As reported by The Telegraph, Chelsea’s quest to keep Eden Hazard at the club has been given a big boost after the Blues secured the signature of his younger brother Kylian Hazard.

What’s the story?

Eden Hazard is a wanted man, reportedly on the radar of Real Madrid, a club who could see big personnel changes next summer as their successful squad reaches the end of its cycle.

However, it seems the Blues have already taken a big step towards tying him down to life at Stamford Bridge, by signing his brother. That’s according to The Telegraph who say that bringing in 22-year-old Kylian Hazard to their development squad could be a difference maker in any new contract discussions.

The paper say that’s the next bit of business on the horizon for the English champions as they attempt to ward off any interest in their star man.

Unrivalled

Hazard’s direct goal contribution to Chelsea in his time at the club is unrivalled with a massive 72 goals scored and 62 assists in 249 appearances.

Now in his sixth season with the Blues, he’s won four major honours with them, including two league titles. He’ll be an absolutely vital part of any success going forward under Antonio Conte.

Still just 26 years of age, he’s coming into his prime as a footballer and Chelsea supporters will be desperate for him to commit his best years to the club after such a fruitful relationship already.

Will signing his brother have the desired effect in securing his future at the Bridge?

As reported by The Sun, Everton are looking to South America to secure an attacking talent also coveted by two European giants.

What’s the story?

Everton paid lots of money to secure some big transfers this summer, but if they’re to maximise their spending power they’ll have to be more imaginative and shop in untapped markets that have big talents ready to make a step up to English Premier League football.

One such talent they’re looking to bring to Goodison Park is Federico Martinez, who ironically plays for Uruguayan side Liverpool.

That’s according to The Sun, who say the 21 year old is also interesting the likes of Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, who Everton will have to fend off if they’re to get his signature.

Who is he?

A winger who can play on both the left and right sides of midfield, Martinez made his Primera Division debut in June 2015 and has gone on to make 58 appearances for Liverpool.

The Sun reckon he’s drawn comparisons to a certain Angel Di Maria which is high praise indeed. If he could reach those heights then he’d undoubtedly be a huge hit at Everton.

With transfer fees ballooning in England, it’s important that the Merseyside club expand their outlook and secure the next big talents from South America and Europe before their competitors, so it may be heartening for supporters to hear they’re chasing a South American talent.

Is signing the Uruguayan youngster a fanciful notion or will he be the next talent to make a splash in Europe? Time will tell on that one but we’ll be watching with interest.

Credit must be given when its due and despite the criticism he’s received since moving to Tottenham from Newcastle in summer 2016, Moussa Sissoko has looked surprisingly assured during his last two outings.

The 52-cap France international was busy if not exactly productive in the scoreless draw with Swansea City and ended up being arguably one of Tottenham’s better performers during their 3-2 win over London rivals West Ham on Saturday, impressing in central midfield.

The north London outfit’s next clash comes this evening against APOEL in the Champions League – a side they should comfortably beat on paper but could come unstuck against considering the Cyprus outfit are a bit of an unknown quantity.

So, Spurs fans, do you think Mauricio Pochettino should keep Sissoko in his starting XI this evening, or does the clash represent an opportunity for the Tottenham boss to rotate his options and give someone else the chance to impress?

Let us know by voting below…

Sorry folks this poll is now closed!

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler believes that Manchester United’s first real test will be this Saturday when the team take on their biggest rivals.

All eyes will be on Anfield in the lunchtime kickoff as Liverpool look to inflict defeat on their enemies, which would be the first time that Jose Mourinho’s men have lost this season.

A 10-game unbeaten run in all competitions is a very bright start for the Red Devils, but Fowler has played down the achievement on account of the opponents faced.

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In the league, United have played against West Ham United, Swansea City, Leicester City, Stoke City, Everton, Southampton and Crystal Palace – none of which are currently in the top half of the table.

Mourinho’s team have won six and drawn one, conceding just two goals in that time, and as a result, sit second in the league table.

Manchester City are on the same points but occupy top spot due to a slightly superior goal difference.

Liverpool are seventh and as many points adrift of United, but Fowler thinks that the Red Devils’ run must be put into perspective.

The former striker told the Daily Mail:

“If you look at the fixtures — I’m not having a go at Manchester United here — but the run that they’ve had, they’ve played teams who, on paper, they should be beating.

“Without sounding disrespectful to them, now you’ll see over maybe the next month or so, with the run of fixtures they’ve got, what sort of team that really is. They’ve done well. Football is a confidence thing, and that breeds confidence.”

Chelsea already find themselves nine points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City after a shock away defeat to rock-bottom Crystal Palace last weekend. That has led to many claiming the Blues aren’t quite up to successfully defending their top-flight crown this season for various reasons, mostly a lack of strength in depth.

Former Blues star Chris Sutton said as much in his recent column for MailOnline, as well as singling out new signing Alvaro Morato for criticism.

“Chelsea replaced a reliable centre forward in Diego Costa with a striker in Alvaro Morata who has ability but has not yet gone the distance in a league campaign.”

But does Sutton have a point?

We asked our best writers for their thoughts of Chelsea’s perceived issues and Sutton’s quite damning assessment…

Christy Malyan

It’s looking like it won’t be Chelsea’s season and that is unquestionably linked with their failure to bring in certain players during the summer.

It’s quite interesting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ross Barkley and Fernando Llorente all turned the west Londoners down during the final few days of the transfer window, and Antonio Conte now appears to be paying the price. But it’s being quickly forgotten that some very ruthless decisions were made during the summer, with Nemanja Matic, Diego Costa and John Terry all moving on.

That’s taken away vast leadership and experience from Chelsea’s starting XI, so it’s almost inevitable that they’re struggling to match the consistency of last year. They’re still a good side and the replacements, Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rudiger, have more than enough talent to replicate the levels of their predecessors, but it feels like this will mostly be a season of transition for Chelsea – probably glossed over with an FA Cup or League Cup.

There’s no shame in that if they’re back to their best next season.

Chris McMullan

Sutton’s comments seem unfair, but perhaps that’s to be expected from such a short article that was never given the chance to go into any real detail of his argument.

Essentially, he thinks that Chelsea’s summer business left the squad short. That might well be true, and clearly that was the worry this summer. But picking out Alvaro Morata for criticism is particularly strange given the Spanish international has scored seven goals in seven starts in all competitions this season.

His assertion is that Morata hasn’t proved that he can do it over the course of a whole season, and that may well turn out to be a problem. But, for now, he certainly can’t be blamed for the fact that Chelsea find themselves nine points behind the Premier League leaders.

Olly Huddlestone

It seems that way. Like Mourinho before him, Conte is finding it difficult to defend the title won so convincingly the previous season.

If you compare with rivals Man United and Man City’s strength and depth it is clear what Chelsea need to do in January – strengthen in every position.

If the season continues to go downhill for the Blues, you can expect a flurry of transfers in the new year.

Liverpool romped to a convincing 3-0 victory against Huddersfield on Saturday, blitzing them with three second half goals from Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum.

After a poor first half display, Jurgen Klopp inspired his side to come out with renewed focus and energy and once they got the first goal, there was no danger of a second successive defeat in the English Premier League.

Those three goalscorers will get the headlines but Liverpool fans were left impressed by a defender most of all, 20-year-old Joe Gomez. The youngster was in excellent form throughout, giving Reds fans hope that their defence isn’t quite the lost cause many think it is.

Gomez has emerged as a regular starter under Klopp this season, having seen his previous years at Liverpool blighted by injury. With 10 starts already this term, he’s well on his way to becoming a fan favourite.

Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…

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Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has suggested that Jamaal Lascelles is in danger of missing the team’s Premier League clash against Manchester United, reports The Shields Gazette.

What’s wrong?

The club captain suffered an ankle injury during last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at St James’ Park.

The problem forced Lascelles off the pitch in the 55th minute when the Magpies were on level terms with the Cherries at 0-0.

Even though Newcastle do not take on United at Old Trafford until November 18, Benitez is unsure whether his skipper will return to fitness in time.

The Shields Gazette quotes the manager as saying:

“It’s still a bit painful. He’s been working with the physios and getting a little bit better, but it’s slow. We have to wait a couple of days, and then without inflammation we’ll see how it is.”

Could this spell trouble for Newcastle?

There is no doubt that Lascelles has been one of the team’s best performers this season.

The 23-year-old has led from the back by marshalling the defence and helping the Magpies stay in touch of he top 10.

Losing the Englishman’s quality will only hurt Newcastle, particularly against a United team with world-class talent.

Not only is Lascelles a doubt, but Mikel Merino is on the sidelines, and there are reports that the Spaniard could miss out of action until December.

Newcastle need to be wary, because if injuries start to pile up, the club could find themselves lingering around the relegation zone.

With new West Ham United manager David Moyes having time to work with some of his players during the international break and plenty of positive comments on his training methods, Irons supporters may have been hopeful of a strong performance and fancied their chances of picking up at least a point against Watford at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

The Hornets came into the clash on the back of three successive Premier League defeats after an impressive start to the campaign, while the east London outfit had the individuals that can make a difference at this level – even if the likes of Michail Antonio, Andre Ayew and Javier Hernandez missed out at the weekend – despite their own poor form.

It was a new start under the Scot, but it was the same old story. It perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise as it is difficult to get an instant turnaround in fortunes and confidence in what has been a largely disastrous campaign for the Hammers.

In truth, Will Hughes’ strike for Marco Silva’s men in the 11th minute put the hosts on their way to a comfortable victory, and even though Moyes had set his team up to be strong at the back and narrow when defending, they simply didn’t do enough to prevent either of the goals they conceded on the day.

Some notable absentees from the 18-man squad meant that the youngsters like Declan Rice, Toni Martinez and Domingos Quina took their place on the substitutes’ bench, but none of them entered the field despite the fact that the former has made five Premier League appearances this season, while the latter two have been handed opportunities in the Carabao Cup.

Instead it was the same old story for West Ham, with experienced players like Winston Reid, Angelo Ogbonna, Mark Noble, Cheikhou Kouyate, Pedro Obiang and Andy Carroll producing performances that simply were not good enough on Sunday, and the travelling support certainly let them – and the unpopular board – know their feelings throughout the match and at the final whistle.

With those so-called experienced performers either drained of confidence or simply not good enough or up for the relegation fight that the east London outfit currently find themselves in, perhaps it is time for Moyes to not only include some of the promising youngsters the club has in the squad, but start to introduce some of them into the starting line-up.

Things certainly don’t look as though they can get much worse on the pitch right now, and the animosity of the supporters towards the former Sunderland and Manchester United boss and the David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady will certainly not help matters on the pitch.

Those frustrated and angry fans will certainly have more patience, support and affinity with the players that have come through the club’s youth system, and their inclusion in the team could help to improve the atmosphere around the London Stadium and provide a boost within the crowd.

Mixing the likes of the prolific Martinez – who can’t stop scoring for the U23s – and exciting young midfielders Quina – a reported target for Manchester United – and Martin Samuelsen with Hernandez, Lanzini and Kouyate could prove to be a tactic that is particularly effective.

They would certainly add some much-needed energy and determination to a West Ham first team that has often looked laboured and lethargic this term.

David Moyes certainly now knows what a big job he has on his hands to keep the Irons away from the relegation zone this term, but a blend of experience and youth could be the key to getting the fans on side and turning the club’s season around.

Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has been declared fit for this weekend’s Premier League clash against Leicester City at St James’s Park.

Lascelles, who is valued at £4.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has been on the sidelines for more than one month with an ankle problem, and the Magpies have not won in his absence.

On Friday, Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez revealed that the centre-back was fit for the clash with Leicester in what is a major boost for the Championship winners.

Lascelles scored twice in 11 appearances for Newcastle before picking up the problem during the 1-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on November 4.

The Magpies have since lost to Manchester United, Watford and Chelsea, with their only point in their last six matches coming away to West Bromwich Albion towards the end of last month.

Benitez also confirmed that Christian Atsu would return for the Leicester match, with the winger back from the thigh injury that he suffered against Bournemouth.

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As reported by Turkish outlet Fotospor, Celtic are interested in signing Besiktas defender Dusko Tosic as the club prepares to do business in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Celtic’s defence has been a key weakness in Brendan Rodgers’ side for a while now, especially in European competition where they conceded more goals than any other side in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.

The Hoops are likely on the hunt for a centre-back next month and there’s a new name being linked with a move to Glasgow.

Fotosport report that Celtic are interested in Besiktas defender Dusko Tosic, with the Turkish side preparing to introduce Domagoj Vida into the heart of their defence.

The outlet reckons he could be available for a fee of around £2.6m.

Who is he?

A 32-year-old Serbian international with experience across the continent, having played for the likes of Werder Bremen, Red Star Belgrade and now Besiktas, Tosic certainly has a decent playing history behind him that demonstrates he likely has the ability to perform well in the Scottish Premiership.

With plenty of European experience too, including six appearances in this season’s UEFA Champions League, the defender could help out what is a pretty young defensive line at Celtic Park.

The Hoops badly need defensive reinforcements and although he is in the latter stages of his playing career, Tosic would appear to be a player ready to come in and do a vital job in the short-term.