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Chelsea's prodigious academy is one of the greatest in world football at churning out some of the most promising young talents on the planet.

The Blues have forged this legacy by investing in state-of-the-art facilities and the best equipment to ensure that youngsters have all the tools they need to become stars.

This was particularly prevalent in the 1990s as the west London giants watched arguably their greatest-ever defender, John Terry, come through their academy, assert his dominance at the heart of their defence and rack up an incredible 717 appearances across a 19-year association with the club.

Across his glittering career at Stamford Bridge, he became a rarity among the world of defenders at the time through his ability with the ball at his feet, underscored by the fact he's the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history with 41 goals.

These days, being comfortable with the ball is imperative for any modern centre-back and Levi Colwill, who has been dubbed as the "next John Terry", is certainly that in abundance.

How much Chelsea paid for Levi Colwill

Much like Terry, Colwill is a graduate of Chelsea's academy, joining at the age of 9 through their development centre programme.

Initially, his introduction to football came with Sunday league side City Central, where he intriguingly played alongside Jamal Musiala.

If that wasn't an indication of his quality, Colwill's composure from an early age as well as his steady physical presence with growth, more than made up for it.

A physical specimen off the ball and a calming presence on it, the youngster had the requisite tools to become the next star to blossom from the club's underage groups, but he just needed a regular taste of senior football so he could develop in skill and stature.

With this in mind, after three outings in the Papa John's Trophy, Colwill was loaned to Huddersfield Town in the 2021/22 campaign, inspiring the Terriers to the Championship play-off final.

Despite scoring an own goal that saw his side crumble at the final hurdle, the Englishman impressed across 29 appearances while watching his expected transfer value (xTV) shoot up to €7.3m (£6.3m) in July 2022.

Levi Colwill's transfer value at Brighton & Hove Albion

After an excellent campaign under the stewardship of Carlos Corberan in the Championship, plaudits continued to rain down on Colwill during his spell at Brighton & Hove Albion last term.

In an exciting and youthful Seagulls side with an average age of 23.64, the 6 foot 2 titan fit into the progressive style deployed by Roberto De Zerbi like a glove.

A commanding presence at the back and an expert at spraying passes through the thirds, Colwill showcased glimpses of his unerring traits on the South Coast as he featured in 17 matches in the top flight and helped his side record a sensational sixth-place finish.

Not only that, but he also saw his xTV rise even further, from €7.3m in July 2022 to €10.8m (£9.3m) in May this year, with the 20-year-old looking ready to become a first-team regular at Chelsea.

Levi Colwill's value now

As soon as he arrived at Stamford Bridge, Mauricio Pochettino made it known that Colwill was going to play a huge part in his plans, with the Argentine describing him as a "big talent" and a "great character".

In 11 appearances this term, Colwill – who has been dubbed by Antonio Mango as "insane technically" – has shown how good he is with the ball at his feet while operating as a centre back or left back.

This is demonstrated by the fact he's been thrown into the same bracket of ball-playing defenders as Jules Kounde, Alessandro Bastoni and David Alaba by FBref for his exceptional ball-playing attributes and calmness in possession.

Despite being only 20 and the youngest on that list, he ranks within the top 9% across Europe's top five leagues in the past year for passes attempted, top 6% for shot-creating actions and top 16% for progressive carries per 90.

Progressive passes

4.26

Passes attempted

76.48

Shot creating actions

1.36

Progressive carries

1.05

Progressive passes received

0.79

All stats via FBref

Whilst he's near faultless with the ball at his feet and displays an exquisite passing range beyond his years, he does need to improve defensively, as implied by his ranking in the bottom 24% for tackles and bottom 29% for interceptions.

However, considering his value has skyrocketed to a whopping €60m (£52m), as per CIES Football Observatory, Colwill is developing rapidly under Pochettino and has played a major role in their strong defence this term.

Chelsea's season in numbers

Whilst Chelsea's attack has come alive in recent weeks, scoring four in both fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, the Blues have been hard to beat this term.

As the saying goes, you should always build from the back and with the summer additions of Robert Sanchez, Axel Disasi and Moises Caicedo, in particular, Pochettino has successfully solidified the spine of their team and this is reflected by their impressive defensive metrics.

According to Understat, only five teams have conceded more expected goals (xG) than the Blues, with a total of 16.63 placing them just behind the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Manchester City.

Contrary to the previous statement about Colwill's defensive abilities, the Englishman has made a colossal impact in helping preserve a strong rearguard that has only been breached 16 times, five of which arrived in the last two matches.

Despite being deployed as a left back on five occasions, the Englishman – who the Argentine said could become one of the greatest defenders in England – has still thrived alongside the veteran Thiago Silva.

The Brazilian has helped refine the defensive side of his game, having placed in the top 23% among defenders in the Premier League for tackles this season (1.83), which is a vast improvement from only recording 0.59 per game during his spell at Brighton last term.

If Colwill can continue his upward trajectory, as demonstrated by his exceptional statistics and current transfer value, he has the opportunity to become a generational defender for the Blues, as Terry did.

Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign an "exceptional" player in the January transfer window, with a move away looking extremely likely for him.

Liverpool January rumours

The Reds have been stuttering in the Premier League of late, and while the 0-0 draw at home to Manchester United on Sunday were the first dropped points in a while, the performances against the likes of Fulham, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace have not been wholly convincing.

All of a sudden, the dreaded injuries are starting to creep in, with Joel Matip out for the rest of the season, and the likes of Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister and Diogo Jota all absent of late. Ryan Gravenberch also picked up a hamstring issue against United, and Jurgen Klopp's squad depth is being tested.

There is always the chance for Liverpool and FSG to bring in January reinforcements, and the Reds have been linked with plenty of players in recent weeks, with additions backed to come in across various areas of the pitch.

Goncalo Inacio and Piero Hincapie are two highly-rated centre-backs who are seen as possible targets for Liverpool, with the pair currently plying their trade at Sporting CP and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, while rumours of a move for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha have also been rife. Now, an intriguing new report has emerged, as Klopp potentially looks to address some issues in the middle of the park.

Liverpool want Kalvin Phillips

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Liverpool have now joined the race to sign Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who continues to endure such a tough time at the Etihad.

The Reds are believed to have "‘inserted themselves in the last few hours" when it comes to snapping up the 28-year-old, with Juventus also mentioned as potential suitors. Newcastle United have also felt like strong contenders to sign him, too, as they look to fill the void left by the suspended Sandro Tonali.

City are reluctant to allow Phillips to join a fellow Premier League team, which is why Juve look likely to be their preferred club of choice for him.

This could actually be a signing that makes some sense for Liverpool, even if the former Leeds United man was simply coming in as a short-term solution midway through the season. He has the same agent and Ibrahima Konate, which may aid negotiations.

Phillips will be desperate to rebuild his career after struggling so badly to be a regular under Pep Guardiola at City, and he could give the Reds that extra body in midfield, especially with Mac Allister and Gravenberch possibly absent for the foreseeable future, although that remains to be seen.

Guardiola has actually hailed the England international as "exceptional" in the past, so does seemingly rate him, but it has become clear that a new challenge is needed. He can operate as a No.6 or in a more box-to-box role, which could appeal to Klopp, and his experience and know-how of the Premier League could be a handy weapon in the title race.

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That being said, for all of Phillips' positives as a player, a move feels unlikely, with Liverpool challenging City in the race for the title.

Celtic are already making inroads ahead of the January transfer window and could look to pull off a surprise move to bring a £25m player to Glasgow, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Celtic?

The Hoops have been in excellent form in the Scottish Premiership and sit top of the pile with a four point advantage over St Mirren, having recorded six wins and one draw from their opening seven fixtures. Motherwell became the latest team to come unstuck against Celtic last weekend, as a 97th minute strike from Matt O'Riley sealed a 2-1 victory for Brendan Rodgers' men at Fir Park in dramatic circumstances.

Away from the field, former Celtic icon Tom Rogic has announced his retirement from professional football to focus on his family and he gave special thanks to his old employers in a heartfelt post on Instagram, as cited by The Daily Record.

Rogic wrote: "I feel very lucky to have had a career where I spent the majority of my time playing at Celtic Football Club, one of the biggest clubs in the world, playing European football, winning many trophies and playing in front of 60,000 fans each week. I have also been lucky enough to represent my country with the Socceroos on over 50 occasions and experienced playing in major international tournaments."

International duty beckons after this weekend for a number of Celtic's first-team players and both club captain Callum McGregor and left-back Greg Taylor will link up with Scotland later this month as the Tartan Army attempt to seal qualification for EURO 2024, as per BBC Sport.

Former Celtic defender Kieran Tierney has sustained a significant injury on loan at Real Sociedad ahead of Scotland's double header against Spain and France, paving the way for Taylor to take his place.

Who are Celtic linked with?

Speaking of former players, 90min report that Celtic are believed to be 'open' to the possibility of bringing Portuguese winger Jota back to Parkhead in light of his ongoing omission from new side Al-Ittihad, which has led to the 24-year-old not being registered in their squad and rendered him unable to take to the field for his new side.

Nevertheless, facilitating any dramatic return that would see Jota pitch up at Parkhead will be an extremely difficult task, given that Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Everton, Crystal Palace, Fulham, and West Ham United are all keeping tabs on his current situation in Saudi Arabia.

Leaving for £25 million in the summer, Jota left Celtic fans gutted by his departure after racking up 28 strikes and 26 assists in 83 outings across all competitions. He is rumoured to be earning close to £200,000 per week in the Gulf region, which could potentially provide generational wealth for the Benfica youth product and would've been extremely hard to turn down, all things considered.

Dubbed "absolutely brilliant" by Queen of the South manager Marvin Bartley in 2022, he now looks to have been cast out by his current employers; however, it would take some serious financial muscle to tempt Jota to return to Parkhead in light of other potential options on the table for the talented attacker.

Leeds United could be ready to part ways with one of their experienced heads at Elland Road and journalist Phil Hay has given some important insight into the latest news regarding his future.

What's the latest news involving Leeds United?

In an interview with German outlet BILD, Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche has praised the impact of on-loan Leeds United man Robin Koch at the Bundesliga outfit. Factoring in the fact Eintracht Frankfurt have conceded just three goals so far this campaign, Krösche has complemented the partnership of Koch and teammate Willian Pacho, stating: "We are doing very well defensively. It’s unbelievable how stable Pacho is and how Robin has fit in."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Ben Jacobs believes that securing promotion to the Premier League may be a key element in whether Italy international Wilfried Gnonto decides to stay at Elland Road for the foreseeable future.

Jacobs said: "It will all simply depend on whether Leeds go up or stay in the Championship. If they stay in the Championship, I think they’ll let Gnonto leave. But if they go back up into the Premier League, he may not want to leave."

Of course, Gnonto is currently out with a ligament injury and will also require surgery, leaving him out of contention until after the next international break has concluded, cited by Leeds Live. Next up for Leeds United is a trip to Southampton this weekend as they look to continue their unbeaten streak in the Sky Bet Championship, which currently stands at six games without a defeat.

As per reports, Crystal Palace have scouted Leeds United youngster Archie Gray; however, any January approach from the South London-based outfit is deemed to be unlikely.

Who could leave Leeds United?

Speaking on the Square Ball podcast, The Athletic journalist Hay has given an update on the future of out-of-favour Leeds United man Helder Costa: "We’ll see what happens – the expectation was that he would go. As Farke said himself, Costa had said that he wanted to leave, hence why he wasn’t involved at all over the summer and there is simply no way he can be reintegrated now. He hasn’t trained through pre-season; he isn’t familiar with what Farke’s doing.

"He's been training on his own. There was obviously the Turkish window as well, which would’ve been an option. I think we all expected that he’s probably would go back to Saudi but noting has developed there. One of a handful of things is going to have to happen. Either they terminate his contract, or when they get round to January they find somewhere for him to go for six months so that he can burn down what’s left on his deal then move on, or he just sits tight until the end of the season and moves on as a free agent."

Costa has made 71 appearances for Leeds United in total over the course of his time at Elland Road, registering eight goals and 11 assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, all signs point to Farke no longer wanting the Angola international around and this could prompt Leeds United owners the 49ers to pay off the 40 weeks remaining on his £32,500 per week contract, which would equate to roughly £1.3 million.

Arsenal ceded ground in the Premier League after drawing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, though Mikel Arteta will be elated by his side's comeback from two goals down.

Despite toiling for much of the first half, the Gunners flaunted their title-winning credentials with a sensational late fightback, and at this stage of the campaign, Arteta will indeed be far more impressed with the mentality than the squandering of the joint-top spot.

However, the tense affair was littered with several subpar displays, and there will undoubtedly be some post-match discussions regarding the poor performances, with Oleksandr Zinchenko at the epicentre.

How did Oleksandr Zinchenko play against Chelsea?

The Ukrainian dynamo has been an important figure at the Emirates Stadium since signing from Manchester City in a £32m deal in 2022, though against the Blues, he had an evening to forget.

Hooked at half-time, the 26-year-old's technical qualities had been completely negated by the electric pace of Raheem Sterling, with BBC Sports' Raj Chohan remarking at the England international's "immense" dribbling.

According to Sofascore, Zinchenko produced the worst match rating of the night (6.2) and picked up a yellow card for his travails, recorded to have been dribbled past and committed an error leading to a shot.

Having only won one ground duel too, it truly was an awkward and forgettable affair on an individual level, having also taken 33 touches but failed to demonstrate his passing skills with anything of note.

While the 57-cap international was the notable struggler, captain Martin Odegaard, so often the spark of ingenuity and inspiration in decisive matches, was a shadow of his former self, subdued in the middle of the pitch.

How did Martin Odegaard perform vs Chelsea?

Declan Rice stole the show once again with his talismanic role in orchestrating the comeback having fallen two goals down after the break, but Odegaard really did endure a tough night.

As per FBref, the Norwegian phenom ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, and the top 12% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, but he failed to live up to such superlative metrics in a heated London derby.

The £240k-per-week machine only took 35 touches during his 78 minutes on the pitch despite Arsenal controlling the lion's share of possession; comparatively, Enzo Fernandez took 73 in the opposite squad.

Odegaard also lost the ball on ten occasions, highlighting just how wasteful he was in possession.

And while the former Real Madrid prospect made two key passes, he couldn't muster a shot nor succeed with his one attempted dribble, also winning just one duel on the night despite his central placement, leading journalist Sam Dean to remark how "off it" he was.

In his post-match ratings, football.london's Kaya Kaynak was displeased with the captain's contribution, writing: 'A bad day at the office for the Norwegian who struggled to ever really got on the ball. On the rare occasions that he did there was a distinct lack of quality.'

The 5 foot 10 Odegaard has been absolutely integral to the Gunners' ascendancy over the past several years, proving to be the squad's creative fulcrum and inspiring leader since receiving the captaincy in July 2022.

But there's no denying that he was off the boil in west London, and Arteta will look to swiftly stamp out any tincture of poor form to serve the squad in the fight for the gleaming Premier League trophy.

Chelsea are now prepared to sell a “leader” in January so they can sign an £83 million player, with Enzo Maresca’s side already making contact over a potential move.

Chelsea thrash Southampton 5-1 to extend unbeaten Premier League run

The west Londoners have been tipped as potential Premier League title contenders after a fine start to the campaign, even if Maresca continues to rebuff notions that they could end the club’s near nine-year-long wait for a domestic crown.

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Chelsea haven’t won a title since Antonio Conte led them to the honour in 2016, but they’re making a serious go of it this season – lying just seven points behind league leaders Liverpool and losing just twice.

They came at the hands of Arne Slot’s side and current champions Man City, with Maresca yet to taste a single loss in the league since their defeat at Anfield in October.

Tottenham (home)

December 8

Brentford (home)

December 15

Everton (away)

December 22

Fulham (home)

December 26

Ipswich Town (away)

December 30

Chelsea thrashed Southampton 5-1 at St. Mary’s to extend their unbeaten domestic run to six games, and it is practically impossible to get at least a little bit excited given just how well they’re playing right now.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Leicester City in the summer, Maresca has implemented an exciting, attack-minded style of play which has pleased both critics and supporters – but Chelsea’s boss is still refusing to get drawn into debates regarding this year’s title race.

“We’re not in the title race. We are not, in my opinion,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s prospects of winning the league.

“What I said to the owners and the sporting directors the first time I met them, because of the age, and because of how good the squad is, for me Chelsea in the next five to 10 years will be one of the teams, or the team, that is going to dominate English football.

“This is what I said this to the club the first time I met them. No matter who will be the manager, for the next five or 10 years, because of the age, the squad, you can dominate English football, and I still think exactly the same.”

Nevertheless, Chelsea will be going into their game against inconsistent Tottenham on a real high, with defender Axel Disasi even managing to get on the scoresheet against Southampton after returning to the starting eleven.

Chelsea prepared to sell Axel Disasi in January so they can sign Tomas Araujo

The Frenchman had missed out on a place in their previous five Premier League matchday squads, but was handed the opportunity to start against Southampton by Maresca.

Disasi ultimately repaid his manager’s faith with a solid display, but there have been reports in the build up to January that Chelsea may look to offload Disasi and free up space for another centre-back.

Chelsea are scouring the market for another central defensive star, and they’ve been linked with Benfica star Tomas Araujo.

TEAMtalk have an update on their interest in the Portuguese, as Maresca looks to reshape the squad into future dominators of English football.

It is believed that Chelsea are prepared to sell Disasi in January and have made contact over Araujo, with their defender’s sale seen as crucial to potentially striking a deal for the latter defender.

Despite being called a “leader” in defence at points, Disasi is also seen as “limited” by some behind-the-scenes at Chelsea, prompting their interest in Araujo, who is believed to have an £83 million release clause in his contract.

The 22-year-old, who can also play at right-back, is emerging as one of the Primeira Liga’s most promising defenders – which has apparently turned heads in west London.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was backed by the board in the summer transfer window as they provided the funds for a host of new additions to the squad.

After Matt O’Riley was sold to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, the Hoops sanctioned a club-record £11m swoop for Augsburg central midfielder Arne Engels.

The board were also willing to splash out a fee of £8.5m, which could rise to £9.5m with add-ons, to sign striker Adam Idah from Norwich City, which means that he could become the second most expensive signing in Celtic’s history – behind Engels – if those add-ons are achieved.

After a return of nine goals in 19 games during a loan spell last season, the Ireland international has only scored five goals in 15 matches in all competitions for the club this term.

Rodgers, given the money spent on the 23-year-old forward, will be hoping that Idah can turn his form around and prove his worth in the months, and seasons, to come.

The Irishman must first, though, oust Kyogo Furuhashi from the starting XI and that has proven difficult, as the Japanese forward has been a terrific player for the club over the years.

Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi masterclass

In the summer of 2021, former Celtic head coach Ange Postecoglou swooped to sign the striker from Vissel Kobe for a reported fee of £4.6m, just over half of the initial fee that was paid for Idah earlier this year.

The Japan international had scored 49 goals in 111 games for the J1 League outfit and the Scottish giants were hoping that he would bring that goal threat with him to Glasgow.

Kyogo did not disappoint. In the 2021/22 campaign, the forward racked up an impressive return of 20 goals and five assists in 33 appearances in all competitions.

His second season at Parkhead was even better, though, as the Japanese attacker produced a stunning 34 goals and five assists in 50 outings in all competitions.

The Celtic star’s impressive form throughout the 2022/23 campaign earned him the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award, which illustrated how highly he was valued by his peers.

Appearances

36

38

Goals

27

14

Minutes per goal

86

179

Big chances missed

16

24

Conversion rate

31%

14%

As you can see in the table above, his output did fall off from that season to the following term, but he still contributed with 14 league goals for the Hoops under Rodgers.

He has also scored six goals in 16 appearances in all competitions in the current campaign for the Scottish giants, one more than Idah has managed so far.

Overall, the £4.5m spent on Kyogo has been a bargain for Celtic, particularly when you consider that they once signed a flop in his position for even more money.

How much Celtic paid for Albian Ajeti

In the summer of 2020, one year before Kyogo’s arrival at Parkhead, Neil Lennon splashed out a whopping fee of £5m to sign number nine Albian Ajeti from West Ham United.

Sky Sports reported that the forward was willing to take a ‘significant’ pay cut from his £60k-per-week wages in London, and SalarySport claimed that he was initially on £16k-per-week with the Hoops in his first season. at the club.

At the time of his arrival, Lennon described Ajeti as a “tremendous” player and said “we hope he has a long and prosperous career with us” ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

The Scottish giants spent £5m on the forward after he had failed to register a single goal or assist in 12 appearances for the Hammers in all competitions in his only season in England, which included nine matches in the Premier League.

Ajeti had, however, produced 21 goals and 11 assists in 43 outings in all competitions for Swiss giants Basel in the 2018/19 campaign, which may have been what Lennon was basing his assessment of the striker’s quality on.

Unfortunately, though, things did not work out well for the Switzerland international in Glasgow and he went on to be a big flop during his time with the Scottish giants.

Albian Ajeti's goalscoring record for Celtic

After arriving for a fee of £5m and being described as a ‘tremendous’ player by his manager, you could forgive supporters for expecting to see regular quality from Ajeti in the final third in the 2020/21 campaign.

Instead, the Swiss centre-forward rarely contributed at the top end of the pitch and ended the season with a return of just six goals and four assists in 30 appearances in all competitions.

He failed to find the back of the net in seven outings in Europe and scored all six of his goals in 20 matches in the Scottish Premiership, whilst he failed to create a single ‘big chance’ for his teammates in those games.

Postecoglou then arrived in the summer of 2021 and brought in Giorgos Giakoumakis and Kyogo to play ahead of Ajeti in the striker position, which immediately suggested that he was not a fan of the attacker.

That was further illustrated by the Swiss flop’s lack of minutes in the 2021/22 campaign, as the former West Ham man only played 17 times in all competitions and racked up 555 minutes of action.

Appearances

20

21

7

Starts

16

11

3

Goals

12

13

2

Assists

0

1

0

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo and Giakoumakis were both preferred ahead of Ajeti, whose weekly wage – per Sofascore – went up to £19k-per-week – taking his earnings to roughly £1.8m in his first two seasons at Parkhead.

The forward then spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Sturm Graz before being sold to Turkish side Gaziantep for a reported fee of just £500k, which means that the Hoops only got back £500k of the £6.8m they spent on him in transfer fees and wages.

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Lennon got it all wrong with the Celtic flop, who rarely played or scored for the club before leaving for a tenth of the fee he was signed for, and it ended up being roughly £6.3m that went down the drain in the end.

Crystal Palace’s squad has been built really well in the past few years, with a mixture of experienced Premier League players being signed, some astute youngsters being poached for good fees, and even bringing some academy prospects of their own through.

Players like Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton, Eberechi Eze and Dean Henderson were all signed for good fees relative to their potential ability.

Alongside clever additions such as Jefferson Lerma, Daichi Kamada, Daniel Munoz, Will Hughes, Ismaila Sarr, and Jean-Phillipe Mateta, who are more experienced members of the squad.

But it’s their academy that has plenty of promise to add more to this squad in the next year or so, adding to Tyrick Mitchell and Nathaniel Clyne who are the only real starters in the squad to come through the academy.

Crystal Palace's upcoming academy stars

One of the brightest stars in the academy is winger, Asher Agbinone, who has made two sub appearances totalling four minutes for the Eagles this season. Oliver Glasner has used him from the bench, stating he has “a lot of pace” and calling him a “very good talent”.

Justin Devenny is another to have broken through this season, making two senior appearances alongside his eight U21 appearances this campaign. The 21-year-old made a heroic impact just last weekend, scoring his first Premier League goal against Aston Villa, as the sides drew 2-2 at Villa Park.

But one academy product who is currently out on loan, and could return to make a real impact for the Eagles, is Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, a player who teammate Marc Guehi praised as a player with “great potential” last season.

Why Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could be the new Zaha

Rak-Sakyi is making waves in the Championship this term, and has impressed of late. Indeed, he notably scored in Sheffield United’s 3-0 victory over Oxford on Tuesday night, also making three key passes in the game.

So far this season, the 22-year-old has made 17 appearances for the Blades, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 884 minutes. Sheffield United currently sit top of the Championship, and Rak-Sakyi has played a big part in that so far this season.

So, how could he fit into the current squad at Selhurst Park?

Goals

0.41

0.27

0.14

Assists

0.20

0.11

0.14

xG

0.36

0.26

0.29

xAG

0.23

0.11

0.27

Progressive Carries

4.51

3.39

3.02

Progressive Passes

1.76

2.95

1.59

Shots Total

2.45

2.65

2.61

Key Passes

1.98

1.46

1.59

Shot-Creating Actions

4.62

3.58

4.29

Successful Take-Ons

2.53

2.17

0.63

When comparing Rak-Sakyi to Wilfried Zaha in his last season at Palace, and new signing Sarr this season, the 22-year-old impressively comes out on top in seven of the ten metrics analysed, providing better output (goals + assists), more progressive carries per 90, and more creative actions such as take-ons, key passes and shot-creating actions.

These are all traits that Palace have been missing since losing Zaha, and also losing Michael Olise in the summer. Rak-Sakyi clearly looks like he could be the man to provide that extra creative edge from wide areas, certainly in comparison to summer signing Sarr who hasn’t had the fastest start to life with the Eagles.

Once the Eagles youngster returns next season, if Sarr fails to impress to a satisfactory level, he could well be given a chance in the first team, enabling him to finally become the Zaha replacement that Palace fans have been craving since his departure.

Their next Olise: Crystal Palace could have a £100m + star in the making

Crystal Palace could have their next Olise with £100m ace in the making

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Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has labelled one Rangers player as "woeful" and "embarrassing", suggesting he should have no future at the club.

Rangers title hopes & transfer news

Philippe Clement's side picked up another crucial win in the Scottish Premiership title battle on Sunday afternoon, battling their way to a 2-1 victory away to St Mirren. Cyriel Dessers scored the winner with time ticking away, in what could be such a crucial goal come the end of the season.

Celtic's win at Dundee by the same scoreline means that Rangers' rivals still hold a three-point advantage in the title race, however, so there is still a huge amount of work to be done in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the Gers will reportedly sign a "number" of new players in the summer transfer window, regardless of the outcome in the league, with a permanent move for loanee Abdallah Sima something that the club could decide to seal. In fact, Rangers are believed to be in pole position to bring him in for good from Brighton.

Krasnodar attacking midfielder Eduard Spertsyan has also emerged as a target for the Scottish giants, with the 23-year-old scoring ten goals and registering three assists in the Russian Premier League this season.

Celtic legend slams "woeful" Rangers player

Speaking to Football Insider, 64 year-old McAvennie lambasted Rangers striker Fabio Silva, slamming his antics in trying to win free kicks and penalties, saying he shouldn't earn a permanent deal to Ibrox this summer:

"They shouldn’t sign him permanently. How many times has he dived in the last few weeks? He could earn penalties but he’s woeful. [Against Hearts] he dived when Dessers passed him the ball. All Silva had to do was sidefoot it in but what on earth was he doing? It looked like there was a sniper on the roof or something! It was embarrassing for the boy.

"He’s done it too many times and it’s embarrassing for the club. Dessers is doing alright at the moment too and is much better than Silva. I’m not too fussed about Silva. Listen, I’m baffled that Wolves paid that much for him. There might be a great player in there but if you pay £35million for him, you’d expect more. He’s been awful."

McAvennie's comments may be brutal, but there is some truth to them, with some of Silva's antics since arriving on loan from Wolves leaving a lot to be desired. He spent forever on the ground in the 3-3 draw at home to Celtic, with even Rangers supporters growing impatient, and he has been an underwhelming signing to date.

On current evidence, the Gers should be focusing far more of sealing the permanent signing of Sima than Silva, with the latter simply not having a big enough impact, scoring just four goals in 19 appearances.

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Admittedly, the Portuguese forward is still only 21, but his all-round behaviour has been frustrating, and he would feel like too much of a risk on current evidence when Sima could in fact be the cheaper of the two permanent deals.

Everton’s financial issues over the last couple of years have been well documented, with the club constantly plagued with off-the-field setbacks.

The Toffees’ reckless nature in the transfer market has undoubtedly contributed to the recent point deductions, with the signings of big-money players who were clearly out of their depth a real key factor.

Yannick Bolasie and Yerry Mina are just two examples, both joining the club for fees over £25m, earning extortionate wages and departing Goodison Park on free transfers.

The list of failed signings in the last decade is endless, with the club easily wasting over £300m on players who haven’t reached the levels expected of them upon their moves to Merseyside.

One player in particular failed to impress at Goodison, leaving the club for a cut-price just one season after his huge move to the club back in the summer of 2017.

Davy Klaassen’s stats at Everton

After joining for a fee of £23.6m from Ajax, attacking midfielder Davy Klaassen arrived at Goodison Park with a lot of excitement after his 14-goal season in the Eredivisie.

However, he failed to make a positive impact during his time on Merseyside, with the midfielder failing to score a single goal during the 2017/18 campaign.

Klaassen also only made 17 appearances during his one season at Goodison, with the Netherlands international failing to live up to the expectations he came with.

1. Jordan Pickford

4. Michael Keane

5. Ashley Williams

6. Phil Jagielka (C)

3. Leighton Baines

2. Morgan Schneiderlin

17. Idrissa Gueye

20. Davy Klaassen

10. Wayne Rooney

29. Dominic Calvert-Lewin

9. Sandro Ramirez

He subsequently departed the Toffees in July 2018, to German side Werder Bremen for a fee in the region of £12m, with the club making a loss of £11.6m in less than a year.

Klaassen has gone on to find his feet once again all over Europe, with the midfielder racking up 54 goals and 26 assists since departing Goodison nearly six years ago.

Despite his brilliant return with goals and assists, with the likes of Bremen, Ajax and Inter Milan, the Dutchman now finds himself as a free agent after the expiry of his deal at the San Siro.

It’s safe to say his time in England was a huge disappointment, with his move costing the club a pretty penny despite his relatively short stint on Merseyside.

How much Davy Klaassen earned at Everton

Although Klaassen would only spend a sole year at Everton, when coupling his salary onto his transfer fee only emphasises the terrible deal conducted for the now 31-year-old.

After all, his £70k-per-week wage, as per Capology, was ludicrous when compared to what he offered, but at the time it was considered a fair price for someone who produced the numbers he did in the Eredivisie.

When adding his wages to his transfer fee, it added a further £3.6m to the total sum, bringing the deal to a total of £27.4m. Then, comparing that with the appearances the midfielder mustered, Ronald Koeman's costly purchase actually ended up costing the club £1.7m for every appearance he made.

All things considered, it was an absolute disaster bringing the Dutchman to Goodison Park, with the club desperately wishing they could turn back time and avoid a deal for the now-free agent.

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