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Frank Lampard hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best of starts in his second stint as Chelsea manager, losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers and then to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek.

A home tie against in-form Brighton and Hove Albion arguably comes at the wrong time for the interim boss, with the south coast side enjoying a wonderful season as they head into the weekend in seventh place in the Premier League table, four spaces above the Blues.

Madrid were dominant against the Stamford Bridge outfit and Lampard will almost certainly make changes ahead of the match today.

Centre-back Kalidou Koulialy will miss the next two matches due to injury and this means Lampard could revert his side from playing three at the back as he did against Madrid, to the four that he deployed against Wolves.

We at Football FanCast predict the Chelsea starting XI that will be looking to secure a crucial three points at Stamford Bridge.

What will Chelsea’s starting XI look like against Brighton?

4-3-3 – Kepa; James, Fofana, Badiashile, Chilwell; Fernandez, Mount, Kovacic; Sterling, Havertz, Felix

Kepa will retain his spot in the Chelsea goal and will be looking to keep his first clean sheet since the 0-0 draw against Liverpool.

Lampard will change the formation and utilise a back four against Brighton today due to Koulibaly’s absence. Reece James and Ben Chilwell will operate off the flanks, and Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile will form the partnership in the heart of the defence.

Despite N’Golo Kante returning in recent weeks, the “world-class” star – as dubbed by Lampard – will be given a rest this afternoon in the hope he can return against Madrid, with Mason Mount coming in for the Frenchman. The £80k-per-week star came off the bench against the La Liga side in midweek and having been dubbed a “mad player” by Rio Ferdinand, he will be hoping to impress from the start. Mateo Kovacic will complete the midfield trio.

Raheem Sterling will start on the right wing and Joao Felix will operate on the left as they will both be looking to add to their meagre tallies so far this term. Kai Havertz will once again be deployed through the middle, and having gone three league matches without a goal, today would be the perfect time to score the first goal of Lampard’s second spell.

Getting three points is a necessity for Chelsea, and Brighton will be sure to provide an extremely tough challenge.

Tottenham Hotspur winger Ivan Perisic wants to leave this summer and is eyeing a return to Inter Milan, according to a recent report from Tuttosport.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Harry Kane's future remains up in the air, and contract talks are not planned until the club hire a new head coach, putting the pressure on chairman Daniel Levy to appoint the right manager, with reports indicating the striker could be tempted to stay if Julian Nagelsmann is brought in.

In terms of incomings, Spurs are running the rule over some new defensive options from the Championship, with Swansea City's Nathan Wood being closely monitored, while they are also set to make a move for Birmingham City's Rico Browne. The Lilywhites may have to turn their attentions to bringing in a new option at left-wing back, as it has now been reported that Perisic wants to leave the club this summer.

According to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), the Croatian is eyeing a move back to former club Inter Milan, having only left the Serie A side last summer in order to reunite with former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte.

Now that Conte is gone, the 34-year-old is keen on leaving, and the report stipulates that it is unlikely Spurs will block his departure, given that his contract is set to expire next summer. The Split-born winger may have to make a sacrifice if he is to seal a return to Inter, however, perhaps by spreading a year's salary over two seasons.

Should Tottenham let Ivan Perisic leave?

If the player himself has made his mind up, then Tottenham should not stand in his way, particularly given that he has failed to reach the heights expected of him when he arrived on a free transfer last June.

Hailed as "fantastic" by members of the media earlier this season, the £180k-per-week Croatia international has pitched in with seven assists in 29 Premier League appearances, which is a respectable total, but not exceptional, given his output in previous seasons.

When playing at wing-back, it is vital that players are able to pitch in with the defensive duties, but the former Inter Milan has been branded a "complete liability at the back" by the media, which has done Spurs' terrible defensive record no favours.

Given his age, Perisic would probably only have one more season in him at Tottenham anyway, and if he is keen to leave, then the club should not stand in his way.

Liverpool will host title challengers Arsenal this afternoon in their Premier League clash at Anfield and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his team can maintain their impeccable home record against the Gunners.

The Easter Sunday showdown will see the league leaders travel to the stadium they haven't won at since 2012, while for their own sakes, Liverpool will be desperate to put a dent in the Gunners' title dreams to earn themselves three points in their pursuit to keep their outside chance of securing a Champions League qualifying spot at the end of the season alive.

The Reds are currently 13 points adrift of fourth-place Newcastle United going into their game with Arsenal and with only ten games remaining to close the gap, there will be no room for error over the coming weeks ahead.

Klopp made a number of changes to the team that pulled off a well-fought stalemate with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this week, with Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson notably missing in an effort to refresh the team following a string of disappointing performances.

However, when Mikel Arteta's phenomenally in-form side make the trip to Merseyside this weekend, the Liverpool boss won't have the luxury of dropping his most experienced players and will need them in their best condition to take on the tenacious Gunners.

One player who did feature in the Chelsea clash and should retain his spot against Arsenal is Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino, whose incredible record against the side is well-known by both the Anfield faithful and supporters of the North London club.

Will Roberto Firmino start vs Arsenal?

The £180k-per-week Liverpool star has been integral to their multiple successes and has confirmed that he will not be extending his stay at Anfield when his contract expires in the summer, so one last opportunity to punish Arsenal is the least he deserves for his incredible service over the years.

Firmino has tallied up 17 appearances against the Gunners, netting ten goals and registering three assists, with only three defeats and a whopping nine victories over them, easily becoming Liverpool's most productive talisman and scores for fun when it comes to their meetings.

Not only that, the 31-year-old goal machine is currently the club's third highest goalscorer despite a troubling season, with ten goals and five assists in all competitions, as well as a better conversion rate (30%) and shot accuracy (76%) than any other Liverpool player who has scored a goal so far.

Firmino has been lavished with praise over his tenure at Anfield and talkSPORT's Darren Ambrose reserved huge compliments for the player upon the confirmation that he will leave at the end of the season:

“Does he go down as a Liverpool legend? Absolutely, 100 per cent!

“For a player who has won that many trophies, scored that many goals and has been very self-sacrificial for the team.

“It’s the end of an era at Liverpool. It was the end of an era when Mane left, really, but it’s a real end of an era now because Firmino is leaving too.”

With that being said, there is no doubt that Firmino should be in the starting eleven this afternoon as it would be a phenomenal way to see out his final weeks at Anfield by scoring even more goals against Arsenal.

Newcastle United "have watched" Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone ahead of a potential summer transfer swoop, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

Which midfielders are Newcastle interested in signing?

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is keen to strengthen in midfield this summer, with it recently being reported they are still interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, who scored four goals in Scotland's two most recent Euro 2024 qualifiers.

Kalvin Phillips is also an option for the Magpies, and Manchester City would not stand in his way if he were to express a desire to leave this summer, meaning he could be available on an initial loan, with a view to a permanent deal.

Having been linked to Marcus Thuram for quite some time, the Athletic's Chris Waugh has also claimed Newcastle are interested in his younger brother, Khephren, who is being targeted by Premier League rivals Liverpool.

In an interview with NUFC Blog, Talbot spoke about another Newcastle target, Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kone.

The journalist said: “Interestingly, The Athletic reported Newcastle have been looking in France and Germany at central midfielders, but didn’t reveal who. This brings me onto Manu Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach. He’s another Newcastle have watched who is likely to leave this summer at around the £40m mark.

“Again Liverpool are also keen – but talks have not developed since late last year. Both he and Thuram have been tipped to become future stars who would come in for a minimal cost, especially when you look at the likes of Jude Bellingham, who is likely to demand £120m.”

Would Kone be a good signing for Newcastle?

Football scout Jacek Kulig lauded the central midfielder for his performance against Bayern Munich earlier this season, describing him as a "one man army in midfield" after winning a remarkable 14/19 duels. Not only is the Frenchman gifted at winning back possession, but he is also a very good dribbler of the ball, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, averaging 2.17.

Newcastle are already well-stocked in central midfield, with Howe having the likes of Joe Willock, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff to choose from, however Kone would still be a welcome addition, having proven himself in the Bundesliga.

At just 21-years-old, the starlet has already established himself as a key player for Monchengladbach, making 25 appearances this season, and he is ready to take the next step in his career.

YouTuber Mark Goldbridge has been left extremely excited after seeing Manchester United be linked with a possible summer transfer for Jude Bellingham.

What's the latest on Jude Bellingham and Man Utd?

It seems as though the Red Devils will inevitably be linked with a number of top talents from across the globe in the upcoming window as Erik ten Hag looks to further evolve his squad.

And Bellingham is one player likely to be wanted by a number of big clubs this summer. However, in a new update from David Ornstein, it was revealed that Liverpool are "increasingly unlikely" to land the Borussia Dortmund star.

The Reds were an expected destination for the midfielder but if Jurgen Klopp's men are out of the race, this could open the door for the Red Devils.

After all, ESPN recently reported interest in the player and this seems to have left Goldbridge hoping for the best.

Indeed, while speaking on The United Stand, he said: “That is absolutely perfect for Manchester United.

"He is exactly the sort of player that you would want. He can play the Casemiro role, but realistically he would be the [Christian] Eriksen player.

“He'd be the box to box. But imagine what somebody… I mean, how old is Jude Bellingham now? It felt like it was about 17 for years, but you know, is he 20? Is he 21? Is he 19?

"The reality is, he's young. You can't say he can't play the Casemiro role because if Erik ten Hag got ahold of him, imagine what he could do with him. He could turn him into a bloody right-back for all we know.

"But I mean, what a player Bellingham is. He’s got the lot."

Could Bellingham replace Eriksen at Man Utd?

Eriksen has made a pretty good impact in his debut season with the Red Devils, providing seven league assists and one goal in his first 19 outings.

However, ankle injury has prevented him from playing since February and serves as a reminder that the club can't be over-reliant on the 31-year-old in the long term.

Bellingham, on the other hand, would be a signing to bolster the Man Utd midfielder for the future. The teenager is still only 19 years old but already has 168 senior club appearances to his name with Dortmund and Birmingham before that – not to mention 22 caps with England.

With that in mind, it's not hard to see why Goldbridge is excited about this possible deal but even with Liverpool potentially out of the running, a transfer won't be easy with Real Madrid and Manchester City tipped as the more likely destinations.

Sheikh Jassim is very confident in his bid to take full control at Manchester United, Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Lowdown: Second bid

Jassim made an offer to take control at Old Trafford before the soft deadline set by the Glazers last month. The current Manchester United owners have seemingly placed a £5bn valuation for the club, with previous reports believing Jassim’s opening bid was set to be rejected.

However, Jassim seems determined to complete a deal and sent a ‘formidable delegation to Old Trafford’ last week for talks. Those discussions lasted ten hours and were thought to be positive, with Sky Sports stating that a second offer from the Qatari investors was set to be made today ahead of a new deadline.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter in the last 24 hours to share what he’s heard from the Qatari investors. The transfer expert said that Jassim is ‘still very confident’ to buy the club ‘for full ownership’ but said that possible rival Sir Jim Ratcliffe will also make a new bid.

‘Sheikh Jassim feels still very confident on his bid to buy Manchester Utd for full ownership; Sir Ratcliffe’s INEOS group will also bid again after positive talks last week.’

Romano reiterated that the deadline for second bids is on Wednesday evening, adding that it will then be ‘up to the Glazers, again.’

The Verdict: Promising

This update appears to be a promising sign for those wanting Jassim to replace the Glazers, and there will more than likely be further developments throughout the day.

Erik ten Hag may also be keeping one eye on takeover updates, especially as it could impact his transfer plans for the summer. The Qatari group led by Jassim previously wanted ‘things done quickly’ so they could help Ten Hag in the transfer market, while they were also confident there would be no dual ownership issues.

This will be one to keep an eye on, and it’ll be interesting to see who may join Jassim and Ratcliffe with new bids in the coming hours.

Leeds United's season has been a fast-paced and highly-stressful one, with transfer upheaval, relegation struggles and a managerial switch around which now has Javi Gracia as the proposed man to lead the Whites to safety.

A recent string of decent results has propelled his side up the Premier League table, such is the tightness between those bottom nine sides, and lying in 14th might give a false sense of security to a side that under the surface are only two points from the relegation zone themselves.

This daylight between them and West Ham United, plus the looming international break, has clearly spurred the staff at the Yorkshire club to switch focus slightly and look to the future; a future where they are hopefully still playing Premier League football.

Should they retain their status, it was noted yesterday by Il Romanista (via Sport Witness) that they are one of the clubs vying for Hakan Calhanoglu, who could leave this summer. This comes just weeks after another report suggested they were ready to bid €25m (£22m) for his services too.

With further financial troubles haunting Inter Milan once again, Gracia could look to capitalise by tying down this tricky Turkish maestro as the potential successor to former fan favourite Pablo Hernandez.

How good is Hakan Calhanoglu?

With electric quick feet and a technical prowess beyond anything currently at the club, what he lacks in pace he more than makes up for with his ability on the ball.

During his time across Europe, where he has plied his trade at various top clubs, the Turk has always earned a reputation as someone who could create from anywhere on the pitch. This helps to explain how he maintained 28 goals and 29 assists across 115 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, and a further 32 goals and 48 assists for AC Milan too, via Transfermarkt.

Even at 29 years old, in the midst of his prime years, when compared to other midfielders across Europe, he ranks in the top 4% for shots, the top 2% for assists and, unsurprisingly, the top 1% for shot-creating actions per 90, via FBref.

It is therefore hardly a shock to see him branded capable of "magic" by journalist Deji Faremi, who saw his claim supported by a former manager of the magician. Fatih Terim noted: "We have many important players of absolute value. We can count on and trust, for example, Hakan Calhanoglu who in my opinion has now become a phenomenon, a Serie A champion."

This unbridled creativity does draw comparisons with Hernandez, who was a key component in Marcelo Bielsa's success in returning the club to the top flight.

In the season before their promotion, the Spaniard recorded 12 goals and 12 assists, before a further 18 goal contributions the campaign following would help them finally escape the Championship.

In the former term, he would average a whopping 7.52 average rating, as again his lack of speed was forgotten due to the immense quality he boasted. Hernandez is comfortably one of the most gifted players to grace Elland Road in recent memory, but Calhanoglu could just challenge that position should he hit form upon making this potential move.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is on the cusp of something special with the Old Trafford side. Humiliations against Manchester City and Liverpool aside, the club have won their first trophy in six years and are still in the hunt for a total of four trophies this term.

The Dutchman has made some impressive signings, with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen boosting the midfield, while defender Lisandro Martinez has been a revelation at the club.

The Argentinian centre-back has received an average rating of 7.07 via Sofascore for his Premier League performances and ranks first in the squad for accurate passes per game (47.6), second for clearances (3.5) and fifth for both interceptions (1.2) and tackles (1.9).

Despite the impressive displays by the player, the 7-0 and 6-3 drubbings by their biggest rivals, plus the fact United have conceded 47 goals in all competitions this season, perhaps suggest that the defence could be improved.

If only the manager could have a player that Sir Alex Ferguson signed in January 2006 at the club right now as he would certainly make a difference – Nemanja Vidic.

How did Nemanja Vidic perform at Manchester United?

The 36-cap Serbian warrior became arguably Fergie’s greatest defensive signing in his final decade in charge of the side and he was the lynchpin of United’s last great era under the Scot.

He played 300 matches for the Red Devils and was even dubbed “unbeatable” by Paul Scholes, while another Rio Ferdinand also lauded him with praise, saying: “He became a defender that was feared. He could fight with the most physical, he crunched into tackles, he attacked the ball better than anyone I’ve ever seen. But as he will tell you with a smile, he could also play with the ball too, which made him complete and a great defender.”

Vidic was even voted as the greatest-ever Premier League defender in a Twitter poll by Sky Sports News, defeating Virgil van Dijk with 54.5% of the votes and that illustrates just good he really was.

The enforcer averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.17 or higher in the five seasons he played in the Premier League while the statistics were available, which is considerably better than the 6.79 rating Martinez has managed this term and suggests that the Serbian would be a significant upgrade on United’s current options in that position.

Imagine him in ten Hag’s backline now at his peak. The tank would be incredible, based on his impressive aforementioned statistics, and would shore up the United defence.

Martinez has been great so far, yet there is always room for improvement, and anyone that wants to be at the heart of the United defence for years should take inspiration from Vidic and all that he achieved.

Sheffield Wednesday trio Reece James, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and David Stockdale are all ‘back in contention’ to face Portsmouth this weekend.

The Lowdown: Big test for Wednesday

The Owls are on an incredible run of form at the moment, not suffering a defeat in League One since their 2-1 loss away to Plymouth Argyle back in early October.

Darren Moore’s side now sit top of the table by three points with a game in hand, as they edge towards what would be a much-needed return to the Championship.

On Saturday afternoon, Wednesday make the trip to Portsmouth for a potentially tough game but they have been boosted by some injury news leading up to the match.

The Latest: Owls given triple injury boost

Taking to Twitter, The Star‘s reliable journalist Joe Crann confirmed that James, Dele-Bashiru and Stockdale are all pushing to play a part this weekend after injury absences:

“Reece James, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and David Stockdale are all expected back in contention for the trip to Portsmouth, Marvin Johnson serves the last game of his suspension.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/efl-news/” title=”EFL news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Extra boost for Moore

Everything is going so smoothly for the Owls at present and the return of James, Dele-Bashiru and Stockdale just feels like an added bonus for Moore.

The former has been a reliable centre-back for Wednesday this season, averaging 2.1 tackles per game in the league, and his comeback will make rotation far easier in that area.

Meanwhile, Dele-Bashiru started the campaign on fire, scoring twice in the 3-3 draw with Pompey on the opening weekend, which could tempt Moore to give him minutes against the same opponent this weekend.

As for Stockdale, he will likely have to accept playing second fiddle to Cameron Dawson between the sticks for the rest of the season, considering the Owls’ current first-choice goalkeeper has kept seven clean sheets in his last nine league outings.

West Ham will be looking to build on their morale-boosting win over Nottingham Forest when they face Manchester United in the FA Cup this evening.

David Moyes is said to have needed a positive result against the Reds to save his job and his side responded in emphatic fashion, with four second-half goals lifting the Hammers outside of the relegation zone.

It means the Irons can travel to Old Trafford in a confident mood, although there will be far less expectation of a result against Erik ten Hag’s in-form side.

How should West Ham line up against Manchester United?

While the focus for West Ham should be on their ongoing fight against relegation, a victory at Old Trafford would put the Hammers in a great position to reach Wembley, so Moyes should select a strong team, while also giving opportunities to returning players.

Here is how Football FanCast expects West Ham to line up against United, with four changes from the side that started against Forest.

(4-2-3-1) Areola, Johnson, Aguerd, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Bowen, Benrahma, Cornet, Scamacca.

After fracturing an eye socket and a cheekbone against Forest, Lukasz Fabianski certainly won’t be starting at Old Trafford, so Alphonse Areola comes in as his replacement in between the sticks.

Vladimir Coufal would also pick up a heel injury against Steve Cooper’s side which will probably rule him out this evening, so Ben Johnson switches over to right-back, with Aaron Cresswell taking his place at left-back.

Nayef Aguerd and Angelo Ogbonna continue their centre-back partnership after steering the Hammers to a clean sheet last time out, although Kurt Zouma could soon be back in contention.

There is one change in midfield as the “exceptional” Lucas Paqueta – in the words of FourFourTwo’s Mark White – drops out, with Said Benrahma replacing him as an attacking midfielder after notching two assists at the weekend, while Maxwel Cornet makes his eagerly anticipated return from injury on the left wing.

Jarrod Bowen continues on the right, while two-goal hero Danny Ings is sadly cup-tied for the trip to Old Trafford, so Hammers fans will be hoping that Gianluca Scamacca can put his poor run behind him, as he starts in his place.