Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out signing a replacement should Marco Asensio leave, as Real Madrid "do not need" another forward.

Spain international Asensio has been repeatedly linked with a move away, but remains a Madrid player with less than a week of the transfer window to go.

The 26-year-old, who has just started his seventh season at the Santiago Bernabeu, is reportedly a target for Premier League pair Arsenal and Manchester United.

Asensio has featured for just eight minutes across Madrid's three matches this campaign, and Ancelotti is not ruling out an exit in the coming days.

"There is nothing new with regards to his situation," Ancelotti said at a press conference on Saturday ahead of his side's trip to Espanyol.

"He is evaluating his situation and we are waiting. On September 2, if he is still here, he will be an important player in our squad. I'd be delighted because he contributes a lot.

"But if Marco leaves, we are not going to sign anyone because we don't need them."

Dani Ceballos is another who is into the final year of his contract and had been expected to depart the Spanish capital this month, but Ancelotti has put an end to those rumours.

"Dani is going to stay, there is no doubt," the Italian said. "He wants to stay and we are delighted. 

"He hasn't played much yet, but next week we have three games, and he will have more minutes because he deserves it."

 

Madrid are looking to maintain their 100 per cent record at the start of this season when they travel to RCDE Stadium, where they have lost on two of their past four league trips.

Los Blancos have made a perfect start after two matches for the 34th time in their history, and a first time since the 2018-19 campaign.

It is a third successive away game to begin the season for Madrid due to renovation works at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Ancelotti says his side have had to adapt.

"When you're travelling so often, there is not a lot you can do," he said. "We do intense work for those who have not played, while the others must rest.

"We have had to do a little more video work than usual. But the less you work, the less damage you can do."

Chelsea could finally be set for a transfer breakthrough after reportedly agreeing to meet Leicester City's demands of around £70million for centre-back Wesley Fofana.

Fofana, 21, has been a key target for Chelsea in their bid to replace Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, who departed for Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona earlier in the transfer window.

While the Blues have already spent £33m to secure 31-year-old Kalidou Koulibaly – who has started all three of their Premier League fixtures this season – Fofana is yet to enter his prime and could provide defensive security for the next decade.

 

TOP STORY – LEICESTER ACCEPT CHELSEA'S NEWEST BID FOR FOFANA

According to L'Equipe, Chelsea's successful bid for Fofana includes add-ons which could make him the most expensive defender in the history of football, surpassing the £80m Leicester received from Manchester United for Harry Maguire.

Leicester had been publicly declaring Fofana was not for sale, but the situation was accelerated by the defender missing a training session, leading to him being told to train with the Foxes' under-23s.

Fofana is yet to receive his first senior cap for France, but the increased visibility that will come with a move to Stamford Bridge could tee him up for a breakthrough World Cup campaign in Qatar.
 

ROUND-UP

– Ajax star Antony has engaged in a stunning interview with Fabrizio Romano, declaring his time in the Eredivisie has run its course amid strong interest from Manchester United.

– Marca are reporting Cristiano Ronaldo has decided his best option is to return to Sporting CP, where he began his career, despite the need to take a significant pay cut should he leave United.

– According to Calciomercato, Liverpool are considering including Roberto Firmino in their offer to Paris Saint-Germain for 28-year-old midfielder Leandro Paredes.

– Sky Sports claim West Ham have had an offer in the vicinity of £51m accepted by Lyon for their 24-year-old creator Lucas Paqueta.

Chelsea are set to trigger the £12.6million release clause for Dynamo Moscow's 19-year-old midfielder Arsen Zakharyan, per the Daily Mail.

Liverpool will try to sign a new midfielder before the end of the transfer window after Jurgen Klopp admitted he was initially wrong about their needs.

The Reds' poor start to the Premier League season – which has seen them amass just two points from three games – has been exacerbated by injury woes.

Monday's 2-1 defeat to a Manchester United side who were previously in crisis was seen as something of a wake-up call, with Liverpool's starting midfield trio of James Milner, Harvey Elliott and Jordan Henderson failing to impress.

Klopp was without Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, while Fabinho was only fit enough to feature from the bench.

Thiago and Jones are expected to be back in contention soon, but clearly something has changed in Klopp's mind as the German had previously been insistent about Liverpool not needing midfield reinforcements.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Klopp said: "There's really nothing to say about it because we are looking for it, and if it is the right player, we need him; if it is not the right player, we don't need him."

Asked if his U-turn was down to the poor start to the season and injuries, he replied: "That changed. I know we have had this discussion now since it all started; I am the one who said we don't need a midfielder, and now we go looking for a midfielder – you [the media] were all right and I was wrong.

"So, again, Curtis comes back, Thiago is not too far off, Diogo [Jota] not too far off, Joel [Matip] comes back. That all eases the situation slightly.

"It would be great if nobody gets on the [injury] list on the other side. But yeah, a really intense time coming up, we know all that. It's just we cannot change, or we will not change, for that now the way we deal with the situation, so there is nothing really for me to say to you in this moment. So, let's see."

Among the midfielders tentatively linked with Liverpool recently have been Borussia Dortmund talent Jude Bellingham and Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong.

Neither appear straightforward targets, but Klopp reiterated he does not want to just sign any player.

"I don't know, we will see," Klopp said when asked if they can get someone in before Thursday's transfer deadline.

"It needs to be the right player, but we are working, and we will see if something will happen or not. As you can imagine, we are actually working constantly on these kind of things, and there are reasons why it is sometimes not happening – sometimes too expensive, sometimes not the right player – but then the situation changes.

"One thing stays important, and it's that it needs to be the right player. If we do something, it'll be that we are 100 per cent convinced about it, and if we are not convinced, then we don't do it."

Neal Maupay has joined Everton on a three-year contract with the option for a further 12 months after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion in a reported £15million deal.

Maupay spent three seasons at Brighton, having signed from Brentford for £20m in 2019.

The forward scored 10 goals in his first season in the Premier League but struggled to build on that campaign, netting eight apiece in his next two.

Maupay started 84 league games in three years for a Brighton side who became renowned for their lack of a prolific goalscorer, with the Frenchman prominent among their profligate forwards.

A departure in this transfer window had long looked likely, with Danny Welbeck starting the season up front for the Seagulls, who also have Deniz Undav back from a loan stint at Union Saint-Gilloise.

Fulham appeared to be at the front of the queue for Maupay, but he reportedly had a late change of heart and headed instead for struggling Everton.

The Toffees have been without Dominic Calvert-Lewin due to injury at the start of this season, while Richarlison left for Tottenham and Anthony Gordon has also been linked with a move to Chelsea.

Maupay is therefore likely to come straight into the team, although he was not registered in time to debut against Brentford on Saturday.

"Everton is a great club with unbelievable fans and I am so, so happy to be here," he said. "It feels amazing.

"It was an easy choice for me when I started to talk with the club. I knew straight away I wanted to play for Everton and help the club to succeed. I'm excited and it's a new challenge for me.

"I will do everything I can for Everton. That's what the fans want – they want players that are ready to give their best and ready to fight

"When I step on the pitch, I will run, I will tackle, I will try to make assists and score goals. Whatever the team needs, I will do it, because I want to be successful and I want my team to win."

Manchester United target Antony has begged Ajax to sell him following reports they rejected a £76million (€90m) offer from the Premier League club.

Brazil international Antony was a key player under new United boss Erik ten Hag during his time in Amsterdam and has been continuously linked with a move to Old Trafford since April.

Ten Hag has not been shy about his desire to bolster United's attack, and Antony has seemingly been near the top of his list for a while.

The links with United cooled after the Red Devils signed Lisandro Martinez from Ajax, with that financial boost appearing to strengthen the Amsterdam club's negotiating position.

But in the wake of United losing their first two games of the Premier League season, reports of further bids have surfaced and on Friday there was widespread speculation suggesting Ajax rejected a huge £76m offer for Antony.

The shock of seeing such an amount turned down has forced Antony to go public with his frustration.

He told Fabrizio Romano: "Since February of this year, my agents came to Amsterdam to inform Ajax of my desire to leave the club to face a new challenge and that some interested clubs would arrive and with them certainly a great offer.

"In June of this year, I interrupted my vacation and came personally to inform the managers of Ajax, including the new coach, about my wish to leave and that they should consider this possibility, because when I started in Amsterdam it was a project for two seasons.

"During the window months, meetings continued and I also received a proposal from Ajax for contract renewal. I made it clear once again: I want to leave the club.

"Today, in a meeting with the club, I expressed my old interest in leaving the club, only this time with a considerable offer on the table. Others had already arrived. Ajax always refused and hindered by exit with the argument that they only have five days to replace me.

"I'm not asking Ajax to release me, I'm asking Ajax to sell me with the highest bid ever for a player in the Eredivisie. I've been insisting on this theme since February so that the club could rebuild the team with peace of mind.

"I was very happy in Amsterdam, I won titles at Ajax, made friends and built part of my career, but now I reinforce that I am ready and full of motivation to follow my story and my dreams.

"People need to listen to me and understand that my motivation moves me towards happiness. I need this to continue performing at a high level. Ajax will always be in my heart.

"I hope Ajax fans understand me because the future for a football player is a totally uncertain thing and the opportunities can be unique.

"My message is one of gratitude for Ajax, club and fans."

Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta revealed the Nerazzurri are set to open contract talks with Paris Saint-Germain target Milan Skriniar after declaring the defender will "certainly" remain at San Siro.

Skriniar emerged as a top target for PSG after entering the final 12 months of his deal with the Serie A giants, for whom he has been a key figure since joining from Sampdoria in 2017.

The Slovakia captain has won one Scudetto and one Coppa Italia with the Nerazzurri and made his 175th league appearance for the club against Lazio on Friday. 

Only goalkeeper Samir Handanovic (188) has played more Serie A games for Inter in that time. 

While Marotta was unable to offer any guarantees over Skriniar's future when discussing the subject last month, coach Simone Inzaghi revealed the 27-year-old was set to stay last Saturday.

Marotta has now confirmed reports Inter are seeking to offer Skriniar a new deal, too, telling DAZN ahead of the trip to Lazio; "I must say that he is a very decent boy, we will start a dialogue with him as soon as possible, a negotiation.

"We would certainly like to sign a contract that can bind him to Inter for many years. 

"I am confident in the seriousness of the boy, I believe that this veiled threat [of PSG being able to sign Skriniar on a free next year] is not enough to undermine the player's values.

"I can say that last week the owner made explicit the will not to be flattered by PSG's requests.

"I can say that Skriniar is a very important element in the team's playing system, as such he will certainly remain."

Newcastle United have completed the signing of Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad for a club-record fee reported to be £60million (€71.1m).

The 22-year-old, capped 37 times by Sweden, moves to the Premier League side on a five-year deal, bringing an end to three successful years with the LaLiga outfit.

Signed from Borussia Dortmund, Isak scored 33 goals in 105 league appearances for La Real, the last of which came in a 4-2 defeat to Barcelona on August 21.

"I'm delighted to have it done. It was a big, big decision for me but it is a decision I am really happy with," he told the club website.

"It is a great, historical club that I think anyone would like to play for, with amazing fans. They were a big part of why I came here - and also the club's project, which is one that I really believe in.

"You always want to go into a team and know how they play. I think Newcastle play very attractive football and I want to be a part of that."

Isak becomes Newcastle's fourth signing of the transfer window, following the acquisitions of Sven Botman, Matt Targett and Nick Pope.

They had been in the market for a striker since the end of last season, having previously been linked with Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin as well as Isak.

Eddie Howe's need for a forward might have been expedited, however, by an injury to Callum Wilson, who has sustained a hamstring problem.

Newcastle are unbeaten in the early rounds of the 2022-23 Premier League season, drawing with Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion after starting the campaign with a win against Nottingham Forest.

Pep Guardiola is adamant Bernardo Silva will stay at Manchester City beyond the end of transfer window, as he revealed the club are yet to receive a formal offer for the versatile midfielder.

Silva had been strongly linked with a move to LaLiga giants Barcelona after stating that City "know what I want" earlier this month.

However, recent reports suggested Paris Saint-Germain had made a £59million (€69.7m) bid for the 28-year-old, who scored the equaliser in City's 3-3 draw at Newcastle United last Sunday.

Silva impressed as he scored 13 goals and added seven assists in 50 appearances for City last season, and Guardiola did little to play down talk of a move when he revealed the midfielder "likes Barcelona very much" this week.

But speaking ahead of Saturday's fixture against Crystal Palace, Guardiola offered his clearest declaration yet on Silva's future, insisting: "He will stay here, absolutely.

"We didn't have any phone calls from any club regarding Bernardo Silva. That's why he will stay."

Asked whether any late move for Silva would leave City in a difficult position as they attempted to source a replacement, Guardiola said: "Yeah, but I tell you, he will stay." 

City have added Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Sergio Gomez and Stefan Ortega to their squad since winning their fourth Premier League title in five years in May, while Julian Alvarez has arrived from River Plate, and Guardiola is more than happy with their business.

"I am always satisfied," he declared. "Now I start my seventh year [at the club]. I am always satisfied with the squad I have. I have no complaints."

Meanwhile, marquee signing Haaland, who has found the net three times in his first three Premier League outings, is set to return to former club Borussia Dortmund after City were drawn to face the Bundesliga outfit in the Champions League group stages.

City will also face Sevilla and Copenhagen when their continental campaign kicks off, and Guardiola says he is yet to discuss the trip to Dortmund with Haaland, adding: "I didn't speak with him, but I guess he will be happy to go back where he was so important. 

"The draw is the draw, it is what it is. We don't have much time, but we have time to start to know them more deeply, and hopefully we can go through."

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier says the upcoming Champions League campaign will be a "new page" for the club but a "new book" for himself having learned the identity of their group stage opponents.

PSG were pitted against Juventus, Benfica and Maccabi Haifa in Group H in Thursday's draw as the club once again try to finally end their wait to lift European club football's most coveted prize.

Galtier does have previous experience of the Champions League, coaching Lille in the 2019-20 competition. However, being at the helm of a club expected to contend to win the tournament is a new experience for the former Saint-Etienne and Nice boss.

Asked how he is feeling ahead of his second Champions League campaign, Galtier said: "It's a new page for PSG, it's a new book for me. I am very motivated and determined, while staying focused. When you are the PSG coach, you want to be involved in these type of games.

"We know about the exposure and pressure in these games, I have not really felt it yet, but it will come. I'm looking forward to it, being involved in the competition and these big European evenings."

PSG are set to face an extremely congested fixture list as they juggle domestic and European commitments before the pause for the World Cup in November.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's Ligue 1 clash with Monaco, Galtier confirmed PSG are still looking to add quality players to a squad packed with world-class talent to ensure they are ready for the rigours of their schedule.

"There are players in our squad that are closer to leaving, we are also hoping to bring players in," he said. "We have singled out the positions where we are still looking to strengthen with quality players, but will that happen or not? I don't know.

"The later it gets, the harder it is to integrate them, but players who join PSG are top quality and have the ability to settle in quickly.

"The quicker they arrive the better, but there is still uncertainty there, and I am not the only one and we are not the only big club in this situation. We have to adapt and ensure we have the best possible squad to perform as well as we can in all competitions."

PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes has been linked with Juventus and goalkeeper Keylor Navas is the subject of speculation over a move to Napoli. There has also been talk of a late final PSG push to sign Inter defender Milan Skriniar, a player frequently connected with the club.

"In terms of Leandro Paredes, nothing is done at the moment, we will see how it goes by the end of the transfer window, there are lots of conversations going on," said Galtier.

"I know Leandro has been in talks with Juventus, which is normal. At the moment, Leandro Paredes is a PSG player and has been heavily involved in our games.

"As for Keylor Navas, he is a PSG player, he got injured last week before the game, he is playing normally and he will be in the squad.

"As for the Inter player you mentioned, I have no comment to make."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted at further additions before the transfer window closes, despite concerns of Financial Fair play breaches.

The Gunners have reportedly come under attention from UEFA over heavily spending in the past year after the sport's governing body created a watchlist of clubs they will keep a closer eye on.

Like many in the coronavirus period, Arsenal have sustained significant losses in the past three years but that has not halted a major overhaul in the squad – ousting high earners like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang while splashing the cash to land additions such as Gabriel Jesus.

At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that Arsenal will be hit by UEFA sanctions and Arteta is confident that will remain the case.

"We are compliant, and we have heard nothing so I don't know what that is," he said at a press conference on Friday ahead of the Premier League clash against Fulham.

Pressed on whether it would affect Arsenal's activity in the market, the Spaniard added: "I think the club has been very disciplined and with a very clear vision of how we want to do things. In that sense nothing changes."

Arsenal's activity in the transfer window has continued this week with outgoings, the most notable of which being the loan of club-record signing Nicolas Pepe to Nice.

Three years after splashing £72million to land the Ivory Coast international from Lille, the Gunners are moving on from the signing made prior to the arrival of Arteta and sporting director Edu – with a replacement being targeted.

"If we can implement the plan that we have we will try to do it. In that plan, [Pepe leaving] was something that could happen, and now it's a reality. 

"We’ve been preparing for the last two months and now we will see."

Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles remain among those who may be surplus to requirements in north London and further exits could be witnessed in the final week of the window.

"There are still a few players where we're discussing their futures and we want to find the best solution for all parties," Arteta explained.

Manchester United new boy Casemiro hopes Cristiano Ronaldo stays at Old Trafford as the Portuguese forward continues to be linked with a move away.

Casemiro was reunited with former Real Madrid team-mate Ronaldo when he completed a £60million (€70m) move to Old Trafford on Monday.

The Brazilian could make his United debut on Saturday when the Red Devils travel to Southampton in the Premier League.

Enforcer Casemiro is the fourth major arrival at United during the transfer window, but manager Erik ten Hag's first few months at the helm have been characterised by constant speculation regarding Ronaldo's future.

Ronaldo reportedly declared his intention to leave United after they missed out on Champions League qualification last season, but many potential suitors – including Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid – have since ruled out signing the striker, who found the net 24 times in all competitions last term.

Ronaldo's future remains unclear with less than a week remaining in the transfer window, and he was dropped to the bench for United's 2-1 win over Liverpool on Monday – their first victory of the campaign.

Casemiro, however, is convinced of Ronaldo's continued importance, telling ESPN in Brazil: "The illusion of being able to play with him again ... he knows the respect I have for him.

"I hope he stays, because he is a player who gives you leadership, gives you many goals, is a winner and is very important to us.

"As we speak Portuguese too, we got closer. He was a guy who from the first day I arrived here, helped me a lot, gave me advice, is helping me a lot.

"He is a great player, one of the best of all time."

Having posted their lowest points tally (58) and worst defensive record (57 goals conceded) in their Premier League history last term, United will be featuring in the Europa League this season.

Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner, is desperate to help United back into Europe's premier club competition, but he revealed the opportunity to play for one of the Premier League's biggest clubs was just as important in his considerations as he weighed up a move to United.

"I want to learn, United have always been very affectionate, from the first day, they made me feel comfortable," Casemiro said. "The coach was very attentive, charismatic from day one. They always showed interest. This is very important.

"The Champions League, of course, I want to win, if we don't play [in it], I'll be sad. I want to be there, even for the greatness of the club. But that happens with work and dedication.

"But the club has always shown a lot of affection, as well as Real. The feeling of being in a big club and being able to play in a big league like the Premier League, is very good and very important."

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has confirmed the club are closing in on the signing of Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak.

The Sweden international is poised to move to St James' Park on a club-record deal of £60million, showing a major statement of intent from the Saudi owners.

While yet to be officially confirmed, Howe expressed his confidence on pushing the deal over the line when speaking ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash against Wolves. 

"It's not completed. We hope to get it done," he said, adding he hopes Isak could yet make his debut this weekend.

"Yes, fingers crossed. There's no guarantee with these things because we're in other people's hands, but hopefully."

The imminent signing of Isak comes amid another injury blow for Callum Wilson, who has scored twice in three Premier League games this season but is facing another spell on the sidelines with a hamstring issue.

"We don't believe it to be serious – we're hopeful that Callum will only be out for a couple of weeks," Howe added.

"But naturally we reacted slightly off that in terms of we were always looking for an attacking player, but it changed our focus maybe slightly on the type.

"But we're delighted to hopefully sign Alex, who will be a big player for us."

Job done.

Thank you for your support at Prenton Park this evening - safe journey home.

Onto Molineux on Sunday!  pic.twitter.com/oaedMuQgY8

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 24, 2022

Everton manager Frank Lampard has denied Chelsea have made a £60million bid for Anthony Gordon and reiterated he intends to retain the winger.

The 21-year-old has been widely reported to be a player of interest for Chelsea, who continue to push for new acquisitions before the close of the transfer window next week.

Eye-watering amounts of money are claimed to have been put on offer for Gordon but Everton are standing firm with their intention not to lose his services.

Lampard refuted claims of a £60m bid for Gordon, while comparing him to other young players he has worked with at Derby County and Chelsea.

"It hasn't come in. He's our player and remains so. He's in the squad for tomorrow," Lampard said at a press conference on Friday ahead of the Premier League clash against Brentford.

"He's a huge player for us. I said it last week, not only is he a big value for the club, if you want to talk financially, but more importantly for me he is a big value to the squad and the team.

"They haven't bid £60m, so let's not talk about a number that's not there.

"I've been fortunate enough to work with fantastic young players in my time with Derby, in my time with Chelsea, seeing them develop, now becoming internationals with England, Champions League winners, worth triple-digit figures in their personal values.

"Anthony is in that bracket. He's been a pleasure to work with and he's ours, an Everton boy, he plays for us, the crowd relate to him.

"It's all understandable that people will be interested in him because of the level of player that he is but the facts remain the same."

There's undoubtedly a perception the transfer market has reached a new level of farce this year given some of the deals struck and others that were even touted in the first place.

Chelsea have rarely been far from the news, whether they've missed out on players (of which there have been many) or perhaps overpaid.

The £62million deal that brought Marc Cucurella to Stamford Bridge was one that especially courted bemusement, with fans, pundits and reporters alike surprised by the transfer fee. Even Manchester City walked away from talks with Brighton and Hove Albion when they couldn't sign the versatile left-back for £30m.

Wesley Fofana is the latest Chelsea pursuit to hog the headlines and, if they do manage to sign the French defender, he's going to be another hugely expensive acquisition.

Reports on Thursday suggested Chelsea are readying a fourth bid after Tuesday's apparent offer of an initial £60m was rejected. While that bid supposedly included add-ons of £10m, the reality of the full fee hitting £70m was said to be unlikely. Leicester value him at £80m.

 

Fofana's head has clearly already been turned, with Brendan Rodgers confirming on Thursday he is set to leave the defender out again on Saturday as the Foxes go to, yes, you guessed it, Chelsea.

But once again, the Blues are chasing a target who will cost an outrageous amount of money, so what do they see in Fofana that makes him worth over £70m?

The ideal fall-back option?

Because his first Premier League campaign was so impressive, it's easy to forget how inexperienced Fofana actually is.

He'd only played 20 Ligue 1 games for Saint-Etienne prior to joining Leicester for the 2020-21 season, and although he went on to feature 28 times in the Premier League that campaign, he hardly appeared at all last term.

A broken leg and medial ligament damage sustained during a pre-season friendly against Valencia in August 2021 ruled Fofana out until April, robbing him of several crucial months in his development.

He played seven times between April and the end of the last Premier League season, and those outings seemingly did enough to convince Chelsea he remains a credible option.

 

Not that Fofana was necessarily their first choice. Chelsea missed out on Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde in pre-season, with the inability to land the latter proving frustrating for the Blues given their attempts to sign him last year as well.

Stylistically, however, Fofana could arguably be better suited than those two players because he is blessed with similar key attributes to Kounde but is already accustomed to playing in a back three like De Ligt, and yet he is quicker than the Dutchman.

Of course, Fofana doesn't quite have the same level of experience as the other two, even if all three are fairly similar ages, but with the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Kalidou Koulibaly and Thiago Silva already at Chelsea, a bit more youthful exuberance shouldn't be an issue.

Archetypal modern centre-back

The role of the centre-back in modern football seems to get more important every season. No longer are they just brutish obstacles deployed with the aim of disrupting opponents.

Sure, they're still expected to perform that function, but more and more they're comparable to playmakers, whether their strengths relate to passing or ability on the ball.

 

Fofana certainly shouldn't be accused of being a poor passer. After all, during the 2020-21 season he had a pass completion of 86.4 per cent and averaged 20.9 forward passes per 90 minutes – while that isn't up there with the highest recorded by centre-backs (minimum 1,000 minutes played), as Aymeric Laporte led the way (29.1), he was still above average (19.1).

However, it was in ball progression and carrying where Fofana stood out, hence why he appears to be a fine alternative to Kounde, whose key strength was similar.

Again, going back to the 2020-21 season due to Fofana's lack of minutes last term, the France Under-21 international ranked only behind Ruben Dias (824), Harry Maguire (685) and Adam Webster (596) among centre-backs with his 585 carries.

 

This comfort on the ball translated to him carrying it further (6,261.8 metres) than all but five centre-backs over the course of the season as well, while he also clearly played an important role in getting Leicester up the pitch.

Ball progression is seen as a major responsibility for the modern centre-back, particularly in possession-based systems, and Fofana carried possession 3,591.8m up the pitch in his debut season, the fourth-most among central defenders in the Premier League.

 

In an even more forward-thinking team, Fofana's ability to progress play up the pitch quickly with the ball at his feet should be an asset to Chelsea.

Whether he represents great value at £70m or £80m is another matter and can only be conclusively answered in hindsight. But given his dynamic skillset, it's difficult to argue against him being the archetypal modern centre-back, and his age means he could conceivably be a fixture in the team for over a decade.

That would certainly constitute value for money.

Juventus have added Arkadiusz Milik to their attacking options after bringing the former Napoli striker back to Serie A from Marseille.

The 28-year-old Milik spent 18 months in France and returns to bolster Massimiliano Allegri's squad on an initial season-long loan.

It was revealed in a club statement on Friday that Juventus will pay a maximum of €1.7million to Marseille for the loan deal, with €0.8m of that hinging on the success of Milik's stay.

Juventus will also have an option to make the deal for the 28-year-old permanent for €7m, plus €2m in performance-related add-ons.

Poland international Milik will be familiar to Juventus supporters from his time in Naples. He scored the winning spot-kick against Juve in the 2020 Coppa Italia final that went down to a penalty shoot-out.

With Marseille he scored 30 goals in 55 games across all competitions, having left Napoli in January 2021 after refusing to extend his contract.

Milik previously played with distinction at Ajax, after spells at Bayer Leverkusen and Augsburg in the early stages of his career, which began in Poland with Gornik Zabrze.

He switched to Napoli in 2016 and now joins a Juventus squad where he will be competing for a starting place with the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Moise Kean.

Juventus have also been linked with Barcelona's Memphis Depay, while the deal for Milik has left former boss Fabio Capello cold.

Speaking before it was sealed, Capello said: "We need a player who has more quality. I hear about Milik, but he is not a player that makes the difference.

"It's not what the fans dream of seeing at Juve – he's a good player, who can be part of the squad, but nothing more."

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