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Chelsea have been linked to a transfer move for high-flying Brentford’s impressive shot-stopper David Raya, who could be available for an affordable price to bolster hopes of cementing success in the Premier League.

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard, the Blues are set to rival Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign the Bees goalkeeper, who is approaching the final year of his contract and has been fantastic for the London outfit in clinching promotion to the English top-flight and paving the way to prominence within the division.

This follows news from journalist Jacob Steinberg, who stated that Chelsea manager Graham Potter indeed holds a vested interest in the Spanish shot-stopper, who’s been distinguished as a prime successor to the role that Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy currently hold at Stamford Bridge.

With Raya reportedly available for as little as £20m, a swoop might just be forthcoming, with sales for either of the aforementioned keepers perhaps even balancing the books.

He’s Pickford 2.0

Chelsea are indeed on the prowl for fresh faces, with owner Todd Boehly seemingly issuing a comprehensive reconstruction for the outfit, who currently languish in tenth place in the Premier League and have tasted defeat across seven of the past 11 matches across all competitions.

This season, with Brentford currently eighth in the league and defying expectations with the arresting philosophy of their play and consistency in clinching victory against even the hottest prospects in the division – with victories over Liverpool, Manchester City and Man United already – Raya has indeed been the unflinching bedrock erected tall in front of the Bees’ goal.

Having played in all 19 league fixtures this term, keeping six clean sheets, the 27-year-old has recorded an average Sofascore rating of 7.13, saving 74% of his shots faced and ever-present in the thick of the action with an average of 48.8 touches per outing.

The Brentford man’s security in the face of the adversity is one of the most striking elements of his game, ranking among the top 12% of goalkeepers for save percentage and the top 6% for touches, as per FBref, indeed illustrating the assurance that he would instil through the ranks at Stamford Bridge.

The site also ranks him as a comparable player to fellow Chelsea transfer interest Jordan Pickford, with the Everton gem recently linked with a move to Potter’s team, with the Daily Mail stating several weeks ago that the England no.1 faces a contract standoff with the Toffees, leaving Chelsea technical director Christopher Vivell on red alert.

Pickford has been a stalwart for the Merseyside outfit, but with FBref ranking the 50-cap ace among only the top 38% of positional peers for save percentage, it appears that Raya might be the more prudent and resilient option, especially given the fact that Everton signed the star from Sunderland for £30m, and might be reluctant to part with one of their most coveted assets for much less.

With Potter indeed looking to continue the replenishment at Stamford Bridge, Raya, who’s been described as “one of the best” could prove to be a shrewd and worthwhile investment; Kepa Arrizabalaga has fought his way back into the starting berth at the west London outfit, but he is evidently not viewed as the long-term solution to the role, and Raya must be signed.

Tottenham Hotspur have recently held talks with Qatar Sports Investments over a potential minority investment but those talks did not include a potential deal for the stadium’s naming rights.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Daniel Levy has recently sat down with Nasser Al-Khelaifi to hold an exploratory meeting surrounding a potential stake in the north London club.

It is believed QSI want to invest in a Premier League side alongside their current ownership of the French giants, Paris Saint-Germain.

However, speaking on the Last Word on Spurs YouTube channel, Jacobs has claimed there were no discussions held over potentially including a deal for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights:

“First thing to say on the naming rights is that it was reportedly or allegedly close in October, November, December and now January.

“So, that already tells you that there is nothing yet ready for announcement or 100% formally in place, and I can also tell you that categorically nothing between QSI and Tottenham Hotspur has touched upon the naming rights for the stadium, either.”

The wait goes on

In the last few months, reports did emerge suggesting Spurs had held talks with Google over a potential deal to see the conglomerate take on the naming rights in N17.

However, since the reports surfaced in October, there has been very little to suggest these talks had been taken any further with the Lilywhites still looking for a deal.

Spurs have now been playing their football in the 62,000-seater stadium for almost four years now and the wait still goes on for an agreement to be made over the stadium naming rights.

On top of that, almost two years ago, Spurs appointed Todd Kline as their chief commercial officer in the hope that he could accelerate any potential deal for the naming rights of the stadium.

Kline arrived in north London on the back of securing an 18-year naming rights deal for the NFL side, the Miami Dolphins, worth a believed £180m.

But the wait is seemingly going to continue for Spurs fans to see any further investment arrive in north London through a naming rights deal.

It is almost hard to believe that the Spurs superiors would struggle to find a suitable investor to put their name on the stadium given how highly-rated the venue has been since its opening in 2019.

If it is a case of waiting for the best possible deal, many fans would understand, however, having now waited almost four years for a deal it does feel as if there has been opportunities missed to bring in some further revenue.

And it is interesting to hear Jacobs suggest the Qatari-based investors did not hold talks over a potential naming rights deal when they have shown similar at PSG with Qatar Airways sponsoring the club’s kits.

Newcastle United reportedly have their eye on launching a move to sign Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar. 

The Lowdown: Skriniar’s career so far

Having joined the Nerazzurri from fellow Italian club Sampdoria in 2017, the Slovakia centre-back has gone on to make 236 appearances for his current side across all competitions.

As things stand, Skriniar is set to see his contract with the Serie A giants expire at the end of the season, meaning that he would be able to leave the San Siro as a free agent if he doesn’t put pen to paper on a new deal before then.

With the January transfer window approaching, Newcastle have been mentioned with a move for the Slovakian.

The Latest: Newcastle eyeing Skriniar bid

According to a recent report from Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Magpies are interested in signing the defender, who Inter are trying to convince to sign a new deal at the club.

The report adds that, if Skriniar were to sign a new deal, it would take a significant offer from Newcastle to sign him, with their potential inclusion in next year’s Champions League being a big factor in their ability to potentially lure the player to St James’ Park.

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The Verdict: Solid target for Newcastle

With only one player at Inter featuring for more minutes in Serie A this season than the 27-year-old, this shows how important he is to Simone Inzaghi’s team.

In terms of his attributes on the pitch, Skriniar boasts the highest passing accuracy percentage at the club (91.9%) as well as the third-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (31).

Previously hailed as a “monster” by journalist Carlo Garganese, it’s easy to see why Inter are keen on keeping hold of their £92k-per-week defensive colossus, and why Newcastle have him on their radar.

Even though Eddie Howe’s side have the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League with just 11 goals conceded this season, potentially signing Skriniar on a free transfer in the summer would surely be a brilliant bit of business for the Toon.

Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye has been ruled out of Senegal’s upcoming World Cup round-of-16 game through suspension.

The Lowdown: Senegal progress in World Cup

The Premier League ace is currently in Qatar, having been named in Aliou Cisse’s 26-man squad, where the Lions of Teranga have enjoyed an impressive tournament so far.

The African champions secured a 2-1 victory over Ecuador in their final group game on Tuesday which saw them progress to the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time since 2002.

Senegal will now take on England on Sunday night for a place in the quarter-finals, but they will have to compete without the Goodison Park maestro.

The Latest: Gueye ruled out through suspension

As relayed the Liverpool Echo, Gueye ‘will miss’ Senegal’s tie against Gareth Southgate’s side after picking up a yellow card against Ecuador.

This was the 33-year-old’s second booking of the competition, which means he must now ‘serve a one-game suspension’.

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The Verdict: Huge blow

Gueye would have been making his 100th appearance for Senegal had he been available to face England, so it’s a huge blow that he has to miss out, especially on such a momentous occasion for his country.

The Toffees ‘powerhouse’, as dubbed by Tom Williams, will therefore only be able to feature again should Cisse’s men secure their passage in the final eight, which could be a difficult task against an in-form England side.

At least Everton will be pleased that Gueye’s absence is due to suspension and not an injury which could carry over into the resumption of the club season, but there’s not much that he can control now unless Senegal secure progression to the quarter-finals.

Sunderland’s Stadium of Light being shortlisted to host Euro 2028 matches is ‘great news’, according to journalist Richard Mennear.

The Lowdown: UK and Ireland submit Euro 2028 bid

The tournament is still six years away, but UEFA’s executive committee are already planning for the event, with a decision on who will be hosting the competition set to be made in September of next year.

The UK and Ireland have submitted an official bid to jointly stage the event, which includes nine stadia in England, two in the Republic of Ireland and one each in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The Black Cats’ home ground has been named as a participant for the international occasion in what is a fantastic boon for the Championship club.

The Latest: Mennear’s reaction

Taking to Twitter in sharing the news for the Sunderland Echo, Mennear was delighted by the exciting update involving the Wearsiders, although he did add that four of the shortlisted venues would be removed from the final list of host stadia.

He wrote: “Great news that both Stadium of Light and St James’s Park on initial 14-stadia shortlist, will be whittled down to 10.”

The Verdict: So many pluses

Sunderland being a host venue at a major tournament would certainly to boost the club’s profile and put the Stadium of Light on the map, so this is hugely encouraging news for Wearside.

Whilst it might not be as big of a household name compared to some of the other grounds in contention to host Euro 2028, the stadium’s capacity is almost 49,000, making it the ninth-biggest football venue in England – very impressive for a club outside the Premier League.

A stadium of this size is not only likely to be considered for more big events in the future, but could also becomes more attractive to sponsors, so this could prove to be a huge fillip for Sunderland as a club and as a city.

West Bromwich Albion’s miserable run of form continued in the Championship today as they fell to yet another defeat, this time against Sheffield United.

New manager Carlos Corberan has been shown first-hand just how much work needs doing now, as his toothless outfit were kept quiet at The Hawthorns.

The Blades raced into a 2-0 lead with goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Oliver McBurnie, with the latter a delightful rifled finish from just outside the box finding the bottom right corner.

Despite boasting more possession and shots than their opponents, Albion struggled to break down a stubborn Sheffield United side who held onto their early lead with relative ease.

Although there was a new manager in the dugout, there were still plenty of West Brom players who just weren’t at the races today. Alex Palmer could be included among that number, having registered the worst rating of anyone from the home side, as per SofaScore.

Conor Townsend and Karlan Grant, who was once again handed a chance up front, were other notable disappointments, but perhaps the player who fell most into that bracket was the usually reliable stalwart Jake Livermore.

Nobody on the pitch had a worse success rate when it came to duels, as he lost 100% of his three personal battles.

Furthermore, only Grant and Jed Wallace had the ball less often. Given his position in the centre of midfield, this statistic is particularly unforgivable for the 32-year-old – even goalkeeper Palmer touched the ball more often (43) than Livermore (35), via SofaScore.

The former Tottenham Hotspur ace has been among the Baggies’ most consistent players in the midfield engine room, considering that he has featured 210 times in total for the club. It makes displays such as this even more disappointing, because of how much they have relied on him throughout the years.

Despite being in the busiest area of the pitch, Livermore also failed to make a single tackle, clearance or interception, whilst also being dribbled past once. It was a defensively invisible performance from the usually combative midfield stopper.

“Not enough energy throughout and was largely outplayed by the Blades midfielders”, wrote Birmingham World’s Charlie Haffenden in his post-match ratings column – a damning but fair assessment of Livermore’s performance.

He’ll need to buck up his ideas quickly now that Corberan is here to stay, with the manager unlikely to accept many more performances like this from such an experienced player.

West Bromwich Albion caretaker manager Richard Beale expects to return to his role as under-21 boss despite the win over Reading on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Reading beaten

The 43-year-old took charge of the Baggies for the first time yesterday following Steve Bruce’s departure earlier in the week.

He guided West Brom to an impressive 2-0 win over high-flying Reading, with goals from Matty Phillips and Taylor Gardner-Hickman sealing just Albion’s second Championship win of the season.

The victory took West Brom out of the relegation zone, which led to speculation of Beale possibly taking the role for longer than expected.

The Latest: Burke’s comments

The Athletic’s Elias Burke was asked by one Baggies supporter in a matchday Q&A on the site about the possibility of Beale taking over on a full-time basis.

Burke replied, insisting that the 3-4-3 style caretaker ‘fully expects’ to return to the under-21s, stating: “Wins change everything, but he is very much focused on his job as the U21s manager.

“He spoke about it as a short-term gig yesterday and fully expects to return to the role he’s done so well in.”

The Verdict: Handy…

Beale beginning his spell as interim manager with a win will come as welcome news to all associated with the Baggies, especially Ron Gourlay.

The chief executive is the man tasked with landing Bruce’s replacement, but he may feel a little more relaxed knowing the club is in good hands with the 43-year-old in temporary charge.

Beale may well be in the dugout again for Tuesday’s meeting with Bristol City, and who knows, another win could result in further speculation over a permanent role.

The Northern Echo journalist Matty Jones has shared some Sunderland injury news on Dennis Cirkin before Saturday’s game at home to Preston North End.

The Lowdown: Hamstring injury

Cirkin picked up a hamstring injury during the Stadium of Light outfit’s 1-0 loss away at Middlesbrough in the Championship earlier this month.

He has since missed their last two games in the division, but will be looking to get back to full fitness now that the international break has finished.

The Latest: Back in training

Taking to Twitter, Jones shared ‘some positive news for Sunderland’ on Cirkin in that he is now back in training ahead of the Wearside club’s match against Preston on Saturday afternoon:

“Some positive news for Sunderland with Dennis Cirkin making a return to training ahead of this weekend’s game against Preston.”

The Verdict: Big boost

Having Cirkin return to training is a big boost for Tony Mowbray and his side, and he will be hoping that the defender can now be fit enough to play a part against Preston at the weekend.

Before his injury against Middlesbrough, he had played in every minute of the Championship campaign, establishing himself as a key player in the team.

In the division, Cirkin ranks highly among his teammates in terms of aerial duels won and average tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game (WhoScored), further highlighting his worth.

The Black Cats will now be aiming to try and keep him fit until the start of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and Cirkin himself will be looking to get back to full match sharpness.

Nottingham Forest are closing in on the signing of former Tottenham right-back Serge Aurier, according to a transfer report which emerged on Monday.

The Lowdown: Aurier linked with Forest

The Ivorian has been linked with a move to the City Ground a number of times this summer, with his contract at Villarreal expiring at the end of last season.

Aurier is seen as someone who can come in and provide stiff competition for Neco Williams at right-back, strengthening Forest’s squad depth in the process.

It now looks as though the 29-year-old is on the verge of becoming a Reds player.

The Latest: Transfer almost done

According to Sky Sports, Aurier is ‘close to completing’ a move to Forest on a free transfer, with a two-year deal expected to be signed.

The 81-cap Ivory Coast international would be the Reds’ 19th summer signing, and it is also stated that centre-back Willy Boly could take that tally to 20, with the Reds in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Aurier’s compatriot from Wolves.

The Verdict: Premier League experience

Aurier may have his detractors among supporters and pundits following some hit-and-miss performances for Spurs, but this still feels like a shrewd piece of business by Forest.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has described the enigmatic Ivorian as ‘excellent’ in the past, and that is what the right-back could turn out to be under Steve Cooper if he shows his better traits on a more consistent basis.

The defender has a huge amount of experience in his career, as highlighted by his international record, and he also has 77 appearances to his name in the Premier League.

Aurier and Williams could battle for game-time in a healthy manner, with the former perhaps best to be used in the tougher matches, given his experience and knowledge of playing in high-pressure situations at Champions League and World Cup level.

Leeds United journalist Beren Cross has offered his reaction to the news that Stuart Dallas is running again at Thorp Arch. 

The lowdown

Dallas has been out of action since 30 April, when he fractured his femur in a 4-0 defeat against Manchester City at Elland Road.

Manager Jesse Marsch said at the time that Dallas would make a full recovery but would face at least six months on the sidelines (via The Athletic).

But now Dallas has been pictured on the running track at Leeds’ training ground with fitness coach Ruben Crespo.

Marsch said in his press conference ahead of the game against Southampton that it’s ‘exciting’ to see him ‘moving around on the pitch’ again.

The latest

Cross, a journalist at Leeds Live, feels it’s ‘incredible’ that Dallas is back running ‘just 104 days’ after sustaining his injury.

In the attached story, he says the ‘return to outdoor work does not necessarily move the goalposts’ on his comeback, but stresses that his progress has been ‘remarkable’.

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The verdict

Marsch has been keen to manage expectations, refusing to suggest that Dallas might be back of schedule.

“It’s much too early to start talking about the prognosis and a timetable for Stuart, but any of you who know Stuart know his energy and his positivity and his personality is so amazing,” he said.

One thing that is clear is that it will be a big boost for the boss when his versatile Northern Irishman is eventually back in contention.

Dallas was almost an automatic pick prior to his injury, starting 34 out of 35 Premier League matches for the Whites.

In the words of the boss, he’s a ‘big presence’ in the team and has a ‘positive impact’ on the group.