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Report: Chelsea eyeing Premier League duo for major potential midfield investment

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By:Mark Brus

Chelsea are reportedly ready to make a central midfielder a top transfer priority for 2026, with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo on their radar.

As previously reported, Chelsea want to strengthen in midfield as one of their priorities to ease the workload on Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.

This has now been confirmed by a report in the Telegraph claiming that the Blues have been looking at both Wharton and Mainoo for that position.

The talented England international duo could be smart investments as they’re both young talents with big futures in the game, but it remains to be seen precisely how Chelsea will go about working on that area of their squad.

Would Mainoo or Wharton be the better Chelsea signing?

Given that Chelsea already have a world class midfield pairing in Caicedo and Fernandez, any new signing might struggle to start a lot of games for Enzo Maresca’s side.

With that in mind, CFC might not want to pay too much for someone who’s only likely to be a bench or rotation player.

That could mean a move for Wharton is unlikely, as he’s previously also been linked with other big clubs and might cost as much as £70m, as per TEAMtalk and others.

That would be a lot to pay for someone who isn’t going to be guaranteed regular playing time, and Wharton himself would probably also choose another club where he’d be given more of a key role.

Mainoo could, therefore, be a better option for Chelsea to add depth, as he’ll surely want out of Old Trafford after his recent struggles.

Man United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in action
Man United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in action (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Even if the 20-year-old didn’t go straight into the starting XI at Stamford Bridge, he’d probably still view it as a better move after being almost completely frozen out by Ruben Amorim this season.

Mainoo’s current situation might also mean he’s cheaper than Wharton, whilst still also surely being seen as a player with plenty of potential to improve in the future.

The post Report: Chelsea eyeing Premier League duo for major potential midfield investment appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Talks held: Man United meet with club chiefs to discuss transfer but new complication has emerged

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By:Mark Brus

Manchester United have reportedly had recent meetings with Roma officials to discuss a potential transfer deal for Joshua Zirkzee.

However, it seems that a deal is not necessarily close to being agreed, and Roma may have alternatives in mind if they cannot land the Netherlands international.

Zirkzee hasn’t played much first-team football for Man Utd in recent times, so it makes sense that his future is in doubt, but it looks like this saga could get complicated, if the latest reports are to be believed.

Latest updates on Joshua Zirkzee and potential Roma transfer

According to Corriere dello Sport, United and Roma chiefs recently met in London to discuss a deal for Zirkzee, but it’s suggested that he currently looks too expensive for the Serie A side.

Joshua Zirkzee in action for Manchester United
Joshua Zirkzee in action for Manchester United (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

With no agreement in sight, it seems Roma are also looking at Atletico Madrid’s Giacomo Raspadori, according to Alfredo Pedulla’s report for Football Italia.

It will be interesting to see what this means for the Red Devils, who surely need to lower their demands for Zirkzee and simply focus on getting him off their books.

Joshua Zirkzee staying at United doesn’t benefit anyone

It’s hard to see what United could possibly get out of clinging on to Zirkzee for much longer as he’s clearly not in Ruben Amorim’s plans.

Of course, there’s always the argument that MUFC would do well to ensure they have depth in attack, but that’s not a role the player is going to be happy with, especially in a World Cup year.

United could also probably do better if they allow Zirkzee to leave now and work on finding a replacement who’d offer them a better option up front anyway.

If they keep the 24-year-old for too much longer without playing him, then his value will surely only go down even further, so it’s hard to see a positive outcome from this strategy.

The post Talks held: Man United meet with club chiefs to discuss transfer but new complication has emerged appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Salah vs Slot is different from Ronaldo vs Ten Hag – but who’s to blame?

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By:Mark Brus

Liverpool manager Arne Slot and star player Mohamed Salah have had a very public falling-out, and it’s unsurprisingly drawn comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo’s infamous exit from Manchester United.

Salah was left out of the Liverpool squad to take on Inter Milan on Tuesday night following his outburst at the end of the Leeds United game at the weekend, which itself followed three consecutive games of being left on the bench by Slot.

It now seems inevitable that Salah will end up leaving Anfield, with his future set to be resolved after his participation at AFCON over the winter period.

But should it actually be Salah making way here, or is Slot the one in the wrong?

How the Salah vs Slot row is different from Ronaldo vs Ten Hag

As much as this story shares some similarities to Ronaldo’s infamous falling-out with Erik ten Hag towards the end of his second spell at Man Utd, the situation also has some key differences that need to be factored in.

With Ronaldo, United were dealing with an ageing superstar who didn’t really fit in with the new manager’s plans. Ten Hag was new to the job, and, even if it wasn’t wise to pick a fight with such a big personality in the dressing room, he was also under pressure to impose his philosophy, and that meant building for the future without someone who wouldn’t press or track back.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in action
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in action (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Even if Ronaldo had his moments under previous manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it was still arguably a mistake to re-sign him and disrupt the promising squad that had been being built at Old Trafford, so in many ways it was admirable of Ten Hag to show how much he meant business by thinking more long-term about making his style of play work.

With Slot and Salah, the situation is completely different – this is a player who just fired the Reds to the Premier League title last season whilst winning the Golden Boot and generally enjoying one of his best campaigns at the club. He was duly awarded with a new contract before the summer, so you can forgive him for now wondering why he isn’t considered a key player anymore just a few months later.

But does Slot also deserve patience?

In fairness to Slot, he’s also not Ten Hag, who proved to be a disaster at United. Slot immediately delivered a Premier League title in his first season in charge, so has perhaps earned the chance to make this big call on Salah.

The Dutch tactician could perhaps have handled things differently, though, considering Salah’s role in the team’s success just a few months ago. Even if the 33-year-old hadn’t started the season well, he’s also far from the only one who would arguably merit being dropped for a few matches. The apparent attempt to single Salah out like this seems unfair and unwarranted.

Ultimately, though, the manager is paid to make these tough decisions, and Salah could also have handled his response better than he has. Sometimes big names will sit out a few matches before coming back, and any coach should be able to do that without fearing such a major backlash. Salah has achieved very little with his public outburst – it only makes it more likely he’ll continue to miss games, and it further unsettles Slot at a time when he is already under pressure to fix morale in this struggling squad.

The post Salah vs Slot is different from Ronaldo vs Ten Hag – but who’s to blame? appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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