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Chelsea’s rebuild under Liam Rosenior continues to gather pace following the dramatic departure of Enzo Maresca earlier this month.

The 41-year-old arrived from Strasbourg on a stunning six-and-a-half-year contract and has wasted no time identifying areas which require immediate strengthening in January.

Rosenior faces the challenge of transforming a squad that sits fifth in the Premier League table, 17 points behind leaders Arsenal, and on a run of just two wins from their last 10 games in all competitions.

The Blues have shown flashes of their best, reaching the Carabao Cup semi-finals, beating Barcelona 3-0 on a famous night in Europe and maintaining their charge for Champions League qualification.

However, they’ve been on a torrid run of late, with the largely inexperienced Rosenior now tasked with steadying the ship.

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The new manager has already made clear his transfer priorities as well, with Chelsea reportedly preparing a substantial £130 million January transfer outlay, which includes a potential move for 2025 summer target Fermin Lopez from Barcelona.

However, the former Hull City boss recognises that defensive solidity must form the foundation of any successful campaign.

Chelsea have looked vulnerable at the back this season, shipping goals at crucial moments and lacking the physical presence required to compete against the Premier League’s more direct opponents.

Taking this into account, Rosenior has now reportedly identified his primary centre-back target for the winter.

Rosenior asks Chelsea to sign Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae

According to reports from Spain, £200,000-per-week Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae has emerged as the leading candidate to bolster Chelsea’s defense.

The South Korea international currently finds himself in an uncomfortable situation at Bayern where playing time has become increasingly scarce in the German giants’ rotation system.

His lack of continuity represents a dramatic fall from grace for a player who joined Bayern with considerable fanfare.

The 29-year-old, who José Mourinho tried to bring to Tottenham when he was manager of the north Londoners, now finds himself facing uncertainty surrounding his future.

Kim has been in and out of the starting eleven this term, but made a solid comeback from injury in a 5-0 friendly win over Salzburg this week to round off Bayern’s post-winter break preparations.

Chelsea view his current situation as a genuine market opportunity, with Rosenior asking Chelsea to target the towering Asian defender.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Chelsea transfer insight Craving deeper transfer and tactical context around Kim Min-jae and Chelsea’s rebuild? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear transfer breakdowns, scouting insight, and tactical perspectives that make sense of the club’s plans and priorities.

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As well as this, it is believed that BlueCo are ready to pay up to £26 million for Kim’s signature this month, while Bayern are open to selling.

The Bavarians will apparently sanction a departure if an acceptable proposal arrives during the window. The Bundesliga champions need to adjust their squad and no longer consider Kim untouchable given his secondary role.

A sale would allow Bayern to free up significant wage space while generating funds, and their willingness to negotiate could encourage Chelsea to pursue a deal, with Rosenior conveying his belief that Kim represents exactly the profile Chelsea require.

The manager wants a physically imposing centre-back with international experience who can dominate aerial duels and provide leadership from the back. Kim’s attributes may align perfectly, and with just two years remaining on his current deal, he could be available for a cheap-ish fee.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini

While it’s not all been plain sailing, Mikel Arteta has got an awful lot right since taking the Arsenal job six years ago.

One area where he’s seen more success than failure has been transfers.

The likes of Declan Rice, David Raya, Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber have all been transformational additions made to the team under the Spaniard’s stewardship.

However, when it comes to Arteta’s best signing, it’s hard to look past the monstrous Gabriel Magalhães, and if reports are to be believed, Arsenal could soon sign their next version of the centre-back.

Arsenal target their new Gabriel

While most of the team have performed to a great level so far this season – they are top of the league after all – there have been a few real standouts for Arsenal.

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Perhaps the most impressive, alongside Rice, has been Gabriel.

The Brazilian titan has combined his no-nonsense throwback style of defending with an often underappreciated level of technical ability to become arguably Arteta’s most important defender, just ahead of the unreal William Saliba.

On top of his work at the back, he’s also become an even bigger goal threat at the other end of the pitch, be that with his head or, like against the Cherries, with his feet.

With all that said, it’s hardly a surprise to see the club eyeing up another defender who could be their next Gabriel.

At least, that’s according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, which claims Arsenal are among several sides interested in Jeremy Jacquet.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are ‘tracking’ the 20-year-old gem.

A potential price for the youngster is not mentioned in the report, but stories from earlier this month stated that £35m could be enough to tempt Stade Rennais into selling amid claims the Gunners had already held initial talks over signing the youngster.

Therefore, it could be a complicated and somewhat costly transfer to get over the line, but given Jacquet’s ability and potential, one Arsenal should be all over, especially as he could be another Gabriel.

Why Jacquet could be another Gabriel

Now, there are, of course, some differences between Jacquet and Gabriel, but there are more than a few similarities between them and their potential transfers.

The first is that, as with the Brazilian in 2020, if the Frenchman were to join the Gunners in January or the summer window, he would be moving from Ligue 1 as a highly rated defensive prospect.

For example, ahead of his move to the Emirates, former LOSC Lille owner Gerard Lopez described the Gunners’ number six as “among the top five dominant central defenders in Europe” and that “he’s an absolute machine.”

Similar things have already been said about the Rennais gem, with respected analyst-turned-scout Ben Mattinson describing him as having “top five centre-back in the world potential” and U23 scout Antonio Mango claiming that “whoever signs him is getting a monster.”

Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth transfer analysis Get deeper scouting breakdowns by subscribing to our newsletter — stats, scout notes and positional context on transfer targets like Jacquet and how they compare to Gabriel, giving focused coverage and expert analysis of Arsenal’s recruitment.

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Another trait that the “insane CB in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, shares with the North Londoners’ star man is that he’s a colossus at the back while also having real quality on the ball.

For example, FBref rank him in the top 3% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles in the attacking third, the top 4% for interceptions, the top 6% for tackles plus interceptions, the top 12% for key passes, the top 15% for expected assisted goals and more, all per 90.

Finally, as Mattinson highlights, the Frenchman’s “jumping prowess and ability to create separation” helps him to “be dominant in aerial duels and on set-pieces”, which sounds a lot like the Gunners’ Brazilian star.

Jacquet’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.27

Top 3%

Interceptions

1.69

Top 4%

Pass Completion % (Long)

75.1%

Top 5%

Tkl+Int

3.64

Top 6%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

0.77

Top 11%

Key Passes

0.46

Top 12%

% of Aerials Won

67.6%

Top 14%

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.05

Top 15%

Tackles Won

1.23

Top 15%

Tackles

1.95

Top 16%

Successful Take-Ons

0.34

Top 18%

All Stats via FBref

Ultimately, it won’t be easy to get over the line, but Arsenal should do what they can to sign Jacquet, as he looks like a superstar in the making and could be another Gabriel.

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Eddie Howe will soon know what the complexion of Newcastle United’s season is going to look like after a hectic January is over and done with.

Indeed, in the Premier League alone, the Magpies have a jam-packed schedule to contend with, as five league fixtures come thick and fast.

On top of wrestling with this tricky string of clashes, the Tyneside titans also have the Champions League and the EFL Cup still on their agenda, in a month that has been rightly dubbed as “season-defining” by their manager.

Howe can flesh out his squad more with some January signings, though, as the up-and-down Magpies continue to be linked with a whole host of names, to ensure the intimidating fixture schedule doesn’t swallow them whole.

Newcastle prepared to spend big on midfield signing

Newcastle’s squad has often been stretched to its limits this season, with Lewis Hall unfortunately finding himself in and out of his manager’s starting XI plans, owing to recurring injuries.

To lessen this concern, Newcastle could soon go after rising Toulouse star Dayann Methalie, with reports suggesting that an enquiry will soon be made by the Magpies involving the promising left-back.

Moreover, Howe and Co. could be prepared to splash the cash on AZ Alkmaar midfield sensation Kees Smit, as he remains at the top Newcastle’s list when it comes to potential midfield additions.

This had been reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, with the i Paper further adding fuel to the fire to suggest that if Newcastle are to ‘go big’ for anyone this January, it will be the Dutch midfielder.

The piece notes that while the Magpies are expecting it to be a ‘quiet month’, the situation could change if they feel there is a deal there to be done for Smit.

If Newcastle are prepared to spend big to land the Real Madrid-linked ace, who has been valued at £52m, it could be bad news for Lewis Miley.

Miley is currently starring at St James’ Park, but the competition for midfield spaces would only intensify further with the arrival of the classy 19-year-old.

Why Smit joining would be bad news for Miley

While Newcastle weren’t always at their electric best towards the latter stages of 2025, Miley still managed to stick out, with the homegrown product even bagging his first-ever Champions League goal last month, when placing this header past Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

It wasn’t just this header, though, with the 19-year-old battler also managing to score a last-minute goal in the EFL Cup to send Newcastle to the semi-final stages of the competition.

Moreover, he further looked lively when others downed tools versus Burnley, with four duels won, capping off a brilliant individual month for the teenage sensation, as the December player of the month accolade also fell into his lap.

Still, even with the special number 67 being at the top of his game at the moment, he would find it a lot harder to keep a firm grip on a spot in the main lineup, if Smit were to talk through the door at some stage this month.

Smit vs Miley – League stats (25/26)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Smit

Miley

Games played

15

15

Goals scored

2

1

Assists

2

2

Touches*

62.3

41.3

Accurate passes*

42.7 (89%)

27.8 (89%)

Key passes*

1.7

0.6

Big chances created

3

1

Ball recoveries*

5.6

3.3

Total duels won*

3.3

2.7

Stats by Sofascore

While Miley continues to generate a lot of hype in Newcastle circles exclusively, Smit seems to be the talk of the town in the whole football world this January, with one scout even revealing to TEAMtalk that the 6-foot midfielder is a talent “everyone is watching” at the moment.

Subscribe for in-depth Newcastle transfer analysis Curious how a big signing could reshape Newcastle’s midfield? Subscribe to the newsletter for focused coverage of transfer targets, player comparisons and squad impact – clear, expert analysis that explains what signings mean for players like Miley.

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It’s clear to see why there is so much interest at his door, when taking in the table above, with Smit displaying very few flaws in his well-rounded game in the Eredivisie this season, with more accurate passes averaged by the 19-year-old per 90 minutes than Miley, alongside also displaying more vigour and energy when trumping the Englishman’s ball recovery and duels won numbers.

With a fierce effort up his sleeve, too, seeing content creator Spencer Mossman hail him as a “difference maker” from the middle of the park for Maarten Martens’ side, Smit could well be capable of storming straight into the Newcastle XI without looking out of his depth, with Miley tumbling down the pecking order, subsequently.

After all, Smit looks to be the real deal, already, while Miley arguably needs to fine-tune aspects of his game to be on the same level as the £52m-rated star.

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Newcastle United were active throughout the January transfer window as they made a number of signings to bolster Eddie Howe’s squad.

The Magpies made a host of fresh additions to their ranks, including Bruno Guimaraes, Chris Wood, Matt Targett, Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier.

However, not every player that they wanted to bring to St James’ Park ended up making the switch, as they failed to land some of their targets.

One man that the club reportedly wanted to sign was Mainz centre-forward Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Toon were said to have made a £20m offer to snap him up ahead of Crystal Palace, but the south London outfit eventually signed him to a permanent deal, duly ending Newcastle’s chances of landing him.

PIF brought in Wood from Burnley to improve Howe’s options in the number nine position, but he has scored just one Premier League goal for the club so far across 11 starts in place of the injured Callum Wilson.

How do Mateta and the ex-Clarets marksman compare for their respective clubs?

As you can see in the graphic above, the Palace striker offers more than the New Zealand international on and off the ball for his side. He has scored more goals from fewer starts, whilst pressing more from the front and completing a higher percentage of his passes.

Journalist Alex Howell dubbed the Frenchman a “cult hero” for Palace and it is easy to see why the supporters have been able to take to him. In Europe’s top five leagues, he ranks in the 89th percentile for pressures and the 95th percentile for clearances, which shows that he works his socks off for the team. Supports love to see players who put in 100% on the pitch, and these statistics suggest that Mateta does exactly that.

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These statistics suggest that he would have been an upgrade on Wood. He has offered more of a goal threat than the Magpies colossus and his link-up play shows that his overall game has been more effective in the top flight, as he has more to his game with his ability in possession in terms of his passing and dribbling.

At 24, Mateta is also six years younger than the Newcastle marksman, which means that he would have had more long-term value to the club. Therefore, PIF had a big shocker by missing out on the Palace striker, who would have been a brilliant signing in comparison to the ex-Burnley machine, based on their respective form this season.

AND in other news, Newcastle now plotting huge £120k-p/w bid for £50m “destroyer”, he’d be Howe’s “rock”…

It’s been all smiles for Mitchell Johnson in the one-dayers recently, but will he get the Test nod at last? © Getty Images

Mitchell Johnson says he couldn’t have done more over the last year to force his way into Australia’s Test side after being named in the 13-man squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka.Before that match, which is at the Gabba from next Thursday, he has the chance to impress in the second warm-up match at Allan Border Field on Friday.”I think I’ve done what I can over in India and over the past 12 months or so,” he told Sportal.com. “It is out of my control but my fingers are crossed.”He faces an anxious wait to see if he made the final cut ahead of fellow fast bowler Shaun Tait but being the only left-arm pace bowler in the squad may help. He also impressed in India recently, where he was the leading wicket taker with 14 at an average of 18.57 including a five-for.But Johnson, who has yet to make his Test debut, has been here before: this time last year he was waiting to see if he would get the nod for the Ashes ahead of Stuart Clark. He lost out then and his wait for a Test continues.”I don’t want to get my hopes up and be too confident but deep down I’m hoping.”

Venkatapathy Raju: not ruling out the possibility of Ganguly and Laxman playing in the World Cup © Getty Images

Venkatapathy Raju, the former Indian left-arm spinner who’s currently the south zone representative in the national selection committee, has said that the eight matches to be played early in 2007 will hold the key to selecting the World Cup squad. He also confirmed that VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly were in the scheme of things as far as one-dayers were concerned.India are scheduled to play two home series in early 2007, against West Indies in January and Sri Lanka the next month. “Those eight games will be a blessing in disguise for them [players] and also for us [selectors],” Raju said in Mysore during the Ranji Trophy match between Karnataka and Haryana. “We can see actual form before selecting the team for the World Cup. We would play the core for the World Cup team there.”Raju didn’t rule out the possibility of Laxman and Ganguly being part of the World Cup squad, adding that performance remained the only criterion. “They have three Test matches, let’s see how they go about that,” he said. “We have still not picked any probables for the World Cup. So if they perform well, they will be in the scheme of things.”India’s line-up, he agreed, was far from settled, and the selectors and team management needed to sort out the issue. “Expectations are high but judging them on the performance in South Africa won’t be right,” he continued. “Players like Suresh Raina and Mohammad Kaif have been playing more one-day games. There was not much time to work on their technique of for them to run in to form as we have so many non-stop ODI games. We can’t be harsh on them. Now they have a chance to play in domestic cricket and to prove their form in those eight games early next year.”The case of Subramaniam Badrinath, the Tamil Nadu batsman who’d managed to score consistently yet missed out on the Test side to South Africa, was one of inexperience, Raju said. “It won’t be fair to put someone like Badri straightaway into a tough tour like South Africa,” he said. “There is only one side game; the main players will play them. If one of them gets injured then Badrinath will have to straightaway play in a Test and I don’t think we would be doing justice to him. There is so much cricket coming up after World Cup. We will monitor the performances of the domestic players closely.”Raju believed a bowling coach could assist in the development of India’s young fast bowlers. “It might be helpful as there are a few young fast bowlers in the team. Someone like Sreesanth can benefit a lot. The talent is there and it can be guided and moulded well. The team benefited by a bowling coach when they toured Australia [Bruce Reid was the coach then].”

‘It won’t be fair to put some one like Badri straightaway into a tough tour like South Africa,’ said Raju © Cricinfo Ltd

Raju also said he believed that the Indian board was very keen on improving domestic cricket, including revamping the Duleep Trophy. “We had a very good meeting with Sharad Pawar. He was asking about domestic pitches. The focus was on producing sporting wickets and teams playing on neutral venues which would stop the tampering of the pitches. So we plan to revamp the pitches right from the Under-19 level.””It was suggested [in the meeting] that the Duleep Trophy can be advanced and played in South India, where the season starts early. We can play them on good wickets prepared by good curators. We are looking at forming a pitch committee with the likes of Daljit Singh. They can go around the country and help improve the quality of the pitches. The problem with the pitches in India is that we either prepare really spinning tracks or those that are too seamer-friendly. Neither is good. We need a wicket with bounce which will aid both spin and seam. Like the one in Mohali in the Australia v India in Champions Trophy.”

The Pakistan team are to give hands-on help to areas devastated by last Saturday’s earthquake, by taking part in relief work.Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s captain, told a private television channel of his side’s commitment in helping the area recover from the tragedy: “The entire cricket team will travel to quake-stricken areas and will take part in relief operations. Although we might not stay there during the entire operation, we’ll definitely make our presence felt in the areas that have been devastated by the earthquake,” he said.Inzamam, who is playing for the World XI in the ICC Super Test in Sydney, added: “My heart goes out for the people of Muzaffarabad and adjoining areas who lost everything in seconds. There are people in need and it’s our national and moral duty to help them and make them realise that at this time of difficulty, we are with them.”

Sandeep Patil will coach Oman© Getty Images

Sandeep Patil, who has been coaching various India sides after quitting as Kenya coach in April 2003, has accepted an offer with Oman. The Indian board had not given assurances about his future.Patil, 48, spoke to reporters after the appointment. “I’m taking up this job to coach the Oman national team only because India A don’t have any schedule to look forward to,” he said. “It’s an unfortunate situation. But I have got no assurance from the board despite official reminders. I cannot continue in a scenario where my future is insecure.”Oman’s main target next year will be a good finish in the ICC Trophy, which will rank its participants. They qualified ahead of Hong Kong and Nepal after strong performances in the Asian Cricket Council Trophy – when Patil had coached them in a one-off assignment.

Imran Khan has strongly criticised the way in which Pakistan’s domestic cricket is structured. Speaking to the Pakistan newspaper, Dawn, he said that departmental cricket, played between corporates, was ineffective in spotting and nurturing talent.”Departmental cricket is a joke,” he said. “I have never seen this type of cricket anywhere in the world.” The PCB did not have the will to change the system, he said. “I have contacted the PCB authorities on retaining the departmental teams, [and] they assured me that it will be removed from next year. Who can say [whether] they will stay in the PCB till next year? This is Pakistan where things change overnight.”Imran was also acerbic about the fact that trial camps had to be held for selection purposes. “I [don’t know of] a single example of trials held for the selection of a team anywhere in the world,” he said. He added that had he stayed in Pakistan instead of honing his talents in England, he too could have been lost on the wayside.He said that regional cricket was essential to generate interest in domestic cricket. No one felt any loyalty for the departmental teams, he said, while regional teams would whip up passions among people from resepctive regions, and would inspire young cricketers.He also commented on the frequency with which the PCB changed the names of their first-class tournaments, and said that often, one did not even know which trophy was being played for. He said that Pakistan was full of talent, much as West Indies had once been, but it was getting lost because of lack of planning.

New Zealand claimed two early wickets before rain forced umpires to call an early lunch break on the opening day of the three-day tour match against the Queensland Academy of Sport at Allan Border Field.After winning the toss and batting, the QAS were 2-20 after just 50 minutes of play were possible after rain periods throughout the morning.Chris Cairns (1-5) and Daryl Tuffey (1-13) took the wickets, with Cairns removing Duncan Betts with the first ball of the match when the rookie was trapped LBW without offering a shot.Matthew Lunn made six before he popped a catch to Mark Richardson at short leg during slow going for the home team.New Zealand named a strong team, resting batsman Mathew Sinclair while naming spinners Glen Sulzberger and Paul Wiseman.