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Chelsea have sentenced themselves to a season of mid-table mediocrity due to one of the most tumultuous and disjointed years in the club’s history.

The change of ownership coupled with an absurd transfer policy has meant that the Blues have plummeted into the depths of despair, where even a top-half finish appears out of their reach.

The 2021 Champions League winners have also motored through four different managers, which has meant the team has constantly changed as they’ve all frantically scrambled to find a winning formula.

However, one trend that has been cemented is the unfair and uncalculated reluctance to deploy Carney Chukwuemeka in the starting line-up.

The west Londoners will play the recently-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City this afternoon, and the 19-year-old prodigy should be involved.

Why should Carney Chukwuemeka start vs Manchester City?

Last summer, the youngster enjoyed a wealth of success as he featured in every game of England’s U19 European Championship campaign and scored in the 3-1 victory over Israel in the final. As a result, he was included in the UEFA's 'Team of the Tournament'.

As noted by Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol, the Chelsea hierarchy has targeted the world’s “best young players” and Chukwuemeka perfectly fit the bill, having been signed from Aston Villa for £20m.

The Austrian-born starlet’s Stamford Bridge career hasn’t worked out as he has only made 14 appearances in all competitions, started just one game and hasn’t even made the matchday squad for the last seven domestic fixtures.

It is even more baffling when considering the outrageously high regard he was held in the Midlands.

When he made his full debut for the Villans against Brentford in August 2021, Paul Merson eulogized his quality and said:

“He has got a bright future. First-half, he was outstanding. He was gliding across the pitch.

“He will be an absolute star. He glides across the pitch. He is a nice size. He gets on the ball. He looks for it and makes runs without the ball.”

For Frank Lampard to kickstart the new Chelsea era, it would be a logical decision to start Chukwuemeka against the reigning champions over Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who is reportedly on the verge of a move to AC Milan.

The teenage talent clearly has the quality to be part of the club’s future project, and it seems pointless to play the departing Loftus-Cheek when the Blues have nothing to play for anyway.

Lampard has recently questioned some of his squad’s motivation, but if Chukwuemeka was handed a start he would undoubtedly seize the opportunity.

Journalist Dean Jones has revealed that Liverpool transfer target Alexis Mac Allister is not "pushing for a transfer" behind the scenes yet.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

The Brighton midfielder seems to be catching the eye of plenty of top Premier League clubs as the summer window approaches and a move looks likely for the World Cup winner.

After all, as well as the Reds, Manchester United and Chelsea have also been linked with Mac Allister over the past month or so.

Despite all these rumours, however, the Seagulls seem to be insisting that nothing is set in stone just yet. Indeed, journalist Andy Naylor recently revealed on Twitter: "Ignore the noise/reports re: Mac Allister and Liverpool. As things stand, there has been no contact between the clubs….and Brighton aren't expecting any."

And if the latest claims from Jones are accurate, it sounds as though the player is pretty calm about the situation right now and hasn't started rocking the Brighton boat just yet.

Indeed, while talking on the Chasing Green Arrows podcast, the insider explained (40:22): “Mac Allister is such a nice guy and he's not rocking the dressing room or anything like that, it's not like he's pushing for a transfer, things will happen themselves for him.

"Brighton, obviously like there's been new stories over the last 24 hours about the fact that there's no contact here. Brighton are not expecting anything right now.

“Look, they said pretty much the same thing about [Marc] Cucurella and like 24,48 hours later he was gone.

"No, there's no actual direct contact at this moment between the clubs. But Liverpool do like Mac Allister, there's intermediaries that are aware of all this and stuff is going on.”

Will Mac Allister join Liverpool?

Jones certainly makes a fair point about Marc Cucurella and his move to Chelsea. After all, on August 3 the club denied talk that a deal was complete, but the left-back was at Stamford Bridge just three days later having completed a £60m+ transfer.

With that in mind, things can change so quickly in football and there's no reason for Liverpool fans to panic just yet.

In fact, Mac Allister’s uncle Patricio Mac Allister, has even gone on the record explaining that talks won't be made until the Premier League season ends.

Indeed, he told Lorenzo Lepore (via Brighton Bubble): “We won't talk to other clubs until the end of the season, that's our position. He wants to reach Europe with Brighton and then he'll evaluate the best option for him.”

And so, it seems this deal has a little while to go before being sorted just yet but Liverpool might appreciate the fact that the £50k-p/w Brighton midfielder isn't sullying his reputation by pushing for a move at this moment in time.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action later this afternoon as they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool, where they will be looking to avoid another Sunday capitulation.

Last weekend, the Lilywhites were thrashed 6-1 by Newcastle United, a result that not only cost Cristian Stellini his job as interim manager but it also meant they lost a huge footing in the race for a top-four finish.

Ryan Mason is now back in temporary charge, with Spurs' managerial search set to resume ahead of the off-season, and he managed to steer his struggling side to a comeback point against Manchester United in midweek.

The Reds have had a rocky season themselves, as evident by the fact that they even sit behind Tottenham in the standings, but Jurgen Klopp's men still pose a lethal threat in attack, one that is spearheaded by the mercurial Mohamed Salah.

Mason will surely be concerned by the fact that the north Londoners have shipped eight goals in the space of a week, so he must make some changes to better their chances of thwarting Liverpool.

Should Eric Dier be in the starting lineup at Liverpool?

Thursday night marked another disappointing outing for Eric Dier, who has struggled in his central defensive role for much of the campaign, despite a recall to Gareth Southgate's England squad

Indeed, he was at fault for Marcus Rashford's goal that put the Red Devils 2-0 up and that led to criticism from the team on BT Sport duties that evening. Rio Ferdinand suggested that it was "too easy" for the United forward, whilst Jermain Jenas claimed that Dier's "lack of pace" has led to him "panicking" in similar situations, as relayed by talkSPORT.

If Rashford can do that to Dier, despite starting out on the left flank, then you can only imagine the damage that Salah could do when cutting in from the right today.

As per Sofascore, the £85k-per-week "absolute liability" – as he was once dubbed by Football Insider Noel Whelan – was Mason's second-worst performer, earning a 6.3 rating. Throughout the 90 minutes he was on the pitch, he was ghosted past on two occasions, whilst he won just one of his four ground duels – a key area where the aforementioned Egyptian will look to take advantage.

Earlier in the season, Dier was also lambasted as being "terrible" by football writer Andrew Gaffney, so the 31-year-old risks witnessing another disastrous afternoon if he keeps the Englishman in his starting lineup.

Mason could make a bold and ruthless statement by finally dropping Dier from the side, a move that's made easier by Ben Davies' return from injury and also Clement Lenglet's availability.

Salah will surely be excited by the prospect of facing Spurs' inconsistent backline, having scored eight goals from his last nine league appearances and bagged a brace against Tottenham earlier in the campaign, where Dier was front and centre in the back three yet again.

The long-serving defender probably doesn't walk into many other top-flight teams as a centre-back, so the persistence to deploy him there is certainly baffling, to say the least.

Arsenal are reportedly in the bidding to sign FC Barcelona winger Ilias Akhomach on a free transfer this summer.

The Lowdown: Akhomach profiled

Akhomach is an 18-year-old winger from the Barcelona Academy, for whom he has played 48 times four in total over all competitions, scoring five goals (Transfermarkt).

He has also made three appearances for the senior team, but none so far this season.

Akhomach is out of contract in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent, with reports claiming Leeds may have already agreed a deal to sign him.

The Latest: Arsenal interest

As per Spanish news outlet Sport, Arsenal are also ‘in the bidding’ for Akhomach, and have been closely following him.

However, they will indeed face competition from fellow Premier League rivals Leeds for his signature, as well as Sevilla, AC Milan and another unnamed club.

The Verdict: Great opportunity

The summer provides a great opportunity for the Gunners to snap up a young talent in Akhomach for no cost.

There are many famous names to have come out of Barca’s Academy before, namely current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, as well as the great Lionel Messi.

Akhomach has even been nicknamed ‘the new Messi’ by footballing legend and former Barcelona director Patrick Kluivert, which is as big of a compliment as you can get as a young footballer, and so is destined to have a bright future in the game.

As well as playing for Barcelona, he has also represented Spain 22 times at youth level, and is currently the captain of the U19s.

Nonetheless, Akhomach is showing maturity and leadership skills from a young age, much like Arteta as a former captain at the Emirates Stadium.

Manchester United have reignited their interest in Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic ahead of a possible summer move, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Pulisic out of favour at Chelsea

The American moved to Stamford Bridge from Borussia Dortmund in 2019 with a big reputation, having burst onto the scene as the face of a nation, dubbed ‘Captain America’ for his influence on USA ‘soccer’.

Pulisic’s time at Chelsea has arguably been a little underwhelming overall, however, with the 24-year-old struggling to consistently nail down a regular place in the team under various managers.

This season, he has only started seven matches in the Premier League, as well as making 11 substitute appearances, with only one goal and assist apiece coming his way in the competition.

Pulisic’s future has been a key talking point of late, with reports linking him with a move away at the end of the season, and United have been considered a potential suitor for him.

Now, a new update has emerged that suggests the Red Devils’ interest in him is not done yet.

The Latest: United back in for forward

Writing for Give Me Sport, Phillips claimed that United are now back in for Pulisic ahead of the summer transfer window:

“I was told over the weekend that Manchester United have reignited their interest in the USA international and are considering a summer move.

“With Jadon Sancho struggling, Antony lacking consistency and fitness, and potential loans for Facundo Pellestri and Alejandro Garnacho, United are looking at profiles like Pulisic, and they really appreciate the player.”

The Verdict: Good squad option

There would be a potential risk element in United signing Pulisic, given his hit-and-miss form for Chelsea, but he could still be a strong addition this summer, with former Chelsea player Pat Nevin saying:

“There have been periods of time at Chelsea where you think he can be world class and be one of the best players on the planet, but it has been very stop-start.”

This is a player who, at just 24 years of age, has already scored 22 goals in 56 caps for the USA and racked up 92 goal contributions (45 goals and 47 assists) at club level in his career for Dortmund and Chelsea combined.

Pulisic may have to accept that, like with the Blues, he is not guaranteed to start every week, but his pace out wide could be a devastating weapon from the bench and he would provide strong competition for the likes of Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho.

The Chelsea attacker has been dubbed ‘The LeBron James of Soccer’ in the past, highlighting his reputation in his homeland, and his marketability could help United grow further in America, both financially and as a fanbase.

Newcastle United right-back Kieran Trippier has been left stunned by how good Callum Wilson is and has admitted he struggles against him in training.

What’s the latest?

The Magpies are flying high in the Premier League this season with a one-point cushion on fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur who are chasing down a spot in the top four.

One player who has been a key figure in Eddie Howe’s side this season is the 32-year-old Trippier who has become one of the first names in the 45-year-old’s starting XI.

However, he has admitted he has his struggles in training with their star striker, Wilson, often running him ragged at Darsely Park.

Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on the FIVE YouTube channel, the England international has admitted Wilson is a player who will often give him a difficult time in training:

“Callum Wilson gives me a hard time every day. He’s just non-stop, like he’s just a bubbly guy, do you know what I mean? He just doesn’t shut up, honestly, every day, great character.”

Much-needed confidence boost

It has been a slightly turbulent season for Wilson who scored his first goal in the Premier League since October in the Toon’s 1-1 draw against West Ham United on Saturday.

The 30-year-old has still returned seven league goals in his 16 appearances in the top flight this season, however, the run of six-straight games without finding the back of the net will be a disappointment.

But going from what Trippier has said in the interview with Ferdinand, his goal drought is not for the want of trying with him impressing behind the scenes.

And it seems as if Trippier is not the only person on Tyneside who has been wowed by Wilson with the manager also hailing him back in the earlier stages of the season:

“He’s a hugely important part of our team, a focal point. We rely not just on his goals but his movement, his work rate. His appearance in the team gave us confidence.”

Wilson has proven himself to be a smart addition by Newcastle having returned 35 goal contributions in his 66 appearances for the Magpies (via Transfermarkt).

And to get the better of Trippier does show the striker’s quality considering the right-back has provided more tackles in the Premier League than the likes of Ben White and Kyle Walker combined (via Fbref).

Perhaps the goal on the weekend will be enough to guide Wilson back to his best form which will be crucial ahead of an important run of games for Howe’s men.

The Premier League games coming up will seem somewhat insignificant given they face Manchester United at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final at the end of the month.

But if Wilson can continue to provide the goals for Newcastle, a spot in the Champions League and a trophy could be on the cards for the Magpies in the remaining games of the 2022/23 campaign.

Everton failed to bring in some new additions to strengthen their squad at Goodison Park over the January transfer window despite the shock departure of Anthony Gordon.

New manager Sean Dyche was only confirmed the day before Deadline Day which left minimal time for the former Burnley boss to put in place some transfer targets for the Everton recruitment team to work on, however, the powerbrokers at the club had plenty of time to do so ahead of his appointment.

The Toffees are currently one point deep in the relegation zone after 22 outings with the worst goal tally in the entire Premier League with just 12 scored, proving that the signing of a prolific goal-scorer to bolster the attacking threat could have been a huge boost in their relegation battle over the remainder of the season.

One player who was linked with a move to Merseyside last month was former Aston Villa striker Danny Ings, who eventually made a £15m move to West Ham United after Everton failed to meet the asking price.

Everton needed Ings badly

The 30-year-old’s Premier League experience and consistent goal-scoring record would have been massively advantageous to Everton in their pursuit to improve performances at Goodison and there is no doubt that Farhad Moshiri has had a howler by not pressing for a move.

Over his 353 career appearances to date, Ings – who was hailed a “goal machine” by CBS Sports writer Joe Prince-Wright – has scored 120 goals and registered 37 assists with a goal contribution every 154 minutes, an output that would have been extremely valuable to Dyche.

The Merseysiders’ desperation for more goal contributions and creativity in the final third has been even more concerning following the latest hamstring injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the Toffees striker picking up yet another fitness issue leaving the manager with even fewer options and less experienced forwards to lean on until he recovers.

The signing of Ings would have prevented Everton from falling into a situation where they needed to recall a young academy graduate from loan with Ellis Simms brought back to the club after flourishing at the Stadium of Light with Sunderland in the Championship over the first half of the season.

With that being said, it is without question Dyche has been left with little resources and a difficult challenge to get Everton back on track and if the club do find themselves relegated at the end of the season it would’ve been a preventable disaster that will haunt Moshiri.

The agent of Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has revealed that contract talks regarding the Brazilian remaining at Anfield are going well.

The Lowdown: Firmino’s future

With his Liverpool career set to hit the eight-year mark in the summer following his £21.3m move from Hoffenheim in 2015 (via Sky Sports), there were question marks over whether he could be about to call time on his Anfield journey, with his £180k-per-week contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Firmino has been one of Jurgen Klopp’s go-to players this campaign, with the 31-year-old playing 21 times in all competitions, including a healthy return of seven goals and three assists in just 13 Premier League games.

However, the Champions League and Premier League winner hasn’t featured since before the World Cup break due to injury, but Klopp revealed he is set to return in a couple of weeks.

The Latest: Agent’s comments

Firmino’s return will be a welcome one for Liverpool given his form this campaign, but agent Roger Wittmann’s latest comments will be further cherished amid talks over a contract extension running smoothly.

He said to Sky Sports Germany: “It’s a very long relationship between Roberto and Liverpool. Roberto feels good. At the moment, we’re in a great exchange, and in February we’ll probably know where the journey is going.

“But Roberto also has to have a say in order to reach an agreement with Liverpool. We’re on the right track. We’re having really good talks with Liverpool. They’re a superbly positioned club.”

The Verdict: Great news

Firmino has been an immensely popular figure during his time at Anfield, and his form in front of goal this season – which sees him on course to record double figures for goals in the league for the first time in three campaigns – will be a welcome boost for the Reds upon his return to fitness.

Liverpool are struggling this season, with them currently sat ninth and facing an uphill battle to overturn the 10-point deficit to the top four, and his return from injury could provide them with a spark. Following the arrival of Cody Gakpo last month – the club’s only winter signing – a new deal could ease Klopp’s concerns to bring in another player.

The Reds are set to see an overhaul in midfield in the summer with four centre-midfielders seeing their contracts expire at the end of the season (via Transfermarkt), and although Firmino is also currently on that list, his agent’s comments provide hope that Klopp has one less problem to address at the end of the campaign.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have already moved to strengthen their attacking ranks this month, with manager Julen Lopetegui overseeing the signing of Brazilian gem, Matheus Cunha, from Atletico Madrid.

With finding the back of the net still a major issue for the Old Gold so far this term, however – having only scored 12 times in 19 top-flight games to date – it does appear that further firepower with be needed in order to stave off the drop.

The latest suggestion is that West Ham United speedster Michail Antonio could well be the man that the Midlands side are chasing at present, with talkSPORT reporting last week that the Jamaican international is a target for the club.

The same publication only recently outlined that the Hammers could sanction a sale if they were to find suitable replacements, with David Moyes’ side now closing in on the signing of Danny Ings from Aston Villa.

With the door potentially open for a move to be made, transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – has now confirmed that the 32-year-old is a ‘player of interest’ for those at Molineux.

The respected journalist stated: “It’s one of those that crops up and you kind of discard it because you think there’s no chance Antonio would leave.

“Sometimes a player and a club just seem to be a good fit and go hand in hand, but actually, there is something to this. Antonio is a player of interest.”

The former Nottingham Forest man would offer ready-made Premier League quality as he is the Irons’ leading scorer in the competition’s history with 58 goals to date, having scored ten top-flight goals in each of the past three seasons prior to the start of the current campaign.

Although the £85k-per-week machine has since only netted two league goals this time around, he is still undoubtedly a “frightening” talent, as lauded by pundit Harry Redknapp, with his relentless pace making him a real potent threat for any opposition defence.

It would no doubt be somewhat mouthwatering to have an attacking duo of Antonio and current Wolves menace, Adama Traore, with the latter man having been described as a “motorcycle” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in the past as “nobody can handle his pace”.

The devastating Spaniard may have his shortcomings with regard to producing an end product – having only provided one goal involvement this term in the league – although his dynamism has ensured he is a real livewire down the flanks, showcased by the fact that the 26-year-old ranks in the top 1% in Europe among those in his position for dribbles completed.

That direct trait is also shared by the current West Ham titan, with Antonio also ranking in the top 8% in that same metric to illustrate his brilliance with the ball at his feet.

Putting those two ferocious figures together in the forward line could well allow Lopetegui’s side to wreak havoc in the second half of the campaign, with few defenders set to enjoy having to keep pace with both Antonio and Traore.

Tottenham Hotspur are now monitoring Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha for a transfer swoop, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Palhinha’s form

Palhinha only joined Fulham in the summer, arriving for a fee of £20m, but he has already impressed considerably for Marco Silva’s side, ranked as their best-performing midfielder in the Premier League, averaging a 7.16 match rating.

Given this fantastic start to life in England, it was perhaps inevitable that the top clubs would come calling, and now two of the so-called ‘big six’ appear to be interested in signing the Portugal international…

The Latest: Conte eyeing Palhinha

According to transfer expert Dean Jones (speaking to Give Me Sport), both Tottenham and Liverpool are casting an eye over the 27-year-old for a potential summer move, with the Reds having him on their radar even before he moved to Fulham.

However, a deal may prove to be difficult, as the Cottagers do not want to lose him, as they know that they have a gem on their hands and believe the player is absolutely vital to their team.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Tottenham’s priorities in this window have been identified as an attacking player and a right-back, so the former Sporting CP man isn’t a requirement, but landing him in the summer could prove to be a fantastic bit of business.

Hailed as ‘outstanding’ for his performance against Liverpool back in August, the maestro has gone from strength to strength as the weeks have gone by, later being praised by football writer Mark Carruthers for his work-rate and timing of challenges.

Antonio Conte already has Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as a defensive option in the midfield, but Palhinha has outclassed him by quite a large margin over the past year, averaging more tackles, blocks, clearances and aerials won per 90 than the Dane, and so signing him would upgrade the central-midfield area considerably.