Chelsea are among a number of clubs who are interested in signing Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia, according to a fresh transfer update.

The Lowdown: Lavia a big young talent

The 19-year-old has already become an important part of Saints’ squad this season, starting 13 Premier League games and chipping in with one goal from defensive midfield.

Lavia looks set to have a big future in the game but that may lie away from Southampton, especially if they suffer relegation to the Championship in May.

Now, a new report suggests that Chelsea could be the teenager’s next destination.

The Latest: Chelsea make approach

According to The Daily Mail, the Blues are battling both Manchester United and Arsenal for the signing of Lavia during the summer transfer window.

He is believed to be ‘in Chelsea’s sights’ and ‘enquiries’ have already been made regarding the potential transfer coming to fruition.

The Verdict: Part of the midfield rebuild?

It is imperative that young blood is added to the Blues’ midfield moving forward, with Enzo Fernandez hopefully just the beginning of their rebuild in that area.

Lavia could be an ideal long-term acquisition by Chelsea, with journalist Jabob Tanswell saying he is ‘frankly ridiculous’, following the recent 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

At 19, the Saints starlet is clearly still a work in progress but he already has 15 Premier League appearances to his name, as well as one cap for Belgium’s Under-21s.

The idea of moving to Chelsea could be too great for the £25,000-a-week Lavia to turn down, hopefully allowing him to reach his potential and eventually become a regular at the heart of the midfield.

Tottenham Hotspur have had some shocking kits down the years.

Spurs are a club with a proud tradition of wearing lilywhite, of course, and their home kits are regularly white and navy.

It’s very hard to ruin a Spurs home shirt, but they do make some bizarre decisions when it comes to their away kits.

This season, for example, we’ve seen an away kit that looks more like a scuba diving suit, and that really is something.

As a result, we’ve taken a look at the 10 worst Spurs kits from the Premier League era.

10. 2009/10 Home

This is a really bizarre shirt, isn’t it?

As we’ve said, most Spurs shirts have blue accenting, which fits with the white quite nicely.

This one didn’t, this one had yellow accents. That is not good.

Add in the red Mansion sponsor and the kit looks very confused.

9. 1994/95 Away

Early into the Premier League era here and we’re back in the land of the baggy shirts.

This one isn’t bad because of that but the purple just doesn’t work, the badge is massive, and the collar doesn’t work.

Add in the weird contrast on the shorts and you’ve got a stinker.

8. 2006/07 third

This one is dreadful.

It’s meant to be chocolate coloured, we think, but it isn’t, it’s just brown.

It also has the gold trim but it blends into the brown and looks dodgy.

Awful.

7. 2016/17 third

These were divisive when they came out.

Some loved the bold nature of the shirt and the uniqueness of the pinstripes.

But it looks like someone spilled mustard on a Spurs shirt.

Even the fact that AIA isn’t red, as it usually is on Spurs kits, can’t save it.

6. 2013/14 home

Under Armour tried some new things but they rarely worked.

This Spurs home kit has such a strange looking collar, and is also largely ruined by the massive HP sponsor.

It doesn’t help that Spurs had just sold Gareth Bale when they started wearing this, and they didn’t exactly perform well in it.

5. 2010/11 away

This one is a little strange, really.

It’s very muted in terms of its colour scheme and the trim doesn’t really work.

It’s very safe, and very boring. Dull.

4. 2012/13 third

This is slightly iconic because of Gareth Bale but the kit doesn’t work.

You’ve still got a splash of yellow, the black and grey don’t really go together, and it looks a bit like something you’d buy in Sports Direct for a fiver.

Under Armour took some big swings but they usually missed.

3. 2018/19 third

Okay, so we know that this is arguably the most iconic Spurs kit of the modern era.

Lucas Moura scored his hat-trick against Ajax in this green number, sending Spurs into the Champions League final.

However, the shirt itself is an absolute mess.

It looks like paint has been randomly thrown across the design, and the shades don’t contrast properly.

A woeful effort, but that Ajax game stops it from being in the top two places.

2. 2017/18 third

It’s purple, but it’s also camouflage. That doesn’t work as a combination.

The bright yellow of the sponsor, manufacturer and club badge actually hurt the eyes, and the yellow accents look woeful.

There’s too much going on and it doesn’t hold together.

1. 2022/23 away

This thing is dreadful.

We’ve established in this list that any kind of yellow in a Spurs kit rarely works and it’s the same here, but the colour combination reminds anyone looking of scuba diving.

The badge in the middle, above the Nike tick, also makes the shirt look strangely fake.

Let’s never speak of it again after this season.

Sunderland will be looking to extend their run of five matches without defeat in the Championship as they travel to face Rotherham United tonight.

The Black Cats have not lost in the division since 14 January (against Swansea) and are heading into the clash against the Millers off the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Bristol City.

Jack Clarke put the hosts in front at the Stadium of Light with a stunning strike from distance before Trai Hume conceded a penalty in stoppage time, which Nahki Wells converted.

With fixtures coming thick and fast at the moment, Tony Mowbray may look to make some changes to his starting XI to keep players fresh and maintain a high level of competition for places.

Will Pierre Ekwah start against Rotherham?

One player who could benefit from alterations to the starting line-up is central midfielder Pierre Ekwah, who should finally be unleashed from the start by Mowbray tonight.

The former West Ham United gem, who was signed in January, has made three appearances as a substitute in the Championship, and this clash could be his first opportunity at Sunderland to showcase his talent for more than just a few minutes.

He impressed in a recent cameo against Queens Park Rangers, completing 100% of his attempted dribbles and ground duels whilst also creating one chance in just nine minutes of action, as per Sofascore.

Mowbray recently hailed the gem’s “silky-smooth left foot” and has been trying to get the best out of the midfielder’s physical attributes.

The Sunderland coach said of Ekwah: “His left foot is really smooth, and yet I have been trying to encourage him to bring his physicality because he is a big lad – he’s not a small, skinny, frail, kid. He’s got huge physical attributes that he should bring to the party.”

These comments suggest that the youngster has all the qualities that he needs to be an excellent player for Sunderland, and handing him an opportunity to play against Rotherham could allow him to put it all together to produce a complete performance.

In the EFL Trophy for West Ham’s U21s earlier this season, Ekwah averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 as he created two chances and made two tackles and interceptions per match across three appearances, which shows that the midfielder has the ability to make a big impact at both ends of the pitch.

Therefore, Mowbray must rest Dan Neil or Edouard Michut in order to hand the 21-year-old gem his first big opportunity to prove his worth in a Black Cats shirt.

Wolves picked up another three points in their fight for Premier League survival on Saturday as Adama Traore’s goal was enough for the win against Tottenham Hotspur.

Julen Lopetegui’s side had slipped back into the relegation mixup with recent defeats against Liverpool and Bournemouth but are now up to 13th after their 1-0 triumph against a lacklustre Spurs side.

Although the away side would hit the bar through Son Heung-min and Pedro Porro, Lopetegui’s men held out for a clean sheet and took the lead late on thanks to Traore’s emphatic volley.

Who was Wolves’ best player vs Spurs?

The Spanish winger will undoubtedly dominate the headlines after scoring the only goal of the game but January signing Craig Dawson was once again a rock at the back, with his addition at Molineux a significant catalyst in the Old Gold’s upturn in form in 2023.

As per Sofascore, the former West Ham man would earn a strong 7.4/10 rating for his performance, with only Jose Sa (8.3), Raul Jimenez (7.6) and Ruben Neves (7.5) earning higher from every player to feature in the game from both sides.

The experienced centre-back was rarely troubled by Harry Kane, as he won 100% of his aerial duels in the game, with the England captain failing to register a single shot on target in the 90 minutes.

The Spurs striker also struggled with his passing, completing just 16 passes compared to his season average of 21.8 in the Premier League, which suggests that Dawson, and the rest of the Wolves defence, well and truly got the better of him at Molineux.

The 32-year-old would also contribute a remarkable eight clearances and two blocked shots in the game, which was more than any other player, and a significant increase on his average of 5.2 clearances and 1.3 blocks per game in a Wolves shirt.

While it was always expected that the Englishman would be a strong leader at the back for Wolves from a defensive perspective, his distribution was also assured throughout, as he lost possession on just three occasions and registered an impressive 93% pass accuracy after completing 39/42 passes.

Michail Antonio labelled the powerful defender “unbelievable” during his time at West Ham and he is already proving to live up to that tag in the Midlands, particularly against the Londoners this weekend.

Indeed, Wolves fans are beginning to see precisely why he established himself as such a fan favourite at the London Stadium, as he helped them to another clean sheet and win on Saturday afternoon.

With the Hammers still in relegation trouble after their 4-0 thrashing by Brighton on Saturday, it seems as if their loss was very much Wolves’ gain with Dawson.

Reporter Joe Nicholson believes Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts will be involved for Sunderland against their former club this Sunday.

The Lowdown: Looking to get back to winning ways

Sunderland will be hoping they can bounce back and get themselves out of their recent slump in form that has seen them win just twice in the past nine matches, but heading to Carrow Road won’t be easy.

The Black Cats will be coming up against one of the in-form sides in the division on Sunday, with the Canaries having not lost any of their previous five games, scoring 11 goals in the process.

Tony Mowbray will be hopeful of some former Norwich players going back to haunt their old side on Sunday, with both Roberts and Pritchard remembered for their time in Norfolk.

The Latest: Roberts and Pritchard to be involved

While Roberts has indeed been more involved than Pritchard this season in terms of starts, Nicholson has admitted on The Roar podcast he expects both to play some part in the game on Sunday.

He said: “They’re two players that we’d probably expect to be involved. Whether they both start, Pritchard’s coming in and out the side the last couple of weeks, Roberts has been starting pretty consistently, so expect probably him to start as well.”

The Verdict: Sunderland need to put in a good performance

While winning and stopping the rot of three consecutive defeats is hugely important this weekend for Sunderland, their fans will be desperate for their team to put in a good performance and show they still care about this season.

Last weekend, they were torn apart by Stoke City as the Potters hammered Sunderland 5-1 at the Stadium of Light, and now with them seemingly not close enough to the play-offs or the relegation zone to have much going on in the final few weeks of the season, they’re in danger of seeing their season fizzle out.

However, if they can compete against an in-form and expensively assembled Norwich squad, their fans could regain hope that they’re at least heading in the right direction under Mowbray, and with players such as Roberts and Pritchard looking to prove Norwich wrong for letting them go, they could yet be hopeful of a decent display.

Newcastle United goalkeeper Loris Karius is reportedly a transfer target for Inter Milan this summer.

The Lowdown: Cup final debut

Karius made his Newcastle debut in their 2-0 loss to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday evening, and impressed Eddie Howe despite the defeat, with the manager hailing his saves, distribution and all-round demeanour.

Indeed, the German made eight saves in total, with three of those coming from inside the penalty box, as he kept his team in it right up until the last minute.

The Latest: Inter Milan interest

As per FC Inter News, Karius has been named as a replacement for Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic in a development just in the last couple of weeks, with his contract up in the summer.

Karius’ deal at St. James’ Park also expires this summer, leaving his long-term future in doubt.

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The Verdict: Keep him!

The Magpies will not find many better third-choice goalkeepers behind Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka than Karius, and so they should be looking to extend his  contract and keep him at the club beyond this season.

Lauded as a ‘mentality monster‘ by his agent Corey Anton for his mental recovery after making two howlers which cost Liverpool the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid back in 2018, it would have been difficult for the 29-year-old to have all eyes on him in another major final on Sunday.

However, he stepped up to the plate with some crucial saves to keep the score at 2-0, and has gained a vast amount of experience at his age, including in the Premier League with Liverpool.

It may be tempting for Karius to jump to a club currently competing in the Champions League in Inter, but the Tynesiders are striving to get there, and so he should be looking to stay put.

Liverpool have made contact to bring Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Rabiot wants PL move

Football Insider claim that Jurgen Klopp is looking to bolster his ranks with at least two central signings in the summer as a result of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all being likely to leave Anfield.

The French international’s contract at the Allianz is set to expire at the end of the season and it’s likely that he will be available as a free agent having not yet signed an extension.

The 27-year-old has previously admitted that he would be keen to one day make the move to the English top flight and it sounds like he’s not short of potential suitors.

The Latest: Liverpool make contact

According to 90min, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United have all ‘asked’ to be ‘kept abreast’ of any negotiations by Rabiot’s camp ahead of the upcoming window.

Juventus, however, haven’t given up on retaining the midfielder’s services, with their manager Massimiliano Allegri a ‘huge fan’ of his player’s attributes.

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The Verdict: Perfect for Klopp?

Rabiot is a complete midfielder who is strong in both the defensive and offensive aspects of his game, so he would be the perfect reinforcement for Liverpool.

Standing at 6 foot 2, the maestro would be able to add a different dimension to the centre with his height, as he’s currently averaging 1.5 aerial wins and 1.8 tackles per league game (WhoScored).

The Saint-Maurice native is also a threat in the final third having scored seven goals and provided two assists across all competitions this season (Transfermarkt).

Rabiot has been dubbed a ‘monster’ by journalist Robin Bairner with his collective attributes making him the ideal candidate to put pen to paper on Merseyside.

Chelsea’s appointment of Graham Potter in the managerial role has not gone to plan, with the west London outfit currently tenth in the Premier League, level on points with Aston Villa, and facing a dizzying task in mounting a late charge toward Champions League qualification.

Indeed, Chelsea’s most recent match in the Premier League, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of heated rivals Tottenham Hotspur, left the Lilywhites perched a remarkable 13 points above their neighbours in fourth place, and given Potter’s record in charge of the Blues leaves him with a points-per-match (PPM) average of just 1.31, it certainly does not seem likely that a late surge will materialise, subsequently narrowing the currently towering gulf.

Bearing this in mind, there might just be fruit for owner Todd Boehly in his reported interest in signing a new man to lead from the dugout, with former Spain and FC Barcelona boss Luis Enrique earmarked as a replacement.

According to reports from Spain earlier this month, Enrique is indeed attracting attention from the Blues hierarchy, with the 52-year-old currently unemployed after resigning from his post as the head of the Spanish national team after falling to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

What impact would Enrique’s appointment have on Reece James?

Enrique enjoyed heaps of success with Barcelona, and given his pedigree, the “headstrong” – as hailed by ESPN’s David Cartlidge – boss could be the perfect remedy to cure Chelsea’s current woes.

And with his prospective appointment, he could start to nurture and develop Chelsea’s expansive pool of talent to a new level, with thriving right-back Reece James perhaps benefitting more than most.

Hailed as ‘the complete full-back’ by one tactical analysis, James has become an integral component to his outfit over the past several seasons, scoring 11 goals and providing 20 assists from 139 appearances for Chelsea, notably winning the 2020/21 Champions League; the profound impact on his squad has been illuminated by recent reports that he is being prepared for the future captaincy role at the club, donning the armband against Tottenham on Sunday after Thiago Silva went off injured.

And considering James ranks among the top 9% of full-backs in Europe’s top divisions for goals, 7% for assists, 4% for progressive passes, 7% for successful take-ons and 7% for shot-creating actions per 90, he clearly boasts the acumen to solidify himself as one of Europe’s superlative forces in his position.

That said, he boasts just two goal involvements in the top flight this term from 11 matches, a far cry from the five goals and nine assists he managed last season.

Thus, the £250k-per-week phenom is far from his best but he could be re-born under Enrique, potentially even growing into a player of the illustrious Dani Alves’ mould, who the Spaniard managed over several seasons for La Blaugrana.

Indeed, Alves made 94 displays under the manager, recording an impressive 20 direct contributions and playing a starring role in the momentous and historic treble of 2014/15.

Lauded as one of the most renowned and revered full-backs of his generation, Alves’ offensive impetus and winning mentality are arresting elements to his game that could quite easily be attributed to James’ own, and as he continues to grow into his skin there is no reason why he cannot emulate an icon who played some of his best years thanks to Enrique’s winning formula.

Even Potter’s most stout supporters could not be incredulous if the former Seagulls boss was to be relinquished from his duties at the helm of the Chelsea ship, with no respite in sight from the woes that pile ever heavier with each passing match week.

With a manager of Enrique’s ilk waiting in the wings, Boehly might just swallow his pride and appoint a man who would be the club’s third permanent boss of the term.

David Moyes has lived to see another Premier League game at West Ham despite the 4-0 thrashing against Brighton last weekend but a defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday could bring an end to his spell at the London Stadium.

The Scottish manager has seen his side regress after the dizzy heights of last season which saw them flirt with a top-four finish and reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Therefore, it is no surprise that a number of managers are being linked with the West Ham job in case the board do pull the trigger on Moyes, with Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick one of those touted as a potential option.

Could West Ham appoint Michael Carrick?

According to The Times, the Hammers could look to bring back their former academy talent in a managerial role after his impressive stint with Middlesbrough in the Championship.

The 41-year-old enjoyed a near-spotless spell as caretaker manager of Manchester United, having become assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his time at Old Trafford.

He was handed his first permanent job as a manager by Middlesbrough back in October, taking over at the Riverside after Chris Wilder was sacked, with the north east side languishing in 21st position.

He has overseen an impressive transformation since then, averaging 2.15 points per game with The Boro, which has seen them put themselves in contention for automatic promotion, as they currently sit third in the second tier.

Former Premier League footballer Jamie O’Hara, told talkSPORT [05/03/2022, 17:00] that the club should be looking at hiring Carrick if they decide to sack Moyes in the coming weeks.

He said: “Carrick is absolutely flying at Middlesbrough. They’re third in the table. Carrick at West Ham ain’t a bad shout, you know.”

Could Carrick unlock Gianluca Scamacca?

Carrick’s work at Middlesbrough sees them ranked as the second-top scorers in the division behind Burnley, so he clearly knows how to get the best out of his attackers.

The resurgence of Chuba Akpom has been particularly impressive, as, after a number of difficult spells in England and abroad, the former Arsenal youngster is enjoying the best season of his career, with 21 league goals to his name.

West Ham spent big on a striker of their own in the summer, splashing out £35.5m on Gianluca Scamacca, but he has done little to impress thus far, boasting just three goals in 16 Premier League appearances.

However, the talent is clearly there as the Italian hit 16 Serie A goals last season, and with the right, attack-minded manager, he could finally show his best form at the London Stadium.

The Italy international is still only 24 and shouldn’t be written off after a difficult start to life in England, as appointing a promising young coach such as Carrick could still see him tread a different path to the strikers who have failed before him at West Ham.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has claimed that former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho “has lost his marbles” amid the idea that he could replace Graham Potter as boss.

What’s the latest on Jose Mourinho and Chelsea?

The Blues have had a pretty torrid time of late but managed to pick up a key three points in the Premier League this weekend as they beat Leeds United 1-0 at home.

Over in Italy, it’s been an interesting few weeks or so for Mourinho who was accused of booing the opposition during an under-14 derby game between Roma and Lazio.

What’s more, he was also just banned for two matches and fined €10,000 (£8,869) following his furious reaction to being sent off in a 2-1 defeat to Cremonese.

When speaking about the former Chelsea boss on BBC Radio Show 606, Sutton certainly didn’t seem to think he’d make an ideal replacement for Potter

Specifically of the U14 booing, he said (46:53): “How petty can you get Jose? That’s absolutely shocking.

“There are Chelsea fans out there, who want Jose back at the bridge. But do they want a petty Jose back? Oh, come on. He is better than that, isn’t he? He’s lost his marbles.”

Would Mourinho do well back in the Premier League?

As Sutton points out, there are those amongst the Chelsea support who would like to see the ‘special one’ return to Stamford Bridge to try and salvage a poor season.

Mourinho certainly enjoyed some great times with the Blues, winning the Premier League on three occasions, as well as an FA Cup, spread across two spells in west London.

He also had less successful stints in England with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and now manages in Serie A with Roma and, judging form his recent behaviour, he’s just as controversial as ever.

He’d certainly bring a very difficult personality to the club if he did replace Potter but it’s hard not to feel as though his story with Chelsea reached its conclusion when he left in 2015.