Manchester United must demonstrate a greater clinical edge following their narrow 1-0 victory over Leicester City, so says Christian Eriksen.

Having opened the season with back-to-back defeats, United made it three consecutive Premier League wins under Erik ten Hag, with Jadon Sancho's 23rd-minute strike enough to settle the contest at the King Power Stadium.

Although fully deserving of their half-time lead, the visitors' level dropped significantly after the restart. David de Gea made a tremendous save from James Maddison's free-kick, while James Justin blazed a wonderful opportunity over in stoppage time.

But Leicester did not enjoy too many clear-cut opportunities, with United's solid defence generally keeping the Premier League's bottom side at bay.

And while Eriksen has urged his team-mates to capitalise when in the ascendancy, he is encouraged by the strides United are making after they recorded successive 1-0 wins in the space of five days.

"From the start we had, we had a lot of things we needed to change, and we've done that by winning," he told BT Sport. "It hasn't been beautiful for 90 minutes, but we have three wins.

"At the moment, we're winning 1-0 and keeping it tight. Obviously, we want to do better, but I think this is a good start and we can take something from this. The three points is the most important.

"Similar to Southampton [on Saturday], we did very well until we scored. Then, we have to keep momentum, we have to kill the game earlier – otherwise, it's going to be a tight game until the end like today.

"We're looking good; we're getting the points and we're getting the base of what we need to do."

Meanwhile, Sancho proved the matchwinner with his second goal of the season, having also netted in the 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, applying the finishing touch to a fine team move.

Sancho missed pre-season preparations ahead of his maiden campaign at Old Trafford due to an extended break after helping England reach the Euro 2020 final, and feels he has benefitted from getting a full pre-season under his belt this time around.

"It was a great team goal. I'm happy that I got the goal for the team, and got three points," he said.

"Obviously, doing pre-season with the team [has helped me]. Last year, I missed pre-season, so I got to know the players a lot more [this year]. We've worked on [certain things], and I'm getting more comfortable.

"We hoped to start the season with two wins, but that woke us up. I'm happy that we got the third win today."

Manchester United have won three Premier League games in a row for the first time this year as they beat Leicester City 1-0 at the King Power Stadium on Thursday.

Although United's performance was by no means flawless, victory moved them up to fifth in the table, with the nightmares of their first two games of the season seemingly a distant memory.

United were fully deserving of the first-half lead that was given to them by Jadon Sancho at the end of an incisive move – though their level dropped significantly after the restart.

Leicester were encouraged and carried greater threat, but clear-cut chances remained at a premium as United's solid backline helped guide the visitors to another win.

United looked sharp right from the start and almost went ahead in the 11th minute, but Christian Eriksen shot into the side-netting after breaking into the left side of the area.

The breakthrough arrived 12 minutes later, though.

Diogo Dalot intercepted Danny Ward's long ball and found Bruno Fernandes, who hurried the ball on to Marcus Rashford and he fed Sancho to round the Leicester goalkeeper and apply a simple finish.

The hosts looked reinvigorated after the break and nearly levelled early on as David de Gea produced an acrobatic save to keep James Maddison's free-kick out of the top-right corner.

Leicester failed to build on that momentum and United – boosted by a lively Cristiano Ronaldo cameo – finished with something of a flurry, though their inability to add a second goal might have been punished had James Justin kept a stoppage-time strike down.

Brendan Rodgers believes someone else was behind Wesley Fofana's parting shot at him following the defender's move to Chelsea.

Fofana completed his long-awaited switch from Leicester City to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, signing a seven-year contract after a deal in the region of £75million was struck.

The build up to the defender's departure was not entirely amicable, with Fofana made to train with Leicester's under-23 squad after professing his desire to join Chelsea.

Rodgers declared he was "not in the right frame of mind" to play for the Foxes, and in a message addressing Leicester's supporters on Wednesday, Fofana accused his former manager of trying to "expose" him.

However, Rodgers thinks there is more than meets the eye about his statement.

"It clearly is difficult; I'll always defend players and I'll defend Wesley," he said on BT Sport before Leicester's Premier League clash with Manchester United on Thursday.

"There's a lot of noise out there about him and what was said.

"I never get too emotional with words; I try to look at the logic of it. I know where the statement came from and it is not Wesley Fofana.

"This kid is a good kid. We brought him in here and nobody knew him really. He came here, we gave him a great platform and he was amazing.

"We hoped he would stay on for another year before he moved on, but he has taken the possibility to go. It is a shame for us, and a shame how it ended a little bit.

"For me, he's a good guy and I know probably other influences have taken him away from the club."

Manchester United and Manchester City got deals over the line early on deadline day – but there was plenty of time still to go before the transfer market closed.

The Premier League north-west giants strengthened, with United sealing the big-money signing of Ajax winger Antony and City adding another asset in Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund.

Many others were looking to do business in the market before time ran out.

Premier League teams race to wrap up big deals

As well as Antony moving to United for a fee thought to be around £81.3million (€95m), and Akanji fortifying City's defensive ranks, a host of their English rivals were also pushing to bring in new faces.

Liverpool looked set to bring in Brazil midfielder Arthur from Juventus on loan for the season.

With Wesley Fofana having made the leap to Chelsea, Leicester City found a replacement in Belgian defender Wout Faes who arrived from Reims on a five-year deal.

That will be a move that sets the Foxes back around £15million, but manager Brendan Rodgers will hope the 24-year-old can help to revive their struggling season.

Southampton had been pursuing a move for PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo, but while their approach has been reportedly rebuffed, Saints have parted company with Oriol Romeu.

The Spaniard returns home to LaLiga, joining Girona for an undisclosed fee after seven years at St Mary's.

European markets busy in early trading

Barcelona were expected to be busy later in the day, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looking set to join Chelsea and Martin Braithwaite reportedly close to signing for Espanyol.

Sevilla secured a loan move for Kasper Dolberg from Nice, with the Denmark forward looking to secure his place in the national squad ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. That followed Sevilla loaning Lucas Ocampos to Ajax on Wednesday, and the LaLiga side signing free agent Adnan Januzaj.

Ligue 1 side Troyes announced the signing of Manchester City's Colombian forward Marlos Moreno on a two-year deal.

Chelsea are expected to be one of the major players on deadline day, having completed a deal for Wesley Fofana on Wednesday.

The Blues have been one of the big spenders during the transfer window and owner Todd Boehly is eager to bolster his squad after a slow start to the season.

Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been linked with the Blues, along with Anthony Gordon, although Everton boss Frank Lampard insists he is not for sale.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA OFFERED CHANCE TO SIGN PSG'S NEYMAR

The Daily Mail claims Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Neymar, but the Times reports that Paris Saint-Germain are now refusing to sell him in an apparent U-turn.

The 30-year-old Brazil international had been linked with a move away from Paris during the off-season, although nothing substantial materialised.

Chelsea were approached about Neymar, with PSG potentially open to letting him go as they seek to avoid any issues with UEFA's Financial Fair Play guidelines.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea have made a €50 million (£43m) bid for Ajax centre-back Edson Alvarez, according to the Telegraaf. The Blues have already added Fofana but want more reinforcements, with the Mexican able to also play in midfield.

– Chelsea are also interested in Aubameyang, with Fabrizio Romano claiming negotiations are progressing with Marcos Alonso involved in a deal with Barcelona. The Blues have also been linked with Milan's Rafael Leao, according to The Times.

– Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona and Inter have agreed to a deal for full-back Jordi Alba to join the Nerazzurri on loan. The deal is on the basis that Robin Gosens leaves Inter for Bayer Leverkusen.

– Milan are set to win the race to sign Barcelona's Sergino Dest, beating out interest from Manchester United, claims Gianluca Di Marzio. Dest will join the Rossoneri on a season-long loan with the option of a permanent deal.

– Newcastle United are in the race to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, claims the Mail. Arsenal are also interested in the Belgium international.

– Fulham have submitted a bid for Blackburn's Chile international Ben Brereton Diaz according to The Athletic. Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson has said he would cost a lot of money, with Fulham's offer not disclosed.

– PSV have opted against selling 23-year-old Netherlands international Cody Gakpo amid interest from Leeds United and Southampton, reports The Athletic.

It has been a record-breaking transfer window across Europe, and one that has thrown up more than a surprise or two on the continent with numerous big-name players making fresh starts.

While the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, Erling Haaland and Gabriel Jesus have all made fast starts to life at their new clubs, for others their futures remain unclear heading into the final day of the window.

As any football supporter will know, some of the biggest deals can often be left to deadline day – and occasionally even after the cut-off point, as long as an agreement has been reached and ratified with the relevant authorities.

With less than 24 hours of the window to run across each of Europe's top five leagues, Stats Perform looks at the names that could yet be on the move on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

It has been quite the transfer window for Manchester United forward Ronaldo. Having only returned to Old Trafford last year, the Portugal international is reported to have informed the club of his desire to leave in early July, coinciding with the arrival of new head coach Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag has repeatedly stated Ronaldo remains part of his plans, but the 37-year-old's lack of playing time this season suggests otherwise – albeit not helped by a disrupted pre-season owing to family reasons.

Ronaldo proved last season he is still capable of doing a job at the highest level, though finding a club willing to pay his huge wages – on top of paying a fee to United – is a different matter. Rumoured interest from Bayern Munich, Chelsea and even Sporting CP came to little, though talk of a surprise switch to Napoli persists.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Barcelona)

Just six months on from arriving at Barcelona as a free agent following a tumultuous end to his time with Arsenal, Aubameyang may well be on his way back to English football with Chelsea.

The Gabon international has slipped down the pecking order at Camp Nou following the arrival of Lewandowski and Barca could do with freeing up some funds, with Aubameyang one of a few players still in place that were expected to depart.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel previously worked with Aubameyang at Borussia Dortmund and recently said he feels like the striker is still one of his players. Having scored 68 goals in 128 Premier League games for Arsenal, Aubameyang already has proven pedigree in the division.

Anthony Gordon (Everton)

Given Chelsea's slow start to the 2022-23 season, it is perhaps no surprise that they are being linked with numerous names ahead of Thursday's deadline. Everton winger Gordon is high on the Blues' list of targets, with a couple of bids already reported to have been knocked back.

Everton boss and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard stressed once again on Tuesday that Gordon is not for sale, but one final push from the London club – and a word or two from Gordon, should that be what he wants – may well tempt the Toffees into a sale.

While the sums of money being discussed for a player with just 35 league starts to his name may be extortionate, Chelsea have clearly identified Gordon as a vital piece of their jigsaw and do not appear ready to give up on him without a fight.

Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)

De Jong's name dominated the gossip columns for a large period of the transfer window, though things have gone a little quieter on that front after Manchester United instead moved for Casemiro.

That is not to say a move has been entirely ruled out, however, particularly when taking Barca's rather desperate financial situation into account. 

With Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain having also been linked with De Jong at various points, the Netherlands international may just have a big decision to make in the next 24 hours or so.

Pedro Neto (Wolves)

Jurgen Klopp has made no secret of his desire to bring another midfielder to Liverpool before the window closes due to Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all nursing injuries.

The club do not want to bring in a player for the sake of it, however, limiting themselves to just a few targets. RB Leipzig's Konrad Laimer and Inter's Nicolo Barella had been among those linked, but moves for both are said to have been ruled out.

Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo and Neto of Wolves, the latter of whom is also supposedly on Arsenal's radar, are two other candidates to come in on deadline day. Time, though, is not on Liverpool's side.

Youri Tielemans (Leicester City)

Perhaps Liverpool would be wiser to move for Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans, who could be available for as little as £25million if certain reports are to be believed.

Arsenal, too, could do with some further midfield competition and are known to have shown an interest in the talented Belgium international in the past.

Tielemans, capable of operating as a deep-lying midfielder or higher up the pitch, is due to become a free agent at the end of the campaign, meaning Leicester's hand is being forced somewhat.

Sergino Dest (Barcelona)

Them again! Despite their well-publicised financial issues, Barcelona have still managed to substantially strengthen their squad this window, and there could still be another arrival at Camp Nou.

An agreement is said to be in place to sign left-back Marcos Alonso from Chelsea, while Juan Foyth had been strongly linked prior to sustaining an injury for Villarreal. However, a move for either player is likely dependent on freeing up some cash first.

The departure of one of aforementioned duo Aubameyang or De Jong would help in that regard, as would exits for fringe players Martin Braithwaite, Miralem Pjanic and Ez Abde. At this stage, it appears Dest is the closest of Barca's first-teamers to leaving, with Milan his most likely destination.

Wesley Fofana took aim at Brendan Rodgers after sealing his move to Chelsea, accusing the Leicester City manager of looking to "expose" him in recent weeks.

Fofana completed his long-awaited move to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, signing a seven-year contract after a deal in the region of £75million was struck.

Leicester rejected multiple bids from Chelsea before their demands were met, and the build-up to the defender's departure was not entirely amicable.

Fofana was made to train with Leicester's under-23 squad after professing his desire to join Chelsea, with Rodgers declaring he was "not in the right frame of mind" to play for Leicester.

Rodgers also unfavourably compared Fofana's attitude to that of Harry Maguire, who left Leicester for Manchester United in 2019, stating: "Harry, in terms of his behaviour and his focus for the club, he was fantastic right until the last minute, then he moved on. It was different."

In a message addressing Leicester's supporters on Wednesday, Fofana hit out at "false and misleading comments" made by his former club.

"During these two seasons here, I have probably experienced the most intense moments of my young football career. I have grown as a player but also as a man," he wrote on Instagram.

"Thank you to you, Foxes fans, for your kindness and your constant support, even in the moments you were led to believe I didn't respect the club.

"I chose not to communicate during this transfer window despite all the criticism and all the often false and misleading comments, even when they were coming from the club. I understood and I learned. 

"I didn't want to damage the image of the institution and I chose to take it rather than answer. I thank Top [chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha] for his understanding.

"Thanks to the managers, to the coach who has always appreciated me, even if he chose to expose me a lot lately... I got it, coach.

"There were ups and downs but I never cheated, you can be sure of that."

Fofana could be in line to make his Chelsea debut when they host West Ham on Saturday, with Thomas Tuchel's team having gone down 2-1 to Southampton last time out.

Chelsea have completed the signing of defender Wesley Fofana from Leicester City for a fee in the region of £75million.

The France Under-21 international has put pen to paper on a massive seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge.

Fofana becomes the latest in a series of recruits for Thomas Tuchel during a busy transfer window, with Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella already key men.

The new centre-back had been training with Leicester's under-23 squad after making his intentions of joining Chelsea clear as Brendan Rodgers said he was not in the right frame of mind to play in a 2-1 Premier League defeat away to the London club on Saturday.

Leicester reportedly rejected three bids from Chelsea for Fofana, but the Blues finally got their man on Wednesday.

"The two last days have been really big days for me and I'm very happy," Fofana said.

"I trained this morning with the team and it's a dream for me. I'm very excited to start playing games for the fans and the club.

"I'm here to win trophies – the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, everything. I came here to win and the club is built to win trophies, so I'm here to continue that."

The 21-year-old missed most of last season after suffering a broken leg and medial ligament damage during a pre-season friendly against Valencia.

Fofana made 28 appearances in the previous campaign as Leicester narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification.

Erik ten Hag has reiterated Cristiano Ronaldo remains part of his plans at Manchester United as the transfer window draws to a close.

Ronaldo has started just once under the former Ajax head coach this season and has failed to impress in his substitute appearances.

The Portugal great was United's top scorer on his return to Old Trafford last term, but they slumped to a disappointing sixth-placed finish and missed out on qualification for the Champions League.

Ronaldo – the competition's record marksman – has reportedly been keen to return to the Champions League in this window, with links to several clubs, including Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Napoli and Atletico Madrid.

A move is yet to materialise, though, and the deadline is looming on Thursday.

When asked whether Ronaldo would remain with United ahead of their trip to Leicester City earlier on Thursday, manager Ten Hag replied: "It is clear. We need quality players and you need more to cover all the games to keep the consistency going. That's what we strive for.

"We still need to strengthen the offensive department because we have many games to cover."

United are close to completing the signing of Ajax winger Antony in a deal that cause rise to £85.6million (€100m), having already announced an agreement, while Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is reportedly set to arrive on loan.

Although he will remain alert, Ten Hag believes Antony and Dubravka would mark the final incomings of the window, with the Dutchman also confirming Aaron Wan-Bissaka will remain at the club despite speculation linking Barcelona full-back Sergino Dest with a move to Old Trafford.

"I think so for this window, it will be the end [no more transfers after Dubravka]," Ten Hag added. "But when there is a great opportunity, you always have to be alert as a top club.

"Aaron will stay. This squad will go from September to a minimum January."

Chelsea are looking to make another massive long-term investment, with reports they are aggressively moving for 20-year-old RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol in a deal that would cost £77.4million (€90m).

Gvardiol, who has 10 senior international caps for Croatia to his name, has established himself as one of the most exciting young defenders in Germany.

He has been linked to a host of elite clubs, but Chelsea appear to be at the front of the queue and would allow the centre-back to stay at Leipzig until next year.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLAN ANOTHER CENTRE-BACK SPLURGE FOR GVARDIOL

The Stamford Bridge club have made a number of big defensive signings in this window, with Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella set to be followed by Wesley Fofana.

Koulibaly is 31, though, and has joined veteran Thiago Silva at the heart of the defence, explaining why Chelsea may already be looking at a succession plan.

Fabrizio Romano says the Blues are "in advanced talks" with Leipzig over a deal that would be completed now but only see Gvardiol make the move in 2023.

ROUND-UP

– PSV forward Cody Gakpo appears destined for the Premier League, with The Telegraph reporting Everton, Leeds United and Southampton are all interested in a player believed to be valued around £30m.

– The Telegraph has named a list of potential Fulham targets, including former Chelsea winger Willian, Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa, Roma winger Justin Kluivert and Marseille forward Bamba Dieng. 

– The Daily Mail is reporting Brighton and Hove Albion are investigating a move for Billy Gilmour, although Chelsea's lack of depth in midfield could complicate matters.

– Aston Villa forward Douglas Luiz has some high-profile admirers, with Matheus Leal reporting Liverpool have submitted a £20m bid, and The Telegraph adds Atletico Madrid are also prepared to make the same offer.

– Leicester City are negotiating a deal for their potential Fofana replacement in 24-year-old Reims centre-back Wout Faes, believed to be worth £17.2m, according to the Daily Mail.

Manchester United make the trip to Leicester City on Thursday on the back of successive Premier League victories, coinciding with captain Harry Maguire dropping out of the side.

Already under pressure in some quarters following chastening defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford in his first two games in the job, Erik ten Hag made the bold call to drop his skipper – as well as star forward Cristiano Ronaldo – for the subsequent wins over Liverpool and Southampton.

After claiming six points from six and letting in just one goal across those two matches, compared to six conceded in their first two outings, Ten Hag has no real reason to integrate Maguire back into his starting line-up for the King Power Stadium clash.

With Maguire set for a watching brief from the bench against his former side, Stats Perform looks at what exactly has gone wrong for the England international, and whether there is any way back.

OLD TRAFFORD BECOMES HARRY'S HOUSE

Maguire joined United in an £80million deal from Leicester in August 2019, a fee that remains the most ever paid for a defender. With that valuation comes pressure, yet the centre-back thrived in his new surroundings and was named captain the following January following Ashley Young's move to Inter.

The 29-year-old played the full 90 minutes in each of his first 71 Premier League matches, equalling Gary Pallister's club record, though he could not quite surpass him as he was substituted in the following game against Aston Villa with a minor injury.

Put simply, Maguire was a guaranteed starter and often repaid that faith, reflected in his stats across those first two campaigns. 

Between the start of the 2019-20 season and the end of 2020-21, Maguire ranked second for interceptions (132), second for duels won (443), second for successful passes (4,127) and fourth for recoveries (436) among all Premier League defenders.

THE CAPTAIN OF A SINKING SHIP

Last season was a difficult one for United and by extension Maguire, who as captain had to front up to the club's issues. The Red Devils finished with their lowest-ever Premier League points tally (58) and failed to record a positive goal difference for the first time in over 30 years.

The 57 goals United scored last season was massively down on each of Maguire's first two campaigns at Old Trafford, but even more alarmingly, they shipped a whopping 57 goals across their 38 matches – the most they have let in in a single season in 43 years.

From being towards the top of several metrics in the two campaigns prior, Maguire was nowhere to be seen in the 2021-22 campaign. The Englishman's cause was not helped by missing eight matches, though even on a per-game basis his figures dipped in a number of key areas.

The number of goals conceded per 90 minutes went from 0.95 in his first season to 1.47 last time out; recoveries dropped from 6.2 to 5.3; duels won from 6.3 to 4.7; and successful passes from 57 on average to 48.

TEN HAG'S BIG CALL

Maguire has always had his critics, but the criticism aimed his way has become much louder over the past 12 months. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, the abuse went too far in April this year when Maguire received a bomb threat at his house.

The defender's hopes of winning over the fanbase were hit by disappointing displays in United's opening two games of the current campaign, coinciding with new recruit Lisandro Martinez being integrated into the team as the left-sided centre-back.

It had become clear that change of some sort was required, and Ten Hag made a huge call prior to the Liverpool match in replacing Maguire with Raphael Varane, and it is likely that the pairing will now be given a run in the side to strengthen their partnership.

There were plenty of positives to see against Liverpool, a game in which the Red Devils kept one of the most formidable attacks relatively quiet until Mohamed Salah's 81st-minute consolation, and also against Southampton, when keeping just a second clean sheet in 15 league outings.

FINDING A BETTER BALANCE

But are United a better side without Maguire in their back-line? In the 12 league matches they have started without him since the start of last season, they have won just four for a win percentage of 33.3 per cent, compared to 46.7 per cent with him in the side across 30 games.

In terms of goals against, however, United concede 1.6 compared to 1.3 with and without Maguire respectively. Ten Hag would not just have been looking at the goals conceded column when electing to leave Maguire out of his side, of course, with plenty of other factors to take into equation.

One of the reasons Martinez was signed is because of his ability on the ball, reflected in his 92.5 passes per 90 minutes in Eredivisie last season, with an 89 per cent pass-accuracy rate.

By comparison, Maguire averaged 56 passes a match in the Premier League and found his target 86 per cent of the time. It is not entirely fair to compare figures across divisions, though Maguire also lagged behind team-mate Varane (88 per cent) in terms of passing accuracy. 

NO GUARANTEES GIVEN BY TEN HAG

Ironically, the timing of Maguire being dropped coincides with the team finally signing the defensive midfielder they have been crying out for in recent years, with Casemiro bringing ample experience from his time at Real Madrid.

Ultimately, Ten Hag has to find the right balance and has landed on Varane and Martinez to help keep out the opposition and build from the back, with Casemiro operating just in front of the defence.

Just two months on from confirming Maguire would remain skipper, the Dutchman has suggested the former Leicester man will have to bide his time before being called upon again.

"It doesn't mean when you are captain you are established to always play," he said. "Especially when you also have Varane in your squad. We have options. Varane: his stature is immense and in pre-season we took a decision to build him physically so he had a bit of a slow start.

"He was fit in the first games but in the first period of pre-season he wasn't always so we are happy we built him in that way."

If Ten Hag's arrival was supposed to provide Maguire with an opportunity to kickstart his Old Trafford career and return to the previous form shown with United and England, instead it has left him at something of a crossroads amid talk of a possible move away.

Back at the ground where he truly made a name for himself, Maguire must watch on and wonder when – or if – he will get another chance to prove he has what it takes to play a part under Ten Hag.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has been open about his desire for more signings ahead of the closure of the transfer window.

The London club have been one of the big spenders during this transfer window but Tuchel believes they need more reinforcements to be competitive in the title race.

The Blues have lost Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Emerson Palmieri and Timo Werner, while Romelu Lukaku departed on loan and Marcos Alonso is expected to join Barcelona.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLOTTING AUBA SWOOP

Chelsea are plotting a deadline day move to land ex-Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona, reports The Guardian.

Blues boss Tuchel has asked owner Todd Boehly to free up £200million with three targets in mind before Thursday's deadline, headlined by the Gabon international.

Chelsea are set to close out a deal for Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana for £70m, while Everton's Anthony Gordon is also on their wish list.

Aubameyang has only been used once for eight minutes off the bench this LaLiga season, with Robert Lewandowski starring up front for the Blaugrana.

ROUND-UP

–  Liverpool are pondering a late £42m bid for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo,  according to The Sun. Brighton, however, believe that the Ecuador international is worth almost double that price.

– Metro reports  Cristiano Ronaldo could seal a move from Manchester United to Napoli this week. Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes is working on a swap deal, possibly involving Victor Osimhen .

– La Gazzetta dello Sport claims  Paris Saint-Germain 's €23m offer with add-ons for Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz has been accepted and he will undergo a medical on Tuesday. The Spaniard has been frozen out after refusing to extend his contract, which has less than 12 months to run.

– Tottenham have revived their interest in Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco,  according to the Telegraph. The 28-year-old Belgian has two years to run on his contract.

– The Sun claims  Wolves have rejected a bid worth £8.5m from Everton for midfielder Leander Dendoncker .

– Barcelona and Manchester United have not reached an agreement on a deal for USA international Sergino Dest , reports Cadena COPE.

Brendan Rodgers has suggested wantaway Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana is on the verge of completing a move to Chelsea.

Leicester rejected three bids from their Premier League rivals for Fofana, but they have reportedly agreed to sell the centre-back for a fee of £75million.

The 21-year-old Frenchman was not included in the Foxes squad for a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday, as Rodgers says he was not in the right frame of mind to play any part.

Fofana has been training with Leicester's under-23 squad after making it clear he wants to join the London club before the transfer window closes on Sunday.

Rodgers has given a strong indication Fofana is close to getting his wish.

The Foxes boss said following the loss to 10-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge: "It's the same with any player. For me if they decide they want to move and see their future elsewhere it is better to have it done as quickly as you possibly can.

"You have to prepare a team and a group of players and you have to maybe replace that player. Every coach will tell you the same. It doesn't benefit anyone if it drags on. So we will see what happens over the weekend."

Rodgers added: "No doubt that when the window shuts everything calms down.

"We have been unable to add [to the squad] and there has been a lot of speculation about our top players so there is no doubt it has been difficult. But it will stop on Thursday and then we can move on but until then we have to keep fighting."

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel was tight-lipped over a move for Fofana, stating: "No, I can't tell you nothing about that."

Crisis, what crisis?

After a winless three-game start to the season, Liverpool responded in style against Bournemouth at Anfield by equalling the record for the biggest win in Premier League history.

It saw them join Manchester United, Leicester City and Tottenham as the only clubs to have scored nine in a match in the competition.

The win also marked the first time Liverpool had hit the nine-goal tally since a 9-0 victory against Crystal Palace in December 1989 in the old First Division.

Here, we look back at times when one-sided encounters in England's top flight have spun wildly out of control.

Liverpool 9-0 Bournemouth - August 27, 2022

Roberto Firmino was star of the show as a thrilling performance saw the Brazilian secure a hat-trick of assists in the first half, setting up Luis Diaz, Harvey Elliott and Trent Alexander-Arnold before adding his own name to the scoresheet. Virgil van Dijk made it 5-0 before the break and the woes for Cherries boss Scott Parker continued, Chris Mepham putting the ball into his own net just a minute into the second half. Firmino got a second after the hour mark and the hosts did not rest on their laurels, Fabio Carvalho and Diaz on the scoresheet in the final 10 minutes.

Manchester United 9-0 Southampton - February 2, 2021

After Alexandre Jankewitz was dismissed for a shocking studs-up lunge on Scott McTominay, Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl perhaps should have checked the date and feared the worst. February 2 is Groundhog Day and Southampton had been here before. Aaron Wan-Bissaka got United off and running in the 18th minute, with Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani more familiar sights on the scoresheet either side of a Jan Bednarek own goal. Anthony Martial came on at half-time, but even after he scored in the 69th minute and McTominay did shortly afterwards, the game could have meandered towards a conclusion. Instead, the roof fell in on Southampton as they crumpled entirely under late strikes from Martial and Dan James after a Bruno Fernandes penalty and a red card for Bednarek.

Southampton 0-9 Leicester City – October 25, 2019

Ryan Bertrand – one of seven Southampton players to feature in both 9-0s – was the Jankewitz of the piece as he was sent off for a challenge in the build-up to Ben Chilwell's 10th-minute opener. Youri Tielemans was granted ample room to double the lead, then Ayoze Perez began romping towards a hat-trick that he completed a minute before Jamie Vardy's headed second made it 7-0 in the 58th minute. A James Maddison free-kick and a Vardy penalty took this defeat into uncharted territory for a home side in the Premier League.

Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich Town – March 4, 1995

For nearly a quarter of a century, Alex Ferguson's United were out there on their own. Andy Cole scored five after Roy Keane began this rout in the 15th minute. Mark Hughes hit a quickfire second-half double and Paul Ince also got in on the act. Peter Schmeichel watched it all unfold from the other end, just as his son Kasper did in goal for Leicester at St Mary's all those years later.

Tottenham 9-1 Wigan Athletic – November 22, 2009

Wigan had a slither of hope when Paul Scharner pulled a goal back to make it 3-1 before the hour at White Hart Lane. Ultimately, the only significance of that strike was to keep them off the top of this list. Jermain Defoe did his best Cole impression, rattling in five goals from the 51st minute onwards, while Aaron Lennon, David Bentley and Nico Kranjcar piled on the pain. Remarkably, Peter Crouch's ninth-minute header was the only goal of the 10 scored before half-time.

That same season, Wigan lost 8-0 at Chelsea, who beat Aston Villa by the same margin at Stamford Bridge two and a half years later. Newcastle United claimed the Premier League's first 8-0 win at the expense of Sheffield Wednesday in 1999, with Alan Shearer scoring five.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel hailed Raheem Sterling for his match-winning display against Leicester City that made sure the Blues bounced back after defeat to Leeds United last time out.

Tuchel, in the stands due to a touchline ban, saw his side endure a difficult first half at Stamford Bridge, in which Conor Gallagher was sent off after 27 minutes for two bookable offences.

But Chelsea responded following half-time, and Sterling's first goal for the club came shortly after the restart with the aid of a deflection off Daniel Amartey.

Sterling soon turned in Reece James' low cross for his second, and goal proved decisive as Tuchel's men clung on despite a Harvey Barnes riposte.

"It was necessary because we need him to score," Tuchel said after Chelsea's 2-1 win. "It's what he does, and he will score.

"I could feel he was not happy because he wants to score more and have more chances.

"We played today in a more aggressive shape, but then we were one man down, so we needed him to step up, which he did. The goals were crucial today because they gave us the belief."

Tuchel was critical of Gallagher, sent off in only his fourth Premier League outing for Chelsea, but pointed out others were also to blame for the challenge on Barnes that saw him dismissed.

"Today he is responsible for what he did, and he knows it was a huge mistake," Tuchel said. "We spoke briefly after the game, and things like this happen.

"It's not purely his fault alone because it was a set-piece for us and it's sloppy how we take set-pieces at the moment.

"We lack belief and precision, so it’s not good enough. We give chances away, we are sloppy in the coverage and bad in decision-making, so we have to stop and improve immediately.

"We are on it with the team, so I don't know why it happened again. It's a very bad decision for Conor, so of course he's upset, because it almost kills a whole football match."