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Chelsea manager Graham Potter is expected to remain in charge at Stamford Bridge for the rest of the season, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The Premier League boss has been under huge pressure after a poor run of form, which has seen several candidate names being linked to take over in the capital.

Todd Boehly reportedly made contact with Mauricio Pochettino and is an admirer of Zinedine Zidane, but the 47-year-old has since secured his side a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

After Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, the Blues coach was spotted celebrating with the owner in the tunnel, who appears to have made a short-term decision on his future.

The Latest: Potter set to stay

According to the The Daily Mail’s Chief Football Reporter Sami Mokbel, Chelsea are expected to give Potter ‘breathing space’ which will mean he can ‘at least’ see out the remainder of the 2022/23 season.

Boehly’s consistent backing is said to have been ‘rewarded’, with concerns that he might have had to dismiss the manager now ‘nothing he needs to worry about’.

The Verdict: Risk worth taking

Potter will know that two back-to-back victories won’t have completely removed him from the spotlight but Chelsea deciding to put their full faith in him is a risk worth taking.

The Solihull-born coach has won 11, drawn seven and lost ten of his 28 games in charge so far, but qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League is a huge statement to make, with cross-town rivals Tottenham crashing out on Wednesday to show just how easily it can all fall apart in Europe.

Kai Havertz has also publicly admitted that the players are 100% behind him to succeed so it’s time for them to step up and start picking up results should they want Potter to remain in the dugout.

Liverpool tallied up another three points last night in their Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield and Jurgen Klopp will be feeling relieved that a late surge of creativity helped his side secure a 2-0 victory.

The Reds climbed into sixth on Wednesday night following the positive result on Merseyside and are now just six points adrift of the top four ahead of their clash with bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday evening.

Liverpool dominated throughout with 57% possession, had more shots on target (6 v 1), created more big chances (4 v 1) and completed more accurate passes (437 v 320) but for large parts of the meeting looked like they were heading for a similar fate they endured in their stalemate with Crystal Palace last weekend.

In the first half, the game looked set to be relatively uneventful with Liverpool struggling to bring the energy needed to quickly get stuck into their opponents and at the half-time whistle it looked like the Anfield faithful were set for another sleep-inducing outing.

The same could be said for the opening 15 minutes of the second half with neither team looking like they were going to snatch all three points. However, a moment of magic from Darwin Nunez finally brought Liverpool to life with a goal scored in the 67th minute and although VAR cancelled the goal it was the wake-up call the team desperately needed.

Just six minutes later Virgil van Dijk rose to get on the end of a free-kick which was batted away by Jose Sa but into the path of Diogo Jota who flicked it on for the Liverpool defender to take his second chance at a header which he comfortably converted to give Liverpool the lead.

It was then the turn of the inevitable Egyptian winger Mohammed Salah to score his 20th goal of the season in all competitions in the 77th minute, killing the game and securing Liverpool an important victory in front of the home support.

Indeed, Salah’s effort to double the lead was a welcome sight for the Kop but it was Van Dijk who worked tirelessly throughout the game to keep the game alive for the Merseyside giants.

How did Van Dijk play against Wolves?

The Dutchman’s exemplary performance came after a fantastic week so far for the player who was named in the 2022 FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World 11 by his professional peers on Monday evening and proved against Wolves exactly why he is considered one of the best defenders in the game.

Over his 90-minute performance, the 31-year-old titan completed a whopping 80 touches and made 66 accurate passes, as per Sofascore.

In producing two shots on target and delivering one key pass, he was a constant thorn in Julen Lopetegui’s side, while in making two clearances and winning three duels, the Netherlands international was a rock at the back.

The £220k-per-week brute’s faultless display prompted high praise with talkSPORT commentator Joe Shennan claiming that the centre-back looked “back to his best” under the lights on the red side of Merseyside:

Klopp will surely be hoping that the victory over Wolves will give his players the confidence and ambition they desperately needed as they head into a difficult meeting with an incredibly in-form Man United side this weekend and will be able to deliver the supporters the belief that a Champions League qualifying spot is well within reach.

With that being said, Van Dijk’s dominance and resilience throughout his performance at Anfield proved that hard work really does pay off, which should give the player and his peers the boost they need to get the job done over the remainder of the season.

Liverpool have earned an exemplary reputation for their transfer business since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards at Anfield, with the combined elite football brains developing and building one of the most successful teams in the world over the last half-decade.

The Reds have enjoyed success across the board with their fantastically assembled Anfield powerhouse with the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup won since the 2018/19 season.

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum are just a handful of the players who have become household names since their arrivals on Merseyside, all becoming trusted components under Klopp during his reign at Anfield

However, carefully crafted and well-thought-out transfer business hasn’t always been the culture for the Merseyside giants, especially when a short period of transition in the early 2010s became a memory that many Liverpool supporters try to etch from their memory.

The January 2011 transfer window is fondly remembered for the arrival of arguably one of Liverpool’s best players in the Premier League era when Luis Suarez came to Anfield, but it will also be one to forget with the £35m signing of Newcastle United’s highly-rated young striker Andy Carroll.

It was nothing short of a disastrous panic buy after selling Fernando Torres to Chelsea on deadline day and will forever haunt Carroll’s short-lived legacy at the club, with the mid-season swoop being voted the worst-ever signing in Premier League history during a survey in 2022.

Despite penning a five-and-a-half-year deal, the striker only made 58 appearances for the Reds, scoring 11 goals and registering six assists until he was finally offloaded just two-and-a-half years later when he joined West Ham United for £15m – a huge £20m loss on what Liverpool had paid the Magpies.

Where is Andy Carroll now?

Since his move to east London in 2013, the former England international has become a journeyman in the aftermath of his six-year spell with the Hammers.

Carroll – who Scott Groom suggested was the Reds’ “worst” signing – went full circle to make a shock return to his boyhood club Newcastle after becoming a free agent in 2019 and going without a club for the start of the 2021/22 season. That has been followed by a stint at West Bromwich Albion and two spells at Reading, for whom he currently plays in the Championship.

It’s safe to say the now 34-year-old never reached the heights in his career that he would’ve hoped, with his failure to prove himself at Anfield the catalyst in his footballing misfortunes.

However, the player has spoken out and hints that he doesn’t regret his transformation from hometown hero to generational flop, saying: “Listen, I would have rather stayed at the time and all the way to the helicopter I’m thinking, ‘What is happening? What am I doing?’. But looking back, and how it shaped me as a player and a person, I would honestly still do it. I probably needed to get out of the city to grow up.”

With that being said, the former recruitment team at Anfield will probably not carry the same sentiment in hindsight, and the signing of Carroll remains a transaction over which Liverpool and their supporters will have nightmares.

The major talking point surrounding Newcastle United this week ahead of tomorrow’s League Cup final has been centred on the goalkeeping situation, with Magpies boss Eddie Howe having been dealt an unwanted headache following Nick Pope’s red card in the recent defeat to Liverpool.

While that suspension has somewhat soured the mood heading into Sunday’s clash with Manchester United, one notable positive for the Tynesiders will be the return of influential midfielder, Bruno Guimaraes, with the Brazil international having served his three-game domestic ban in recent weeks.

The former Lyon man – who arrived at St James’ Park on a £40m deal in January 2022 – was dismissed late on the semi-final, second-leg victory over Southampton, subsequently ruling him out of the last three Premier League games.

Thankfully, the 25-year-old will be able to feature against the Red Devils at Wembley, with the northeast side having notably failed to win any of the six games that the ten-cap gem has been absent for this season, with Guimaraes having been ruled out through injury earlier on in the campaign.

That fact has laid bare just how integral the £120k-per-week maestro is to Howe’s side, hence the notable lift that it could give to the club to be able to have the playmaker back in action.

Should Guimaraes play against Man United?

As teammate Kieran Trippier only recently stated, the Rio-born superstar is a truly “massive” asset for Newcastle, with the latter man having shone over the last 12 months or so in the centre of the park.

Despite largely operating in a deep-lying role in front of the back four, Guimaraes has already managed to chip in with nine goals and four assists in 41 games in all competitions for the club to date, while he also ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for successful take-ons.

It is the 6-foot sensation’s defensive prowess that has particularly caught the eye, however, with the “world-class” ace – as described by club colleague Dan Burn – also ranking in the top 10% for tackles made.

That quality was evident when Howe’s men came up against the Old Trafford outfit back in October, with that goalless draw in Manchester seeing the midfield menace win five ground duels and register one key pass, having produced an ‘excellent display’, in the words of The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder.

Guimaraes will no doubt be looking to dominate Erik ten Hag’s side once again this time around, with the one-time Athletico Paranaense man likely to fancy his chances up against a midfield that has chopped and changed in recent weeks, following the loss of Christian Eriksen to injury.

The Red Devils will likely be fearful of coming up against such a “magnificent” talent – as lauded by club legend Alan Shearer – with the Brazilian potentially set to prove vital to Newcastle’s hopes of glory.

Newcastle United could reportedly lose Allan Saint-Maximin this summer as Tottenham Hotspur eye up a potential move for the Frenchman.

The Lowdown: Saint-Maximin impressed v Liverpool

The 25-year-old was impressive against Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday evening, despite Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat at St James’ Park.

The winger won seven of his duels and had three shots on goal, one of which hit the woodwork, while he also recorded a player-high seven dribbles, made two key passes and created one big chance (Sofascore).

The Chronicle’s Newcastle United editor Aaron Stokes described him as ‘daring, fearless and dangerous’, and called for him to start in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United next weekend, while Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher gave him man-of-the-match despite being on the losing side.

The Latest: Tottenham interested in Saint-Maximin

As per The Sunday People (19/2, page 62; via The Boot Room), Tottenham could make a move for Saint-Maximin this summer after monitoring him in the January transfer window.

The Frenchman’s future could lie away from Tyneside following the arrival of winger Anthony Gordon from Everton last month, with Spurs looking to put themselves in the mix for the 25-year-old’s signature.

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The Verdict: Keep him!

Newcastle must be looking to keep Saint-Maximin at all costs and especially dismiss any notion of selling him to a rival for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

He showed glimpses of his magical capabilities against Liverpool and has been dubbed ‘unplayable’ at times by Rob Lee in the past.

Saint-Maximin possesses unique dribbling skills, as evidenced over the weekend, and ranks in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and 97th for progressive carries per game of all his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year (FBref).

The Frenchman is capable of producing moments out of nothing, so the Magpies should be looking to keep hold of him beyond this season.

Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has hailed some Glasgow Rangers transfer news that he has now heard from Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Archer interest

As per talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, the Gers are among a number of clubs who hold an ‘interest’ in signing Cameron Archer this summer.

Middlesbrough and Watford are also thought to be interested in signing the Aston Villa striker on loan for next season.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has now given his reaction to the news, claiming that it would be an ‘exciting’ move for both Archer and the Light Blues.

The 47-year-old said: “That could be a real step up for him. He could be playing in the Champions League and fighting for a league title as well. That’s the kind of stage he will want to be playing on.

“He’s a really bright talent as well, and someone I think Rangers would get a real benefit out of.

“He’s got pace, power, goalscoring ability – I think it would be a really beneficial move for a young player. It’s an exciting move.”

The Verdict: Get it done

There seems no doubt that Archer will have plenty of interest from other teams to take him on loan next term, so Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side need to get this deal done as soon as they can.

He has recently been hailed as ‘unstoppable‘ and ‘different gravy‘ by renowned Villa YouTuber Ty Bracey after scoring with his first touch for England under-21s in a win against Albania, which is high praise indeed for the 20-year-old.

Archer also managed 11 first-team goals combined for Villa and on loan at Preston North End last term, and given that the Premier League outfit are now managed by former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, this is one which the Teddy Bears could get over the line given the 42-year-old’s connections with both clubs.

In other news, find out which Gers attacker could now leave this summer here

Liverpool could offer Takumi Minamino to Leeds United in a deal which might take Raphinha to Anfield, according to The Mirror.

The Lowdown: Salzburg reunions

Jesse Marsch has already brought in attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson, who he coached at Red Bull Salzburg, and he looks set for another reunion with right-back Rasmus Kristensen.

The Whites appear to be closing in on a deal for the Danish defender, who Marsch signed for the Austrian giants from Ajax in 2019.

Minamino is another who worked under the Leeds head coach at Salzburg, contributing to 20 goals in 22 games under the American, and a move for the ‘exceptional’ Japanese forward could well be on the cards.

The Latest: Leeds move?

The Mirror’s Steve Bates shared an update late on Saturday night regarding Raphinha and Minamino.

The journalist said that Liverpool are ramping up their interest in the £60m-rated Leeds winger and could offer the 27-year-old Japan international to bring down the price for the Brazilian.

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The Verdict: Interesting…

Phil Hay has claimed that it is likely to take a bid in the region of £60m-£70m to get Raphinha out of Elland Road this summer, amid links of a move to Barcelona.

However, it looks as if Liverpool may look to replace Sadio Mane with Raphinha. Minamino is valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, so the Reds may still have to cough up around £50m for Leeds to entertain any player-plus-cash deal.

Marsch could well be open to the possibility of reuniting with another of his former Salzburg stars, though, with the Japan international capable of playing anywhere across the front three and starring under the 48-year-old’s watch in the past.

In other news: ‘This one gets done…’ – Journalist now drops ‘imminent’ Phillips claim with Leeds exit ‘in motion’

Pundit Frank McAvennie has been reacting to Aston Villa’s reported interest in Rangers defender Calvin Bassey, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Villa closing in?

Steven Gerrard and NSWE have been extremely busy over recent weeks, getting a number of deals in place ahead of the summer transfer window.

Villa have secured permanent deals for Philippe Coutinho and Boubacar Kamara and have also reached an agreement for centre-back Diego Carlos.

It looks as if another defender could be on the way, with The Times suggesting that Villa are also closing in on a move for Rangers colossus Bassey, who played under the 42-year-old at Ibrox.

The Latest: McAvennie slams Bassey

Scottish pundit McAvennie was talking to Football Insider regarding a potential reunion between Gerrard and Bassey.

He didn’t seem too impressed, though, believing that the 22-year-old isn’t good enough for the Premier League and would get ‘ripped apart’ by the likes of former Villa star Jack Grealish.

McAvennie said:

“Can he go in and play in the Premier League right now? No.

“I don’t think he is good enough for the Premier League. If Gerrard is buying him, it’s because he has done a job in Scotland.

“England is a whole different game. He’s muscle-bound but if he comes up against someone like Jack Grealish he will get ripped apart.

“I’m sorry to say Bassey but that’s the truth. Another year up with Rangers and maybe he might be ready.

“At this moment in time, the brutal truth is he’s good enough.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Bassey starred in both the Europa League final and Scottish Cup final this month and appears to have outgrown the Scottish Premiership, picking up Rangers’ Young Player of the Season award.

The Nigerian was a regular at Ibrox in the 2021/22 season, lining out as a centre-back and left-back and duly providing Gerrard with cover in two important areas.

His impressive displays over recent months seem to suggest that he is ready for the next step in his career, and that could well be at Villa Park, possibly alongside Carlos.

In other news: Villa may now move for another Rangers star after Bassey; Gerrard loves him – transfer insider. 

Liverpool have been in contract negotiations with Mohamed Salah for months, and now a reliable source has revealed an update on the Egyptian winger’s future at the club.

What’s the latest?

Journalist and Liverpool reporter for The Athletic James Pearce has revealed that Mo Salah will be staying at Anfield next season despite concerns that he could move on this summer.

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In an article for The Athletic, Pearce relays Salah’s comments ahead of Champions League Final on Saturday in Paris, with the Liverpool star saying;

“I’m staying next season for sure.

“I don’t focus on the contract at the moment. It’s about the team. It’s a really important week for us. I want to win the CL again.”

Supporters will love it

Salah has arguably been one of the best, if not the best player for Liverpool during Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at the club and has been hugely influential in his time on Merseyside so it would come as no surprise that supporters will love that he will be staying next season.

The 29-year-old goal machine has scored 156 goals and contributed 63 assists in 253 appearances and in terms of achievements has won a Champions League, Premier League title, FA Cup and Carabao Cup over the last five years, as well as winning three Premier League golden boots.

The popular winger’s contract with Liverpool ends this time next year and there has been speculation of a move to Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain this summer, which would have been a devastating blow for the supporters and the club, but it will be relieving that he has confirmed his immediate future is committed to Liverpool.

With that being said, it does mean that the Egyptian could leave on a free transfer next summer if he cannot reach an agreement with FSG and the powers at Anfield. It is reported that the club is not willing to break their strict wage structure to meet the demands of the player which could ultimately see the player depart without compensation for Liverpool in June 2023.

Ultimately, Liverpool supporters and Klopp will be pleased that in the short-term they have the opportunity to win more trophies with a player of Salah’s calibre in the side and keeping him at the club for the upcoming campaign puts them in a good position to compete.

AND in other news: Liverpool “will step up” chase to sign £60m “monster”, supporters surely buzzing

Graham Smyth has stated his belief that Leeds United should make a move for Sam Johnstone this summer.

What’s been said?

In a series of recent posts on Twitter, the Yorkshire Evening Post chief football writer suggested that the goalkeeper – who is set to leave West Bromwich Albion upon the expiry of his current contract in June – would be an excellent signing for Victor Orta to get over the line this summer, as the England international would seriously push Illan Meslier for his starting spot in Jesse Marsch’s side.

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In his tweets, Smyth said: “What a free transfer Johnstone will be for someone this summer… I’d certainly take him [as] backup, but to genuinely push Meslier for the number one spot.”

Orta must move

Considering how impressive Johnstone was for West Brom during Albion’s last spell in the top flight back in 2020/21, it is easy to see why Smyth believes the 29-year-old would be a good target for Orta to pursue this summer.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League appearances that season, the £10.8m-rated stopper was one of the Baggies’ standout performers, keeping six clean sheets and making an average of an extraordinary 4.5 saves per game – the most in the league.

These returns saw the £32.5k-per-week goalkeeper who Gary Lineker dubbed “unbelievable” and Kieran Doody labelled “unreal” earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the Albion’s second-best player in the league – an incredibly impressive feat considering West Brom’s ultimate relegation from the division.

For comparison, over Meslier’s 38 Premier League fixtures this season, the £18m-rated talent kept five clean sheets, conceded 79 goals and made an average of 3.8 saves per game, with these metrics seeing the France U21 international average a SofaScore match rating of 6.87.

As such, it would certainly appear as if Johnstone would make a fantastic addition to Marsch’s current options between the sticks, especially when considering he is available on a free – leading us to believe that Orta simply must make a move for the England shot-stopper this summer.

AND in other news: “Already spoken..”: YEP journo drops big summer update that Leeds supporters will love