Australia have kept the door open for carrying Pat Cummins through the early stages of the T20 World Cup if it allows him to play a role later in the tournament, in a similar manner to how they kept an injured Travis Head part of the 2023 ODI World Cup, which enabled him to have a decisive impact.Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David were all included in Australia’s squad for next month’s T20 World Cup provided they prove their fitness. Cummins has been rested since his one-off Ashes appearance in Adelaide having overcome a lumbar stress injury in his back; Hazlewood is recovering from an Achilles injury; David picked up a hamstring problem which has ended his BBL.George Bailey, the chair of selectors, was confident that Hazlewood and David would be fit for the World Cup and was hopeful that a further scan for Cummins at the end of January, which would show the effects of his Ashes workload, would provide good news.Related

• Connolly included in Australia's T20 World Cup squad

• From catharsis to conflict, and other stories

“I don’t think they [Cummins and Hazlewood] will be available for the Pakistan series [three T20Is in January], but I think both should be online [for the World Cup],” Bailey told reporters at the SCG. “Patty might be a bit later, that might be a similar sort of situation to Travis Head in the 50-over World Cup, where there’s an entry point at some point. Hopefully we can manage and carry a squad until that point. I think Hoff [Hazlewood] should be right by the start, think Tim David should be right by the start.”Bailey conceded that things would need to fall into place for Cummins to be given the early stages of the tournament to recover with, potentially, an eye on the Super Eights. Australia face Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the first round with all their matches being staged in Sri Lanka, which could aid the cause.”You might get pushed into a corner where you can’t, and you might need to make adjustments in the squad,” Bailey said. “We were close to that having to be the case with Travis. It’s got a fit… but I guess the beauty is potentially Colombo and Kandy you might be in a position where you can set the team up in different ways.”We’ve obviously got some good all-round skills there, some good spin options. There’s different ways of structuring up the team where that might work out pretty naturally.”The spinners referenced by Bailey include left-armers Matt Kuhnemann and Cooper Connolly alongside the established due of Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell. Kuhnemann has yet to take a T20I wicket in four matches while Connolly, who provides another all-round option, has one. Connolly is currently impressing for Perth Scorchers in the BBL and was named despite not featuring in recent T20I series against South Africa, New Zealand and India.”It’s a nice skill set [left-arm spin] over there, and [there’s] some flexibility of where he can bat,” Bailey said. “So if you do want to throw that into the mix as a secondary spin option, [he] spins the ball the other way, if you’re going to be using your offspin options.”He’s continued to grow. I think the exposure that he’s had in international cricket’s been excellent for him, and he’s had some exposure in different roles as well. I just think every time he’s done that, it hasn’t always been good success, necessarily, but he’s a good learner. Just loving seeing him get the opportunity to bat quite high for the Scorchers and also getting plenty of overs.”Cooper Connolly is currently impressing for Perth Scorchers in the BBL and was named despite not featuring in recent T20I series•Getty Images

Bailey also cited the ability of both Connolly and Kuhnemann to bowl inside the powerplay. “[That] is something that we haven’t traditionally done a lot of,” Bailey said. “I think both those guys have got that skillset, so that allows you to create some space elsewhere to be able to line up certain bowlers and continue to keep Zamps in his space.”A trade-off the selectors have made, for now, is the absence of left-arm pace with Ben Dwarshuis not making the cut, as Xavier Bartlett took the last quick-bowling spot, although Bailey confirmed Dwarshuis would be “firmly in the mix” should either Cummins or Hazlewood not make it. With Mitchell Starc retired from T20Is and Spencer Johnson injured, Dwarshuis had provided the variety with good success against West Indies and New Zealand last year.”It’s great variety and it’s different, so I think any time you can add that to your attack it’s a nice point of difference,” Bailey said. “But there still has to be a high skill level there that comes with it. I don’t think you use it just because of the fact it’s a variety, so it’s a bit of a balance.”Bailey added that the squad for the Pakistan series, which leads into the World Cup, could involve some consideration of players involved in the BBL finals.

Arsene Wenger spoke at last week’s Arsenal AGM and mentioned that he won’t be at the club when they finish 15th in the Premier League. That is comforting to a degree, as even with the horror show the team can conjure up on the pitch, the manager will never allow the team to fall so low.

Wenger’s successes in the first half of his tenure at the club has given him an incredible amount of time with supporters. The fact that he’s keeping the team “competitive” while also ensuring the club remains in the black means the board will never advocate his removal. And neither would I. It has to be said that this isn’t a campaign for Arsene Wenger to be sacked or even forced out of the club, but rather it’s a look at the obvious shortcomings of his managerial reign, specifically sighting the need to criticise when it’s necessary.

No Arsenal fan really wanted it to come to this: Arsenal’s most successful manager turning out to be a target of much hate from certain sections. And even those who want to see the Frenchman leave the club will surely feel some degree of regret when it finally does come to pass. However, there are far too many supporters, those who think of themselves as holier than thou, who simply will not have a bad word said about the manager—and that is in part the reason for the club becoming stale.

Fans want to believe in Wenger’s approach to winning. It’s a method that sees the patient building of good football married with quality from the youth academy and the transfer market. The problem is, that word ‘patience’ has become so frustrating for a number of supporters that it’s so much easier to call for an instant change and something where success comes much more quickly.

Many of the pro-Wenger supporters—as that’s how ridiculously divided the fan base has become—have used last season’s third place finish as a device to further support Wenger’s position at the club. It was the worst team ever seen during the manager’s time and yet they still managed to finish third and quality for the Champions League. The problem is, there doesn’t seem to be any acknowledgement for how poor the league was on the whole last season. Furthermore, how badly did Arsenal perform for certain spells during the campaign? The manager brought the team back from the brink and secured Champions League football, but not many fans (and I’m talking about the pro-Wenger group) want to admit that the team were on it’s knees largely due to him.

And I’m not going to talk about the lack of ability to buy in the transfer market due to the board or even the running down of key players’ contracts. When it comes to first team responsibilities, the manager and only the manager is accountable. When Arsenal lost at Blackburn last season, there was absolutely no room to blame the board and their lack of financial backing for Wenger. The team had allowed two own goals, surrendered a lead and fallen to one of the worst teams in the league last year. It’s a continuation of the manager not learning from previous mistakes.

Under Wenger, the club has transformed from a good team in England to a good team in Europe. Regulars in the top club competition in Europe equates to something of significance, even if they haven’t won the trophy. The Invincibles were spectacular and English football as a whole should be grateful for some of the innovations and players he’s brought to this country. But that doesn’t and shouldn’t excuse some of the most embarrassing moments for the club since the move to the Emirates.

The 8-2 at Manchester United was humiliating; the manner of the Carling Cup loss to Birmingham was typically Arsenal, a loss of such ridiculous nature that only Arsenal could have been on the receiving end; surrendering a four goal lead at Newcastle summed Arsenal up perfectly; and how serious are the club taken on the continent when they lose their captains and best players with such alarming regularity?

Once again, I’m not calling for Wenger to be removed, but these are all problems, specifically on-field, that have occurred under his watch.

There’s a need to criticise in the hope that the manager will change his ways and really force the point of better results on the pitch. Despite being a great manager, specifically in his developing of players, can anyone really call Wenger a great tactician or even a good one? How many times have Arsenal looked so familiar, so poor, so predictable during matches? It often seems like the team aren’t really sent out with instructions on how to beat the opposition but rather just a pat on the back and a word telling them to express their natural ability. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. How else can we explain a group of players who are so regularly turned over by teams who are greatly inferior?

As a whole, Arsenal’s squad isn’t littered with terrible players, although some are clearly not good enough for the team. However, this is a squad filled with full internationals, Champions League-ready players and even natural leaders and captains; how can they consistently be so bad?

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Wenger is notably very protective of the situation at Arsenal and is unlikely to ever publicly criticise the board members. But surely there is an argument that suggests he could do more with the resources he has, which isn’t very little either. He has goal scorers in the team, there are creative players, good defenders and an assistant who is willing to work with them: this isn’t a team ravaged of all it’s worth. Maybe there is a view that he is overachieving with a squad who haven’t seen much investment. That may be so, but how much more could this team do if they were beating Norwich, not conceding five goals to a team who are more than likely to be in the Championship again next season, and managing a greater attacking threat for every game?

Buying new defenders every summer may do something, perhaps even force the better players to take some initiative themselves and force better performances. But how much of the on-field results are likely to change unless Wenger accepts that not everything he does is golden?

[ad_pod id=’tv’ align=’center’]

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United side continued their incredibly impressive run of form on Saturday afternoon, with the Magpies running out comfortable 2-0 winners over Brentford in west London.

The victory now makes it seven fixtures unbeaten for the 44-year-old’s outfit – with four of these coming as wins – not to mention seeing the club climb to 14th place in the Premier League standings, four points clear of the relegation zone.

As is perhaps to be expected after such a result, there were a number of Newcastle players who turned in highly impressive performances at the Brentford Community Stadium, with Ryan Fraser, Joe Willock and Fabian Schar all having stormers against Thomas Frank’s side.

However, it was undoubtedly the display of the resurgent Joelinton that stood out most on Saturday afternoon, as the Brazilian continued his incredible renaissance as a part of Howe’s midfield three.

Won 11 duels

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch against Brentford, the £13.5m-rated man was once again imperious in the middle of the park, enjoying 61 touches of the ball, completing 31 passes – one of which was key – taking two shots at the opposition goal, completing one dribble and finding his man with his one attempted long ball – not to mention bagging Newcastle’s opener with a brilliant back-post header.

However, it was not just in an attacking capacity that the £80k-per-week forward impressed, as the 25-year-old also won 11 of his 19 duels, made four clearances, four tackles, won three fouls and blocked one shot.

These returns saw the player who Callum Willson dubbed “unreal” receive an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.7, while 90min awarded the £40m signing a nine in their own player ratings.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Indeed, it is difficult to argue with this rating, as Joelinton once again stole the show in the heart of the Newcastle team on Saturday, reinforcing Wilson’s further statement regarding his teammate – that “he’s a joke” in his new-found position.

In other news: Howe could finally replace Yohan Cabaye at NUFC with “wonderful” £27m-rated magician

The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas has provided the latest update on Jarrod Bowen’s injury ahead of West Ham’s Europa League clash against Sevilla.

The Lowdown: Bowen excelling for West Ham

Bowen has gone from strength to strength this season, having emerged as one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents. The 25-year-old has netted eight goals and produced 10 assists as West Ham continue to make a bid for Champions League qualification.

However, in a huge blow for David Moyes and co, the former Hull City winger suffered a heel injury during the Irons’ 1-0 loss to Liverpool at the weekend.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-4/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Bowen injury update

On Sunday, West Ham’s official website claimed that Bowen had not sustained any significant damage with his heel injury.

However, Thomas took to Twitter to dampen what was seemingly positive news. Speaking ahead of the Irons’ upcoming fixtures, he claimed: “Jarrod Bowen likely to miss games against Sevilla and Aston Villa. More info #WHUFC”.

The Verdict: Could be worse…

It certainly is a setback if Bowen is ruled out of action for the first leg of their tie against Sevilla in the Europa League, and it would come as a huge blow for Moyes, who at times has been heavily reliant on his top scorer from this season.

West Ham have now dropped down to sixth in the Premier League, three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who have three games in hand, which makes a top-four finish now seem improbable.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, it seems that the outcome could have been a lot worse. Bowen is only set to miss one game in either competition, so if he can return quickly (possibly for the second leg against Sevilla) and maintain his superb form, the Hammers should be able to overcome the setback of his absence.

In other news: Noel Whelan believes that one West Ham player’s absence is leaving a ‘massive void’ in the team

Celtic could have made a massive mistake regarding Cameron Carter-Vickers’ deal at Parkhead.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Frank McAvennie, with the former Hoops centre-forward revealing in a recent interview with Football Insider that, should the Bhoys have not agreed a fee with Tottenham regarding a clause to sign the centre-back on a permanent basis, someone at Parkhead has made a grave error.

Speaking about the potential signing of the USA international this summer, McAvennie said: “I would have thought a price would be agreed during the loan talks. If it hasn’t, then someone at Celtic hasn’t done their job. You can’t have someone coming up, impressing, then the price goes up.

“You can’t have that. So, if a price hasn’t been agreed, it is a massive mistake. He’s been brilliant and I would like him to stay around so, hopefully, something can be arranged. We haven’t had too much news about that [in Scotland] so I can only hope it’s not true.”

Postecoglou would be livid

Considering just how impressive Carter-Vickers has been for Celtic since his season-long loan move to Parkhead last summer, it would indeed seem that the Bhoys transfer team have made something of a grave error if the club have not included an option to purchase the defender at a set price this summer, as had been previously reported.

Indeed, over his 25 Premiership appearances so far this season, the £2.7m-rated centre-back has been in remarkable form in the heart of Postecoglou’s defence, helping his side to keep 13 clean sheets, along with averaging 1.2 interceptions, one tackle and 4.4 clearances and winning 6.1 duels per game.

The £22k-per-week colossus has also chipped in at the other end of the pitch, bagging three goals and providing his team-mates with one assist, also taking 0.6 shots and making 0.3 key passes per league match.

These returns have seen the 24-year-old average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.35, ranking him as the fifth-best performer in the entire Premiership.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

As such, should Celtic miss out on the permanent signing of Carter-Vickers this summer due to being priced out of a move, it is undoubtedly a scenario which would leave Postecoglou fuming, as it would be a disaster of the Hoops’ own making.

AND in other news – Sold at £3m, now valued at £50m: Celtic had a shocker on “outstanding” £70k-p/w “star”

Sunderland find themselves once again in a play-off race for the opportunity to earn promotion up to the Championship, currently sitting fifth in the League One standings on 63 points, with just nine games to go.

While they will need all the experience and leadership from the likes of Corry Evans, Bailey Wright and new signing Jermain Defoe to help them avoid slipping up anymore, the youthful energy and confidence of loanee Jack Clarke could help them fire to promotion.

It was a difficult start at Stadium of Light for the youngster sent from Tottenham, but after scoring a “rocket” in stoppage time against Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night, his career might just begin to get back on track – right when the Black Cats need him most.

The 21-year-old posted a four-word message on his social media game, saying “all to play for” – which will surely excite fans with the temporary signing seeming committed to the cause and to achieving the target of securing Championship football for next season.

With every week his performances improve, which is evident by the fact that overall for Sunderland since joining he has averaged a 6.84 match rating, but in his last four games, he is averaging a 7.08 – which is a clear indication that he is beginning to settle in the North-East.

Despite on average appearing for just 43 minutes per game at Sunderland, Clarke has taken 1.2 shots per game, as well as winning over 50% of his duels and completing an impressive 92% of his dribbles.

Having shown plenty of potential before his move to Spurs, the winger earned praise regularly from Leeds fans, pundits and former players – including former Whites striker Noel Whelan, who said: “He has got a great ability to glide past players.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a winger really as talented as that, where it looks effortless, just to take somebody on and he really does get you on the edge of your seat, he’s one of those exciting players.”

After three unsuccessful loan spells, it is clear that his hard work is paying off, and he was praised for his “persistence” by the Sunderland Echo after the game – a testament to the determination he has to get his career back on track.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Should he follow on from his encouraging recent performances, Sunderland could find themselves in a more favourable position at the end of the season thanks to his ability, commitment and firepower, as they look to end their four-season spell in the top flight.

In other news: Moyes flop who’s “like Eden Hazard” has seen value rise by £14.4m after leaving SAFC

Gio van Bronckhorst’s Rangers return to domestic action today as the Gers go in search of their rivals in the race to win the league.

The Gers lost 2-1 in Serbia on Thursday night to progress through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a 4-2 win on aggregate.

Whilst the head coach will have been pleased to make the next round he will also be frustrated with the nature of his team’s performance. Allan McGregor was forced into making a number of impressive saves to keep their lead intact and the display may lead to some players losing their places in the starting XI.

One change he must make to the starting line-up is the introduction of forward Fashion Sakala on the right ahead of Joe Aribo.

The ex-Charlton man started out wide against Red Star Belgrade and should be dropped in favour of Sakala. As per SofaScore, he lost 15 of his 23 duels and only completed 55% of his attempted passes, whilst also failing to complete a single key pass or dribble.

This is why the Zambia international must be unleashed for the Gers. He can offer more of a direct threat down the flank than Aribo, with seven goals in nine Premiership starts this season whilst also averaging 1.3 key passes per game – showing that he can be a match-winner.

Ex-Gers fullback Allan Hutton showered him with praise earlier this season, saying: “He’s like a firework, isn’t he? You just light him and watch him go.

“He’s one of these players who plays at 100 miles per hour, he takes players on, he’s aggressive, he can get shots off.

“Sometimes you just wish he could slow down, but I think that’ll come with time and experience at a new club. As he plays with these players around him with intelligence – he’ll get on that same page.

“I like his energy and enthusiasm. He loves playing for Rangers and you can see that when he’s trying hard to score goals.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

These quotes on the £8.3k-per-week flyer highlight one of his biggest strengths – his speed. He has the ability to get in behind and cause problems round the back of defenders, with and without the ball.

This means that he can offer something different to Aribo on the right, as the Nigeria international is more likely to get on the ball and link the play instead of trying to burst down the wing. Whereas, Sakala – who averages 1.4 dribbles per game – can get to the byline with his speed to create chances for the other forwards.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must unleash the former Belgian league attacker from the start against Dundee FC as his finishing ability and pace has the potential to win the game for Rangers.

AND in other news, Huge blow: Rangers dealt late injury setback ahead of Dundee, GvB will be fuming…

When Leeds United agreed a £20m deal to sign Michael Cuisance from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020, it very much appeared as if the Whites would be welcoming one of the most exciting young midfielders in world football to Elland Road.

Indeed, expectations for the France youth international were quite high, with former Borussia Monchengladbach coach Dieter Hecking stating of the then-21-year-old: “Michael is an exceptional player for his age. He’s a game-changer.”

Meanwhile, Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic also praised the youngster very highly, saying of the playmaker: “Michael’s strengths are in his possession of the ball. He has a great technique, a strong left foot and a great mentality.”

As such, when Victor Orta’s move for Cuisance allegedly fell through as a result of a failed medical, many supporters of Leeds would have been extremely disappointed.

However, a little over 18 months later, it now appears as if the Premier League side dodged a substantial bullet on the midfielder, who has rather dramatically regressed in the meantime.

Leeds got lucky on Cuisance

Indeed, following his failed switch to Elland Road, Cuisance subsequently secured a temporary move to Marseille, with the Ligue 1 side possessing an option to purchase the Frenchman.

However, after a disappointing season with Les Phoceens – he averaged a SofaScore match rating of just 6.45 over his 23 league outings, ranking him as the club’s third-worst player in the division out of 31 – Jorge Sampaoli decided against signing the midfielder permanently, with the Argentine claiming that the youngster possessed something of an attitude problem.

After returning to Bayern last summer, the Bundesliga side once again made it clear that Cuisance was free to leave the club, with Serie A outfit Venezia eventually landing the 22-year-old in a £3.6m deal.

However, things do not appear to have improved for the £32k-per-week midfielder in Italy either, with the Frenchman averaging a SofaScore match rating of just 6.51 over his seven league fixtures this season, ranking him as his team’s joint-seventh worst performer in the Italian top flight out of 34.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

As such, considering his rather poor level of performance – in addition to the player who Markus Babbel dubbed a “rotten egg” and “not the brightest” now being valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt – it is clear to see just how lucky Orta and Leeds were in missing out on the £20m signing of Cuisance in the autumn of 2020.

AND in other news: £1.5m wasted: Leeds flop dubbed “as talented as Pogba” rinsed Radrizzani for 207 weeks

Everton have made a name for themselves when it comes to disastrous transfers ever since Farhad Moshiri took over as the owner at the club, with over £500m spent on players and absolutely no return on investment when you consider that the Toffees find themselves in a relegation battle this season.

Although Moshiri will definitely have regrets on some of the players he has already spent millions on, there are opportunities missed to sign players who have gone on to have a fantastic career elsewhere, and one of the biggest howlers was not securing the signature of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Sam Allardyce told the talkSPORT Breakfast Show that he wanted to sign the former Arsenal goal machine back in 2018 when he was the manager at Goodison Park;

“Aubameyang was desperate to come to the Premier League and we didn’t really know if it was definitely a yes [to Everton] or not – but it was probably not.

“Whether that could have happened or not, we never got that far.

“It was always going to be too much money for January, because of what the club spent previous to me arriving.”

The striker, who scored 68 Premier League goals has been hailed a “genius” by Jose Mourinho, and eventually signed for the Gunners in a deal worth £56m from Borussia Dortmund. The rest was history as he became a Premier League golden boot and FA Cup winner during his time at the London club.

When you compare the Gabon born striker’s Premier League attacking statistics (via Premier League website) with current Toffees striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Aubameyang would have clearly been the better striking option for Everton, out-achieving the 26-year-old attacker’s Premier League career so far with two seasons less in the league.

Aubameyang’s superior attacking output could have potentially saved the Toffees from several campaigns of struggles, especially this season when you consider the situation the club has found themselves in.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It’s something that can definitely be partially blamed on the lack of goals and chances created in the attacking line so far with the side only scoring 29 times compared to the 47 strikes they have conceded already.

With reports of Calvert-Lewin potentially on the move this summer it could be an opportunity for Moshiri and Lampard to find their next Aubameyang who can offer a consistent output of goal involvements, and ultimately improve their chances of thriving in the top half of the table once again should they survive their relegation challenge in the remaining months of the season.

In other news: Forget DCL: Everton must keep “terrible” £110k-p/w “huge liability”, Lamps needs him

There may still be a few areas of weakness, but overall, Chelsea have built one of the most impressive squads in the Premier League.

The likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Reece James and Marc Cucurella, for example, would surely get into practically any other side in the competition.

Moreover, youngsters like Estevao and Andrey Santos are only going to get better and better as the season progresses.

However, when it comes to Chelsea’s best player, it has to be Cole Palmer, and the good news for fans is that, if reports are to be believed, the club are now at another star in the making who could be Enzo Maresca’s next Palmer.

Chelsea target their next Palmer

Since joining Chelsea in the summer of 2023, Palmer has been a force of nature when fit.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

For example, in 105 appearances for the club, the Englishman has scored 46 goals and provided 29 assists. Moreover, he’s shown up in big games, including the Conference League and Club World Cup finals.

Therefore, it’s unsurprising to learn that the Blues are now in for another star in the making who could end up being a Palmer-like signing.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Chelsea are still very interested in Adam Wharton.

In fact, the report goes a step further than that, revealing that, as things stand, the midfield monster is the club’s “dream” target.

A potential price for the Crystal Palace star is not mentioned in the report, but reports from earlier this year claimed that a fee of around £100m could be enough to tempt the Eagles into selling.

That’s undoubtedly a significant sum, but given Wharton’s ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should pay, especially as he could be another Palmer-type signing.

Why Wharton would be another Palmer for Chelsea

It should almost go without saying that the comparison between Palmer and Wharton is not really down to their playstyle or position.

Sure, they’re both midfielders, but their roles and responsibilities for their respective sides are entirely different.

Yet even so, there are a few similarities between the pair and a few reasons Wharton could be a Palmer-like signing for Chelsea.

Firstly, like the former City gem, if this deal were to go through, it would be another example of the Blues signing one of the most exciting young English talents in the league.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Chelsea transfer insight Dig deeper with the newsletter: focused Chelsea transfer coverage and scout-led analysis that breaks down targets, player profiles, and how signings could shape the squad—ideal for fans who want informed perspectives. Subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for Chelsea transfer insight Dig deeper with the newsletter: focused Chelsea transfer coverage and scout-led analysis that breaks down targets, player profiles, and how signings could shape the squad—ideal for fans who want informed perspectives.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

More crucially, though, it would be another instance of the club signing a youngster who has the ability to be truly game-changing, only this time from slightly deeper.

For example, on top of already amassing an impressive 117 senior club appearances and three senior England caps, the 21-year-old has some sensational underlying numbers to his name.

Hailed as a “passing machine” by journalist Henry Winter, according to FBref, he ranks very highly across a number of metrics. He notably sits in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for expected assisted goals, the top 6% for goal-creating actions, the top 8% for through balls, the top 10 % for shot-creating actions and ball recoveries, the top 11% for key passes and more, all per 90.

Wharton’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Exp. Assisted Goals

0.27

Top 1%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.52

Top 6%

Through Balls

0.52

Top 8%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.64

Top 10%

Ball Recoveries

5.96

Top 10%

Key Passes

1.80

Top 11%

Assists

0.19

Top 14%

Crosses

2.79

Top 19%

All Stats via FBref

Finally, like the West Londoners’ talisman, the Eagles’ star has already proven he can step up in big games, playing a pivotal role in last season’s FA Cup triumph.

Ultimately, while it would be a costly transfer to get over the line, Chelsea should go all out for Wharton, as he could be another Palmer-like addition to Maresca’s team.

Related Chelsea line up £47m move to sign their new Moises Caicedo in January

The incredible prospect could develop into another Caicedo for Chelsea and Maresca.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes