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Sunderland's hunt for a new manager continues, Tony Mowbray was dismissed by the Black Cats on Monday after a forgettable 1-1 draw with Millwall last match was considered the final straw.

The decision to axe Mowbray was far more than just an on-the-pitch situation going sour however, Sunderland chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus wanting to go in a new bold direction with the next manager in at the Stadium of Light to move away from the departing 60-year-old's safe and understated approach.

Various names from all corners of the football world are being linked to the attractive Championship vacancy, with one name in particular gaining traction in recent days.

Sunderland manager latest

The manager in question on everyone's lips at the Stadium of Light is Kim Hellberg, the current IFK Värnamo boss is being tipped to leave Sweden behind for Sunderland very soon according to reports.

The Black Cats are plotting talks already to bring Hellberg into the building, with it being further revealed by Swedish football website Sportbladet that Sunderland are even sitting down with their chosen man this week to discuss the possibility of the 35-year-old taking over from Mowbray.

This would see Sunderland end their pursuit of Will Still and Kieran McKenna – two names who have also been mentioned, as has been reported in TEAMtalk – the second-tier outfit potentially going all in on the young Scandinavian head coach instead.

It's an appointment that would raise eyebrows, but it's a left-field managerial choice that could work.

Sunderland will hope that appointing Hellberg is a masterstroke, finding their very own Graham Potter if the 35-year-old succeeds with the club – the former Chelsea boss earned his stripes in Sweden with Östersunds FK at the start of his fledgling managerial career.

Kim Hellberg's managerial style

Often setting up his Värnamo side in a 4-3-3 formation, Hellberg's approach and style has seen the Swedish side pick up big wins recently to continue punching above their weight in 5th position in the Allsvenskan.

In the league recently, Hellberg's men have confidently beaten opponents IFK Göteborg and Kalmar by the same 3-1 scoreline – Gustav Engvall up top for Värnamo helping himself to two goals and an assist in these encounters, the 27-year-old attacker a star under his now in-demand manager with 11 goals for the season.

The Sunderland hierarchy will hope he can get the misfiring Black Cats attackers firing on all cylinders if he was appointed, the Championship club have been in desperate need of a talismanic figure to lead the line again ever since Ross Stewart left in the summer.

Hellberg's style could go hand-in-hand with the current personnel at the Black Cats, a 4-3-3 formation switch would see Jack Clarke pushed even further forward as a dangerman for the Durham-based club, which could help misfiring forwards such as Nazariy Rusyn not feel as isolated as he was in Mowbray's previous system.

Moving away from the previously familiar 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-4-1 formations under the last tenure could also see midfielders such as Pierre Ekwah feel less shackled by their defensive duties, Sunderland's number 39 has scored twice this season even when regularly featuring as an anchor helping out his back four.

Billed as an "extremely interesting" appointment by football journalist Josh Bunting if Sunderland can pull the move off, it will be fascinating to see if the second-tier promotion hopefuls do decide to appoint the unproven EFL entity or ultimately look elsewhere.

The Black Cats can look to the case of Potter as a reason to be optimistic, the Englishman having also been an unorthodox appointment by Swansea City when he arrived in Wales from Östersunds back in 2018, with the ex-Chelsea man then going on to have a celebrated career in England from the dug-out.

Hellberg will look at Potter's career trajectory and he'll want to replicate that, coming in hungry to prove a point and manage at the very top – hopefully with Sunderland.

Erik ten Hag has insisted Manchester United players are doing all they can to regain fitness for next Saturday's FA Cup final.

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• Rooney questioned Man Utd's injured players
• Ten Hag says they're 'desperate' to return
• Stars in race to be fit for FA Cup final

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After last Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford, club legend Wayne Rooney claimed that some of the players on the Red Devils' lengthy injury list are fit enough to play but are shirking responsiblity. The former captain said: "It is easy for players to stay out of it a little bit and then come back towards the final and get themselves fit for the European Championship."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ten Hag has been without key players throughout the course of the season, with several facing a race against time in order to be fit for the Wembley showpiece. Lisandro Martinez, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof could return – and the manager believes their desperation to play cannot be questioned.

• WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  The United boss told reporters: "You have to see here at Carrington, players are desperate to play. I see Martinez, I see Bruno who did a fitness test on Sunday to play. Rashford did everything he could do, he trained and tried to train last week but couldn’t make it. So players are desperate to play. They want to be in the right shape. You also see Lindelof, Varane – they are training to make themselves available for the final. You do what you can do."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

  United host Newcastle and travel to Brighton in the Premier League before their final against City, with Martinez, Rashford and Fernandes likely to feature sparingly in those matches. Lindelof, Varane, Mason Mount and Harry Maguire are all battling to make it to Wembley, while Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Anthony Martial are set to miss out. All in all, it's been injury hell for the Red Devils and Ten Hag this term.

Liverpool are in a tremendous position as the festive period consumes English football, with matches coming thick and fast and tensions high with so much on the line.

In the coming weeks, Jurgen Klopp's side will conclude their Europa League group phase campaign, complete successive Anfield fixtures in the Premier League against Manchester United and Arsenal, and clash against West Ham United for a spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Also first-placed in the Premier League after 15 matches, the Reds are flying if not quite clicking into full gear, and while the strides taken over the past months have been impressive, there is much more to be done, with an exciting new forward understood to have been earmarked.

Liverpool transfer news – Maximilian Beier

According to Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are "interested" in signing Hoffenheim centre-forward Maximilian Beier, who holds a €30m (£26m) release clause in his contract.

While the journalist's delineation notes that many English outfits are attentive to the 21-year-old's situation, Liverpool are the only team explicitly mentioned, implying that Klopp's side perhaps currently lead the race.

The German has been in fine form this season and is vying to earn a place in his nation's European Championship 2024 squad, which will be held in his homeland.

Maximilian Beier's season in numbers

Graduating from Hoffenheim's academy, Beier has honed his craft over the past few years on loan with Bundesliga 2. side Hannover 04, scoring 15 goals and supplying seven assists across 68 appearances.

Provided with the opportunity to shine back with Die Kraichgauer this term, he has plundered six goals and four assists across just 13 appearances in the German top-flight, leading journalist Antonio Mango to remark on his "exceptional" displays.

As per Sofascore, he has also averaged 2.4 shots per game and has missed just two big chances in the Bundesliga – for reference, Darwin Nunez has missed 15 in the 2023/24 Premier League.

While Liverpool need to complete their midfield transfer work and bolster the backline, Beier's release clause makes for an enticing chance to sign a star in the making, and Klopp is evidently enamoured by his skill set.

How Maximilian Beier compares to Roberto Firmino

Deployed as either a left flanker or as the central focal point, Beier would add a sense of dynamism to the Anfield side's frontline and could be the missing piece to ensure that Klopp boasts a formidable frontline for many years to come.

As per FBref, the 6-foot striker ranks among the top 15% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 20% for progressive carries and the top 22% for successful take-ons per 90, highlighting a natural eye for goal and ease in progressing the play.

He could even be Liverpool's next Roberto Firmino, with the lionised Brazilian signing for the club from Hoffenheim for £29m in 2015, months before Klopp's appointment.

Firmino, aged 32, left the club for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia in the summer upon the conclusion of his contract, drawing the curtain on an illustrious and revolutionary stay on Merseyside that saw him chalk up 111 goals and 79 assists over 362 displays, integral in every piece of silverware won over the past years.

Heralded as a Liverpool "legend" by talkSPORT's Darren Ambrose, Firmino was silky and smooth, gliding across the pitch and baffling defenders with his deft touches – they say that while Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane wreaked prolific havoc, it was Firmino who was the true string-puller.

Beier, who is already showing signs of effectiveness across both his direct threat and his creativity, could be the dream heir – notably potentially signing from the same club – and with Plettenberg noting that there are multiple clubs in line, a January swoop may well be a stellar idea.

There could well be light at the end of the tunnel for Sheffield Wednesday now, the decision to sack Xisco Munoz and appoint Danny Rohl looking more and more like a masterstroke decision from the Owls hierarchy as time goes on.

The mood around Hillsborough prior to the German's arrival was one of resignation to the mire Wednesday found themselves in, rooted to the bottom of the Championship dejected and broken.

Now, there's a very real of glimmer of hope that the South Yorkshire club can mount an unbelievable relegation escape and keep their heads above water in the division – Rohl winning four matches since arriving on the scene, a breath of fresh air for the Owls fans.

Akin Famewo has been one standout performer for Wednesday in recent matches, the defender integral in helping his team shut up shop in matches to pick up rare wins.

Yet, another addition into the building that would slot into the team alongside Famewo in January could be equally as crucial – the Owls linked with young Oxford United goalkeeper James Beadle over a possible switch to Hillsborough.

Sheffield Wednesday transfer latest

The Sheffield Star have reported on the possibility of Beadle leaving the U's behind this January to make the step-up to the Championship, the Brighton loanee itching to test himself at a higher level on another loan adventure.

This potential deal could signal the end of Cameron Dawson as Rohl's number one goalkeeper in South Yorkshire, as well as potentially cutting short the ongoing loan deal at Wednesday involving 25-year-old back-up shot-stopper Devis Vasquez.

Tipped by current Oxford teammate Cameron Brannagan to go on and 'play at the top' in an interview with This is Oxfordshire, this will be an interesting transfer saga to watch unfold this January.

Alongside a rock solid Famewo, Beadle could be shrewd swoop in January to shore up a shaky Owls defence in nervy games to come in the battle to avoid relegation.

The stats that show James Beadle would be a good fit for Wednesday

Only keeping three clean sheets this season in the Championship, Dawson's days as Owls number one could well be numbered if Rohl opts to sign Beadle.

The highly rated 19-year-old has six more clean sheets playing for Oxford in all competition, picking up his ninth of the season last game as the U's romped home to a 3-0 win at the Kassam Stadium over Burton Albion.

His top-drawer displays have seen a whole host of his teammates dishing out the praise, captain Elliott Moore labelling Beadle as "immense" after a valiant display away at Derby County at the start of the season.

Whereas, Dawson – last match versus QPR – had to pick the ball out of his net despite the visitors only having two shots on target in the game – Bambo Diaby unfortunately powering a header past his own goalkeeper in Dawson, before Wednesday mounted an impressive comeback to win 2-1.

Signing Beadle could also be more in-keeping with the injection of youth Rohl has given to his side in recent weeks, Bailey Cadamarteri leading the line successfully at just 18 years of age with three goals in four.

Moreover, 20-year-old Djeidi Gassama has proven to be a useful calling card off the bench in recent games with two assists in his last three.

Beadle hasn't just burst onto the scene with Oxford out of the blue too, starring in Crewe Alexandra colours in a prior loan switch at just 18 years of age which saw him pull off a wonder save in one contest at Gresty Road to the amazement of those watching on.

Famewo would also welcome a new goalkeeper behind him, the 25-year-old excellent in recent games but has only amassed one clean sheet – as per Sofascore – when playing this season.

This is despite sterling performances against Leicester City and QPR to name a few, the Owls defender winning a combined 18 ground duels in these games to be a guaranteed name on Rohl's teamsheet.

Rohl will have to be cut-throat and axe his current number one to make way for Beadle to come in, Wednesday having to make big calls to form a team capable of going the distance and staving off the drop to avoid falling back down to League One.

England continue to sweat on the fitness of Harry Kane, but the Bayern Munich striker is reportedly confident that he will be ready for Euro 2024.

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• Has not played since early May
• Currently undergoing treatment
• Three Lions set to name squad

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 30-year-old frontman has not figured for his club side since being replaced late on in the Champions League semi-final defeat to Real Madrid on May 8. No risks have been taken on his fitness with Bayern already destined to finish the 2023-24 campaign empty-handed.

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  WHAT TUCHEL SAID

  Thomas Tuchel said when delivering on update on Kane ahead of the final day outing against Hoffenheim: “In Madrid, it was borderline. We tried injections and treatments. The back has completely closed. It has gotten worse and kept breaking out in small, everyday movements. There’s no chance he’s even training.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  German news outlet have confirmed that Kane is no longer in Bavaria as he undergoes treatment, with reporter David Verhoff saying: “You have to say that the back problems were minor in the beginning. Things haven't gotten any better in the last two weeks. That's why he left early to see his medical examiner. He is no longer in Munich.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

  That could be considered a worry for England, as Gareth Southgate prepares to name his preliminary squad for this summer’s European Championship. It is, however, claimed that there is optimism on Kane’s end that he will be fit in time to captain his country at another major tournament.

Following the chaotic transfer window that ensued over the summer, we now already find ourselves in January with the winter window now officially open.

Clubs tend to avoid dipping into the winter market as they’ll often be required to pay a premium for players. Nevertheless, we’re still expecting an influx of deals across the continent and beyond, particularly in the Saudi Pro League.

Read more: Saudi Pro League transfer rumours

So with the window now here, Football FanCast provides an informational guide detailing everything you need to know.

When did the January transfer window open?

Premier League

The Premier League January transfer window will open on Monday, 1 January 2024.

EFL

The EFL January transfer window will open on Monday, 1 January 2024.

La Liga

The La Liga January transfer window will open on Tuesday, 2 January 2024.

Serie A

The Serie A January transfer window will open on Tuesday, 2 January 2024.

Bundesliga

The Bundesliga January transfer window is expected to open on Monday, 1 January 2024.

Ligue 1

The Ligue 1 January transfer window will open on Monday, 1 January 2024.

Saudi Pro League

The Saudi Pro League January transfer window is expected to open on Monday, 1 January 2024.

When does the January transfer window close?

Premier League

Here in England, the Premier League January transfer window will close on Thursday, 1 February at 11pm GMT.

EFL

Here in England, the transfer window for the Football League will also close on Thursday, 1 February at 11pm GMT.

La Liga

Over in Spain, the La Liga January transfer window will close on Wednesday, 31 January at 11pm GMT.

Serie A

Over in Italy, the Serie A January transfer window will close on Wednesday, 31 January at 7pm GMT.

Bundesliga

Over in Germany, the Bundesliga January transfer window is expected to close on 1 February at 5pm GMT.

Ligue 1

Over in France, the Ligue 1 January transfer window will close on 31 January. Though timings aren’t currently known.

Saudi Pro League

The Saudi Pro League operates slightly differently, with their window due to slam shut a couple of days earlier on Tuesday, 30 January 2024.

Can clubs still sign players past the deadline?

Technically yes, clubs can sign players past the 11pm deadline, however, they’ll need to submit a deal sheet in order to do so.

A deal sheet must be signed and submitted between 9pm and 11pm leading up to the deadline. The form essentially provides the relevant authorities with evidence that a transfer has been agreed.

Should it be accepted, clubs will be granted an additional two hours to complete the proposed transfer, allowing for any last-minute formalities like medicals and outstanding paperwork to be completed.

The time varies when signing an international player, with the club having to abide by the FIFA Transfer Matching System deadline of 12am.

In order to register a player, the club must submit all the relevant documents to the Premier League, which include the contracts and the transfer agreement.

Transfers from abroad may require additional documents such as permission to work in the UK and international clearance.

All paperwork must align with Football Association (FA) rules and sometimes FIFA regulations.

How many loan players can clubs sign?

Premier League clubs can’t register more than two loan players at any one time. Across the course of a whole season, clubs can register four loan players.

Under no circumstances will sides be allowed to register two players on loan from the same club at any one time.

The rules vary slightly for the EFL, with teams able to register a maximum of five loan players in a matchday squad, though, no more than two can be over the age of 23.

Such is why we often see the loan market utilised far more in the lower leagues rather than the Premier League.

How many players can clubs loan?

FIFA have introduced a new ruling which will see a reduction in players going out on loan. Currently, teams can loan out a maximum of seven players, though, that will reduce by one each season. So put simply, in 2025/26 sides will only be allowed to loan out five players.

A 2021 Council of Europe Report believes the FIFA Transfer System Reform was introduced to protect the development of a young players career.

“The new regulations on the loan system are planned to prevent their misuses, protect careers of young players and ensure the integrity of competitions.

“Excessive loaning of players has influenced the competitive abilities of the clubs, distorted the uncertainty of the results of sport competitions and slowed down the development of the players’ careers.”

Clubs will now have to be more strategic moving forward and we may say a huge curtailment of slightly older players heading out on loan, with the younger generation taking priority.

Further, perhaps the loan-to-buy format clubs have often utilised in recent years will start to phase out with FIFA’s new rulings.

How many non-homegrown players can clubs sign?

Following the close of each transfer window, Premier League clubs must name their 25-man squad. Players under-21 can supplement this number throughout the campaign without having to take up one of the 25 spots, thus promoting more academy graduates.

No more than 17 non-homegrown players can be registered. In order to qualify as homegrown, the player must have played for an FA affiliated club for at least three years prior to turning 21.

So for example, Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez and Manchester City’s Nathan Ake both classify as homegrown, having been on the books of an English academy for three years before turning 21.

If sides don’t have enough homegrown players to fill the quota, they must name a smaller squad. For instance, Liverpool named a 24-man squad last season as they only had seven homegrown players.

Brexit has complicated matters, with clubs no longer able to sign players from the European Union under the age of 18. That would’ve impacted Manchester United, who wouldn’t have been able to sign Alejandro Garnacho untill July 2022.

Previous rules allowed United to sign the talented winger as a 16-year-old in October 2020, joining from Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea full-back Niamh Charles had to pull out of the England squad for the upcoming Euro 2025 qualifying games as Maya Le Tissier replaces her.

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• Niamh Charles out of England squad
• Le Tissier replaces Chelsea defender
• Lionesses began training on Monday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Lionesses confirmed on Monday that the Blues star will miss out on the team's upcoming Euro qualifying games against France due to a calf injury. She has been replaced in the 23-member squad by Manchester United central defender Le Tissier, who was kept on standby.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Along with Charles, Southampton goalkeeper Kayla Rendell also misses out on the upcoming games due to an ankle injury as Birmingham City custodian Lucy Thomas replaced her in the standby list. The 26-member unit – including the three standby players – started training on May 27 at St. George’s Park.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  The official statement from the England Football Team read: "Maya Le Tissier has moved into the 23-player England senior women’s squad for the forthcoming UEFA Women’s EURO qualifying fixtures with France. Le Tissier joins from standby and replaces Niamh Charles who will remain with Chelsea to manage a calf injury. Birmingham City goalkeeper Lucy Thomas has also joined the squad on standby. Thomas replaces the injured Kayla Rendell who is recuperating from an ankle injury.

  "Both Charles and Rendell will continue to be assessed prior to the July international window. Lotte Wubben-Moy, as previously announced, will undertake a period of recuperation during this international window because of a foot injury. The 26-players – including three on standby (Lucy Thomas, Missy Bo Kearns and Jess Naz) – arrived at St. George’s Park today as they look ahead to a double-header against Les Bleus, beginning at St. James' Park on Friday 31 May."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  Sarina Wiegman's side will play back-to-back Euro 2025 qualifying matches against Les Bleus on May 31 and June 4 respectively.

The January transfer window opened at the start of last week and Leeds United could look to add more quality to their squad before the end of the month.

Journalist Alex Crook recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Whites are due to be 'ambitious' in the market as they believe they have a good chance to earn promotion back to the Premier League.

The reporter also claimed that Bournemouth central defender Chris Mepham is one of the players they like, although it remains to be seen whether or not a swoop for his services is viable at this time.

Daniel Farke could repeat the masterclass he played with the signing of Joe Rodon last summer by securing a deal to sign the Cherries colossus.

The Welsh titan arrived on loan from top-flight side Tottenham Hotspur and, possibly thanks to his previous Championship experience, has hit the ground running.

Rodon's season in numbers

Leeds' fantastic loanee has established himself as a regular starter for the club with 22 league starts for the Whites so far this season since his summer switch.

He has been a reliable outlet in possession for his team with a pass success rate of 91%, which shows that the Spurs defender has rarely given the ball away when attempting to pass out from the back.

The 26-year-old ace has also been a dominant centre-back with a duel success rate of 68%, as he has been able to get the better of opposition forwards far more often than not.

Rodon had previously caught the eye for Swansea in the Championship during the 2020/21 campaign, with 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 59% across 21 league outings.

Leeds could now similarly play another blinder by signing another Welsh centre-back with second tier experience from a Premier League team.

The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Mepham

Mepham has only started two Premier League matches for Bournemouth so far this season and could be tempted by the prospect of more game time at Elland Road.

However, during the 2021/22 campaign, the Wales international showcased his ability at Championship level for the Cherries across 22 appearances.

As you can see in the table above, the £35k-per-week is comfortable with being busy in possession during matches and can progress the play through both passes and carries at an above-average rate.

The Bournemouth enforcer, who was hailed as "fantastic" by former boss Scott Parker at Championship level, has also shown signs of being a solid operator in the Premier League.

Mepham started 24 top-flight matches for the Cherries last season and won 62% of his duels, which shows that he was able to deal with the physicality of the division.

He also, impressively, ranked within the top 2% of Premier League centre-backs for clearances (6.22) per 90 and the top 20% for blocks (1.64) per 90.

Therefore, Farke could repeat his Rodon masterclass by signing another progressive and proven Championship central defender who can dominate opposition attackers in physical duels from a top-flight side.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

Mepham could compete for a starting berth and provide competition across the backline to ensure that the likes of Rodon and Pascal Struijk do not become complacent.

Erik ten Hag's Manchester United managerial job may yet be saved as the Dutchman reportedly has 'influential backers' following his FA Cup triumph.

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• Ten Hag in danger of sack at Man Utd
• FA Cup win gives him lifeline
• Now has growing support in boardroom

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to The Independent, United's 2-1 win over City in the FA Cup final has helped the Dutchman's case in his bid to keep his job. While the Red Devils have spoken to the camps of Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Kieran McKenna, and Thomas Frank, one argument being pushed by his defenders is the fact that Mikel Arteta struggled early on at Arsenal. Some believe the Spaniard had an "equivalent" first season at Arsenal to United's 2023-24 campaign, as he also won the FA Cup after finishing eighth in the Premier League, before going on to transform the Gunners into genuine title challengers.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Ten Hag led United to third place last season and a Carabao Cup triumph, without their surprise FA Cup win, they would have to reflect on an eighth-place finish this term and a sorry Champions League group stage exit. However, the report adds there is 'sympathy' for the Dutchman over injuries and a series of other distractions. Either way, the ex-Ajax boss may learn his fate in the coming week.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The report adds that while sacking Ten Hag would be an 'unpopular' decision amongst United fans, one highly prominent voice is 'adamant' a new manager should come in, and there have been questions raised about some of their recent signings.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Ten Hag, who has just headed off on his holidays, could reportedly be replaced by ex-Chelsea bosses Thomas Tuchel or Mauricio Pochettino – who are understood to be United's top targets. Brentford's Thomas Frank is considered behind them, as is the greatly admired Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has bankrolled a new £140m injection at the club, with one reporter sharing an update out of Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea January rumours

The Blues could well be busy during the winter transfer window, despite spending over €1bn since the start of the 2022/23 season, including 16 new arrivals over the summer.

However, things haven’t exactly gone to plan on the pitch under Mauricio Pochettino, with the club currently sitting in 10th place in the Premier League, losing as many games as they’ve won in the top flight.

Pochettino’s job doesn’t appear to be under threat at this moment in time, and instead, Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker, with a left-back addition also a possibility this month.

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic and AS Roma’s Paulo Dybala have been the recent attacking targets linked with moves to Stamford Bridge, although the former of the three could cost over £100m due to his release clause. That means that the cash may need to be splashed by Boehly yet again, but a new update has shown that the funds could be there for Chelsea to use.

Reporter shares £140m Chelsea update

Football Insider’s Sean Fisher shared an update on Wednesday, saying that Chelsea have received a £140m injection from their owners in the form of a new share issue.

He added that 1,000 new shares were purchased at a price of £1.4million per one pence share, although it is not clear whether the investment comes in the form of new cash or the conversion of debt into equity. The report also claims that ‘part of the raised funds could go towards improving Pochettino’s squad over January’.

As mentioned, Osimhen could cost in excess of £100m, so this latest cash injection may end up going towards a move for the Nigeria international. Should that be the case, Osimhen may take Chelsea to the next level in the final third, especially after enjoying his outstanding career-best 2022/23 season in front of goal.

His form has continued during the current campaign, and with the Blues holding “positive” talks with Osimhen’s entourage and the player being open to a Stamford Bridge move, he could be Chelsea’s marquee signing of 2024 following the £140m update involving Boehly and co.