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Romeo Lavia has been a revelation for Southampton since signing from Premier League champions Manchester City in a £14m deal in the summer, subsequently earning £50m interest in his services from Chelsea back in January.

Indeed, the 19-year-old midfielder was granted a departure from Manchester following Pep Guardiola's acquisition of former Leeds United powerhouse Kalvin Phillips for £45m, with the young Belgian swiftly asserting himself as one of Saints' most coveted items, flourishing despite the tumult of the relegation-threatened campaign.

Interest in the 19-year-old has indeed been intense, and action could be taken from the swirling shark tank of suitors regardless of whether Southampton preserve their top-flight status at the end of the campaign, with Arsenal now considering a swoop.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea and City are joined by Manchester United and Mikel Arteta's north London outfit in pursuing a move, with Lavia fitting the profile of a first-rate midfielder capable of flourishing among Europe's elite.

The report states that the gem 'ticks a lot of boxes' for Arsenal, who might look to act upon their intrigue before Man City's £40m buyback option activates in the summer of 2024.

Should Arsenal sign Romeo Lavia?

The Premier League table-toppers have made remarkable progress this season under their Spanish manager's wing, currently eight points clear at the top of the division – though the second-placed Cityzens have a game in hand – after failing to reach top four for six successive seasons.

Failing to reach next term's edition would be a catastrophic, almost inconceivable failure at this point, with Arsenal currently 22 points clear of Newcastle United, who hang just outside a qualification spot.

And with the crafting of a force to be reckoned with ever-evolving at the Emirates Stadium, securing an illustrious future could receive apt bolstering after procuring Lavia from Southampton's clutches.

Making 24 appearances for his outfit this season, the teenager has scored one goal and assist apiece and has been integral in fighting to secure a place in the English top flight next year.

Hailed as "exquisite" by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, Lavia already ranks among the top 18% of midfielders across Europe's major leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 10% for blocks per 90, as per FBref, illustrating a tenacity and vigour to his game that belies his tender age.

Should Arsenal's technical director Edu succeed in a bid, Lavia could well take Granit Xhaka's position in the team, with the resurgent Swiss now one of the centrepieces to his side's labours, although still dispensable if the right man arrives.

Xhaka has been a polarising figure in north London since signing from Borussia Mönchengladbach for £30m in 2016, being stripped of the captaincy in 2019 following disciplinary issues before rekindling his Gunners career and now integral in the club's title-chasing aspirations.

Forging 28 Premier League displays this term, the 30-year-old has scored four goals and supplied five assists, as per Sofascore, completing 86% of his passes and chalking an average rating of 7.02.

Lavia, in retrospect, has recorded a rating of 6.85 and flourished despite the insipid nature of his outfits campaign, completing 87% of his passes and making 1.9 tackles per outing.

At such a young age, the "monster" – as dubbed by journalist Benjy Nurick – holds all the tools to craft an eminent career for himself, and where better to ply his trade than the burgeoning Arsenal squad, where he could indeed take the baton from Xhaka and lead the side to glory.

Liverpool don't always strike gold with their academy ranks, but when they unearth a diamond it shines brighter than most Premier League outfits can dream of.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is the obvious contemporary example, uninspiring this season but integral to the success under Jurgen Klopp, while club legend Steven Gerrard and Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen also plied their formative years in Merseyside red.

The current crop of youthful talent at the Kirkby academy tantalises a rich era of homegrown talent, with none within the fold tantalising prominence more so than Mateusz Musiałowski, who will undoubtedly be looking to emulate his peer Harvey Elliott in breaking into first-team contention with an emphatic bang.

Klopp must consider unleashing the Polish whiz, especially considering the success in providing a platform to youth this season; Liverpool have been shoddy this term, but the exploits of Elliott and industrious 18-year-old midfielder Stefan Bajcetic certainly evoke a lingering optimism that the recent storm will abate, leaving a golden sky painted above Anfield for the coming years.

The next off the production line could well be Mateusz Musialowski.

Who is Mateusz Musiałowski?

Musiałowski rose to prominence after scoring a simply sensational strike against Arsenal for Liverpool's U18 unit in 2021, earning praise for the innate movement of his gliding gait, breezing along in a manner not too dissimilar to one Lionel Messi, who has forged a decent career for himself.

“I just ran with the ball,” Musiałowski detailed, pensively, to Liverpool's official website. “When I see the space, I just go for it. I have seen a lot of Lionel Messi goals like that, so I try to be like him and I want to repeat it!”

Now 19-years-old, the Pole has perhaps not had the season he or those affiliated quite expected, scoring just one goal from 15 outings for the U21s this term, but the calibre of his skill set cannot be questioned.

Hailed as "excellent" by Andy Kelly as recently as last month, there is evidently much yet to come from the fleet-footed £750-per-week ace, who might benefit from an opportunity to impress among his senior peers, perhaps seeking to emulate the success of Elliott.

Signed via a tribunal for £4m from Fulham in 2019, the 19-year-old dynamo has harnessed his abundant quality and is now a coveted member of Liverpool's squad, valued at £53m by CIES Football Observatory and playing 40 matches under Klopp's tutelage this term.

While Elliott has primarily been deployed as a centre-midfielder this season, he commenced his career as an offensive flanker, and Klopp could look to replicate the success with Musiałowski, who typically occupies roles across the front line.

Polish outlet Sport claimed that Klopp used the starlet in the build-up to last year's Champions League finale against Real Madrid, looking to emulate the dribbling prowess of Vinicius Jr. and provide Alexander-Arnold with a blueprint of how to repel the advances, with Musiałowski clearly held in high esteem with his ball-carrying ability.

Such aptitude also finds a home in Elliott's arsenal, with the youngster ranking among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's big five leagues for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, only furthering the claim that Klopp could have his next phenom, awaiting apt harnessing.

A player of "ridiculous quality", as once hailed by Reds academy writer, Lewis Bower, Musiałowski remains one of Liverpool's brightest prospects in recent memory, and could yet leave Anfield in rapture as he grows into his skin on Merseyside.

Leeds United could launch a sensational summer transfer move for their former midfielder Kalvin Phillips despite only selling him in the summer.

Will City sell Phillips in the summer?

There are growing concerns over whether Phillips has a spot in the plans of Pep Guardiola having barely played since signing for City in the summer.

Reports have suggested the Spanish manager has major doubts over the player's fitness as he labelled the 27-year-old "overweight" back in December.

This has led to the former Leeds midfielder playing more game time for England in the past week (90 minutes) than he has for City in the Premier League all season (56 minutes).

Speaking on the latest Talking Transfers podcast, journalist Toby Cudworth has hinted at a potential return to Elland Road as a number of clubs show an initial interest in the £150k-per-week midfielder:

"Leeds are looking at it, but we also understand that Newcastle, Leicester, Wolves are sniffing around and could potentially be in the mix if he's available. And the key thing is that Man City don't stand in the way of players who want to leave."

Should Leeds re-sign Phillips in the summer?

It has certainly been a difficult campaign for the 27-year-old, who earned his £45m move from Leeds on the back of a "sensational" Euro 2020 campaign.

However, it has simply not worked out for him at the Etihad Stadium to date, with just 342 minutes of action to show for his season across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

His struggles have seen a number of clubs show an initial interest in potentially signing him in the summer with numerous Premier League rivals credited with interest.

However, this is a position in which Leeds have invested heavily since Phillips' departure last summer, with the addition of three central midfielders.

Victor Orta oversaw the signings of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Marc Roca in the summer – albeit with McKennie's switch only being on a loan basis.

But Leeds do have the option to purchase the American at the end of the campaign for a reported fee in the region of £30m.

During his final season at Elland Road, Phillips registered more tackles per 90 minutes than what McKennie has offered this season, as well as more shot-creating actions (via FBref).

Hailed a "machine" by journalist Jordan Campbell back in 2020, where Phillips registered 74 tackles across the 2020/21 campaign, a potential return to West Yorkshire could well be reliant on whether the Whites are able to pull themselves out of danger once again and avoid the drop.

Leeds United will have some big decisions to make this summer, regardless of the division they find themselves in at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.

Too many members of the Championship title-winning squad have been allowed to stagnate at Elland Road in the Premier League and they must be moved on by Javi Gracia in order to free up room for more talented young signings such as Wilfried Gnonto and Tyler Adams.

There were once high hopes for one of Leeds' most promising young midfielders, Jamie Shackleton, but the 23-year-old should finally be allowed to leave the club on a permanent deal this summer.

Should Leeds sell Shackleton this summer?

Shackleton would join Leeds when he was just seven, meaning he has been at the club for 16 years now, making his first-team debut under Marcelo Bielsa in the 2018/19 Championship season.

He would go on to play 78 times under the Argentine manager at Elland Road but has been used sparingly since his exit, featuring just once under Jesse Marsch before being allowed to join Millwall on loan in the Championship last summer.

While he has featured 34 times in all competitions for Gary Rowett's side so far this term, only half of those have been starts, with the youngster having failed to score or assist in any of his appearances.

Worryingly, WhoScored has awarded the £1.5k-per-week earner a dreadful 6.25 average rating for his performances in the Championship, which suggests that even if Leeds do go down this season, he cannot be trusted to be an effective player in the second tier.

Rowett has sung his praises already this season however, with the midfielder lauded by his manager after filling in at right-back in the win against Sheffield United earlier this year.

He said: "Shacks was absolutely outstanding alongside Sav, who was really good as well.

“He (Shackleton) only came off with a bit of cramp because he hasn’t played much. I said to him a month ago that you’re going to get game time and don’t be too disappointed. I couldn’t quite give it him that point, for different reasons, but now he has got the opportunity and he looked a player who really wanted to take that opportunity.”

Unfortunately, he has rarely lived up that billing on too many occasions throughout his career.

Indeed, Although Bielsa was clearly a fan of Shackleton, his performances didn't really merit so many appearances in the Premier League, as he was ranked as their 14th-best performer last season with a woeful 6.45 average rating from WhoScored.

Considering he hasn't lived up to his potential at Leeds and has struggled in the second tier this season, Gracia must ensure that he leaves on a permanent deal this summer, rather than letting him languish at the club until his contract expires in 2024.

Scottish champions Celtic appeared to all but seal a second successive league title with victory over rivals Rangers in the Old Firm derby on Saturday afternoon, with Ange Postecoglou's men now 12 points clear at the top of the table.

A key figure in that pivotal, 3-2 triumph was in-form marksman, Kyogo Furuhashi, with the 28-year-old having showcased his clinical finishing prowess by bagging a brace on the day, taking his total tally to 28 goals in all competitions this season and 48 in just 78 games in total for the Hoops to date.

It is clear to see that the Glasgow giants truly struck gold with the signing of the former Vissel Kobe man on a £4.6m deal back in the summer of 2021, with the 16-cap menace having been simply "outstanding" thus far, according to his manager.

With regard to bargain additions, however, the bigger coup for the Parkhead outfit may well have been the signing of Kyogo's Japanese colleague, Reo Hatate, with the midfield maestro also proving hugely influential following his meagre, £1.4m switch from Kawasaki Frontale in January 2022.

How good has Hatate been at Celtic?

The belief that Hatate has been the more remarkable capture is showcased by the fact that the 25-year-old is now said to be worth as much as £6m, according to Football Transfers, with the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion currently showing an interest in his services, while Kyogo, by contrast, is worth just £3m – as per the same source.

The relentless playmaker has warranted that soaring valuation having seemingly been the club's "best signing" of the Postecoglou regime, according to pundit Frank McAvennie, with that viewpoint also echoed by Hearts man, Andy Halliday.

Although Hatate was absent through injury against Michael Beale's men last time out, he has been a typically reliable presence over the past year or so, truly pulling the strings in the centre of the park with his all-action style.

A player with a wealth of quality attributes, the £12k-per-week gem has only recently been lauded by former Scotland international Alan Hutton due to that wide-ranging skillset, with the pundit stating: "He is all action, all energy, he is everywhere, tackling, scoring, creating."

That has been evident so far this season with the one-cap ace having scored five goals and registered six assists in the Scottish Premiership to date, having been a clear example of Postecoglou's "exceptional" recruitment policy, in the words of former Bhoys skipper, Scott Brown.

With Hatate – who was previously lauded as "outrageous" by Aston Villa's John McGinn last season – younger than his compatriot, Kyogo, it could well be the midfielder who has the higher ceiling, with the player's soaring valuation seemingly indicating that he could be someone who is sold on for a hefty profit in the years to come.

As such, for all Kyogo's devastating brilliance in front of goal, it is easy to see why Hatate – who has "another couple of levels in him" according to his manager – could well be Postecoglou's 'best signing' thus far…

Todd Boehly is casting his net far and wide in order to find his next permanent Chelsea manager and Vincent Kompany is one recent name to be linked with a move.

What’s the latest on Vincent Kompany to Chelsea?

According to The Times, Boehly has ‘held talks’ with former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann in person for the first time, however, Kompany and current Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira have also been added to the shortlist of candidates who could take over at Chelsea.

Frank Lampard is only in charge on an interim basis and with his poor record so far, losing his first three matches, it is highly unlikely he will be given the post full-time.

Kompany has a contract at Burnley until 2025 and if the Blues are keen on luring him away from the club, they will surely be required to pay a substantial compensation fee.

Could Kompany be the next permanent Chelsea manager?

His success this season in the Championship, where he has led Burnley back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, has naturally made clubs sit up and take notice. Tottenham Hotspur have shown an interest and now with the Blues adding him to a shortlist, he is in high demand.

The 37-year-old has learnt under one of the finest managers in the modern game, Pep Guardiola, and with that in mind, he could turn out to be Boehly’s own version of Mikel Arteta.

The Spaniard was also a student under his compatriot, although in an official coaching capacity at Manchester City unlike Kompany, who was merely a player. Since then he has led Arsenal to the top of the league table this term, engineering a complete revolution at the club in such a short space of time.

Indeed, has given the Gunners a unique identity and one that could steer them towards glory over the next few years.

During Kompany's maiden campaign in charge of Burnley, he has also overseen a change of approached. They have scored 89 goals across all competitions, having scored three or more in 16 of his 49 games, suggesting he enjoys his teams to play attacking football, something that was certainly not the case under his predecessor, Sean Dyche.

Winning is the only thing that matters to the Belgian, losing just twice in the Championship across 41 matches, and he will be in the top flight next season with Burnley regardless of whether Chelsea or Spurs come calling, proving that he has transferred all his know-how from his playing days into a successful managerial career.

Burnley’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis has enjoyed working under Kompany this season, lauding the former Anderlecht coach: "He knows what he's talking about. He knows football inside out, and he knows exactly how he wants to play.”

It may well be a risk appointing him, yet Arsenal took a risk appointing Arteta, and they are currently on course to claim a first league crown in 19 years.

Over to you, Boehly.

نجح مانشستر سيتي في كسر سلسلة التعادلات على ملعب الاتحاد، بالفوز على ضيفه شيفيلد يونايتد بنتيجة 2/0، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

واستضاف فريق مانشستر سيتي نظيره شيفيلد يونايتد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ20 من مسابقة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج” على ملعب “الاتحاد”. 

جدير بالذكر أن آخر ثلاثة مواجهات لمانشستر سيتي على ملعب الاتحاد في الدوري الإنجليزي، انتهت جميعها بالتعادل الإيجابي أمام ليفربول وتوتنهام هوتسبير وكريستال بالاس.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مستشهدًا بصراع غزة وإسرائيل.. جوارديولا عن سرقة جريليش: هناك فرق كبير بين الطبقات أهداف مباراة مانشستر سيتي وشيفيلد يونايتد (2-0) الدوري الإنجليزي 

فرض مانشستر سيتي سيطرته على المباراة وسط تراجع تام من قبل شيفيلد يونايتد في الدقائق الأولى من عمر اللقاء.

وبحلول الدقيقة 14، افتتح أصحاب الأرض التسجيل عن طريق رودري، بعدما استلم الكرة وتقدم بها نحو منطقة جزاء الخصم وسدد في الزاوية اليمني بشباك شيفيلد.

وواصل مانشستر سيتي سيطرته على المباراة ووصلت نسبة الاستحواذ إلى 82%، لينتهي الشوط الأول بتقدم مانشستر سيتي بهدف مقابل لا شيء.

وفي الشوط الثاني، استمر لاعبو شيفيلد يونايتد في مناطقهم الخلفية للدفاع عن مرماهم دون إجراء أي تهديد على مرمى أصحاب الأرض.

وعزز مانشستر سيتي تقدمه بالهدف الثاني عن طريق جوليان ألفاريز في الدقيقة 61، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من فيل فودين.

استمر مانشستر سيتي في فرض سيطرته على المباراة، في شوط شهد إهدار لاعبيه العديد من الفرص وسط استسلام تام للضيوف. 

وبهذا الفوز، ارتقى رصيد مانشستر سيتي إلى النقطة 40 في المركز الثالث، بينما تجمد رصيد شيفيلد يونايتد عند النقطة 9 في المركز الأخير.

كشف مصدر داخل لجنة الحكام، عن كيفية اختيار أطقم الحكام في مباريات بطولة كأس مصر الجديد (الموسم الحالي 2023).

وتأهل 14 فريقًا بعد انتهاء مباريات الأدوار التمهيدية، إلى دور الـ 32 من بطولة كأس مصر وهم (بروكسي – الألومنيوم – أبو قير للأسمدة – لافيينا – بورفؤاد – بترول أسيوط – جمهورية شبين – مكادي – النصر – الواسطى – بتروجت – القناة – التراسانة – النجوم).

وبعد تأهل الـ 14 ناديا سينضم إليهم 18 فريقا المتواجدين في الدوري الممتاز، ليقام دور الـ 32 من البطولة الأقدم في مصر.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات لـ “بطولات”، “فيتور بيريرا سيقوم بتعيين أحد حكام الدرجة الثانية في إدارة المباريات التي سيكون طرفها إحدى أندية دوري الدرجة الثانية في دور الـ32 بكأس مصر”، (أي أن في حالة مواجهة فريق من الممتاز أمام آخر من دوري القسم الثاني، سيتم تعيين حكمًا من حكام دوري الدرجة الثانية “دوري المحترفين).

طالع | اتحاد الكرة يحسم قراره بشأن إقامة مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي كأس مصر بـ الإمارات أو السعودية

وأشار إلى أن المباريات التي سيكون طرفيها فريقين من الدوري الممتاز سيتم اختيار حكمها من مجموعة حكام الدوري الممتاز.

تجدر الإشارة إلى أن اتحاد الكرة المصري لم يعلن عن موعد إقامة قرعة دور الـ 32 من بطولة كأس مصر ولا مواعيد المباريات.

يذكر أن نهائي كأس مصر للموسم الماضي 2022 الذي يقام بين الأهلي والزمالك سيلعب يوم 13 مارس 2024.

Chelsea's search for their potential next permanent manager has taken them to the door of Mauricio Pochettino with initial talks being held this week.

Who is the favourite for the Chelsea job?

It has been a turbulent campaign in west London which has seen the coming and going of two managers already in Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

Frank Lampard has been handed the keys until the end of the season but his arrival is yet to bear fruit with the Blues having now lost all four of the games he has overseen.

The search for their next permanent boss has been fizzing away in the background now for a number of weeks with the likes of Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann both linked with the job.

And it has been suggested the German is the favourite to land the job with their interest in Enrique cooling of late.

However, there has been another name to enter the frame in recent days in Tottenham Hotspur's former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Indeed, speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Blues have now held initial talks with the Argentine with further discussions set to take place:

(5:45) "What we can say is that Chelsea approached Mauricio Pochettino there has been a contact between Chelsea and Pochettino.

"It's the very first time since last summer you remember probably that Pochettino was one of the names together with Graham Potter to replace Thomas Tuchel. Then Chelsea were really convinced on Potter, but Pochettino has been approached.

"Now there are conversations. Nothing is advanced. It's just an approach, a contact. Nagelsmann remains the favourite but Pochettino is a name to add to Chelsea's list."

Would Pochettino be a good fit for Chelsea?

During his time in north London, Pochettino was labelled as a "magician" for his transformation in making Spurs a consistent top-four side.

However, it was a long-term project which the Argentine set out at Tottenham and he was provided the patience of the Spurs board until 2019.

Whether this would be the same at Chelsea is another matter given the huge sums of money which have been spent by Todd Boehly already since his arrival.

Chelsea will obviously be looking for a significant turnaround next season from their current league standing in the bottom half of the table.

But given the finances involved, perhaps improvement alone may not be enough and perhaps the owners will want to see the club get their hands on some silverware.

This is something which plagued Pochettino's time in north London but there will always be the notion of him not being backed by the board.

There is also the question of whether the Argentine would be willing to potentially tarnish his relationship with the Spurs fans who have been heard recently singing his name from the stands.

Pochettino – hailed as a "master tactician" by Mina Rzouki – has admitted in the past that he would like to return to manage Spurs one day, but perhaps he has to take this opportunity to return to the Premier League if Chelsea are to offer him the role.

Aston Villa are eyeing moves for Manchester City pair Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker after holding internal discussions in the Midlands, Football Insider report.

What’s the latest Aston Villa transfer news involving Phillips and Walker?

NSWE appear to be preparing for Unai Emery’s first full season in charge and plan to back the manager with a “huge” summer transfer budget.

The Spaniard has worked wonders with the current squad and could well guide the club to European qualification after a fine run of form in the Premier League.

Two players who have been linked with moves to the Midlands in Phillips and Walker, with the former seemingly a long-term target at Villa Park after first being linked with a move to the club back in 2019.

Walker on the other hand previously spent time on loan at Villa Park in the early stages of his career, and a return could well be on the cards.

Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Villa and the two England internationals.

He stated that Villa have held internal discussions over a stunning double bid for the Manchester City pair, with those at the Etihad potentially tempted by a bid in the region of £55m for the duo.

Will this be one to keep an eye on?

Walker, on £175,000-a-week, has plenty of experience at the highest level for club and country but has fallen out of favour slightly under Pep Guardiola, starting just 15 league gammes this season.

Emery may have a shortage of right-back options come the summer, with Matty Cash and Ashley Young the current choices, although the latter of the two is yet to extend his stay and is out of contract at the end of the season.

Therefore, a move for Walker, labelled as a “tank once he hits his speed” by Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, could be a shrewd move.

However, Phillips, hailed as a "monster" by former Crystal Palace man, Yannick Bolasie, has endured a frustrating first season at the Etihad, playing just 405 minutes of football all season.

He is on £160,000-a-week in Manchester after leaving Leeds United last summer but can’t break into Guardiola’s plans, so a big-money move to Villa Park could be a gamble.

Villa chiefs are seemingly long-term admirers of the England midfielder, though, and a double swoop looks like it’ll be one to keep an eye on over the coming months.