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The January transfer window is now officially open for business and Glasgow Rangers supporters may be excited to see who the club can bring before the deadline.

Mohamed Diomande and Oscar Cortes both joined on initial loans, before returning to the club this summer, and Fabio Silva signed on a short-term loan in the winter window at the start of last year.

Every signing is met with a degree of excitement, whether that is from a small or large section of the fanbase, as people can be hopeful about the impact that the player can have on the team.

One star who was heavily hyped after his move to Ibrox was central defender Filip Helander, who joined from Bologna for £3.5m in the summer of 2019.

Filip Helander compared to Premier League giant

One week after his move to Glasgow was confirmed, the Sweden international was hyped up by compatriot Robert Prytz, a former Rangers star, who compared him to Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Speaking to The Scottish Sun, the retired Swedish ace said: “He got moves there (Italy) as he’s very much a modern-day footballer who likes to build play from the back. He doesn’t just whack it 60 yards up the field.

“He’s more like Virgil van Dijk in the way he wants to pass the ball — but he’s strong and tall enough to dominate if his team is defending.”

That was a big claim from Prytz to compare him to former Celtic star Virgil van Dijk, who was once the most expensive centre-back in history after his move to Liverpool for £75m from Southampton in 2018.

The Netherlands international, who has won a Premier League and a Champions League trophy with the Reds, was a star in Scotland and earned himself a £13m transfer to the Saints from Parkhead in 2015.

How Filip Helander fared at Ibrox

Rangers, with those comments and the £3.5m fee paid, may have thought they were onto a winner with Helander, who could have been their own version of van Dijk and someone they went on to sell for a profit further down the line.

Unfortunately, that did not turn out to be the case and injuries played a significant role in his ultimate failure at Ibrox, and those issues started in his debut season.

Helander missed 23 matches with a foot injury from December 2019 to March 2020 and only made 18 appearances in all competitions, with just eight of those coming in the Scottish Premiership.

As you can see in the table below, his best season in a Gers shirt came in the 2020/21 title-winning campaign under Steven Gerrard, starting 21 of the club’s 38 matches.

Starts

21

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.4

Ground duel success rate

66%

Aerial duel success rate

70%

Clean sheets

13

Whilst the Swedish titan did not start the vast majority of the league games, Helander still played a crucial role in the games that he was available for – dominating opposition attackers on the ground and in the air.

Unfortunately, though, he only went on to play six league games in the next two seasons – missing 99 matches through knee and foot injuries between September 2021 and May 2023.

The Sweden international was then released in the summer of 2023, after just 60 appearances in four seasons, after injuries prevented him from ever being able to live up to the van Dijk comparison.

The 12 most expensive signings in Scottish Premiership history

We have taken a look at the biggest transfers in the history of the Scottish top flight, so expect Celtic and Rangers to dominate.

2 ByRoss Kilvington Dec 31, 2024

Chelsea's sale of their women's team to the club's parent company has yet to be ratified by the Premier League, a new report has claimed.

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Chelsea valued their women's side at £150mPL must rule whether value has been artificially inflatedChelsea could be sanctionedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per , the sale to BlueCo, in a deal that valued the club at £150 million ($195m), has yet to be approved by the league as being of fair market value. The report states that has yet to happen despite Chelsea reporting in their annual accounts that they made a profit of just under £200m ($258m) due to the sale.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE EXPLANATION

The Premier League could still sanction Chelsea due to PSR regulations if they deem the value of the women's team has been artificially inflated. The report quotes two financial experts, Christina Philippou and Kieran Maguire, who both claim that the women's team should have been valued at a much lower fee. Philppou estimated a maximum of £80m ($103m) for the valuation, while Maguire said a maximum of £30m ($39m). The most valuable women's team in the world is Angel City FC in the USA, which sold for £190m ($250m) in September.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Premier League have previously ratified similar sales, although they did request that Chelsea revalue two hotels that were sold to a sister company last year. They did eventually allow the sale, which, in turn, allowed Chelsea to comply with PSR.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

The Blues play Tottenham on Thursday at Stamford Bridge. The women's team are next in action on Saturday in an FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool.

Taylor Swift is Barcelona's favourite option to feature on the team's shirts for the next Clasico clash with fierce rivals Real Madrid.

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Barcelona want Swift to feature on Clasico shirtsMove would be part of club's Spotify sponsorshipNext clash with Real Madrid set for May 11Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona's sponsorship deal with music streaming service Spotify has seen artists including Coldplay, the Rolling Stones and Drake feature on the team's shirts for recent Clasico matches with Real Madrid. La Liga's biggest rivals are due to meet again in the Spanish top flight in May, with Swift emerging as Barcelona's "first choice" to feature on the shirts for the crunch clash, according to

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A deal with the American superstar has yet to be agreed but is "pending final touches". Other names have been in consideration such as Ed Sheeran and Travis Scott, but it appears that Swift is the artist that Barcelona want for the fixture. The game at Montjuic promises to be a potential title-decider as it comes in the final weeks of the season. A thrilling title race in Spain currently has Barcelona and Real Madrid locked on 60 points at the top of the table, although Hansi Flick's side do have a game in hand.

DID YOU KNOW?

Swift was named Spotify's Global Top Artist for 2024 with more than 26.6 billion global streams. It's the second year in a row she has topped Spotify's streaming charts.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA

Barcelona continue their title push on Thursday against Osasuna in La Liga. A victory for Flick's side will take the Catalans three points clear of Madrid at the top of the table.

Glasgow Rangers have shown plenty of improvement in recent weeks, which has eased the pressure on Philippe Clement.

At the end of November, it looked as though it was a matter of when, not if, he would be sacked from his position at Ibrox. Fast-forward a month later and the Gers have delivered some decent performances in both the Premiership and Europa League.

The Gers drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur, for example, taking the lead against the North Londoners, while coming so close to defending their League Cup trophy, losing on penalties to Celtic.

The next few games could make or break the Light Blues season. If they can win them all, then the gap to Celtic will close at the top of the league table. Could a title challenge be on the cards?

Several players have finally begun to showcase their true talents under the Belgian, including Hamza Igamane, who is now a key member of the squad.

Hamza Igamane’s Rangers stats

Eyebrows were raised during the summer when the Ibrox side spent £1.7m on signing Igamane from the African side AS FAR.

He was certainly a signing that looked like one for the future as Clement began to establish a player trading model at the club which could reap the benefits in the future.

Indeed, Igamane didn’t make an appearance for the Gers until a ten-minute cameo during the first Old Firm game of the season, enduring a baptism of fire in the process as the club slumped to a 3-0 defeat.

It has been in Europe where the young centre-forward has begun to prove just how important he is to Clement, scoring four goals in just four games for the club, including that wonderful effort against Spurs.

Across these four appearances, Igamane has also averaged 1.3 key passes and succeeded with 1.3 dribbles per game, indicating that he has been a major threat in Europe.

Even more impressive is the fact that Igamane is the highest-ranked player in the competition, according to FotMob with a rating of 8.18.

Recently, Everton sent scouts to monitor the player during the match against Spurs and if he keeps up these performances, especially on the continent, there will be plenty more suitors taking an interest, that’s for sure.

While it is inevitable that his future lies away from Ibrox, when the time comes, Rangers will be hoping to make a serious profit on the player. In recent weeks, his market valuation has risen.

Hamza Igamane’s market valuation

While £1.7m appeared to be a rather lavish fee for a player who had not played senior football outside of Africa before, this could soon turn into a bargain.

Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, Igamane has a current market value of £2m and this is only going to rise exponentially as time goes on.

Goals

4

2

Assists

1

0

Successful dribbles per game

1.3

0.9

Key passes per game

1.3

0.8

Shots per game

1.5

2.3

Imagine if he maintains his performance level until the end of the season. This value might end up skyrocketing which could allow Clement to cash in on the striker.

He isn’t the only player who has seen their valuation soar in recent weeks, however, as Nicolas Raskin has become one of the most valuable players in the first-team squad.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

The Rangers star who is worth more than Igamane

Michael Beale may have lasted just ten months at the helm of the Ibrox side, failing to win a trophy in the process, but he did sign Raskin for the club.

As the 2023 January transfer window was entering the dying embers, Beale was working hard to bring the then Standard Liege midfielder to Scotland in order to bolster his midfield.

In the end, he managed to secure his signature and during the second half of 2022/23, Raskin offered glimpses of his talents and it looked as though Beale had signed a player with a bright future indeed.

The 2023/24 campaign didn’t quite go to plan as Raskin suffered from a couple of injuries while failing to break into Clement’s starting XI as he preferred others at the heart of the midfield.

By the end of the season, his future at Ibrox was in doubt and when he suffered yet another injury setback during pre-season, it looked as though he was never going to live up to his full potential.

Six months later, the midfielder is arguably Rangers’ most consistent performer of late. In the Premiership, the Belgian gem has averaged a 90% pass success rate along with averaging 3.5 tackles per game and winning a staggering seven total duels per game – a success rate of 63% – which has enabled the midfielder to break down opposition attacks with ease.

His former boss at Standard, Luka Elsner, hailed Raskin during an interview with the Rangers Review, saying: “Nico is able to bring fire to a game by himself and always gives his best. For me, those are the qualities that stand out and make him some kind of special player.”

Nico Raskin’s market value in 2024

Due to his stunning displays for the Light Blues in recent weeks, his market value has increased as he is now worth more than twice the value of Igamane.

According to Transfermarkt, Raskin is now worth £5.4m and there is no doubt that this valuation will continue to rise between now and the end of the season, especially if he continues to impress.

Given how well Igamane has improved in the previous few weeks, having someone such as Raskin who is worth two times more proves that the club could certainly be onto a winner with the Belgian.

Clement now has a midfield trio which could become mainstays in the heart of the pitch, pushing the club towards glory before the end of the campaign.

Like Igamane, Raskin’s future will be away from Scotland, but if any club wishes to snap him up, they are going to have to pay a lavish transfer fee, that’s for sure.

Rangers could repeat Barisic masterclass with exciting January transfer

Rangers could make a move for a talented midfielder in January…

ByRoss Kilvington Dec 24, 2024

A win for Knight Riders, meanwhile, could spice up the remainder of the league phase

S Sudarshanan17-May-2022Big pictureKolkata Knight Riders and their opening partnership don’t really see eye to eye. They’ve already used five combinations this season, and finally managed to get their first 50-plus opening stand through Venkatesh Iyer and Ajinkya Rahane two games ago. But with Rahane ruled out of the competition, they will be forced to tweak their opening pairing yet again.Lucknow Super Giants had their opening combination pretty much decided on the day of the auction. Their average of 36.13 for the first wicket is the second-best in IPL 2022. But their batting problems start after the pair of Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul is separated.From Nos. 3 to 6, Super Giants’ batters have averaged 21.88, which is the worst of any team this season. They have attempted to use the flexibility offered by their plethora of allrounders to maximise match-ups, trying as many as nine batters – including K Gowtham, Jason Holder and Karan Sharma – at Nos. 3 and 4 alone. But it hasn’t always worked, and the middle order has turned into an area of weakness.LIVE in the USA

ESPN+ will broadcast the match in English and in Hindi.

Despite having 16 points from 13 games, Super Giants are yet to nail a playoffs spot – they are in a comfortable positions thanks to a net run-rate of 0.262 – but they’ll want to fix their batting issues to ensure they seal their spot, having fallen well short in run chases in their last two matches.Super Giants will go through if they win Wednesday’s game at the DY Patil Stadium. A win for Knight Riders, however, will add considerable spice to the final set of league-stage contests.Ajinkya Rahane has been ruled out of the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury•BCCIIn the newsA hamstring injury brought the curtains down on Rahane’s journey this season. Knight Riders could go back to B Indrajith at the top of the order alongside Venkatesh, which would be their sixth opening combination of the season.Likely XIsKolkata Knight Riders: 1 B Indrajith, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Varun ChakravarthyLucknow Super Giants: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 KL Rahul (capt), 3 Deepak Hooda, 4 Krunal Pandya, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Avesh Khan, 9 Mohsin Khan, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Dushmantha ChameeraStrategy puntKnight Riders have lost 38 wickets to short or short-of-good-length balls from fast bowlers, the most by any side in IPL 2022. Super Giants successfully exploited this weakness the last time these teams met, and could look to emulate the same plans this time. Of all batters who have faced 50 short or short-of-good-length balls from fast bowlers this season, nine have scored less than seven runs an over against those lengths, and three of them – Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana – play for Knight Riders.Stats that matter Among fast bowlers to have bowled at least 15 overs in IPL 2022, Mohsin Khan (6.1), Umesh Yadav (6.9) and Tim Southee (7.0) have been the most economical. Rahul has scored only 101 runs in Super Giants’ last five games, at an average of 20.20 and a strike rate of 104.12. In his first eight games of the season, he had scored 368 runs at 61.33 and 147.79. Super Giants’ run-rate of 11.30 at the death is the best of any teamin IPL 2022, while Knight Riders are at the bottom of that list at 9.82.

After his appointment last month, Ruben Amorim is the latest Manchester United manager tasked with ending the club’s decade wait for a Premier League title.

The Red Devils haven’t finished top of the table since Sir Alex Ferguson’s final campaign at the helm way back in 2012/13 – an unthinkable time period given their success under the Scotsman.

Various managers such as David Moyes, José Mourinho, and Louis van Gaal have all tried to fill the void at Old Trafford, winning multiple cup competitions but failing to secure the biggest trophy in English football.

Such a responsibility now falls to the 39-year-old, but he will need time to get his ideas across to the first-team if they are to be a success during his tenure in the North West.

There’s no denying that the side is glittered with stars, but he may wish that the hierarchy decided to keep numerous players who would’ve aided his attempts for success at the Theatre of Dreams.

Manchester United’s departures in the summer of 2024

The transfer window of the summer just gone would be Erik ten Hag’s last as United boss before his dismissal at the end of October.

During such a period, he offloaded various players, including academy graduate Scott McTominay, who ended his 22-year affiliation with the club, joining Napoli for £25m.

The Scottish international has wasted no time in impressing in Serie A, scoring three times in his first 12 outings, potentially seeing his former employers regret their decision, having the quality at both ends of the pitch – something which Amorim could have loved.

Jadon Sancho is another who was forced out the door, after the relationship between him and Ten Hag became untenable after a bust-up between the pair during the 2023/24 season.

He subsequently joined Premier League rivals Chelsea on loan with an obligation to buy, registering six goal contributions in his first 10 matches for the Blues, following in McTominay’s footsteps in making the Red Devils regret their decision.

However, it was the permanent sale of one player that appeared to be the biggest blunder, with his ability undoubtedly making him the ideal fit for Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

The former United ace who has outscored Amad in the Premier League

Ivorian star Amad Diallo has been one of the players to thrive in a new role under the new boss, switching from his attacking role to a more defensive wing-back position.

However, he’s still managed to notch four assists in his four starts since the arrival of the former Portuguese international, but failing to score, with his Premier League tally for the season sitting at just one.

Such a figure has seen former United full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka outscore him after his summer move to West Ham United for just £15m.

The 27-year-old has scored twice in his first 14 outings for Julen Lopetegui’s side, often being the shining light within the Hammers side despite their dismal start to the ongoing season.

Wan-Bissaka, who’s previously been dubbed as “one of the best defensive right-backs” by Mark Goldbridge, has thrived since his move, able to showcase his talents at both ends of the pitch with regular game time – something he wasn’t getting at United.

Games played

14

Goals scored

2

Pass accuracy

83%

Successful dribbles

22

Tackle success rate

73%

Duels won

62

Recoveries

64

The Red Devils paid £50m for his services in the summer of 2019, losing £35m on their mammoth investment, potentially going down as another player who they offloaded way too prematurely.

His tally of goals from the current campaign has already seen him match his record at Old Trafford, doing so in 175 fewer matches, looking more of a threat going forward, which was often his biggest concern in Manchester.

His defensive quality, given his impressive tackle success rate, could have made him a great option as part of Amorim’s back three, but unfortunately, it’s another case of what could’ve been had they kept hold of the Englishman.

However, their loss is West Ham’s gain, with Lopetegui now having a hugely talented player at his disposal after the Red Devils’ blunder in allowing him to leave.

Bigger mistake than Zirkzee: Ashworth messed up offloading £25m Man Utd ace

Former Manchester United Sporting Director Dan Ashworth made some huge calls in the role.

1 ByEthan Lamb Dec 14, 2024

The Vince cover drive, so often a double-edged sword, was in glorious working order

Alan Gardner22-Apr-2022The breeziest of hundreds from James Vince helped grease the wheels for Hampshire on a chilly afternoon in Canterbury, the visitors pushing into a first-innings lead with alacrity after wrapping up Kent inside the first hour of day two. The Vince cover drive, so often a double-edged sword, was shown to be in glorious working order as Hampshire’s captain brought up his first Championship hundred since making 231 at Grace Road in the first round of last year’s competition.These are times of flux in English cricket, and while it is more than four years since Vince’s last Test appearance, he has nevertheless been mentioned in dispatches as a potential captaincy option in the wake of Joe Root’s resignation last week. Though he seems destined to go down as an unfulfilled talent at the highest level, Vince did prove a point when scoring a maiden England hundred against Pakistan in last summer’s ODI series; he is an experienced leader, in good form – this was his third 50-plus score in four innings – and perhaps, as former Kent captain David Fulton suggested on commentary for the livestream, more at ease with his game than during previous assignations.Ben Stokes is, of course, favourite to be offered the job by Rob Key, England’s new managing director of men’s cricket, and Vince would probably be behind a number of younger candidates to bat in the middle order. But watching Vince in full flow is wont to make the dreamers dream.Related

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There are not many more swoon-inducing batters on the county circuit, and Vince’s full repertoire was on display during an innings that gambolled along at pretty much a run a ball throughout. He was involved in substantial stands for the third and fourth wickets alongside Nick Gubbins and Liam Dawson, with scoring rates of 4.91 and 4.96 respectively, which set the tempo for a confident reply to Kent’s first-innings total of 305.Daniel Bell-Drummond, Kent’s centurion on day one, had admitted the feeling in the dressing room was “pretty mixed” after they had reached 271 for 7 at the close, and the sense that they had passed up the chance to post a really significant score deepened throughout Vince’s time at the crease. Although he fell shortly after reaching three figures, visibly aghast at steering tamely to slip off Nathan Gilchrist, Dawson proceeded past fifty at a good clip and was joined by Ben Brown in adding another, unbroken partnership before bad light took the players off early.The wicket of Hampshire opener Ian Holland brought Vince to the crease, and he was quickly into his stride on a true surface, picking off Darren Stevens for three boundaries inside his first 15 balls. Gubbins elected to follow the skipper’s lead, and Kent were made to chase leather through a 20-over period in which the Hampshire pair scored 22 boundaries and took the total on by more than 100.Nick Gubbins drives during a productive third-wicket stand•Getty ImagesVince was the first to raise fifty, from 48 balls with ten crisply struck fours; five of them coming during a costly two-over spell from Jackson Bird, Kent’s Australian seamer. Gubbins, though crabbier in aspect and slightly less secure – he slashed Gilchrist over the cordon on 10 and got away with an edge that didn’t carry, off Matt Milnes, on 33 – unfurled several good-looking strokes of his own, and brought up a 77-ball half-century with a whip through midwicket. His was the only wicket to fall, well caught by a diving Jordan Cox at slip after pushing forward at Gilchrist, as Hampshire rattled the score on by 172 runs between lunch and tea.Vince had 82 from 87 at that stage, having eased off a touch while Dawson took up the cudgels. Kent’s problems were exacerbated when Bird left the field after another two-over spell – which this time included being hooked for six by Dawson – and Ollie Robinson was forced to turn to Bell-Drummond’s gentle seam-ups. Vince duly pulled a leg-side long hop for four, then produced possibly his only ungainly stroke in hacking Stevens through backward point, before a nudged single brought up his century, from 99 balls. Barring a couple of inside-edges that could, on another day, have disturbed his stumps, it was a chanceless knock.Gilchrist was the standout bowler for Kent, claiming three of the four wickets to go down, but there was little assistance from either the surface or the conditions, despite persistent cloud cover. Only Milnes, who made the opening breakthrough when he had Joe Weatherley caught behind looking to drive, and offspinner Hamidullah Qadri, managed to go at less than four an over.The morning session was notable for Hampshire completing a fine comeback with the second new ball that saw them whistle out the last seven Kent wickets for just 66 runs, in the wake of Bell-Drummond’s 149. Keith Barker picked up two more, including his 100th first-class wicket for Hampshire, to finish with figures of 24-10-53-6 – an illustration of the high standards that the Kent attack were subsequently unable to match.

Forgotten Chelsea man Omari Kellyman has confirmed his season has come to a premature end due to another hamstring injury.

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Kellyman signed from Aston Villa last summerHas yet to make Chelsea debut due to injuriesNew setback means he's out for the seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea signed Kellyman from Aston Villa in June 2024 in a deal worth £19 million ($24m/€22m) but the 19-year-old will have to wait until next season now to make his debut for the Blues. Kellyman's campaign has been plagued by injury and he's now confirmed he's suffered another setback which means he won't be able to play again until the 2025-26 campaign.

AdvertisementWHAT KELLYMAN SAID

He wrote on Instagram: "Beyond gutted to say that this season has come to an early end for me due to a reinjury of my hamstring, despite only just returning after having hamstring issues for a massive part of this season. 24/25 has been a tough season for me mentally and physically due to injury but it’s important now that I take time to get this right and come out the other side stronger and better ready for what next season brings."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Kellyman joined Chelsea after making just six first-team appearances for Aston Villa and was handed a six-year contract by the Blues. However, he's gone on to endure a nightmare first season in west London due to physical issues and joins a lengthy injury list at Stamford Bridge that also includes Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Marc Guiu.

(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT

Kellyman's focus will now be on recovering from his latest injury in time to be ready for the start of next season. The teenager was linked with a loan move away from Chelsea in January and that may become an option again in the summer in order for him to enjoy regular football after almost a year on the sidelines.

After Todd Boehly’s takeover of Chelsea back in May 2022, no one could have predicted the massive influx of transfers that would take place at Stamford Bridge.

The American purchased the club from Roman Abramovich for a reported £4.25bn, but despite the huge acquisition to buy the Blues, he’s since invested a whole heap of cash into the playing squad.

Nearly three years on since he arrived in London, Boehly has spent around £1.2bn on new talents, investing for the present whilst also keeping one eye on the future.

Somehow, the club have avoided any punishment from the Premier League for breaking PSR or FFP – an unthinkable situation given the funds they have spent in recent times.

With such an array of transfers made, it’s obvious that some were going to fail to live up to expectations, but there are numerous who have caught the eye since their move to the Bridge.

Some of Chelsea’s best signings of the Boehly era

Striker Nicolas Jackson was a player who came under fire during last season under the former management regime despite scoring 14 Premier League goals.

However, since Enzo Maresca’s appointment during the summer, the Senegalese has taken his game to the next level – starring in front of goal.

The 23-year-old has already found the back of the net eight times in his opening 13 matches, sitting as joint top scorer in the league alongside Cole Palmer with a third of the season already complete.

Moises Caicedo arrived in West London with huge expectations after his £115m transfer from Brighton – a deal that broke the record for being the most expensive in English football.

However, he’s already made 63 appearances, scoring twice, including a phenomenal long-range effort against Bournemouth towards the back end of the season.

The price tag would’ve played on the mind of the 23-year-old, but he’s proven to be worth every penny of the fee paid for his services, but the same can’t be said for one of his current teammates.

Todd Boehly's worst transfers at Chelsea… so far

There are plenty to choose from, but who has been Boehly’s biggest mistake at Stamford Bridge?

2 ByStephan Georgiou Aug 23, 2024 The high-earning Chelsea player who Maresca needs to sell

After his summer arrival, boss Maresca has already created a settled side, as demonstrated by their current league standing, which sees them sit third and level on points with second-placed Arsenal.

His arrival has allowed for a fresh start for numerous players, including left-back Marc Cucurella, who has nailed down the position in recent months, featuring in 12 of the 13 Premier League games this campaign.

Other players have not been so lucky, including central defender Benoit Badiashile, starting just one league meeting to date, featuring for a combined 157 minutes.

However, the Frenchman arrived with high hopes after his £35m transfer from Monaco back in January 2023, but he’s only made 44 appearances since his big-money deal, finding himself down the pecking order this season.

Badiashile, who earns £90k-per-week at the Bridge, has mainly been restricted to Europa Conference League appearances this campaign, not at the level required for Maresca given his lack of league action.

1) Levi Colwill

1169

2) Wesley Fofana

1017

3) Marc Cucurella

919

4) Malo Gusto

733

5) Reece James

241

6) Tosin

172

7) Benoit Badiashile

157

8) Axel Disasi

95

9) Ben Chilwell

0

He still has plenty of time on his side given his tender age of just 23, but it’s safe to say that the move hasn’t worked out, especially after owner Boehly was “delighted” to secure his services nearly two years ago.

Given his £35m fee, the defender has currently cost the club £800k per appearance he’s made, a huge amount given his lack of impact in recent months.

His hefty wage, unfortunately, doesn’t reflect his game time since the appointment of the Italian, with a transfer away from the Blues potentially needed to kickstart a career which has become rather “dreadful” at Stamford Bridge in the words of pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.

There’s no way given his recent form, that the hierarchy would be able to make a profit, potentially taking a massive hit on their investment, but giving him the opportunity to resurrect his once-promising career.

Their answer to Odegaard: Chelsea keen on signing "world-class" £42m star

Chelsea could be about to make a move for a huge European talent.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2024

Xabi Alonso has urged Bayer Leverkusen to channel Liverpool's 'Miracle of Istanbul' after racking up a three-goal deficit against Bayern Munich.

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Leverkusen lose 3-0 in first leg against BayernAlonso urges side to channel 'Miracle of Istanbul'Liverpool came back from 3-0 half-time deficit in 2005Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayer Leverkusen have had Bayern Munich's number over the last season and a half, with the Bavarians not beating Die Werkself since September 2022; however, as the two sides faced off in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 on Wednesday, Vincent Kompany's side blew the visitors away with a 3-0 win thanks to a Harry Kane brace on either side of Jamal Musiala's strike.

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In the Champions League, a team has only come back from a three or more goal deficit from the first-leg on four occasions. As such, Alonso has urged his players to channel Liverpool's 'Miracle of Istanbul' when the Reds, who featured Alonso as a player, had come back from a three-goal deficit against AC Milan during the 2005 Champions League final.

GettyWHAT ALONSO SAID

Speaking to the media, Alonso said when asked about using the 'Miracle of Istanbul' as inspiration: "Absolutely. It will take time to analyse and go through this result because we have been beaten well. Everything went against us because of us.

"But it is not over until it is over and, as you said, anything can happen. The mindset has to be that and if there is a chance, we will fight for it. We have to fight back. We will learn from this and believe in our return leg. We don't give up so easily. Three goals? You never know. One goal can change anything."

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WHAT NEXT FOR BAYER LEVERKUSEN?

Die Werkself will now prepare for their Bundesliga clash against Werder Bremen before they get set to host Bayern Munich at BayArena on Tuesday, March 11, as they look to come back in supreme fashion to keep their Champions League dream alive.