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At times last season, Chelsea’s attack was unwatchable. Games were either marred by countless missed chances or a stark lack of dynamism, efficiency, or purpose in forward areas. It finished with just 38 goals in as many Premier League games – a dismal reflection of the disjointed nature of the Blues’ attack.

This has been noted by Mauricio Pochettino, who has been joined by the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson at Stamford Bridge, whilst allowing Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic to depart the club.

Currently, Noni Madueke is the only right-winger firmly in his plans, with Hakim Ziyech looking to leave this summer.

Pochettino may look to add further strength on the right-hand side, with Leroy Sane mentioned in what seems an improbable signing.

What’s the latest on Leroy Sane to Chelsea?

According to Simon Phillips (via The Chelsea Chronicle), the 2021 Champions League winners are admirers of the Bayern Munich livewire.

However, at this stage, Phillips confirmed it is still no more than a rumour to keep an eye on, with Manchester City also interested in bringing the German back to the Etihad Stadium.

Who can Leroy Sane link up with at Chelsea?

The 27-year-old originally came to England back in 2016 when he joined Manchester City, and was unplayable in flashes.

He spent four seasons in the north-west under Pep Guardiola, making 135 appearances and notching 85 goal involvements, winning two Premier League titles.

His best year in sky blue came in 2017/18 when he recorded 25 goal contributions in 32 matches and was named the PFA Young Player of the Year.

Upon his arrival at Bayern Munich in 2020, chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: “He is an outstanding player who has proven his qualities over the past few years.”

Thus far, he has failed to hit the same productive heights in Germany and was part of the Bayern team that was thrashed by Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals last term.

Nevertheless, the forward still retains his esteemed reputation for his dazzling dribbling speed, and creativity. Among his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the £238k-per-week dynamo ranks within the best 8% for progressive passes per 90, successful take-ons, total shots, and non-penalty goals per 90.

If a move to Stamford Bridge ever eventually materialised, the idea of a partnership on the right with Reece James is frightening. Due to continuous injuries, the full-back has only appeared in 42 of Chelsea’s last 76 Premier League games, and his patchy fitness was one of the major drawbacks last term.

The 23-year-old is arguably a future Chelsea captain and is a formidable combination of defensive solidity and attacking threat. Speaking on Match of the Day (via Planet Football), Ian Wright once said:

“He’s easily one of the best right-backs in the world at the minute. He’s got everything. His delivery is amazing, his closing down. He’s got the ability and strength to progress the ball, he’s so combative. He’s a super player.”

His talent in attack is what sets him apart from the majority of full-backs, as he ranks within the top 18% for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the highest 10% for shot-creating actions, progressive carries, and successful take-ons per 90.

Whilst the idea of Sane in west London is a pipe dream at present, it could spark the beginning of a partnership that could terrorise Premier League opponents.

The summer transfer window officially opened for business last month and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been able to make two additions to his squad so far.

Marco Tilio and Odin Thiago Holm have arrived, from Melbourne City and Valerenga respectively, to bolster the head coach's options in midfield.

The Hoops still have until the 1st of September to make further signings ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and strengthening the wide department appears to be on their agenda.

It was reported by the Daily Record last month that the club have been scouting Gwangju winger Ji-sung Eom.

Although, it remains to be seen if they will act upon their interest over the coming weeks.

How good is Ji-sung Eom?

The versatile attacker, who is capable of being deployed on either flank, has been in impressive form over the last 18 months and his performances suggest that the potential is there for him to be an exciting player for Celtic.

At the age of 21, Eom could come in as a long-term prospect for Rodgers rather than someone who would be required to make an immediate impact on the pitch, which could make him the dream heir to James Forrest's position within the squad.

The current Hoops winger turned 32 earlier this month and is now in the final two years of his contract at Parkhead, which could leave the manager to think about what life will look like after the Scotland international moves on.

Signing an heir, in the form of Eom, prior to Forrest's actual departure could be a shrewd move as it would allow the promising South Korean talent to soak up all of the veteran ace's experience to aid his transition to football in Scotland.

The long-serving maestro has racked up 467 first-team appearances during his time in Glasgow to date and, therefore, knows what it takes to consistently perform at the club.

Forrest averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 across 16 Scottish Premiership matches last term – the 18th-highest score within the team. He contributed with four goals and 0.9 key passes per match, with the latter statistic being the 13th-best record among the squad.

Eom, with an average Sofascore rating of 7.01, has scored two goals to go along with two assists in eight K League 1 starts this year, whilst the talented gem has also created 0.9 chances per game – drawing a parallel with the Celtic gem.

However, his form throughout the 2022 K League 2 campaign is what suggests that there is an exciting prospect for Rodgers to unearth.

The 5 foot 10 whiz averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 29 outings, which is a score only seven Hoops players bettered during the 2022/23 campaign, as he plundered nine goals from out wide.

Meanwhile, only three Celtic stars hit double figures for Premiership goals last season, and one of them – Jota – has since departed to join Al Ittihad.

Eom, who has been described as "underrated" by scout Ali Can Kutlu, has the potential to provide an excellent goal threat from a wide position, whilst also being able to offer a similar level of creativity to Forrest, which is why he could be the dream heir to the Scottish forward under Rodgers.

There is an 11-year gap between the two players and this means that Celtic could invest in the South Korea U22 international to be a part of their long-term plans, with the 21-year-old gem able to be an understudy to the veteran over the next few seasons.

Newcastle United have reportedly hit a "stalemate" in their pursuit of impressive Southampton youngster Valentino Livramento this summer.

Are Newcastle signing Livramento?

The £8,000-a-week right-back has been considered a strong transfer target for the Magpies in the current transfer window, having impressed for Saints since arriving from Chelsea in 2021.

Unfortunately, Livramento's 2022/23 season was ruined by a cruciate ligament injury, limiting him to just 26 minutes of Premier League action, but he was a regular before that point, making 34 appearances for the south coast club.

While it has looked likely that the Southampton starlet will end up at St James' Park this summer, coming in as competition for Kieran Trippier, a negative update has emerged.

What's the latest on Livramento to Newcastle?

According to The Telegraph's Luke Edwards, talks have stalled over Newcastle's interest in Livramento because of PIF's tactics of trying to under-sell their budget, throwing doubt over a summer move to St James' Park:

"The situation is complicated by the fact Newcastle have shown they can be deceptive when talking about the size of their budgets, as well as the identity of their targets, but they have more pressing priorities this summer than signing a right back to compete with captain Kieran Trippier.

"Sources at St James’ Park have repeatedly stressed that the asking prices have been “astronomically high” so far this summer and they do not have a huge amount of money to spend."

This is a frustrating update, with Livramento a very exciting young player with a high ceiling, once being hailed as a player with that special "aura" about them by Theo Walcott.

The hope is that this is simply nothing more than a blip in terms of negotiations, and that a compromise can be met, ensuring Newcastle acquire services of a gifted English player – one who has won five caps for England's Under-21s to date.

Granted, there can be reservations over any player who has suffered such a serious knee injury, but given the age and the advancement in how fitness setbacks are overcome nowadays, Livramento should return as good as ever, hopefully coming as Trippier's long-term replacement and successor at right-back.

Liverpool completed their second signing of the summer transfer window on Sunday as they officially announced the arrival of Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig on a permanent deal.

This comes after the club had already agreed a deal to bring Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister from fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

They are also in the market to add a central defender to their squad. Spanish outlet AS recently reported that Sporting enforcer Goncalo Inacio is a target for the Reds as they eye another option to compete with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

The report stated that the Portuguese side are demanding a fee in the region of €45m (£39m) for the 21-year-old battler, although it remains to be seen if Liverpool are prepared to match that figure.

Where would Goncalo Inacio fit in at Liverpool?

Inacio would come in to provide competition for Jurgen Klopp at the back alongside van Dijk, Konate, Joel Matip, Nat Phillips and Joe Gomez.

Journalist Ryan Taylor told GIVEMESPORT in May that the club could be "open" to cashing in on Gomez this summer and the signing of another player in his position may allow the manager to ruthlessly ditch the English dud.

The £95k-per-week defender averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.90 across 21 Premier League appearances last season as he won 56% of his duels and made two errors leading to either a goal or a penalty being awarded.

It was hardly a surprise, therefore, to see Reds influencer Graeme Kelly describe him as "finished", as he only started 15 times in the league.

Such an average level of performance surely means that Inacio could come in as an upgrade on him.

The Sporting star averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 over 33 league outings last term – a higher score than Gomez, Matip, and Konate managed in England. He came out on top in 59% of his individual battles and did not make a single mistake leading to a penalty or goal against his side.

Inacio also averaged an impressive rating of 7.15 across 28 Liga Portugal matches in the 2021/22 campaign, which would place him joint-second with Mo Salah – behind Trent Alexander-Arnold – for Liverpool last season.

Alongside his superior average performance level, the Portugal international could offer more than Gomez in possession. Over the last 365 days, the left-footed stopper has averaged 10.94 progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, in comparison to the Reds defender's 7.45.

These statistics suggest that Inacio, who was dubbed “underrated” by journalist Zach Lowy, would provide more quality in bringing the ball out from the back to start attacks, whilst also being able to perform to a higher level week-in-week-out.

Therefore, Klopp would be able to brutally jettison Gomez from the squad by signing the £39m-rated colossus before the deadline passes at the end of the summer.

Burnley are thought to be interested in a move for Barcelona goalkeeper Arnau Tenas.

What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?

The Clarets have already splashed the cash ahead of their Premier League return, with Vincent Kompany signing centre-back Jordan Beyer from Borussia Monchengladbach and full-back Dara O’Shea from West Brom at a combined cost of €22m.

That looks to be the start of what could be a busy summer at Turf Moor, with plenty more rumours in the media. Fabrizio Romano has recently claimed that Burnley have made an offer to sign Anderlecht defender Noah Sadiki.

Meanwhile, the club are also preparing a new offer to sign Millwall star Zian Flemming, and another new target appears to be Tenas.

According to one Spanish outlet, Burnley are interested in signing Tenas and are very aware of his situation. Barcelona had the option to extend the 22-year-old’s contract, however, that has now passed, so the goalkeeper can leave as a free agent, should a new deal fail to materialise.

Tenas reportedly meets the needs required by Kompany in goal due to his ‘good footwork’, something which is ‘very attractive for a team that tries to take care of the ball and apply a style of play similar to that of Barcelona’. If a fresh Camp Nou contract doesn’t come to light, then Burnley are very likely to make a proposal for the Spaniard.

Who is Arnau Tenas?

Tenas has progressed through Barcelona’s academy and is the current captain of the B team. The Spain U21 international, valued at a career-high €2m by Transfermarkt, has made 58 appearances for the B team, keeping 22 clean sheets but is still awaiting a senior debut.

Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique called Tenas the next Victor Valdes back in 2021, whereas a Barcelona fan page once hailed the shot-stopper as an “amazing young goalkeeper” who has plenty of potential.

Kompany currently has Arijanet Muric and Bailey Peacock-Farrell as senior options to choose from ahead of the 2023/24 season, so it’ll be interesting to see if a move is made for Tenas, making this one to watch.

Newcastle United are reportedly one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana this summer.

Who is Youssouf Fofana?

The 24-year-old has grown into an important figure at Monaco recently, shining in a defensive midfield role and protecting the back-line in impressive fashion.

Last season, Fofana started 35 of his side's 38 Ligue 1 matches, highlighting what an integral player he is, also making six appearances for France at the 2022 World Cup, two of which were starts.

The £7,300-a-week Frenchman is out of contract at Monaco next summer, meaning they could be forced to sell him this time around, rather than potentially lose him on a free transfer in 2024.

He is unlikely to be without suitors, and it looks as though Newcastle are right in the mix to sign him, as they look to make significant reinforcements ahead of next season.

Are Newcastle signing Fofana? According to L'Equipe, Newcastle and Arsenal have entered the race to sign Fofana this summer, with West Ham also credited with interest in him. The Hammers see him as an ideal replacement for Declan Rice, who looks almost certain to leave for pastures new, but they could find it difficult to have the pulling power to pip the others to his signature.

The report does stress that no significant progress has been made regarding a summer exit, however, with Monaco seemingly in no rush to sell despite his contract situation.

Fofana could be a really astute addition to Newcastle's squad this summer, at a time when Eddie Howe is likely to want an out-and-out defensive midfielder to allow Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes to dictate matches, especially with Champions League football also to contend with in 2023/24.

He averaged 2.3 tackles per game in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League last term – more than both Tonali and Bruno across all competitions – highlighting the defensive expertise he can provide, and he is at an age where his best years should still be ahead of him.

The Magpies are now at the stage where they need to be rotating regularly, in order to thrive across several different competitions. And he could even become an immediate key starter, considering he is more naturally defensive than those mentioned.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Frenchman as "wonderful" – which could mean Newcastle's midfield ends up looking even more balanced moving forward.

Leeds United have been relegated from the Premier League and are still without a permanent manager with the transfer window in full swing, but that has not stopped the club from pushing for Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres.

What's the latest on Viktor Gyokeres to Leeds?

According to the Coventry Telegraph (June 19, page 38), via MOT Leeds News, an exit is on the cards for the Sky Blues star talisman, and while suitors from all across Europe push for his signature, the likes of Championship promotion contenders Leeds and Middlesbrough are hoping to tempt the ace with a move.

Speaking to the publication, former manager Gary McSheffrey believes it will take 'big money' for a move to a divisional rival to come into fruition, with fees as high as £17m touted for the Swede's services.

He said: “If it’s one of the bigger Championship clubs like a Leeds or a Middlesbrough, unless it’s mega-money for Coventry, then I am not sure it would be the right move for him, although it might be financially good for him.

“I know there’s firm interest and there will be a couple of clubs who have come down that will want him, the likes of Leeds United, who can still afford to pay him good money.”

How good is Viktor Gyokeres?

Given that the 25-year-old only has just one year left on his current deal and no sight of a resolution, it is increasingly likely that he will be sold this summer as the defeated play-off finalists look to rebuild and push for promotion once again.

And with Leeds hoping for an immediate return to the top flight after devastating relegation this year, Gyokeres could be tempted to complete the transfer and spearhead a club back toward prominence.

Over the past two campaigns, the 13-cap international has posted 21 and 17 goal returns in the second tier, illustrating exactly the kind of potency that the Whites require to succeed in their seasonal endeavours.

He would be an almighty upgrade on Leeds' current centre-forward, Patrick Bamford, who captured the attention of the throngs of supporters with his performances in the Championship when the club secured promotion – scoring 16 times – before playing an exemplary term upon the outfit's return to the Premier League – finishing with 17 strikes in the top-flight.

However, injuries and a fall from form over the past two years have left the former Chelsea youngster in ill regard, being branded as a "liability" by journalist Hunter Walker, and replacing him with the younger, more exuberant Gyokeres would only enhance the squad's prospects.

Said to be "unplayable" on his day by teammate Maxime Biamou, Gyokeres has averaged three shots and 1.8 key passes per match this season, as per Sofascore, whereas Bamford's 1.8 shots and 0.4 key passes illuminate the lack of robustness that stung Leeds in their travails.

Considering this, the 49ers would be wise to secure Gyokeres' signature this summer and wipe the slate clean; relegation materialised and left the club in ignominy, but there is now a stunning opportunity to rectify the past wrongs and the Coventry dynamo is the man to lead the charge.

West Ham United boss David Moyes has made signing a new central midfielder a priority this summer ahead of Declan Rice's expected departure.

Rice, a target for the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich, will generate a huge transfer fee that can be pumped back into the squad.

The lure of more continental football next season, with West Ham back in the Europa League after winning the Europa Conference League last week, will help massively when it comes to persuading new recruits to join.

Fulham's Joao Palhinha appears to be high on Moyes' list of targets, but his reported £50m valuation will wipe out a large amount of the Hammers' transfer kitty, so it may make sense to look elsewhere for a cheaper alternative who has shown plenty of promise.

A regular for Ajax over the past four years and capped 61 times by Mexico, Edson Alvarez could be just the man for West Ham.

Is Edson Alvarez a good option for West Ham?

Alvarez looked all set to join Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £30m this summer – the German club themselves looking to replace a talented English midfielder of their own in Jude Bellingham – but 90min suggests West Ham are hoping to hijack a bid after opening talks with the player's agent.

The Mexican has made just short of 150 appearances for Ajax since joining from Club America in July 2019, 31 of those coming last season in what was ultimately a disappointing campaign for the Dutch heavyweights.

With 2,589 minutes played in Eredivisie, as per WhoScored, Alvarez was Ajax's third-most used player behind Dusan Tadic (2,971) and Jurrien Timber (3,033), and he chipped in with six direct goal involvements (three goals, three assists).

However, the 25-year-old is not necessarily in the team to find the net, but more for his defensive attributes – as highlighted by the ten yellow cards he received last season, which was level with FC Twente's Robin Propper for the most in Eredivisie.

As highlighted by FBref, Alvarez could not match Palhinha (4.26) for tackles per 90 minutes last season – who could? However, he managed a respectable 2.47 a game, which for comparison is more than Rice (2.17) and Tomas Soucek (2.45) at West Ham.

It is in another metric that Alvarez particularly thrived, and helps explain just why he is so highly regarded by some elite clubs. With an average of 83.91 passes attempted per 90 minutes over the past year, he ranks in the top 1% of his central midfield peers across Europe's top eight leagues.

Palhinha was hugely impressive in his debut campaign with Fulham but could not match that figure, recording a rather low (36.89). Those stats help to show where both players are at their strongest, meaning it is effectively up to West Ham to decide what they are in more need of.

If Moyes is after a player who is comfortable passing the ball around and can advance it up the field, then Alvarez appears a better fit. The Ajax midfielder averaged 97.9 touches per 90 minutes last season, compared to 49.7 for Palhinha, and was successful with 46.2% of his tackles (35.9% for Palhinha).

Previously described as a "monster" by The Athletic writer Felipe Cardenas for his displays in midfield for Mexico, Alvarez also won an average of 3.38 aerial duels for Ajax last season, which is superior to that of Palhinha (2.06).

Alvarez is not exactly a like-for-like replacement for Rice but, at potentially £20m cheaper than Palhinha, he appears to have all the right qualities to thrive in the Premier League for West Ham.

Aston Villa have been linked to a plethora of Champions League quality players in recent weeks, with the board "trying to reach for the stars", transfer insider Dean Jones has told Football FanCast.

Who do Villa want to sign this summer?

There has been a consistent increase in the quality of players Villa have been able to attract over recent years.

It started with the purchase of the exciting and sought-after Ollie Watkins from Brentford, and then they were able to grab Leon Bailey from under the noses of several European clubs.

Last season saw probably the biggest name to arrive at Villa Park for a very long time, Philippe Coutinho. Granted, it hasn't worked out, but it was still a signal of intent.

The level of player has increased yet again, as just this year has seen the club linked to both Joao Felix and Marco Asensio – despite the latter now looking set for a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

With Football Insider claiming that the club have given Unai Emery a massive 'war chest' of up to £150m this summer, maybe we should expect more stars to be linked with a move to the Midlands.

Afterall, they have already managed to secure the big signing of Youri Tielemans this summer.

What has Dean Jones said about the change in transfer policy for Aston Villa?

Jones thinks that the recent rumours and links to Villa indicate where the club is heading regarding player acquisition and that "anything is possible" under their current owners.

Speaking to Football FanCast, the journalist said: "I think that one thing it does give us is a good indicator of is where the club's heading. They're now basically shopping for luxury products, they're looking at players that before would have been a pipe dream.

"Under the new vision, with the money that they've got, they're trying to show that anything is possible and they're trying to reach for the stars."

Who have been Aston Villa's most expensive signings in the past?

With all of these high-profile players being touted for a move to the Villains, they will likely break their transfer record in the not-too-distant future.

The Birmingham club's record signing at the moment is current player Emiliano Buendia, who joined the club for £35m in the summer of 2021 and may go down with mixed reviews to date.

The club's second most expensive is none other than Watkins, for a cool £31m. It's probably not too controversial to say that the ex-Exeter City man has been one of the best strikers in the Premier League this year.

Bailey comes in third on the list at £29m and it's a bit harder to call his time in England's second city a success. He has had his fair share of injury problems, though, and Emery could be the man to unlock his undeniable potential.

Liverpool target and Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount is expected to soon "decide" whether to make the move to Anfield, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Is Mason Mount leaving Chelsea?

The Blues academy graduate has made 195 senior appearances for Mauricio Pochettino's side over the course of his career, but with his contract set to expire at the end of next season, the upcoming window is his final chance to secure a big-money move elsewhere having rejected several new offers to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge.

Sky Sports have credited the Reds with an interest in the 24-year-old but report that Premier League rivals Manchester United are the current frontrunners having displayed a strong desire to secure his services, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein further revealing that the player himself is leaning towards a switch to Old Trafford.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs claimed that the England international is “advancing” in negotiations to join Erik Ten Hag’s side which is true considering that he’s since agreed personal terms, but whilst a deal looks all but done, he still has Jurgen Klopp lurking in the background as a valid option.

Are Liverpool signing Mount?

Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg revealed that Mount is set to choose between Liverpool and Man United as his next destination with an exit from his boyhood club pretty much inevitable this summer. He wrote:

"News #Mount: Been told #MUFC is pushing a lot! Ten Hag and the bosses share the same opinion about him: They definitely want him! Within the club all are convinced of him. Understand he will decide between Man Utd or Liverpool. Price valuation at this stage: €45-50m [£38m-43m] with bonuses included."

Should FSG cash out on Mount?

Liverpool are clearly long-term admirers of Mount and the fact that he’ll be out of contract this time next year means that a cut-price deal is available with the price range mentioned above, so FSG should certainly consider tabling a bid in an attempt to wrap up this bargain of a deal.

Chelsea’s “mad” attacking midfielder, as lauded by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand, missed 12 top-flight games last season through injury but still managed to clock up nine goal contributions (six assists and three goals) across all competitions, showing how much of an instant impact he can make when available to play.

The Champions League winner, who knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured three senior trophies in SW6, is also a versatile operator having been fielded in seven various positions across the pitch since first emerging onto the scene, including in the midfield and the frontline, so he is a well-rounded player that would slot perfectly into the centre for Klopp.