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Leeds United have been dealt a big transfer blow to mooted target Ben Brereton Diaz this week…

What’s the word?

Last month, TEAMtalk reported of the Whites’ interest in the Chile international heading into the summer. West Ham and newly-promoted Fulham have also been linked with a move, though they have all been dealt a setback in their pursuit.

Blackburn Rovers have triggered the one-year extension on his current contract, even despite manager Tony Mowbray leaving at the end of the season after failing to reach the Championship playoffs, as his deal was set to expire in the summer.

And the departing boss believes the 23-year-old marksman should be worth in excess of £30m.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title=”Read the latest Leeds United news and rumours!”]

Gutting summer setback

Diaz had been in electric form this campaign after he became the first Rovers player in 57 years to bag over 20 goals by the end of the calendar year. He ended the season on 22 goals and three assists, with ligament damage disrupting the early parts of 2022.

He has provided the Lancashire outfit with more than just goals, though, he’s a huge threat in the final third both aerially and with the ball at his feet.

“Brereton with the ball at his feet is an extraordinary talent,” Mowbray once told reporters (via LancsLive). “He’s a wonderful footballer who can dribble with both feet, take people out of the game.”

Indeed, the Chile sensation won an average of 4.1 duels and 2.8 shots per game, via SofaScore, throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

Given Patrick Bamford’s own injury woes for the Yorkshire giants and a lack of a viable alternative, potentially missing out on a player of Diaz’s calibre is certainly going to prove frustrating for director of football Victor Orta, who has seemingly been eyeing the striker for a very long time.

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Along with ex-Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, he was said to hugely admire the Rovers star, so the Championship outfit extending his deal certainly makes any summer move all that more difficult.

The Spaniard is surely gutted by this update.

AND in other news, Phil Hay drops big Jack Harrison injury update…

Keith Downie has now been left stunned over the transfer news that Aaron Ramsey could sign for Glasgow Rangers before the deadline.

The Lowdown: Done deal

Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Ramsey to Ibrox is now a ‘done deal’, and so he should be confirmed as a Teddy Bears player by the end of the day.

He was not getting much game time at all at Juventus, and so needed a loan move away, with that move now set to be in the Scottish Premiership with the Teddy Bears.

Romano says there is a ‘agreement on loan with buy option’ and that the deal will be all wrapped up ‘in the coming hours’.

The Latest: Downie stunned

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports journalist Downie has been left stunned by what he has heard with regards to Ramsey’s move to the Light Blues:

“If Rangers sign Aaron Ramsey it’s the most extraordinary signing of #DeadlineDay.”

The Verdict: ‘Extraordinary’ indeed

Downie sums up the deal perfectly by calling it ‘extraordinary’, and it looks certain to be one of if not the most eye-catching transfer of the day.

Ramsey is a player that has played at the highest level with huge global clubs in Arsenal and Juventus, and is also a well-established player for the Welsh national team.

He has won many big titles over the course of his career, including the Serie A with Juve and no fewer than three FA Cups with the Gunners (Transfermarkt), and so bringing him to Scottish football is nothing short of remarkable.

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Nonetheless, what a coup this is from the Gers, and it could well be one that pushes them closer to the SPFL title.

In other news, find out who else RFC have been linked with on Deadline Day here!

Manchester City fans are far from happy with the news that Brendan Rodgers is eyeing the Citizens managerial position when Pep Guardiola departs the club.

Since making the move to the Citizens in 2016, Guardiola has had huge success. He has already won ten trophies during that period, including three Premier League titles, one of which came after the Citizens racked up 100 points (Goal.com).

He has yet to get his hands on a European trophy, with last year the closest City have come to the Champions League as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea.

However, the five years he has spent at City is his longest spell at one club, and so perhaps the club do need to start considering long-term plans. And, according to Caught Offside, Rodgers is reluctant to enter negotiations with Manchester United as he would like to succeed Guardiola instead.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Rodgers news below

“Let’s all have a laugh at this? Nah thank you Rogers.”

Credit: @MarionEsther9

“Just no I don’t want Rodgers. I want Enrique or Ten Haag. Nagelsmann and Flick would be great but I can’t see them leaving Bayern and Germany NT in next 5 years.”

Credit: @Jerarudo1

“Yea no thanks, Nagelsmann or Ten Hag for me.”

Credit: @JMC_Official

“Will be biggest downgrade in history. I’ll even consider stop supporting city”

Credit: @gotcakemate

“Please no”

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Credit: @7Mcfcmax

“Rodgers is a big no for me. He could not perform at Liverpool despite having a good squad and you expect him to perform at Man City. Nope.”

Credit: @IrepApril6

In other news, City fans were gutted with this United news.

Rangers kicked off their Scottish Premiership title defence with a comfortable 3-0 win against Livingston at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon, although Fashion Sakala struggled to impress on his first competitive appearance for Steven Gerrard’s side.

After scoring the equaliser in Rangers’ pre-season win against Real Madrid last weekend, with Alfredo Morelos out of action after returning from Colombia after the Copa America, Gerrard opted to start his new signing up front against David Martindale’s side.

The Zambia international, who joined from Belgian Pro League side KV Oostende earlier in the summer, impressed Gerrard with his attitude and performances in pre-season but failed to really make any inroads in the Premiership opener.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old earned a less than impressive 6.5/10 rating for his display, with only Glen Kamara (6.4) rated lower of the Rangers players to feature in the game.

During his 71 minutes on the pitch, the £3.6m-rated forward had just 15 touches of the ball, completing only five passes in total. In comparison, Rangers goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin had 31 touches and completed 29 passes, which emphasises just how little Sakala contributed.

Much to the Ibrox faithful’s frustration, the new signing was caught offside on four occasions, whilst he also lost the ball six times in the game, which suggests that he struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premiership.

Although this was his first appearance for Rangers and there is undoubtedly more to come from the forward, Kemar Roofe’s goal from the bench suggests that he will be given the nod to start ahead of the Zambian against Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers on Tuesday night.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

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Hopefully Sakala will be able to put this disappointing first performance behind him and grab his first Rangers goal in the near future, as Gerrard will surely be hoping that the 24-year-old can provide stiff competition for Morelos and Roofe throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

In other news… Too slow, Wilson: Rangers miss out on “outstanding” beast loved by Gerrard

The atmosphere around West Ham United at the moment is starting to feel rather toxic.

Nuno Espírito Santo was able to earn a point and inspire an impressive fightback in his opening game away to Everton, but since then, things have gone from bad to worse.

A loss away to Arsenal is understandable, but the defeats to Brentford and Leeds United were diabolical, and some major changes are needed to inspire the side to Premier League survival this term.

Therefore, while it’s risky, Nuno should look to play a few of the club’s promising academy talents, including one who could develop into a future Mark Nobel-type figure for them.

The West Ham youngsters Nuno should give a chance

Now, it should be said that if West Ham were playing even remotely well this season, then bringing in a few youngsters would probably be a bad idea.

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However, as things stand, the East Londoners are the second-worst team in the league, so it’s probably worth throwing in some promising prospects, as at least they would give it everything and help address the side’s dire lack of athleticism.

One of those who should be given a go is 20-year-old Mohamadou Kanté, who just signed a new deal with the club.

The “colossal” French midfielder, as dubbed by one analyst, is a particularly promising talent and has even been compared to former Hammer “Mo Diame” for his “intelligent composed passing” and “long-ranging legs that eat up ground.”

On top of having that pace and power, which is severely lacking in Nuno’s squad, the youngster is also proving to be something of a goal threat for the junior sides.

For example, despite playing in central and defensive midfield, he has already scored and assisted two goals in nine appearances for the U21s this season.

Speaking of goalscoring prospects, with Niclas Füllkrug out and Callum Wilson simply not good enough, it might be time to give Josh Landers a go in the first team.

Landers’ 25/26

Appearances

6

Minutes

359′

Goals

5

Assists

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.83

Minutes per Goal Involvement

71.8′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

So far this season, the 18-year-old Scotsman has scored five goals in six appearances for the U21s, totalling just 359 minutes.

Finally, it might be time to give Preston Fearon a proper runout with the senior side.

The 18-year-old gem made an appearance during pre-season and has been described as a “special player” by Jarrod Bowen, who added that he’s “never seen someone nutmeg so many people in training.”

With all that said, there is another, slightly older academy graduate who has played for the first team, but should now be getting even more minutes, someone who could be a future Noble.

West Ham's future Noble

Now, while someone like Fearon could go on to emulate some of the best qualities of a Noble, he’s still only 18, and so it’s difficult to predict what sort of player he’ll become.

The same is not necessarily true of Freddie Potts.

There is still a long way to go in the 22-year-old’s career, but even so, there are already some key similarities between him and the West Ham legend.

Firstly, he is very much one of the Hammers’ own, as he spent his entire youth career with the East Londoners and has only played for other teams while out on loan.

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Moreover, he is a fan of the club, and so when the supporters sang “Freddie Potts, he’s one of our own” away to Everton earlier this season, it was one of those rare occasions when that phrase is entirely true.

This is also why journalist Dan Woffenden said that, unlike some of the other players in the squad today, he “at least understands what it means to wear the shirt.”

On top of all this, the Barking-born ace is also positionally similar to the Irons legend, with his best position being in the middle of the park.

Furthermore, while he isn’t likely to go on any mazy runs or score wonder goals like some other midfielders, he looks to be a reliable, no-nonsense throwback of a footballer.

That’s not to say he cannot help out with attacking phases of play, though, as respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described the 22-year-old as someone blessed with an impressive “passing range and powerful carrying” ability.

Ultimately, Noble is a legend, and while West Ham aren’t going to find someone just like him, Potts looks like he could develop into the modern version of him for Nuno this season.

Related £40m West Ham flop is the biggest waste of money since Scamacca & Haller

The West Ham ace has been terrible for Nuno and Potter this season.

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Aston Villa are now among the Premier League teams monitoring Manchester United outcast ahead of potentially making a loan offer, according to a recent report.

Aston Villa chasing multiple Premier League players

Since Unai Emery joined the club, the Villans have been busy in every transfer window, and that is unlikely to change this summer, but there will be a lot of caution given the PSR problems they currently face. Villa have been quiet in the early part of the window, but that could be about to change as they hold an interest in multiple Premier League players.

Related He's scored at Villa Park: Aston Villa racing to sign "fantastic" £42m star

Only Jacob Murphy, Mohamed Salah and Anthony Elanga assisted more goals than him last season…

Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham

It was reported by TEAMtalk earlier this week that Villa are now the team to watch when it comes to who signs Jack Grealish from Manchester City. Emery is a big fan of the England international, and with Grealish being left out of City’s Club World Cup squad, he is now expected to leave the Etihad. However, they do face competition, as the likes of Newcastle United and Everton are also interested in a deal.

Villa also want to strengthen their midfield options and are in the race to sign Mikkel Damsgaard from Brentford. Several Premier League teams are interested in signing the Dane, and with Brentford valuing him at around £42 million, there could be a deal to be done.

But out of these stories, the most exciting piece of transfer news for Villa is that they are reportedly set to enter the race to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Man United, and he is not the only Old Trafford attacker on their radar.

Aston Villa monitoring Sancho loan bid

According to The Sun, Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on Jadon Sancho and are interested in a potential loan deal.

Sancho is set to return to Old Trafford after Chelsea decided not to take up the £25 million buy option they had and instead paid £5 million to end the agreement. Despite a change in manager, his situation at United hasn’t changed, as Ruben Amorim doesn’t plan on bringing him back into the fold.

Therefore, the 25-year-old is looking for a new club, and Villa, as well as Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, are all keeping an eye on his situation. The Villans are willing to strike another loan agreement with the Red Devils, following the one they did involving Marcus Rashford, but United prefer to sell Sancho on a permanent basis.

Jadon Sancho’s Premier League stats

Apps

89

Goals

12

Assists

11

It was an up-and-down spell at Stamford Bridge, as the England international scored three goals in the Premier League and a further two in the Europa Conference League, as Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca labelled Sancho a “special player” at the start of the campaign.

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“He needs to continue in the same way; work hard, every day,” Maresca told the press.

“As I’ve said before, for sure he is going to help us. We really believe that he is a special player. But the only way for him to confirm that is by working hard every day and never be happy and always be ambitious. He needs to want more and more and more.”

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly held direct talks with another Bayern Munich star recently – following their January loan deal for his Bavarian teammate Mathys Tel – and it is believed Vincent Kompany’s side are resigned to losing him this summer.

Mathys Tel impresses for Tottenham after Bayern Munich switch

In what was one of the most dramatic winter window transfer stories, Tel pulled a full U-turn on his decision to join Spurs after originally snubbing the club’s advances.

Related Tottenham manager target ready to leave club with Postecoglou sack "closer"

An update has emerged on the 59-year-old’s future.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini

Chairman Daniel Levy personally flew to Munich for sit-down talks with the 19-year-old, who initially rejected the Lilywhites and their board member’s offer to join Spurs before deadline day (Florian Plettenberg).

However, while Levy flew home empty-handed, it was under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou who apparently played a major role in helping to convince the teenager to make a move to north London.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Man United (home)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (away)

February 22nd

Man City (home)

February 26th

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

“Daniel Levy flew to Munich last week because Johan Lange feared that his meeting and presentation with Mathys Tel didn’t have the desired impact,” said L’Equipe reporter Loic Tanzi.

“After meeting with Levy, Tel communicated that he wasn’t going to join Spurs. It was as much about showing that he wouldn’t be forced into something by Bayern as it was about not being convinced by Spurs. Sunday evening, Ange Postecoglou spoke with Tel over the phone. Postecoglou put forward how he planed to use Tel, expressed how much he valued Tel’s versatility and speed, and expressed that he thought Tel could torment Premier League defences with his qualities.”

Tel pen to paper on a temporary N17 switch, which includes an option to buy for in and around £50 million, and he’s since impressed on-lookers with his enthusiasm in an otherwise dismally out-of-form side.

The Frenchman bagged his first goal for Tottenham in a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup, and according to CaughtOffside, Tel could be joined at Hotspur Way by his Bayern colleague Leroy Sané.

Tottenham hold direct talks with Leroy Sané as Bayern stance revealed

The German, who cost Kompany’s side around £55 million to sign from Man City in 2020, is set to be a free agent at the end of this season.

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Bayern, despite their best efforts to tie him down with fresh terms, have “all but given up” on trying to keep the 29-year-old – giving Spurs a golden opportunity to snap him up at zero cost.

CO write that Tottenham have held recent talks with Sane, and could hold a financial advantage over Barcelona in the race for his signature. The Lilywhites have apparently emerged as “serious contenders” for his signature, which bodes well for next term considering Sane’s obvious quality.

“Leroy is best player in the world out wide,” said Man City boss Pep Guardiola back in 2019. “I’d prefer to use him where he is strongest, he’s an incredible player.”

A major European club have opened talks with one member of Enzo Maresca’s squad at Chelsea via his representatives, as the player himself looks to quit Stamford Bridge ahead of the January transfer window.

Players who could be sold or loaned out by Chelsea

There are numerous players who could be sold or loaned out by the west Londoners in the winter transfer market.

Related Chelsea chiefs really rate £62m player but could still let him go in January

The west Londoners have a decision to make in the coming weeks.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini

Winger Mykhailo Mudryk is facing a loan spell away from Chelsea in January, with Todd Boehly and BlueCo considering whether to hand the Ukranian a temporary spell away for the benefit of his career.

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures

Date

Liverpool (away)

October 20

Newcastle (home)

October 27

Man United (away)

November 3

Arsenal (home)

November 10

Leicester City (home)

November 23

Chelsea could also part company with left-back Ben Chilwell, as Maresca deems the Englishman surplus to requirements and ready to sell. The likes of Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi have also been linked with exits recently, but one player who is repeatedly being mentioned as a candidate to leave is 20-year-old ace Carney Chukwuemeka.

AC Milan open talks with Chukwuemeka's agents as he looks to leave Chelsea

AC Milan are believed to be considering a January bid for Chukwuemeka, and journalist Simon Phillips has now provided the latest on his future.

Writing via his Substack, Phillips writes that Milan have opened new talks with Chukwuemeka’s agents ahead of January, with the ex-Aston Villa gem signed for £20 million looking to move away for game time mid-season.

It is claimed Milan are trying to convince Chukwuemeka to make a move to the San Siro in the winter, after he didn’t move there in the last transfer window.

The Englishman – who has a £40 million release clause in his deal as per Phillips, was courted by Milan in the summer, and many around his camp believed that he would actullay end up at Crystal Palace.

However, Chukwuemeka has since been confined to just one appearance in all competitions after failing to seal a Chelsea exit.

While things haven’t exactly worked out since his move from Villa in 2022 so far, past plaudits indicate exactly why the Rossoneri are so keen.

“The ultimate goal is to populate the under-23 team with 11 outstanding 16, 17 and 18-year-olds, then I will know it’s working,” said chief executive officer Christian Purslow in 2020.

“And that will take years, not months. We need to be higher in recruiting the best eight-year-old, nine-year-old, 10-year-old, 11-year-old, 12-year-old, 14, 16, one a year that makes it and gets a professional contract at 16.

“I want that player. We have one right now, probably the best 16-year-old in England, Carney Chukwuemeka. Absolutely no debate, he’s starting for the Under-23s. That’s what you want with your 16-year-olds.”

Meanwhile, ex-Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard called the £100,000-per-week midfielder a “fantastic” talent during his time in charge at Villa Park.

“The reason we put him on is because we believe in him and we trust him,” Gerrard explained.

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“He’s a fantastic talent and there’s still a lot of growth and evolving for him to do. It’s important that we give him that support and we give him the environment to keep evolving in. But you can see his profile, you can see his quality – it didn’t faze him when he came on. I know he’ll think about that chance (he missed against City) all night long because I’ve been there myself.

“We’ve had the two moments in the second half, it’s a fantastic chance for him, but he’ll learn from that and he’ll get better and have more opportunities in the future with that.

“But he’ll score many goals for Aston Villa, he’ll create many goals because he’s that type of talent. I think we showed our trust and our belief in him by calling upon him because it was a big substitution but we believed he would get that opportunity.”

As doubts over Amadou Onana's future continue, Everton have reportedly already submitted their first bid to sign a potential replacement for the Belgian ahead of the summer transfer window.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees could finally be in for some positive news off the pitch, with talks underway to extend Dominic Calvert-Lewin's contract and links beginning to appear with potential incomings, despite the fact that they remain without a takeover. Funding such moves won't be easy this summer, given their lack of investment as things stand, but that's where the potential departure of Onana should help.

The Toffees are reportedly more willing to sacrifice the midfielder in order to raise funds this summer than star defender Jarrad Branthwaite, with the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United both linked with moves for Onana this summer in a move that could be worth as much as £50m.

Though adding some crucial funds, losing Onana will still leave a gaping hole in Sean Dyche's squad and one that the Toffees must fill this summer. Starting next season with a depleted midfield would instantly leave Everton at a disadvantage, but the arrival of one target would help ease that concern.

Related Everton in talks for PL "phenomenon" who could be Branthwaite 2.0

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Posts ByEthan Lamb

According to Correio de Manha via Goodison News, Everton have submitted a £26m bid to sign Florentino Luis from Benfica this summer, but the Portuguese club are reportedly now looking for an additional £8.5m to round things up to a hefty £34.5m. Given Everton's financial position, it remains to be seen whether they'll be able to afford such a deal.

If they can, then Luis would certainly be worth the negotiations, especially if those at Goodison Park need to replace Onana in the coming months. Still just 24 years old, Luis is a Champions League player who is more than ready to step into the Premier League this summer.

"Superb" Luis can replace Onana

Everton are rarely without their critics in the transfer market, but in this instance, they would be breaking the trend to pull off some smart business by replacing Onana with Luis this summer. The Benfica man has earned praise from the likes of Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who described his work rate as "superb", sharing numbers that show all the signs that he is capable of replacing Onana.

Everton would still be making a profit by selling Onana for £50m and welcoming Luis for £34m this summer, and profit should be the keyword for the Toffees as they look to avoid further FFP sanctions.

League stats 23/24 (via FBref)

Florentino Luis

Amadou Onana

Progressive Carries

11

21

Progressive Passes

142

107

Tackles Won

45

38

Ball Recoveries

123

160

When the transfer window opens, the Benfica man will certainly be one to watch, as will Onana in a transfer saga that will undoubtedly have several moving parts.

Last summer, Chelsea paid £30m to activate the release clause in Nicolas Jackson's Villarreal contract, and committed him to an eight-year deal. While the 22-year-old still has plenty of time to improve, it's undeniably been a slow start at Stamford Bridge.

He's scored eight goals in 23 appearances in all competitions so far, and it's worth noting that three of those came late on against nine-man Spurs in a 4-1 victory in early November. The Senegalese frontman, who's currently representing his country at AFCON, has been wasteful in front of goal, ranking joint-fourth in the Premier League for big chances missed (12). Only Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin (-4.6) has undershot his xG by a bigger margin than Jackson's 3.6.

This is a big part of the reason why Chelsea are only eighth in the league for goals scored (35), despite creating the second-highest xG (41.6), and ninth in the table overall. Mauricio Pochettino will hope that a potential deal for Karim Benzema could fix the issue.

Chelsea talks over Benzema

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea have held discussions over a move for Benzema, who's currently playing his football at Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia after leaving Real Madrid last year. The Blues have been monitoring his situation in the Gulf with a view to possibly making a move.

London rivals Arsenal are also "considering a blockbuster loan deal", provided that Al-Ittihad are willing to sanction one. It remains to be seen whether the Gunners present a formal offer and whether Chelsea decide to submit a rival proposal.

Ballon d'Or winner could give Chelsea clinical touch

Journalist Zach Lowy has dubbed Benzema a "legend", and it's impossible to argue with that description. Benzema left European football with a collection of medals that would be the envy of virtually any footballer worldwide, headlined by five Champions Leagues and eight domestic titles (four in Spain with Real and four in France with Lyon).

At the individual level, meanwhile, Benzema is one of only two players not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or between 2018 and 2023, alongside former Los Blancos teammate Luka Modric, having landed the prize in 2022 on the back of Real's league and Champions League double. He put up staggering numbers of 44 goals and 15 assists in 46 games that season, so few could dispute his worthiness for the prize.

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Posts ByAlex Caple

Things have been somewhat tumultuous for Benzema so far in Saudi Arabia after reports of a dressing room spat with Nuno Espirito Santo prior to the Portuguese's sacking at Al-Ittihad. Despite that, he's maintained a strong goalscoring record, netting 12 in 20 in all competitions and nine in 15 in the league. Only six players have scored more in the Saudi top flight.

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One potential issue, especially for a club that is already in danger of breaking the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules, is Benzema's reported salary. The Frenchman apparently earns a whopping £1.65m per week in Jeddah, and even if Chelsea could convince Al-Ittihad to split that salary 50/50, it would be an extraordinary outlay. If they are able to make a deal work, though, it's clear that Benzema could provide the clinical touch Pochettino needs to salvage something from this season.