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Chelsea have hatched a plan to keep exciting young defender Levi Colwill during the summer transfer window, according to a new update.

Is Colwill having a good season?

The 20-year-old enjoyed an impressive spell on loan at Huddersfield Town last season, helping them reach the Championship playoff final against Nottingham Forest. Having returned to Chelsea in the summer, it was then decided that another temporary spell elsewhere would be good for his development, so he moved to Brighton for the 2022/23 campaign.

While Colwill has found it hard to oust Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster as one of the Seagulls' first-choice centre-backs this season, he has still shone when given the chances, starting eight Premier League games and completing an impressive 88.9% of his passes. The Englishman has been linked with a move away from Chelsea this summer, however, with Liverpool believed to be eyeing him up over the coming months.

The Reds see him as someone who could come in as a long-term acquisition and potentially be an upgrade on both Joel Matip and Joe Gomez. A new update has now emerged, though, and it is likely to please many Blues supporters.

Will Colwill stay at Chelsea?

According to Football Insider, Cheksea are "refusing to sell loanee Levi Colwill this summer amid interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool". Any bids for the youngster "will not be entertained", with the west Londoners seemingly looking at him as a key part of their future. The Blues are thought to be "bracing for a bombardment of offers", but it looks as though they will hold firm and retain Colwill's services moving forward.

Keeping hold of the promising centre-back is a no-brainer for Chelsea, especially considering he has been compared to John Terry in the past. He has shown at Brighton that he can already handle the Premier League and there is a maturity and class about him that already set him apart from so many defenders who are the same age. He has averaged five clearances and 2.3 tackles per game across three EFL Cup appearances this season.

Colwill has been hailed as "fantastic" by Lewis O'Brien from during their time together at Huddersfield, and he looks like someone who can reach the very top if Chelsea give him the opportunities to prove his worth. While spending big on some players is needed this summer, blocking the four-time capped England Under-21 international's path into the team is something that has to try and be avoided in the coming years.

Liverpool were thrashed 4-1 in their Premier League clash with Manchester City at the Etihad stadium earlier today and Jurgen Klopp will surely be massively disappointed with the performance his team put on.

The Reds looked uninspired and at times, uninterested in the meeting with their former title rivals, but the scoreline would've come as no surprise to the Anfield faithful following a season full of lacklustre displays from the Merseysiders.

Liverpool's lack of effort was reflected massively in their overall statistics throughout the game with just 31% possession, one shot on target, over 400 fewer accurate passes completed, and zero big chances created which ultimately led to the visitors being punished by Pep Guardiola's title-chasing side.

Indeed, the inevitable goal machine Mohamed Salah did secure the lead in the 17th minute with his sublime finish, however, the rest of his team did not look to be up to the occasion and carelessly allowed the Egyptian's strike to become a consolation prize when the final whistle was blown.

It way one-way traffic as Manchester City cut through Liverpool's midfield and defence like butter on many occasions with Trent Alexander-Arnold's position, in particular, being exploited over and over again which led to BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher claiming that the right-back was "dominated" by Jack Grealish.

However, luckily for the boyhood Liverpool ace there weren't many other players who offered much better over their individual performances, with midfielder Fabinho also struggling to make a positive impact and ultimately became the villain at the Etihad.

How did Fabinho get on vs Manchester City?

The £180k-per-week midfielder has been a shadow of his former self over the season so far and has often come under scrutiny for his drop-off in quality in the centre of the pitch and today's display was another sobering realisation that Fabinho may never return to his once-influential presence.

Over his 90-minute performance, the Brazilian dud – dubbed "criminal" against Man City by Kenn Leandre – was dribbled past three times, lost six duels and conceded two fouls, proving that he lacked focus and caused more problems than he solved over the fixture.

The former Monaco man – who earned a lowly 6.2 match rating, as per Sofascore – was also the subject of criticism from GOAL's Neil Jones, with the journalist stating that the 29-year-old 'looked a yard off the pace throughout'.

These horrendous midfield performances have been nothing new for Fabinho and pundits have been bewildered by his rapid decline with former Chelsea full-back Scott Minto claiming earlier this season:

"You talk about (Jordan) Henderson, yes, but you talk about Fabinho at the moment. Who is he at the moment? I don’t know who he is, it’s like his twin brother playing at the moment. He’s certainly not the player that he has been in recent years."

With that being said, it puts a huge question mark over Fabinho's future at Anfield if FSG are willing to heavily reinvest and refresh the midfield this summer but there is no doubt something needs to change and fast.

Out-of-favour Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips will be put up for sale by the club at the end of the season, according to a latest transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Phillips out of favour

The 25-year-old has found himself almost completely out of favour at Anfield this season, with Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all ahead of him in the pecking order.

In fact, Phillips has only managed one start in the Premier League throughout the campaign, which came against Crystal Palace all the way back in August.

The Englishman is currently contracted to Liverpool until the summer of 2025, although it is difficult to see him becoming even close to being a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s plans any time soon.

The Reds could instead decide to cash in on the defender, with a fresh update suggesting that will be the case.

The Latest: Defender up for sale

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have decided to put Phillips ‘up for sale this summer’, having originally been ‘close to leaving’ during the January transfer window.

He only stayed on because of the Reds’ mounting injury problems at the back but he now looks almost certain to depart at the end of the season instead.

With Van Dijk and Konate now back fit, Phillips has been ‘told again that he is free to find a new club’.

The Verdict: Right time to move on

It would be a big surprise if the centre-back was still a Liverpool player at the beginning of this season, with this latest update arguably the biggest sign yet that he will depart.

In terms of his own growth as a footballer, Phillips needs to find a new challenge – a club where he is considered a key player who is part of the starting lineup week in, week out.

He is good enough to be representing either a lower-ranked Premier League side or a top-end Championship outfit, having done such a good job for Liverpool in 2020/21, being hailed as ‘absolutely insane’ by Klopp for the impact he made during another injury-hit period.

Phillips should depart Anfield as a popular figure, having always given his all and got the best out of his arguably limited ability – he had a superb average of 5.6 aerial duel wins per game in the league in 2020/21 – but it is time for him to try something new and come in as a key man elsewhere.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is a ‘big fan’ of RB Leipzig and Croatia star Josko Gvardiol, according to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Gvardiol linked with City move

The 21-year-old’s reputation soared at the 2022 World Cup, with his superb performances helping Croatia finish third in the tournament, as he averaged 5.3 clearances per game along the way and was labelled ‘sensational’ by journalist Zach Lowy.

Gvardiol is likely to be a wanted man during the summer transfer window and City are one of the clubs who have been linked with a move for him recently.

Now, a new update has emerged – one that further suggests he could end up at the Etihad next season.

The Latest: Romano provides new update

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that City ‘want’ to sign Gvardiol this summer, with Guardiola’s personal admiration for him clear:

“Josko Gvardiol, one of the most wanted players around Europe. Manchester City want him – Guardiola, big fan and he’s in #MCFC list.

“Liverpool explored conditions of the deal in January, Chelsea keen on signing him since last summer. Open race.”

The Verdict: Generational talent

Gvardiol would have the potential to be an incredible signing by City, considering he already looks like one of Europe’s best centre-backs, despite his tender years.

For Leipzig, the 19-cap Croatia talisman has averaged 2.5 clearances per game in the Bundesliga this season, as well as enjoying an 89% pass completion rate.

A left-footed centre-back, Gvardiol could be viewed as a long-term heir and also an upgrade on both Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake – neither match his numbers this season – leading the City defence for many years to come.

The Leipzig man’s ‘great presence’ has been lauded by Rio Ferdinand and Guardiola must do all he can to sign a player who is arguably generational in his position.

Leeds United right-back Rasmus Kristensen has a ‘fight on his hands’ to nail down a regular place in the team, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Kristensen battling for playing time

The 25-year-old made the move to Elland Road from RB Salzburg last summer, seemingly coming in as an upgrade on fellow right-back Luke Ayling.

Having started the season as a regular, Kristensen has found himself in and out of the side, however, only starting 13 of the Whites’ Premier League games.

In fact, the last full 90 minutes he played came against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup last month.

The Latest: Journalist discusses ‘fight’ for place

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones admitted that Kristensen faces a battle to win his place back, following Ayling’s improved form:

“It means he’s got more of a fight on his hands than he probably first expected when he came in.

“But I’d be surprised if anyone thought that Luke Ayling was just going to happily be on his way and leave Leeds United.”

The Verdict: Good for squad depth

In many ways, it is a surprise to see Kristensen struggling for playing time, considering he came in as a younger alternative to Ayling and someone who could put him out to pasture.

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The £40,000-a-week defender has increasingly struggled as the months have passed, however, and Ayling deserves credit for finding an extra gear at the same time.

This is a healthy selection headache for new manager Javi Gracia to have, though, and the fact that he has two good right-backs at his disposal can only be good for squad depth.

Kristensen, who has been hailed a ‘top-class’ by Noel Whelan, will now hope that he can impress his new manager and win back his place over time, having averaged 2.7 tackles and 2.2 clearances per game in the league this season.

Sunderland striker Ross Stewart will have a ‘conversation in the near future’ regarding a new long-term contract, according to sporting director Kristjaan Speakman.

The Lowdown: Stewart’s story profiled

The Scotland international was set to be out of contract at the end of the 2022/23 Championship season, which saw him heavily linked with an exit in January.

The Black Cats talisman was attracting interest from the likes of Glasgow Rangers and Middlesbrough, though any kind of deal failed to materialise before the deadline.

The 6 foot 2 forward’s one-year extension has since been triggered, meaning that he’ll stay put until at least 2024, but having been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with an achilles injury, securing his long-term services is now the priority.

The Latest: Speakman’s comments

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, Speakman revealed that the Wearside outfit are planning to open negotiations with Stewart over extending his stay at the Stadium of Light.

“Our ambition has always been to re-sign Ross and that remains the case.

“We’ve obviously got to be sensitive around the situation at the present time but I’m sure there will be a conversation in the near future about where we’re at with that.

“It was only natural that we put that on hold coming into the January window, because I don’t think those conversations are ever that productive during a transfer window.”

The Verdict: Fully deserved

Stewart is arguably Sunderland’s main attacking force, and looking at his numbers, rewarding him with a new long-term contract would be nothing less than he deserves.

The Irvine native has made a remarkable 13 goal contributions in the same number of second-tier outings this term, and he was averaging 3.5 shots per league game prior to his injury (WhoScored).

Tony Mowbray is also provided with the perfect aerial threat given the 26-year-old’s height, so it would be in everyone’s best interests to tie him down before the upcoming summer window.

Chelsea are still trying to sign midfielder Moises Caicedo in the January transfer window despite Brighton’s reluctance to sell, Dharmesh Sheth has claimed.

What’s the word?

The Blues are pursuing another January deal having already secured four big signings this month, and Graham Potter is keen to reunite with the Ecuador international, having previously brought him to the Premier League.

However, Brighton are adamant that they do not want to sell, and have already rejected a sizeable bid for the 21-year-old.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Sheth claimed that Chelsea are pursuing Caicedo with the intention of landing him this month, rather than in the summer.

He said: “We’ve been saying the whole window that Chelsea are not giving up on signing Moises Caicedo – not just in the summer, but in this transfer window.

“He’s not for sale, as far as Brighton are concerned. They’ve got no intention of selling him, they don’t need to sell him, they don’t want to sell him and they’re under no pressure to actually sell him; he’s still got two and a half years left on his contract.

“We are told, though, that what Chelsea would be prepared to pay just now and what Brighton would want… it’s my understanding that Chelsea and Brighton are not in the same ballpark with regard to how they value Moises Caicedo.”

Wait until the summer

Chelsea’s squad is now rather bloated, having made 14 transfers in Todd Boehly’s first two windows since becoming owner, and with the likes of Jorginho still at the club, they have plenty of options in midfield.

Jorginho and N’Golo Kante could both leave for free in the summer – at which point, a central midfielder would perhaps become a priority, while the market may yet open up more for Caicedo or previous target Enzo Fernandez.

In our view, Chelsea may find better value in the market if they are prepared to wait until the end of the season than if they pay over the odds for Caicedo now.

For all the euphoria surrounding Manchester United’s recent derby day triumph, one sour note was that of Anthony Martial, with the Frenchman having been withdrawn at half-time after sustaining yet another injury blow.

The 27-year-old has already had a heavily-disrupted campaign after enduring numerous stints on the treatment table, with there perhaps a growing frustration that the former Monaco man simply cannot stay fit, nor is he seemingly willing to play through the pain barrier, as his teammate Marcus Rashford did on Saturday.

Even without that latest injury setback, however, the £250k-per-week man has still been somewhat uninspiring since the return to action following the World Cup break, with his only goal in that time coming in the win over Nottingham Forest.

Although the 30-cap marksman does boast a respectable haul of five goals in 13 games in all competitions this season, Erik ten Hag’s side are likely to need more from their centre-forward if they are to kick on and truly get back to the top in the coming years.

In truth, Martial has rarely proven a consistent goalscoring presence since his arrival in England back in 2015, having only reached double figures for league goals on three occasions, while scoring just five top-flight goals in the previous two seasons, prior to the start of this term.

After over seven years at Old Trafford, it does appear that the 5 foot 11 hotshot has had more than enough chances to impress at the club, with it no doubt time that the Red Devils hang their hat on someone else to deliver the goods through the middle.

According to ESPN, Ten Hag and co are set to look to the summer transfer window in order to find a new, long-term centre-forward recruit, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen one of those to have been named as a potential target.

That has been followed by more recent reports in Italy that have claimed United are ‘already lining up’ a move for the Nigerian international at the end of the season, with the 24-year-old set to command an eye-watering fee of around €150m (£133m).

That would prove a sizeable outlay as far as those at the Theatre of Dreams are concerned, although Osimhen could well represent the missing piece of the jigsaw for Ten Hag, having emerged as a real “goal machine” in recent years, as per journalist Mimi Fawaz.

The £93k-per-week sensation has been a vital part of Luciano Spalletti’s high-flying outfit in Serie A this term, having scored 12 goals in just 14 league appearances to date, including a recent brace in the thumping 5-1 win over title rivals Juventus.

That has ensured that the forward’s overall tally for the Naples outfit now stands at 41 goals in just 79 games, after previously also netting 18 times in only 38 games at Ligue 1 side Lille, as well as 20 goals in 36 games for Pro League outfit Charleroi.

A player who has seemingly hit the ground running in Italy, France and Belgium, the Lagos-born star has an overall club career record of 79 goals in only 169 games, with that a far better hit rate than that of Martial, who has taken 368 games to reach just 100 goals in his career so far.

It is perhaps unsurprising that the latter man has never proven prolific during his time in the Premier League as he appears to rarely put himself in an ideal position to score, as he ranks in just the bottom 34% in Europe among those in his position for touches in the attacking penalty area.

Osimhen, by contrast, is a true out-and-out centre-forward and a far more proficient poacher, with that evidenced by not only his impressive goal return, but also the fact that he ranks in the top 9% for touches in the attacking penalty area, when compared to his positional peers.

With Martial currently failing to fire for Ten Hag, the Dutchman could finally ditch the long-serving asset in order to get the Napoli machine through the door this summer.

Manchester City sealed their spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals as they knocked out holders Liverpool with a 3-2 win at the Etihad.

Erling Haaland marked his return to action with a customary goal from Kevin de Bruyne’s cross before Fabio Carvalho equalised for the visitors.

There was a crazy start to the second half as Riyad Mahrez curled in a wonderful goal to make it 2-1 before Mohamed Salah pegged City back just a minute later.

However, Nathan Ake was on hand to head in the winner from another world-class De Bruyne cross, with Pep Guardiola’s side now set to face Southampton in the quarter-finals next month.

While it was a promising return to domestic action for the Citizens, with many looking like they’d never been away, one man who disappointed was Manuel Akanji.

As per Sofascore, the summer signing would earn a shocking 6.0/10 rating for his performance at the Etihad, which was the worst of any player in blue, with City looking far more defensively secure once the Swiss defender was taken off just after the hour mark.

During his time on the pitch, the former Borussia Dortmund man was tormented by Liverpool’s attackers, as he failed to win a single ground or aerial duel, while he also failed to contribute a single tackle, clearance or interception.

Considering he has averaged 1.6 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and one clearance per game in the top flight this season, it was surprising that he didn’t register any of these in what was an end-to-end game at the Etihad.

His passing was also slightly poorer than usual, as he lost possession on five occasions and registered an 89% success rate, compared to the 94% he has averaged in the Premier League so far this campaign.

After an impressive performance earlier in the season, Guardiola dubbed Akanji “absolutely perfect” but if he continues to play as he did against Liverpool on Thursday evening, he will soon slip below City’s other centre-back options in the pecking order at the Etihad, as he nearly cost the Citizens with a woeful display in the Carabao Cup.

Arsenal must make a move for World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

That’s according to Emmanuel Petit, with the former Gunners star stating his belief in a recent interview (via the Evening Standard) that Mikel Arteta must do all he can to land the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder this winter, as the Frenchman believes that the 23-year-old would make a “brilliant” addition to the Spaniard’s current options in the middle of the park.

Regarding the Argentina international, Petit said: “I know the links are there with [Youri] Tielemans at Leicester [City], who I think is a good player but I’m not sure he is what Arsenal need. I’m a big fan of two players from Brighton: Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.

“Mac Allister, I said this last season before he won the World Cup, he is a guy that does everything in the midfield. He sets the tempo, carries the ball. Technically, he is very good. He scores goals.

“They would do everything that Arteta wants in midfield. Both of them are young and could form a partnership for years.

“Mac Allister has just won the World Cup. He won the Copa America last year. In terms of his experience and maturity, he played almost every single game at the World Cup and he played really well.

“He is at Brighton! What are Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City doing? Come on! He plays brilliant football.”

The 52-year-old’s claims come shortly after a report by Argentine publication AS, which suggested that both Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are set to test Brighton’s resolve for the midfielder by launching a move in the January transfer window.

“Golden boy”

Considering just how impressive Mac Allister has been for club and country so far this season, coupled with the fact that central midfield is one area of Arteta’s first-team squad that is currently lacking strength in depth, the argument that the 40-year-old simply must launch a move for the Argentine this winter is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, the £35m-rated talent was undoubtedly one of the breakout stars of the Qatar World Cup, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates over his six fixtures, in addition to taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.3 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles – at a success rate of 67% – per game.

The £50k-per-week midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.5 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and winning 5.2 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per match, as well as playing 0.8 long balls, 1.2 chipped passes and completing 39 total passes – at a success rate of 89% – per outing.

These returns saw the player who Ryan Adsett dubbed a “golden boy” and Paul Barber labelled “incredible” average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Lionel Scaloni’s fourth-best performer in the competition – playing a crucial role in Argentina going on to lift the trophy for the first time since 1986.

The 23-year-old has also highly impressed over his 14 Premier League appearances this season, having already scored five goals and created one big chance, in addition to taking an average of 1.9 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.6 dribbles per game.

The former AA Argentinos Juniors starlet has also made an average of 3.1 tackles – the joint ninth-most in the league – 1.4 interceptions and won 5.8 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per fixture, as well as enjoying an average of 72.9 touches, playing 2.2 long balls and completing 51.1 passes – at a success rate of 89% – per match.

These metrics have seen the midfielder who Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo dubbed “unreal” average an exceptional Sofascore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Brighton’s best performer in the league but also as the tenth-best player in the top flight of English football as a whole.

As such, considering just how exciting a prospect Mac Allister quite clearly is, it would indeed appear an extremely wise move for Arteta to launch a bid for the 23-year-old in January, as the Argentine sensation would undoubtedly represent an incredible addition to the 40-year-old’s current options in the middle of the park.