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Chelsea are set for further talks with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino alongside Julian Nagelsmann, according to journalist Matt Law.

What's the latest Chelsea manager news?

The west Londoners are now officially out of the Champions League, putting an end to their Premier League season and now ruling out the chance of any silverware.

Chelsea and co-owner Todd Boehly's focus is now surely on finding their successor to Graham Potter, with the Englishman sacked over a fortnight ago after a lacklustre campaign.

The search for his replacement is well and truly on with their being links to a variety of elite coaches – varying from Nagelsmann and Pochettino to Jose Mourinho or Luciano Spalletti.

Boehly's first full season overseeing the west London side has been disappointing to say the least, and whoever the American tycoon appoints next will be pivotal in taking Chelsea forward as a football club.

Now, as per a report by reliable reporter Law in The Telegraph, there has been an update on the matter. According to his sources, former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is now an outside contender for the role despite being interviewed and holding talks.

As Chelsea begin the next phase in their manager search, a new round of talks is set to take place with both Nagelsmann and Pochettino. The Argentine has already 'impressed' Boehly and Behdad Eghbali before they even appointed Potter, and Pochettino is still well in contention alongside Nagelsmann.

This comes after initial contact has already been made with the South American with Stamford Bridge sources insisting Nagelsmann is not the firm favourite.

Should Chelsea hire Pochettino?

The ex-Tottenham and Southampton manager has key experience working on a shoe-string Premier League budget – being praised for his work in doing so.

Spurs pundit Jamie O'Hara branded the tactician 'world class' for operating within financial limits but still managing to guide his former club to a Champions League final in 2019.

Having won trophies in Ligue 1 with PSG before leaving last year, Pochettino's credentials for the Chelsea post have only strengthened since his time at Spurs.

Indeed, the ex-Espanyol boss should certainly be considered a viable candidate to replace Potter at Chelsea, not least because of his brand of entertaining, attack-minded football.

The 4-3-3 attacking man could bring back a level of excitement on the pitch and most certainly has an abundance of quality players to work with.

It is no real secret that Liverpool will be in need of midfield reinforcements this summer, particularly with the likes of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all coming toward the end of their respective deals.

One man that has seemingly been identified by the Anfield hierarchy as a possible target to strengthen in the centre of the park is Chelsea playmaker, Mason Mount, with the England international facing an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge with just over a year left to run on his existing deal.

As per The Athletic, the Merseysiders are said to be among the frontrunners within the Premier League for the 24-year-old's signature, with the report suggesting that 'significant conversations' have already taken place regarding a potential swoop.

The piece adds that the Blues would look to sell this summer if there looks to be no chance of the player agreeing to an extension, albeit with the west Londoners still set to demand around £70m for the 36-cap dynamo, despite that expiring contract.

Would Mount be a good signing for Liverpool?

Although Mount has endured a frustrating campaign amid the ongoing turbulence at his current side – having provided just three goals and six assists in all competitions this season – the one-time Derby County loanee remains arguably a "generational" talent, as per journalist Benjamin Lynch, with it set to be a notable coup if the Reds can pull off a deal this summer.

Dubbed a "huge player for Chelsea" by interim boss Frank Lampard, the versatile playmaker – who can feature in a central midfield berth or on the flanks – would certainly represent something of a loss to the Blues were he to depart at the end of the season, having racked up 70 goal involvements in 195 games for the club to date, including a vital assist in the Champions League final triumph over Manchester City in 2021.

There would likely be real glee among those at Anfield to be able to pluck such a key figure from their top-flight rivals, having previously seen their own star men be tempted by moves to the capital.

As the club legend has himself admitted, Steven Gerrard was believed to be considering a switch to Stamford Bridge during Jose Mourinho's first spell in charge, while perhaps more notably, the Merseysiders saw striking sensation Fernando Torres snapped up by the west Londoners on a £50m deal in January 2011.

The loss of a player who had scored 81 goals in just 142 games for the club undoubtedly stung as far as Liverpool supporters were concerned, particularly when having to see the Spaniard line up for a top-flight foe.

While Torres' subsequent woes following that switch may have eased the frustration surrounding his departure – as the former Atletico Madrid ace scored just 45 goals in 172 games in his new home – it will have still irked the Anfield crowd to see one of their leading men seek out pastures new at a Premier League rival.

As such, current boss Jurgen Klopp could well avenge that previous sale by snapping up Mount from Todd Boehly's grasp in the near future, helping to give Chelsea a taste of their own medicine for a change.

Everton had their four-game unbeaten run destroyed on their visit to Old Trafford in their Premier League clash with Manchester United, and Sean Dyche will be disappointed with the result as the pressure mounts on avoiding relegation.

The Toffees could fall back into the drop zone later this afternoon as a number of their rivals are in action this weekend, so it will be out of their hands as to whether they will keep their head above water or fall into deeper trouble before their next game.

Dyche opted for a change in formation against the Red Devils, deploying a 4-4-2 system instead of the successful 4-1-4-1 used in the draw against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week, and it massively back-fired with the Everton defence completely smothered by their hosts' attacking threat.

Everton failed to dominate any area of the pitch with just 36% possession, fewer shots on target (1 v 11) and fewer big chances created (1 v 8). Meanwhile, they completed 300 fewer accurate passes (233 v 533) and lost possession on more occasions (130 v 129), suggesting that the 2-0 defeat could have been much worse if United had been more clinical in front of goal (stats via Sofascore).

In the first half, the Toffees had only Jordan Pickford to thank for staying in the game as long as they did, as Erik ten Hag's side ran riot in the channels, which led to a whopping 21 shots against them as Scott McTominay eventually broke the stalemate with a goal in the 36th minute.

Dyche made a crucial change at half-time with Vitaliy Mykolenko replacing Ben Godfrey on the left flank after he struggled to keep up with Antony throughout the opening 45 minutes.

However, it wasn't the left side that the Everton boss had to worry about in the second half, as Seamus Coleman had an absolute howler which led to Anthony Martial's 71st-minute strike to kill the game.

How did Seamus Coleman get on vs Manchester United?

The Everton club captain has been a consistent feature in the team since Nathan Patterson suffered an injury earlier in the season and has become a trusted player since Dyche's arrival at Goodison Park in January.

However, today's display will be one the experienced £55k-per-week Irishman will want to forget about in a hurry, as his lack of concentration was severely punished and ultimately cost Everton the opportunity to get back into the game in the dying minutes of the clash.

Over his 87-minute performance, Coleman lost possession of the ball 17 times, failed to win any of his aerial duels and completed just 24 accurate passes, with 33% of his pass attempts misplaced – and made the horrendous error that led to Martial's goal.

Manchester Evening News' chief correspondent for Manchester United, Samuel Luckhurst, took to Twitter to make a scathing statement about Coleman's mistake:

"Not the first time Seamus Coleman has crumbled with Anthony Martial near him. Easy goal that should kill the contest."

Indeed, it was a costly mistake, but we think there will is little doubt that Dyche will continue to put his trust in the right-back over the remainder of the season, as his experience at the club will continue to be a valuable asset to Everton in their fight for survival.

Leeds United have long had a problem at left-back, with Junior Firpo failing to live up to expectations following his arrival from Barcelona in 2021.

However, Javi Gracia may already have a replacement for the struggling Spaniard in 19-year-old talent, Leo Hjelde, who has established himself as a regular at Rotherham on loan in the Championship.

Who is Leo Hjelde?

Leeds would sign the promising defender from Celtic in the summer of 2021 just a day after his 18th birthday, despite him never making a first-team appearance during his time with the Hoops.

He did impress in a loan spell at Ross County, however, contributing one goal in 12 appearances for the Scottish side, with manager John Hughes dubbing him a "massive talent" and suggesting that he has what it takes to follow in the footsteps of Virgil van Dijk, who made a name for himself at Celtic before becoming "the best centre-half of all time" – in the words of Michael Owen – at Liverpool.

Having become a mainstay in Leeds' U21 side, the versatile defender earned his first senior appearances in the FA Cup and Premier League last season and featured twice in the EFL Cup in this campaign before heading out on loan in January, joining Rotherham United.

There, he has featured nine times this season, averaging a solid if unspectacular 6.61 rating from WhoScored for his performances in Matt Taylor's side, as they aim to avoid relegation from the second tier.

Despite it being his first real taste of senior football in England, that is a better rating than 26-year-old Firpo has managed (6.52) in the Premier League this season, while the youngster has also contributed more at both ends of the pitch.

Indeed, he has made more interceptions (1.9 vs 1.3), clearances (2.1 vs one) and shots (0.6 vs 0.1) per league fixture.

The former Barcelona man has achieved above a 7/10 rating from WhoScored just once so far this season when he scored the only goal in the 1-0 win against Southampton, which suggests that he is nowhere near consistent enough to be a regular.

The January arrival of Max Wober, combined with the recent return of Pascal Struijk, will hopefully see Firpo's game time limited for the remainder of the season, as he is clearly a defensive "liability" – as per journalist David Anderson – with no player at Elland Road dribbled past more so far this campaign.

Therefore, if he does become a bit-part player in Gracia's squad, it would surely be worth promoting Hjelde in his place, as he looks to have far more potential and defensive ability than Firpo.

Tottenham Hotspur may have seen a new potential managerial candidate emerge over the last hours in Julian Nagelsmann following his sacking from Bayern Munich.

Could Nagelsmann replace Conte?

The future of Antonio Conte at Spurs is still seemingly hanging in the balance with some reports suggesting there were discussions taking place over a compensation package to see him leave.

And a new twist in the Spurs managerial debacle may have emerged on Thursday night when it was reported that the 35-year-old had been relieved of his duties by the Bundesliga giants.

Speaking on the House of Champions YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed this is a name that we should keep an eye on with Spurs potentially looking for a new coach:

"'It's a situation to watch. As you mentioned with Tottenham, we have to see what happens, because as of today [Thursday] they didn't have any kind of conversation with Nagelsmann and they are still trying to understand how to proceed. But [Thomas] Tuchel was one of the possibilities in their list.

"I think we have to keep an eye on him. If not in the next weeks, for sure at the end of the season. And for the new season, the 23/24 season, he's going to be one of the big names around, so one to watch for sure."

Should Spurs appoint Nagelsmann?

The young manager could certainly offer someone with one eye on the future given his experience despite still only being 35 years old.

Nagelsmann has already managed two of Germany's biggest sides in Bayern and RB Leipzig, winning multiple trophies along the way.

However, it seems the reigning Bundesliga champions were keen to bring in a manager who had even more experience at the top end of the game in Thomas Tuchel, with Bayern currently sitting in second spot.

In comparison to Tottenham's current manager, Nagelsmann has shown versatility in his willingness to change the formation of his side throughout the season.

Despite Spurs struggling in large part of the 2022/23 campaign, Conte has stuck with his three-at-the-back system, which has seen Tottenham fail to win any of their last five away games.

Yet with Nagelsmann, the £134k-per-week German has been willing to change between a three and four-man defence, which is something that could potentially benefit the north London side (via Transfermarkt).

High intensity is something which this Spurs side has not really seen under Conte and is something which could prove a big boost for both the players and the fans if Nagelsmann was able to implement his style before the end of the season.

However, it will be interesting to see whether the 35-year-old is willing to immediately hop into another job on the back of losing an important role at one of the world's biggest clubs.

With 10 games of the Premier League season remaining, he could be tempted to wait until the summer to make a decision on his future.

That being said, there has been no indication at all whether the job in north London would even appeal to him.

While the international break is still in full swing, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will already have one eye on the return to club action this weekend, with the Red Devils set to take on top-four rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.

The major selection headache at present for the Dutchman, ahead of the trip to St James' Park, will be the enforced absence of influential midfielder, Casemiro, with the Brazilian still having three games left to serve of his four-game ban after being dismissed in the most recent league meeting against Southampton.

The loss of the 31-year-old will come as a notable blow for United such has been the £70m man's impact in recent times, having been hailed as the "glue" in the side by club legend Rio Ferdinand due to his undoubted importance.

Although there is an argument that the former Ajax boss could look to fill that void by pushing usual centre-back Lisandro Martinez further forward, there are other members of the squad who could also be pushing for a role.

Academy graduate Scott McTominay will likely be hoping he has staked a claim for selection after netting twice off the bench in Scotland's 3-0 win over Cyprus on Saturday, with that clinical double proving vital in getting Steve Clarke's men off to a perfect start in their Euro 2024 qualification campaign.

That being said, however, the fact that the 26-year-old wasn't even selected from the start for his country should be something of a warning sign to Ten Hag, with the 6 foot 4 man – who has been linked with a move to Newcastle this summer – having also been hooked early in the second half during the FA Cup triumph over Fulham last time out.

Instead of looking to the Lancaster-born colossus as the answer to the Casemiro problem, United could be wise to hand a chance to January arrival Marcel Sabitzer in that deep-lying role, with the Austria international having also thrived for his country in recent days.

Should Sabitzer start for Man United?

The on-loan maestro scored twice and registered an assist for Ralf Rangnick's men in what was a thumping win over Azerbaijan on Friday evening, with the 29-year-old recording a monstrous 10/10 match rating, as per Sofascore, after also laying on three key passes and creating two big chances on the day.

Although that creative prowess may ensure that Sabitzer is better suited to a more advanced role, the Bayern Munich man could replicate the forward-thinking and progressive approach that Casemiro has taken on in his defensive-minded berth this season, with the latter man having created five big chances in the league this term.

Equally, while the former Real Madrid ace has been an effective screen in front of the back four this season as he ranks in the top 6% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for tackles made, Sabitzer also possesses the credentials to mirror that destructive style, as the 5 foot 10 gem actually ranks in the top 5% for that same metric.

A player who can seemingly make an impact at both ends of the pitch, the recent, temporary addition notably bagged his first goal for the club against the Cottagers just over a week ago, with that hopefully the first of many in a United shirt.

With recent reports claiming that the £13m-rated ace would be "happy" to stay in Manchester beyond the end of the season, the upcoming top-flight fixtures should allow him the chance to prove why he would warrant a permanent deal.

The exciting playmaker does appear to have been carrying something of a knee problem of late, although the aforementioned Rangnick does appear to be "optimistic" regarding the extent of the injury, ensuring that Sabitzer could still be in line to feature against the Magpies.

If the one-time RB Leipzig star – who has been branded a "monster" by Statman Dave this season – can showcase his ability to ease the loss of Casemiro, then such flexibility and versatility may well only enhance his chances of being snapped up for the long term by Ten Hag and co.

Celtic are open to offers for forward Liel Abada with an approach already being plotted this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Abada scouted in January

The Hoops winger only made the move to the Scottish Premiership back in 2021 so isn’t out of contract until 2026, but being Ange Postecoglou’s second top-performing offensive player, has been generating interest.

The Athletic report that Southampton have identified the 21-year-old as an ideal target having sent scouts to watch him in January, with a view to making their move at the end of the season.

Maccabi Petah Tikva president Avi Luzon, the player’s former club, recently admitted that he thinks the Israel international will leave Parkhead at the next available opportunity. He said:

“I believe he will be sold in the summer to the Premier League. There were talks already in the last window, but he didn’t want to be sold.

“They offered him a contract extension and I know he didn’t agree, because he wants to be sold. I don’t know the names of teams, but there are offers and I believe at a probability level of over 90% that he will move to the Premier League in the summer.”

The Latest: Saints plotting approach

According to the Daily Mail (via the Southern Daily Echo), Southampton are ‘ready to pounce’ for Abada following a ‘breakdown’ in talks to extend his stay at Celtic.

The St. Mary’s outfit are claimed to be ‘long-term admirers’ of their target and are ‘likely’ to try their luck ahead of the new term.

It’s stated that a fee of £10m would be ‘enough to tempt’ the Bhoys into sanctioning a sale with the boss having already committed to using transfer funds to invest further into his squad.

The Verdict: Don’t let him go

Abada won the Best Young Player award in the Scottish Premiership in 2022 and considering the positive impact he makes, it’s important that Celtic don’t let him leave in the summer.

The Hoops attacker has posted 15 goal contributions in 29 league outings so far this season and he’s currently averaging 3.55 shots per game, form which has seen him receive three man-of-the-match awards.

The Petah Tikva native is also comfortable playing out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside up front, making him an extremely useful option to have in the building.

Abada has been dubbed a ‘dangerous’ player by journalist Josh Bunting and even the thought of losing him is a huge blow.

ESPN reporter Moisés Llorens has now made a major Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving manager Antonio Conte with a development expected ‘in the next days’.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new defender…

As widely reported, it is said that a world class central defender is on Conte’s agenda among other positions after the north Londoners sealed an agreement for Premier League star Yves Bissouma (The Evening Standard).

A new right-wing-back and forward are also believed to be priority but club chief Fabio Paratici seems to be working pretty hard on the central defensive signing particularly.

GiveMeSport recently lifted the lid on Tottenham’s long list of targets for the role, including Alessandro Bastoni, Josko Gvardiol, Pau Torres, Marc Guehi, Gleison Bremer and Stefan De Vrij.

The Latest: ESPN reporter makes major claim involving Conte…

Indeed, a major update has come to light involving another defensive Conte target.

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ESPN claim that Spurs talks are ongoing to sign Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet as they eye a temporary deal.

Their reporter Llorens, sharing news on Twitter, says the Frenchman has ‘doubts’ so Conte will personally speak with him ‘in the next days’ to convince Lenglet to join.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The £170,000-per-week defender, we believe, should come as a last resort.

Targets like Torres and Bremer arguably come with more quality as the former is called a potentially ‘perfect’ Spurs signing while the latter has been branded an ’emerging superstar’.

Lenglet, meanwhile, struggled for regular starts at the Camp Nou over 2021/2022 and we believe Paratici should first set his sights higher before attempting a loan.

Liverpool are set to make a move for FC Porto winger Otavio in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer rumour which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Otavio impresses for Porto

The 27-year-old has become a key player for Porto over the years, catching the eye with his performances on the right wing and racking up 237 games for the club.

Otavio registered 11 assists in 32 Primeira Liga appearances last season, also chipping in with three goals for good measure, as he consistently excelled in the final third.

It could be that the winger leaves Porto this summer, though, and Liverpool have emerged as candidates to sign him.

The Latest: Liverpool linked with Otavio

According to The Mirror, the Reds will ‘firm up their interest’ in Otavio in the coming days after Leeds United saw a £26m bid for him rejected.

Liverpool will reportedly table a £34m offer for the Portugal international this week, with his release clause currently £51m, and his agent Israel Oliveira is currently in England trying to secure a transfer for his client.

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The Verdict: Good for squad depth

While Otavio probably wouldn’t come in as a guaranteed starter at Anfield, considering that the mercurial Mohamed Salah would take up the right-sided attacking role ahead of him, he could be a great squad option.

The exits of Sadio Mane, Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino will make Liverpool’s attacking options far more threadbare, so one new face could be ideal in that respect.

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Otavio has the quality and end product to thrive for this Reds team – he has been hailed as ‘phenomenal’ by journalist Alex Goncalves and has chipped in with 86 goal contributions for Porto – and as long they don’t end up paying over the odds for him, he could be a very shrewd addition at Anfield.

West Ham United transfer target Youssef En-Nesyri could be made available by Sevilla this summer, according to ‘noises’ from the Spanish club.

The Lowdown: Hammers’ interest

The 25-year-old first came onto the Irons’ radar 12 months ago when manager David Moyes began looking to add depth to his front line as competition for lone striker Michail Antonio.

According to the Daily Mail, the Hammers also had a £27m bid turned down for the attacker in January, and it is now reported that the East London club are expected to revive their interest in the La Liga target man this summer.

The Latest: Brown’s claim

Brown has revealed that Sevilla now seem willing to sell En-Nesyri this summer, although this may not be a great sign for West Ham.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:

“I think Moyes is looking for someone reliable in that position, and I think there’d be question marks now over En-Nesyri.

“His club seem more willing to sell the player now, and his asking price has clearly dropped because the noises coming from his club are that they would accept the offer they turned down from West Ham.

“And that’s probably not a great sign really for West Ham in terms of how good the player is rated now.”

The Verdict: Poor form…

In the Spanish top-flight this season, the Morocco international netted just five goals, down from his impressive 18 in the previous campaign (via Transfermarkt).

When compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 25-year-old disappointingly ranks in the 23rd percentile for non-penalty goals and in the 19th percentile for assists (via FB Ref).

These stats illustrate a poor turn in form for En-Nesyri, who was once highly rated across Europe.

Therefore, if Moyes can get him back firing like his old self, this could be a good transfer for the Hammers, but as it is, it seems like the East London side have missed the boat on this arrival.

In other news: Dharmesh Sheth shares Alphonse Areola update on live TV