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Chelsea's hopes of securing a European finish in the Premier League this season have been handed a big boost this week, as Raheem Sterling has returned to first-team training after a spell out injured.

What's the latest on Sterling's injury issue?

The former Manchester City and Liverpool star was ruled out of recent games against Leicester City and Everton through injury, which came as a big blow to Graham Potter after his impressive goalscoring performance against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

He wasn't fit enough to earn a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad during the international break but has used the time to recover from his setback, and is now back in training ahead of this weekend's game against Aston Villa.

Could Sterling could reignite Chelsea?

It has been a tough time for Sterling since moving to Stamford Bridge last summer, as he has managed just four goals and two assists in 19 Premier League appearances, averaging a disappointing 6.73 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, he had impressed in each of his last two outings, earning 7.36 and 7.31 ratings from WhoScored in the wins against Leeds United and Dortmund, suggesting his return could be timely.

Despite his struggles in the final third so far this campaign, the England international is still the second top-scorer in Potter's squad behind only Kai Havertz, which suggests that he can be relied upon to deliver in the final third.

With the Blues looking like they are finally starting to click after a barren run of form in front of goal, the opportunities will surely start to arrive for Chelsea's attackers, and Sterling will surely be one to benefit, helping to reignite the club in the process.

The 28-year-old notched 131 goals and 95 assists during his time at the Etihad and Chelsea need to start seeing those numbers to justify bringing him to the club on a mammoth £325k-per-week deal last summer.

Former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino was full of praise for the Jamaican-born winger on talkSPORT last season, saying:

“Raheem Sterling has just been frightening. The year he has had since the Euros – he was brilliant then.

“This season, I thought, when they signed Jack Grealish I though Raheem might be a bit part player in this City team but he’s become an absolute permanent fixture. Left or right, he is ripping people apart."

Therefore, if Potter can unleash this version of Sterling in the final few months of the season, then the Blues have a real chance of surging up the table and ensuring that they have some form of European football next year.

Arsenal are reportedly targeting a summer move for Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli, and could offer Kieran Tierney in a potential swap deal.

The Lowdown: Tierney on his way out?

Arsenal are reportedly ‘open to offers’ for Tierney this summer, and value him at around £30m.

Newcastle United are thought to have him ‘firmly’ on their radar, and the Gunners could look to cash in.

The Latest: Swap with Locatelli?

As per Italian news outlet Calciomercatoweb, the Gunners are targeting a move for Locatelli this summer, and are offering Tierney in exchange.

However, that offer would ‘not convince’ Juve to sell, inside the North London club would likely have to offer money up front, as well as Tierney.

The Verdict: Avoid?

Given Mohamed Elneny’s long-term injury, and the fact that Thomas Partey is injury-prone, Mikel Arteta’s team should be signing another midfielder this summer.

Hailed as a ‘deep-lying orchestrator’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Locatelli has a number of traits that makes him a great all-round midfielder, and at six-foot-one, he should be able to cope with the physical nature of the Premier League.

However, losing Tierney to sign him would leave Arsenal short in the left-back area, with only Oleksandr Zinchenko to pick from in the senior squad, and Nuno Tavares facing an uncertain future after his loan spell at Marseille.

Nonetheless, Locatelli would be a solid signing at the Emirates Stadium, but Tierney should not need to be sacrificed to get him.

Chelsea are considering a move to sign Brighton and Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson this summer, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Ferguson profiled

The Irishman first arrived at The Amex when he joined the Seagulls’ youth ranks from Bohemians back in 2021, where he’s since forced his way into the senior first-team fold.

The 18-year-old’s contract on the south coast isn’t set to expire until 2026, but having impressed during his seven appearances in the Premier League this season, is generating interest ahead of the upcoming window, particularly from Stamford Bridge.

The Latest: Chelsea eyeing Ferguson

According to The Sun, Chelsea, alongside London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, are both ‘weighing up’ an approach for Ferguson this summer.

Todd Boehly and Co reportedly rate the teenager ‘highly’, and Brighton actually recruited him when Graham Potter was at the club, so they will already have an existing connection.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Ferguson has been described as a ‘complete’ striker by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and should the opportunity to sign him arise, Chelsea have got a no-brainer of a decision to make.

The Bettystown-born talent has scored ten goals and provided five assists in 20 outings across all competitions this term, and he’s averaging 1.7 shots per top-flight game.

Standing at 6 foot 2, he would offer a different dimension in the final third with his physicality and also has the versatility to operate in four other attacking positions.

Ferguson’s price tag is currently unknown but Boehly isn’t one to shy away from splashing the cash to secure his targets, and that’s exactly what he needs to do if he wants to beat his competitors to his signature.

Leeds United are still without a permanent manager to take over from Jesse Marsch at Elland Road, with former youth coach Michael Skubala taking the reins for forthcoming fixtures.

The caretaker has given glimpses of his capabilities when he led the Whites to a draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford last week, and he has been confirmed as the coach who will lead the team in their must-win relegation six-pointer against Everton at Goodison Park this weekend.

The Whites are teetering on the edge of the Premier League relegation zone, just one point clear of Saturday’s opponents in 18th, so it will be imperative that Skubala picks up the crucial points needed to widen the gap between Leeds and the jaws of potential relegation back to the Championship.

As a result, the precarious position in which they find themselves will require caution from the powerbrokers at the club when appointing the next permanent manager should they do so before the end of the season, as the wrong appointment could be an absolute disaster and cause major uproar should it lead to the drop.

A silver lining has emerged, though, with stalwart Luke Ayling signing a contract extension to remain at the West Yorkshire club until the summer of 2024, which means the new manager will have the experienced right-back at his disposal whenever they take charge at Elland Road.

One manager who has been linked with the head coach vacancy this week is Andoni Iraola, as the Elland Road hierarchy continue talks with the Rayo Vallecano manager, who is set to be out of contract with the Spanish club this summer.

Could Iraola get the best out of Ayling?

The 40-year-old has had a limited managerial career so far, although his invaluable experience as a player could be hugely valuable to Ayling over the remainder of his time at Leeds.

Iraola was a combative right-back in his playing career, tallying 551 appearances, 38 goals and 47 assists. Most of his playing time was earned with Athletic Bilbao, completing 12 years of service with the Basque club before moving onto New York City FC, playing under Patrick Vieira.

The now-Crystal Palace manager held his former player in high regard in terms of his presence on the pitch when coaching him in the latter stages of career in America, saying of Iraola’s qualities: “A lot of players get a lot of credit but the work he does on and off the field deserves recognition.

“There are players who work really hard for the team but never get mentioned and those kind of guys are really quite special because they sacrifice themselves for the team. Andoni is the perfect image of a team player – everyone loves him on and off the field.”

Across 31 MLS appearances in his final season in New York, Iraola tallied a pass completion rate of 87%, registered one assist and completed 72% of his dribbles, along with averaging 56.6 touches, 38 accurate passes, 1.4 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and four successful duels per game, proving to be a huge presence on the pitch right up until he ended his playing career.

The Spaniard could channel that experience, quality and work rate into Ayling by coaching the Leeds stalwart to improve his game even further and give the team their best chance at competing comfortably should they remain in the top flight next season.

If Leeds could secure the prospective appointment of Iraola, it could be massively advantageous to Ayling to have a coach with an expert knowledge of his position and teach him a few things about that particular role in the team.

Newcastle United may have been handed a potential blow in their reported interest in the Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge.

What’s the latest?

There have been strong suggestions the Toon could look to the Norwegian midfielder in the coming hours as a possible replacement for Jonjo Shelvey who is set to leave the club.

It appears Newcastle are not the only side looking to bring in the 24-year-old in the final days of the January window with Fulham also credited with an interest.

Now, with only hours remaining in the window, the midfielder could see his future lie in the Premier League with two of the top-flight’s in-form sides believed to be chasing him.

However, speaking on Sky Sports News, Keith Downie has claimed the Blades may prefer Fulham’s offer with the Cottagers looking to buy him this month rather than a loan as the Magpies are proposing:

(17:20) “It’s my understanding that Sheffield United would probably prefer the money now. So at this moment, you would say Fulham probably looking in the driving seat with regards to that.

“Newcastle’s offer I think would amount to more money, but the finances wouldn’t come through until later on.”

Battle on their hands?

Newcastle will surely provide any potential transfer target with a seriously attractive proposition given the incredible transformation that has happened on the pitch over the last year.

Eddie Howe’s side are now chasing a spot in next season’s Champions League and could even end their long trophy drought with a place in the Carabao Cup final still to play for.

However, there could well be an issue if the Magpies are offering the Blades an initial loan deal with only the option to buy at the end of the campaign.

And if that is the case, then there is very little incentive for United to prefer the potential proposal from the Magpies if the Cottagers would be offering them guaranteed cash.

The report from Sky Sports has suggested the London side would be willing to put forward an offer of £20m plus add-ons to the Championship side ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

And although Newcastle’s potential deal could amount to more money, there would be no guarantee of the Toon activating the buy clause at the end of the campaign.

But with Howe suggesting any business done in the final hours of the window would be on a loan basis, this could prove a huge blow in their pursuit of Berge.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is still very much on the radar of Bayern Munich ahead of this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the latest?

The England captain is now playing into the final 18 months of his contract in north London following months of speculation in 2021 about a potential move away to Manchester City.

Some reports, including from reliable journalist David Ornstein, have suggested the Lilywhites will pick up transfer talks following the conclusion of the January window.

However, Spurs insider Paul O’Keefe has claimed on Twitter the striker is not engaging in talks over a potential new deal and Daniel levy would not stand in his way if he was to request a move this summer.

And now, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has declared Bayern’s interest in the possibility of landing Kane in the summer:

“We’re reporting that Bayern Munich still hold interest. They haven’t found that Lewandowski replacement yet. You know, it’s less than 12 months until he can sign a pre-contract with Bayern Munich on a possible Bosman [free transfer] if he wished.

“It’s really interesting this situation but we can confirm Bayern still think in an ideal world they would sign Harry Kane this summer.”

Huge months ahead for Spurs

Tottenham’s form this season has been turbulent, to say the least, with the last few months not going in their favour and seeing them drop out of the top four.

However, the form of Kane has not dipped in the slightest with the 29-year-old remaining the Premier League’s second-highest goalscorer this season with an impressive return of 15 goals from 19 games.

And it does feel as if the coming months for Spurs could be huge for their future given their manager, Antonio Conte’s, time in north London is also not set in stone for the years to come.

Kane is now nearing the age of 30-years-old and it does feel as if this upcoming deal could potentially be the final big one of his career.

And despite nearly being 30, the England captain still finds himself chasing that allusive piece of silverware.

Considering Bayern have won the Bundesliga for the last 10 campaigns and are already sitting top of the table this season with a four-point cushion, it would be a fair presumption that a move to Munich would likely satisfy his trophy needs.

However, we do wonder if Spurs winning a trophy this season could possibly put that need to win his first trophy to bed and see him sign a new deal at Spurs.

Currently, Tottenham only remain in the Champions League and FA Cup – with the Premier League title seemingly out of reach – so we do wonder if winning either of those could play a big part in his future.

But it would certainly be interesting to see if – at the age of 30 – Kane would be willing to try a new country and potentially leave behind Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goal record if Bayern were to come knocking.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Josko Gvardiol to the Premier League this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by German publication BILD (via Sport Witness), who claim that Spurs ‘want’ to secure a deal for the RB Leipzig centre-back this summer, with the report suggesting that an offer of €100m (£88m) should be enough for the Bundesliga side to sanction the 20-year-old’s departure.

However, BILD go on to state that Tottenham’s Premier League rivals Chelsea are also in the race for the Croatia international’s signature at the end of the current campaign, with the Blues said to be ‘fighting’ Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte for the signing of Gvardiol next summer.

“Gladiator”

Considering just how much ability Gvardiol already possess, coupled with the 20-year-old’s exponential scope for future development, it is easy to see why Paratici and Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the Leipzig starlet to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next summer.

Indeed, over his 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, the £115m-rated talent was in imperious form in the heart of the Leipzig defence. He helped his side keep seven clean sheets, in addition to making 1.8 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and 1.9 clearances and winning 5.9 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

The £19k-per-week defender also impressed in an attacking capacity in 2021/22, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging 3.4 long balls, 1.3 dribbles and 59.3 passes – at a success rate of 84% – per match.

These returns saw the player who Ivica Olic dubbed “extraordinary” average a sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.10, not only ranking him as Leipzig’s fourth-best performer in the league but also as the 36th-best player in the entire German top flight in 2021/22.

The 20-year-old also caught the eye for all the right reasons over his seven appearances at the World Cup this winter, helping Croatia to keep two clean sheets, in addition to making 1.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 5.3 clearances and winning 2.7 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per match.

The 19-cap international also chipped in his for his country going forwards, scoring one goal in Qatar, along with averaging 3.4 long balls and 66.1 passes – at a success rate of 90% – per game.

These metrics saw the youngster – who journalist Ryan Taylor labelled a “gladiator” – average a breathtaking Sofascore match rating of 7.16. That ranked him as Zlatko Dalić’s fifth-best performer in the tournament, with Gvardiol playing a crucial role in Croatia going on to secure a very impressive third-place finish in the most prestigious competition in world football.

As such, considering just how exciting a prospect the 20-year-old evidently is, it would undoubtedly represent an extraordinary coup for Paratici and Tottenham if they manage to beat Chelsea to the signing of the Leipzig sensation this summer, as Gvardiol is very much one of the biggest defensive talents in world football at present.

West Ham United have one major advantage in the race to sign Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka due to the club’s relationship with his representatives.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s summer links

The Athletic’s football correspondent, David Ornstein, revealed in the summer that West Ham made a late approach for Wan-Bissaka, an offer that came about after Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth indicated that the full-back was not in Erik ten Hag’s plans.

According to Ornstein, the Red Devils did not want to let him leave due to the offer being received too late in the window to be able to sign a replacement, but a move may now be possible again in January, with the Hammers again among the potential suitors.

However, the Irons are not the only club considering a move, with 90min also detailing that Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers will be in the race, with the latter club currently leading the way.

The Latest: Wan-Bissaka latest

David Moyes is now again believed to be interested in the Englishman, as reported by Manchester Evening News, this time plotting a loan deal, in light of the £50m United signing only appearing for four minutes in the Premier League this season.

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The report outlines that GSBK could actually have the upper hand in negotiations, given that they have a close relationship with the 25-year-old’s representatives, Unique Sports Management, who were involved in the deal to sign Maxwel Cornet and also represent Michail Antonio.

The Verdict: Make it happen

The London-born full-back may have found it tough trying to break into the starting lineup this season, but that does not detract from his quality, particularly when it comes to the art of defending.

An average of 3.03 tackles per 90 in the last year means that he ranks in the 98th percentile compared to other players in his position, while he has also exhibited his confidence on the ball by completing an average of 2.21 dribbles in the same period (99th percentile).

With West Ham currently in a perilous in the Premier League, 16th in the standings, they could no doubt do with a solid option at right-back to shore up the backline, particularly considering Vladimir Coufal has been linked with a move away.

As such, Wan-Bissaka, who has been lauded as ‘phenomenal’ for his defensive work by journalist Liam Canning, would fit the bill, and he would be a quality addition for Moyes in January.

A claim has emerged over new Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale and his expected use of the youth squad at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

BBC Scotland reporter Kheredine Idessane has claimed that the Englishman is set to hand opportunities to a number of young talents from the B team.

He tweeted:

“Further to this from a few days ago, expect @RangersFC youngsters Charlie McCann and Adam Devine to get a chance under Beale, as well as Lowry and Lovelace.”

This was quoting a Tweet from the 27th of November:

“Expect Michael Beale to be announced as new @RangersFC manager in the next 48 hours. Also expect him to let younger players get their chance. Good news, if all goes through as expected, for the likes of Lowry and Lovelace. Bigger question is: can he close the gap on @CelticFC?”

Could save the club millions

Beale unleashing Zak Lovelace in the coming weeks and months could be a masterstroke by the 42-year-old and save the club millions in the process by providing the club with a new senior striker.

The talented 16-year-old attacker joined the club at the end of last season and has been playing for the B team throughout the current campaign so far, with the new Gers head coach now appearing set to offer him a chance to impress in the first-team.

Wilson hailed the forward after his arrival from Millwall in the summer, saying:

“We are delighted to welcome Zak to Rangers. He is an exciting young player and one we are sure will progress here.

Craig Mulholland added:

“He has developed really well with the staff at Millwall and we can see lots of potential in him.

“Zak is a very exciting and quick forward player who our recruitment team, headed by David Stevenson, have been tracking for some time.”

The Englishman has lived up to the hype with an impressive run of form at youth level this season. Lovelace has scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 25 matches for the under-19 and B team combined, including two goals and four assists in six UEFA Youth League outings.

He still has plenty of time left ahead of him, at the age of 16, and there is no rush for Beale to introduce him to regular first-team football but giving him the odd chance to make an appearance in the Premiership or cup could help his development over time.

Lovelace’s emergence could then save Wilson from having to spend millions on a new number nine to replace Alfredo Morelos, who is out of contract next summer, or Kemar Roofe, if they decide to part ways with the former Anderlecht man.

The dynamo has shown plenty of promise at youth level and it is now down to him to grasp any opportunities that come his way thanks to Beale’s willingness to bring through young talents.

Sunderland fans will have been keen to see how Jewison Bennette got on in his World Cup debut on Wednesday but the teenager’s dream quickly turned into a nightmare.

The 18-year-old winger started for Costa Rica in their Group E opener against Spain but he could do nothing to prevent Luis Enrique’s side from running out as emphatic 7-0 winners.

With further games to come against Germany and Japan, things are unlikely to get any easier for the teenager, and any hopes of causing an upset and earning progression to the knockout stages are surely over.

While this could be a good thing from Sunderland’s perspective, as it means that Bennette will probably be back in England in plenty of time for when the Championship resumes next month, it cannot be good for the youngster’s confidence to be on the end of such an embarrassing defeat.

Sadly for the summer signing, he simply failed to get involved in the game at all, as Spain dominated from start to finish.

As per SofaScore, Bennette would earn a poor 6.2/10 rating for his performance, registering just 14 touches of the ball and completing only two passes, despite being on the pitch for more than an hour.

For context, Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas would register 29 touches and complete 13 passes during the game, which emphasises just how little impact Bennette would have.

While it would be difficult to expect a teenager to step up as the Central American side’s best player, especially against such strong opposition, he certainly didn’t repay Luis Fernando Suárez’s faith in him to hand him a start on Wednesday.

When Bennette arrived at the Stadium of Light during the summer, former manager Alex Neil dubbed him a “huge talent”, although he is yet to start for the club in the Championship even if he did score a memorable equaliser against Watford.

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Hopefully he still has a bright future with the Black Cats, but this World Cup defeat and performance are unlikely to have done his confidence any good, nor his chances of being handed that elusive first outing from the off at Sunderland.

Indeed, he ruined his big chance to impress on the greatest stage of all.