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Sources: Newcastle lead race for “exceptional” talent to replace Arsenal target Sandro Tonali

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
7 February 2026 at 14:57

Newcastle United have attracted a lot of unwanted headlines this week regarding Sandro Tonali and transfer interest from Arsenal.

After doing some further digging on this saga, I’ve been told that Newcastle have, to a certain extent, been preparing for Tonali’s possible exit for some time, with Lyon’s Tyler Morton one of their top targets to replace him in midfield.

The 23-year-old has looked hugely impressive for Lyon this season after previously catching the eye as a youngster at Liverpool.

Morton’s form in Ligue 1 also has him on the radar of clubs like Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, but I’m reliably told that Newcastle currently seem to be leading the race for his signature.

Tyler Morton to Newcastle as Sandro Tonali leaves?

Tyler Morton in action for Lyon
Tyler Morton in action for Lyon (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

“Although it’s only come out in the last few days, the prospect of Sandro Tonali leaving Newcastle is very real and not a recent thing,” one source explained. “That doesn’t mean it’s 100% happening, but the club are realistic about the possibility and want to make sure all bases are covered.

“Morton is someone Newcastle know well and they’ve done some work on. He only joined Lyon last summer but their finances mean they’d have to consider offers. Newcastle sense an opportunity for a possible bargain there.”

Morton has previously been described as “exceptional” by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and he can probably count himself a bit unlucky that he didn’t end up getting more opportunities during his time at Anfield.

Tyler Morton looks ready for Premier League transfer

Morton won’t necessarily push to leave Lyon so soon after joining, with the move to France clearly proving good for his development.

The England Under-21 international has played 28 games in all competitions this season, and he might not want to risk going back to potentially spending more time on the bench.

Still, if Newcastle were to give Morton a key role, such as replacing an important player like Tonali, then that could surely appeal to him.

The post Sources: Newcastle lead race for “exceptional” talent to replace Arsenal target Sandro Tonali appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Real Madrid target Manchester City star Phil Foden

✇English Premier League News - Premiership Results & Table
By:Jamie Jones
7 February 2026 at 11:27

Real Madrid are interested in signing Phil Foden from Manchester City in the summer of 2026, according to Sports Boom. The Spanish powerhouse reportedly view Foden as ‘the final, crowning piece of their New Galacticos puzzle’. Foden is good friends with his England international team-mate Jude Bellingham, who is a star for Madrid. This is […]

The post Real Madrid target Manchester City star Phil Foden appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Real Madrid target Manchester City star Phil Foden appeared first on Soccer News.

Real Madrid target Manchester City star Phil Foden

✇Latest Football Transfer News & Transfer Rumours 2022/23
By:Jamie Jones
7 February 2026 at 11:27

Real Madrid are interested in signing Phil Foden from Manchester City in the summer of 2026, according to Sports Boom. The Spanish powerhouse reportedly view Foden as ‘the final, crowning piece of their New Galacticos puzzle’. Foden is good friends with his England international team-mate Jude Bellingham, who is a star for Madrid. This is […]

The post Real Madrid target Manchester City star Phil Foden appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Real Madrid target Manchester City star Phil Foden appeared first on Soccer News.

Real Madrid target Manchester City star Phil Foden

✇Spanish La Liga News - La Liga Fixtures, Results and Table
By:Jamie Jones
7 February 2026 at 11:27

Real Madrid are interested in signing Phil Foden from Manchester City in the summer of 2026, according to Sports Boom. The Spanish powerhouse reportedly view Foden as ‘the final, crowning piece of their New Galacticos puzzle’. Foden is good friends with his England international team-mate Jude Bellingham, who is a star for Madrid. This is […]

The post Real Madrid target Manchester City star Phil Foden appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Real Madrid target Manchester City star Phil Foden appeared first on Soccer News.

Sources: Chelsea star “very likely” to leave as three potential transfer suitors named

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
6 February 2026 at 14:03

Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile is now rated as “very likely” to be out of the Blues’ project as transfer suitors emerge ahead of the summer.

As first reported here for the Daily Briefing, there has not yet been any contact from clubs for Badiashile, despite some background interest from AC Milan.

I’m also told that Juventus and Marseille could be two teams to watch in the race for Badiashile’s signature, as he’s set to be made available for around €35m this summer.

Chelsea consider Badiashile out of their project and will ideally look to sell him permanently rather than loaning him out.

Sources on Benoit Badiashile’s Chelsea future

“Badiashile is very likely out of the Chelsea project now,” one source in the industry told me this morning. “There has been some interest from AC Milan, albeit nothing that concrete yet, but we can expect to see them and others step up their efforts in the months ahead.

Benoit Badiashile in training with Chelsea
Benoit Badiashile in training with Chelsea (Photo by Jasper Wax/Getty Images)

“While I wouldn’t say Chelsea are forcing Badiashile out, they are very much open to offers and would prefer a permanent sale to a loan. His asking price will be in the region of €35m.”

Badiashile will surely have options once it comes to leaving Stamford Bridge, but he’ll no doubt be disappointed he couldn’t make more of this opportunity.

The Frenchman looked highly promising when he first joined from Monaco in 2023, but it just hasn’t quite happened for him in English football.

Chelsea to make changes in defence?

As noted in my Daily Briefing report, Chelsea were very keen to sign Jeremy Jacquet before Liverpool won the race for his signature.

The west London giants will surely continue to look for new additions in that area of the pitch after deciding to let Badiashile go.

Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo is one name linked with Chelsea by Football Insider, and they’ll surely assess numerous other options in the weeks and months ahead.

The post Sources: Chelsea star “very likely” to leave as three potential transfer suitors named appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Medical done: Liverpool a step closer to finalising £60m transfer

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
2 February 2026 at 23:42

Liverpool have reportedly taken another step closer to signing Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, who has now had his medical with the Reds.

The talented 20-year-old has been the subject of a lot of interest this winter, with the Athletic reporting on his medical with Liverpool being scheduled.

And now Mike McGrath of the Telegraph has posted on X that that medical has now been done, with Jacquet all set to join Liverpool for a potential £60m package in the summer.

See below for details as the Jacquet to Liverpool deal now looks all but done…

Jérémy Jacquet has completed his medical at Liverpool. The 20yr centre-back will join #LFC in £60m deal, with £55m up front and join in the summer after completing the season with Rennes

????https://t.co/nvidt3eGgn

— Mike McGrath (@mcgrathmike) February 2, 2026

McGrath posted: “Jérémy Jacquet has completed his medical at Liverpool. The 20yr centre-back will join #LFC in £60m deal, with £55m up front and join in the summer after completing the season with Rennes.”

Liverpool beat Chelsea to Jeremy Jacquet transfer

Chelsea were also in the mix for Jacquet earlier in this transfer window, but a deal seemingly couldn’t be agreed.

Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol had posted about the Blues pursuing the young defender, with Rennes’ preference always being to keep him until the summer.

Perhaps this ended up being the key detail, as LFC have clearly allowed Jacquet to remain with the Ligue 1 club for a few more months.

Jeremy Jacquet in action for Rennes
Jeremy Jacquet in action for Rennes

Chelsea, by contrast, looked like they really needed a new defender now, and this led to them recalling Mamadou Sarr from his loan spell at Strasbourg.

Liverpool fans will be delighted to see their club move quickly to hijack the deal and secure the services of one of the most highly regarded young defenders in Europe.

Arne Slot looks like he could do with a signing like this for the near future, with Virgil van Dijk not getting any younger, while Ibrahima Konate is coming towards the end of his contract this summer.

The post Medical done: Liverpool a step closer to finalising £60m transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Official: Chelsea announce two Deadline Day deals in quick succession

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
2 February 2026 at 23:10

Chelsea have officially announced that Mamadou Sarr has been recalled to the club from his loan at Strasbourg, while Aaron Anselmino has joined the Ligue 1 side.

The Blues recently recalled Anselmino from his loan stint with Borussia Dortmund, and it looked like this could lead to him being involved in their first-team in the second half of the season.

However, Chelsea have now confirmed that the talented young Argentine has instead gone on loan to Strasbourg for the second half of this campaign, replacing Sarr as he’s returned to Stamford Bridge.

See below for the official announcements, which came in quick succession this evening…

Mamadou Sarr has returned to Chelsea from his loan spell at Strasbourg.

Welcome back, Mamadou! ?

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 2, 2026

The first one welcoming Sarr back was posted just after 6pm, while the below post on Anselmino came around 45 minutes later…

Aaron Anselmino has joined Ligue 1 club Strasbourg on loan for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 2, 2026

Chelsea reunited Mamadou Sarr with Liam Rosenior

Even if some Chelsea fans might be a bit baffled by all this movement, it could end up being smart business by the west London giants to get Sarr playing under Liam Rosenior again.

Rosenior recently replaced Enzo Maresca as CFC manager, having impressed at fellow BlueCo club Strasbourg.

Mamadou Sarr takes a sip of water
Mamadou Sarr takes a sip of water (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Sarr played under Rosenior and performed well, so that could be a useful option for Chelsea to have in the second half of the season.

It will be interesting to see if the talented 20-year-old goes straight into the Chelsea team, but there’s no doubt Rosenior could do with more options at the back.

There’ll no doubt be fans looking into last minute Arsenal vs Chelsea tickets for tomorrow night’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, but that game is surely going to come too soon for Sarr.

The Senegal international would really be being thrown in at the deep end if he were to be handed his Chelsea debut in such a big game at the Emirates Stadium, but perhaps after that he’ll get a run in the side.

The post Official: Chelsea announce two Deadline Day deals in quick succession appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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