made just one save last game, yet shipped two goals.

The back four is expected to remain largely unchanged, but after his struggles to perform in the inverted full-back role, Kieran Tierney could drop out. Given Granit Xhaka deputised in his position after his substitution last time out, perhaps Arsenal could seek to add such a fine creative presence to the defence given their expected dominance of the ball.

Ben White will occupy the opposite flank, whilst Rob Holding and Gabriel Magalhaes retain their spots through the middle.

Seeing the Swiss general move into the back four opens up an opportunity for Fabio Vieira to take his chance beside Thomas Partey. They will offer a defensive foil to supplement the creativity of captain Martin Odegaard.

As mentioned, their dominance in tonight's clash should see them through without needing a full-strength side, especially when the likes of Leandro Trossard and Emile Smith-Rowe are the alternatives to replace Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Seeking to keep the star men fresh, so they can truly wreak havoc next week, perhaps handing the 22-year-old his first league start of the season following a return from injury could be the injection of enthusiasm needed to put this game to bed early.

The Belgian's inclusion needs no explanation, with the £40k-per-week maestro having already garnered praise despite only joining in January. Journalist Richie Mills, who reports on Brighton and Hove Albion, will know more than most just what a "magic man" the 28-year-old can be.

These two will flank Gabriel Jesus, who has made a seamless return to first-team action after his own lengthy lay-off, scoring four in his last three.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Gabriel, Holding, Xhaka; Vieira, Odegaard, Partey; Smith-Rowe, Jesus, Trossard.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will take on Crystal Palace this evening in a Premier League clash in which a win could be a monumental step towards securing safety for Julen Lopetegui’s men.

After impressive back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Brentford, Wolves suffered a hugely disappointing defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

However, Wolves still retain a six-point gap between themselves and the drop zone, so a victory tonight would take them above their opponents into 12th position.

Lopetegui is expected to name a rotated team and here is how Wolves' starting XI could look when they take to the field at Molineux this evening.

How could Wolves line up against Crystal Palace?

4-3-3 – Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Toti; Nunes, Neves, Gomes; Traore, Podence, Cunha.

Sa will start in goal despite having one of his worst performances against the Foxes last weekend when he unceremoniously apprehended Jamie Vardy to concede a penalty, which Kelechi Iheanacho dispatched.

However, the Portuguese has begun every game this term and this poor display is not expected to deter Lopetegui’s faith in him.

Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, and Toti are to make up an unchanged back four. These were the same defenders who performed admirably in the previous two home league matches that starved Chelsea and Brentford of any goals.

Nunes and Gomes will also keep their places, whilst Neves will replace Mario Lemina. The Gabonese sustained a minor hamstring issue in the last outing and the return of Wolves’ prize asset, club captain, and most influential player seems like a formality.

The £38m-rated star was back on the bench for the Leicester game after serving a two-game suspension.

The biggest changes for this team could appear in the frontline. Daniel Podence was surprisingly dropped from the last lineup and could replace Diego Costa in a rotated attack. The £60k-per-week man is the club’s top scorer with six goals this campaign and has created the second most chances in the squad (39) at a rate of 1.15 per 90, as per BBC Sport.

The diminutive winger has been likened to Eden Hazard by retired Premier League striker Darren Bent, due to his effervescent and dynamic profile.

The final Wolves change will see Traore come in for Pablo Sarabia, to provide some more pace and athleticism on the right wing. The former Barcelona man scored the last time the Midlands club faced the Eagles back in October 2022.

Finally, Cunha, who scored the goal last weekend with a coolly placed finish, will be deployed as the lone central striker.