The New York Mets clinched a playoff spot with an 8–7 win over the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a crucial doubleheader on Monday afternoon.
The win didn't come easily for the Mets, though. New York was down 3–0 entering the eighth inning, but then scored six runs in the inning to take the lead. The Braves answered with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to go up 7–6.
The Mets' season survived thanks to Francisco Lindor, who in the ninth inning launched a two-run home run that would eventually seal the win for the Mets. He was understandably excited after the game.
"It's been a lot, it's been hard. It's been an uphill fight since the beginning of the year, we never quit. We're definitely going to enjoy this one," Lindor said. "I really wanted this one, but not for myself. … We wanted it for everybody."
As Lindor was speaking in his interview, the crowd chanted "MVP!" repeatedly for him.
The Mets and Braves play a second game on Monday afternoon to determine what seed New York will be. With just the one win, the Mets will sit in the sixth spot, but if they win the second game, they will move up to the fifth spot in the wild card.
Manchester United made it three successive wins in the Premier League at the weekend when they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Bryan Mbeumo was, arguably, the star of the show with his two impressive goals for the Red Devils, taking his tally for the season to five goals since his move from Brentford.
The Cameroon international was not the only United star who caught the eye with an excellent display for Ruben Amorim in the win over the Seagulls, though.
Experienced central midfielder Casemiro impressed with his performance in the middle of the park, although his goal was rather fortunate with the deflection off Ayari.
The Brazil international provided a goal and an assist, whilst winning four of his six ground duels (Sofascore), in the 4-2 win for United, which shows that he was effective in and out of possession.
Despite producing an eye-catching display for the Premier League giants alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield, Manchester United may be starting to think about what life will look like after Casemiro.
Why Man Utd need a replacement for Casemiro
The Brazilian midfielder will be 34 when his contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season, and it remains to be seen whether or not the club will exercise their option to extend it by a further year.
This means that they may be looking at who will take his place in midfield alongside Bruno in the mid-to-long-term. Kobbie Mainoo, though, may not be that player, for reasons outlined by Amorim.
As shown in the comments above, the Portuguese head coach views the England international as an alternative to Bruno, rather than as a defensive option to take Casemiro’s spot.
That leaves Manuel Ugarte as the only natural replacement within the current first-team squad. That is a concern because his performances for the club last season left far too much to be desired.
24/25 PL
Manuel Ugarte
Rank vs midfielders
Non-penalty goals
0.05
Bottom 41%
xAG
0.06
Bottom 30%
Shot-creating actions
1.56
Bottom 16%
Progressive passes
3.08
Bottom 18%
Progressive carries
0.81
Bottom 23%
Passes into the final third
2.96
Bottom 36%
Passes into the penalty area
0.45
Bottom 20%
Stats via FBref
Ugarte, as shown in the statistics above, was among the worst midfielders in the division in a host of key possession-based metrics, which shows that he does not offer enough on the ball.
Casemiro has had a turbulent time at Old Trafford, as shown in the graphic below, but his recent performance against Brighton shows that he can still offer quality in and out of possession.
With Amorim’s view of Mainoo and Ugarte’s lack of quality, Manchester United may have to look elsewhere to find a replacement for the former Real Madrid star.
Man Utd preparing offer for Premier League midfielder
The Red Devils appear to have identified that as an issue in the squad, as they are reportedly looking to sign a new midfielder in the next window.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to TuttoJuve, Manchester United are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Chelsea’s versatile midfielder Andrey Santos in the January transfer window.
The report claims that the Premier League giants and Juventus are both keen on a move for the Brazil international, as they look to bolster their midfields ahead of the second half of the campaign.
TuttoJuve adds that both clubs are preparing to make offers to sign the 21-year-old starlet, which suggests that they are both serious about a deal for his services.
Al-Qadsiah had an offer of around £60m (£59.5m) turned down for the midfielder last month. This suggests that United and Juventus will need to be in or above that ballpark if they want to snap him up in January.
Why Man Utd should sign Andrey Santos
The Red Devils should be pushing to beat Juventus to Santos’ signature in the January transfer window, even if it costs north of £60m, because he could be the perfect long-term replacement for Casemiro.
He has only started two of his seven appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea this season, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, two midfielders who cost over £100m each, ahead of him. This means that he has not had too much of an opportunity to shine for the Blues.
His performances whilst on loan at Strasbourg in Ligue 1 last season, though, suggest that he has the quality in and out of possession to be a dream signing for United to replace Casemiro in the defensive midfield role in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.
Santos, including the stunning strike in the clip above, scored 11 goals and provided four assists in all competitions for Strasbourg in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he can make a big impact in possession from a central midfield position.
Analyst Ben Mattinson described the Brazilian star as a “duel monster” who “has everything you want in a CM”, and his statistics in Ligue 1 last season back up that claim, as he was influential all over the pitch.
24/25 Ligue 1
Andrey Santos
Percentile rank vs CMs
Goals
10
Top 1%
Assists
3
Top 20%
Passes completed
1,400
Top 7%
Successful dribbles
18
Top 18%
Fouls won
63
Top 1%
Tackles won
110
Top 1%
Duels won
228
Top 2%
Duel success rate
66.7%
Top 5%
Blocked shots
14
Top 14%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Santos excelled in virtually every aspect of the game, as a scorer, a passer, an assister, a dribbler, a duel winner, a tackler, a blocker. He did it all for Strasbourg.
These statistics suggest that the 21-year-old star has all the qualities that Amorim would want from his defensive and combative midfield player next to Bruno, because he has the defensive and duel-winning skills to screen the defence, whilst still being good enough to make an impact in possession.
Euro club's target: £105k-p/w Man Utd star is "set to move" in January
The Red Devils could be able to cut ties in January.
BySean Markus Clifford Oct 27, 2025
Therefore, he could take the best qualities of Ugarte and Mainoo and combine them to be a complete star for United in the middle of the park as Casmeiro’s long-term replacement, as he is 12 years younger than his international teammate.
O Santos fez acordo para reverter a punição do Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) e não perderá mais o apoio da torcida ou mandos de campo na Vila Belmiro no Brasileirão 2023.
+ Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui
Antes, o clube havia sofrido punição de dois jogos com portões fechados, em razão de arremessos de objetos ao gramado durante a vitória sobre o Grêmio, no dia 20 de agosto.
+ Acompanhe em tempo real o Brasil na disputa do Pan-Americano
O Peixe, então, entrou com recurso e conquistou efeito suspensivo. Com isso, o STJD suspendeu a pena e ainda avaliaria o recurso santista para redefinir a punição.
Para não acontecer o julgamento e manter a Vila aberta ao público nas partidas, o Santos conseguiu uma transação disciplinar, que é um acordo para reverter a punição inicial em uma multa.
Parte do valor pago ao STJD referente à multa será repassado para instituições de caridade. No entanto, em supostas infrações futuras, o clube pode não conseguir o mesmo acordo por ser considerado reincidente.
+ Camisa 10! Aposte R$100 e ganhe R$400 com Gabigol e o Flamengo contra o Grêmio
+ Artilheiro! Aposte R$100 e receba R$700 com Veiga e Palmeiras contra o São Paulo
Mesmo assim, por enquanto, o Alvinegro zerou sua pendência com a Justiça Desportiva e terá o reforço da Vila Belmiro na luta contra o rebaixamento no Campeonato Brasileiro.
QUAL FOI O DELITO DO SANTOS NA PARTIDA CONTRA O GRÊMIO?
Durante o duelo, dois copos e uma placa de gesso foram lançados ao campo de jogo, segundo relatado pela súmula da arbitragem. Apesar de nenhum dos objetos acertar os presentes no gramado, em uma dessas ocasiões, o líquido do recipiente atingiu o assistente da partida.
Com essa situação, o Santos foi enquadrado no artigo 213 do Código Brasileiro de Justiça Desportiva (CBJD), que fala sobre “deixar de tomar providências capazes de prevenir e reprimir lançamento de objetos no campo ou local da disputa do evento desportivo”.
Liverpool slipped to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League for the first time under Arne Slot on Saturday when they lost 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
A last-gasp finish from Willian Estevao secured all three points for the home side in a game that they deserved to win with their front-foot approach.
More and more questions will be asked of the club’s recruitment work during the summer transfer window, as Florian Wirtz came on at half-time and failed to turn the game in Liverpool’s failure.
The Germany international arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in a £115m deal in the summer, but he is still searching for his first goal contribution in the Premier League.
Wirtz lost six of his eight duels and created one chance in 45 minutes against Chelsea, per Sofascore, which shows that he struggled off the ball and did not add much to the team in possession.
Given that he came in from the Bundesliga for a gigantic transfer fee, there may be some comparisons drawn to the signing of Naby Keita from RB Leipzig, but that may not be fair.
Why Florian Wirtz is not the next Naby Keita
The Reds paid £52.75m to sign the central midfielder, who officially joined the club in 2018, from Leipzig, and he failed to live up to his price tag.
In five seasons at Anfield, Keita produced just 11 goals and seven assists in 129 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he did not provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.
He had scored 17 goals and provided 15 assists in 71 matches for Leipzig in Germany, which means that he was unable to translate his form from his previous club over to his time with Liverpool.
Whilst Wirtz has not had the goals and assists that he would have wanted by this point, the German star’s underlying numbers suggest that he is not on course to be the next Bundesliga flop, like Keita was.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is doing the right things at the top end of the pitch, but needs something to go his way to start racking up goals and assists on a regular basis.
25/26 Premier League
Florian Wirtz
Percentile rank vs AMs
Goals
0
Bottom 3%
xG on target
0.83
Top 27%
Assists
0
Bottom 3%
xA
0.87
Top 18%
Chances created
11
Top 10%
Successful crosses
5
Top 16%
Touches in the opposition’s box
26
Top 14%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Wirtz ranks highly among his positional peers for input, with chances created, xA, and xG on target, but the output, goals and assists, is not quite there yet.
If he continues to take high-quality shots and create chances for his teammates on a regular basis, the goals and assists will follow and he will not be deemed to be the next Keita at Anfield.
This is why Wirtz, who assisted Hugo Ekitike on his debut in the Community Shield, is not going to be the next Keita, because he is on the right path to becoming a success at Anfield.
However, there is another summer signing for Liverpool from the Bundesliga who may be in danger of becoming the next version of the Guinea international after a rough start to life on Merseyside.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Liverpool splashed out £29.5m to sign Netherlands international Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer in an attempt to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who departed on a free transfer to sign for Real Madrid.
Unfortunately, the former Manchester City and Celtic full-back has had a difficult time of things since his return to English football, and is now in danger of becoming the new Keita.
Why Jeremie Frimpong may be the next Naby Keita
As aforementioned, the former Leipzig midfielder was a flop from the Bundesliga at Anfield as he failed to translate his attacking form in Germany over to the Premier League with the Reds.
Frimpong delivered 30 goals and 44 assists in 190 appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen during his time with the Bundesliga side, playing as a wing-back more often than not.
His output in the final third led the official Bundesliga YouTube channel to question whether or not the Dutch dynamo was the best attacking full-back in the world earlier this year.
Slot, however, does not play with traditional wing-backs, and Frimpong has found the transition back to playing as a regular right-back, which is the role he played for Celtic earlier in his career, a difficult one.
The 24-year-old star has found himself third in the pecking order at right-back at this moment in time, as he was an unused substitute in the defeat to Chelsea that saw Connor Bradley start the match and Dominik Szoboszlai end the game at right-back.
Frimpong, who was described as a “breathtaking” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has only started one match in the Premier League so far this season, and has been an unused substitute on two occasions.
25/26 Premier League
Jeremie Frimpong
Appearances
3
Starts
1
Goals
0
Big chances created
0
Key passes
0
Assists
0
Ground duel success rate
44%
Aerial duel success rate
0%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman has struggled on and off the ball in the top-flight so far this season, losing the majority of his physical duels whilst also failing to create a single chance for his teammates in three appearances.
The former Man City academy graduate was given an opportunity to start on the right wing against Galatasaray in the Champions League, but he ended the game with no goals, no assists, and seven out of nine duels lost, per Sofascore.
These statistics, in the Champions League and the Premier League, show that Frimpong has struggled with a new role and the increased physicality of English football, which is why he is in danger of becoming the next Keita.
Liverpool star slammed after fewest touches and "dire" display vs Chelsea
It was a hard watch at Stamford Bridge.
By
Henry Jackson
Oct 5, 2025
Unless he is able to turn his form, in and out of possession, around in the weeks and months to come, the Dutchman may end up being the next Bundesliga flop at Anfield.
Ayush Mhatre raced to an 80-ball 126 but with all results on the table, rain had the final say again
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-Jul-2025Ben Dawkins struck a century and Ralphie Albert claimed a ten-wicket haul as England Under-19 drew against India Under-19 in the second Youth Test in Chelmsford. Kent opener Dawkins made an impressive 136 and shared a 188-run opening stand with Adam Thomas before England declared on 324 for 5 thanks to some middle-order firepower, as they looked to pursue an unlikely win. But Ayush Mhatre’s century extinguished those hopes despite Surrey spinner Albert’s eventual match figures of 10 for 129. The result meant that the two-match series finished level.With the pitch offering little assistance at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, England’s openers picked up where they left off and Dawkins brought up his half-century with a flick off his pads for two in the fourth over of the day.Thomas provided ample support, on his way to 91, as England quickly extended their lead towards 200 in the first hour as the Indian attack toiled.India had a half-chance for an opening wicket as both openers entered the nervous nineties, but Dawkins narrowly avoided a run-out after taking a hasty single to cover.With lunch looming, Aditya Rawat finally got the breakthrough, taking a regulation caught-and-bowled chance as Thomas fell short of a century.Dawkins brought up a deserved hundred on the brink of lunch with a piercing cover drive for four, having nearly been caught on 99 playing the same shot on the previous ball.Ben Mayes looked to counterattack but was dismissed by Rawat for a quickfire 11 when a leading edge flew straight down the throat of Henil Patel at deep third.As England’s lead passed 250, Dawkins and Thomas Rew began to attack more with the skipper hitting a flurry of boundaries before Rawat bowled him for 19.As the runs flowed, so did the wickets, as Dawkins and Rocky Flintoff continued the boundary assault before both were caught in the deep.After Aaryan Sawant and Ekansh Singh smashed a few sixes of their own, England eventually declared on 324 for 5, leaving India with 65 overs to chase down 355 or simply survive.England got off to a dream start when Alex Green’s opening delivery was chopped on by 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, fuelling the hopes of victory.But India soon extinguished these hopes. While Vihaan Malhotra dug in, Mhatre attacked, racking up 50 in just 25 balls as India steadied the ship.Albert’s drop at long on when Mhatre was on 54 looked like a potentially pivotal moment as the clouds grew darker and the floodlights switched on.But Albert wasted no time in making amends with the ball, as he dismissed Malhotra in his first over, leaving India 100 for 2 as tea beckoned.India also harboured dim hopes of victory as Abhigyan Kundu joined Mhatre and hit two sixes in the first two overs after the break to keep ahead of the required run rate.Mhatre also kept the momentum going and made the most of his earlier reprieve to bring up a remarkable century off 64 balls.Kundu was equally aggressive in the middle and brought up his half-century with a well-placed four, striking at over 150 in the process.But Mhatre finally fell for 126, caught by Mayes on the long-on boundary as Albert got his revenge, triggering a mini-collapse for India.Kundu edged to slip 15 minutes later before Rahul Kumar chipped the ball straight back to Mayes, swinging the momentum back towards England.However, India’s lower order rallied and when drizzle forced the players off the umpires ended the match as a draw.
With their backs against the wall, the Guardians came up big in ALCS Game 3 against the New York Yankees. First, it was Jhonkensy Noel, who tied the game with a monster two-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth off Luke Weaver.
An inning later, David Fry further etched his name in Cleveland postseason lore when he smashed a walk-off two-run shot off Clay Holmes to hand Game 3 to the Guardians.
Fry, who has already delivered some walk-off heroics earlier in this postseason, torched a hanging sinker from Holmes and parked it in the seats in left field. He admired the hit, too, aware from the moment he made contact that the baseball was destined for the stands.
Fry's walk-off homer left MLB fans in awe, and they weighed in on social media to share their excitement.
أصبح من غير المتوقع أن يستمر أنطونيو روديجر وديفيد ألابا مع ريال مدريد لفترة أطول، حيث أنهما حالياً في أواخر مسيرتهما الكروية.
ويعتمد بقاء ثنائي ريال مدريد على عدة عوامل، منها مستوى روديجر وألابا ولياقتهما البدنية ومع ذلك فقد حان الوقت ليخطط النادي على المدى الطويل.
ويعمل تشابي ألونسو وفلورنتينو بيريز على هذا الصعيد، وقد تعاقد ريال مدريد في الصيف الماضي مع دين هويسن كما شكلت عودة ميليتاو دفعة قوية.
وأفادت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية بأن ريال مدريد يرغب في القيام بصفقة دفاعية كبرى في يونيو ويراقب بعض مواهب الأكاديمية للعودة للعب دور أكبر مع الفريق الأول.
أقرأ أيضاً.. قائمة ريال مدريد لمواجهة رايو فاليكانو.. موقف ألابا
ويراقب ريال مدريد تطور جاكوبو رامون مع كومو هذا الموسم، ويعرف تشابي ألونسو اللاعب جيداً وقد منحه دقائق مشاركة في كأس العالم للأندية والذي أعرب عن رضاه مما يراه ويسمعه عن لاعب كومو.
وكان ريال مدريد قد أبقى على بند إعادة شراء المدافع صاحب الـ20 عاماً والذي بدأ بشكل جيد في إيطاليا، وتبلغ قيمة البند 8 ملايين يورو فقط لذا فإن عودته لن تشكل مشكلة.
It wasn’t the perfect performance, but Chelsea are now through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
At one point in their clash away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Enzo Maresca’s men looked like they were going to run away with it.
Unfortunately, some really sloppy play and defending in the second half let the Old Gold right back into it.
With that said, Chelsea managed to get out of there with the win, and one player in particular showed why he could be another Cole Palmer, and no, it wasn’t Estevao.
Chelsea's standout stars vs Wolves
One Chelsea starter who did his chances of playing more minutes well on Wednesday night was Andrey Santos.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The Brazilian ace started in the middle of the park and made an instant impact, scoring the opening goal just five minutes in.
It was a well-taken shot from just outside the area, but that wasn’t all he did, as he ended the game with 100% of his tackles won, ten ball recoveries and seven of eight ground duels won.
In short, it was an excellent all-action display from the 21-year-old and just the sort of showing fans were hoping to see from him this season.
One of his teammates who wasn’t quite as impactful, but is still worthy of praise, is Estevao.
The Brazilian wonderkid didn’t make any key passes or complete more than two crosses, but he did score a sensational chip to make it 3-0 in the 41st minute.
Finally, while he didn’t get a goal involvement like his midfield partner, Romeo Lavia, helped to keep things ticking over in the middle of the park for the Blues.
Minutes
61′
Key Passes
1
Touches
67
Accurate Passes
54/59 (92%)
Fouls Won
2
Interceptions
1
Clearances
1
Recoveries
7
Ground Duels (Won)
5 (4)
Aerial Duels (Won)
1 (1)
In his 61 minutes of action, the young Belgian completed 54 of 59 passes, played one key pass, took 67 touches, made seven ball recoveries and won five of six duels.
Perhaps the best thing you can say about the former Southampton gem’s performance is that Wolves scored two of their three goals when he was off the pitch.
With all that said, there was another Chelsea player who stood out above all the others and showed just why he could be another Palmer-type star.
Chelsea's new Palmer-type star
When it comes down to the player who impressed most on Wednesday night, it’s impossible to look past Jamie Gittens, and it’s the summer signing who could be the club’s new Palmer-type star.
Now, it’s important to caveat that this doesn’t mean he will become as good a player as the Blues’ number ten – few players ever will be – but there are some similarities.
For example, both of them have come from Manchester City’s academies, both can play out wide, the former Borussia Dortmund gem is almost certainly going to be involved in the senior England setup at some point, and, crucially, Gittens is capable of the incredible.
Yes, the 21-year-old has indeed underwhelmed so far this season, but against Wolves, he showed that he has it in him to utterly dominate an opposition and drag his side to victory.
For example, he provided the assist for Santos to open the scoring, and then, just ten minutes later, he did even better, setting up Tyrique George with a tap-in he simply couldn’t miss.
Then, if that wasn’t enough, the Reading-born monster made sure his side didn’t throw the game away by scoring an absolute screamer to make it 4-2 in the 90th minute.
It was the sort of goal you’d expect a player of Palmer’s calibre to score, and perhaps an indication that the Blues might have another superstar on their hands.
Overall, it really was, as one content creator put it, a “masterclass” of a performance from Gittens, and one that should see him remain in the team for the next few games.
Not Caicedo: Chelsea's "joke of a footballer" is now looking like Lampard
The international monster is beginning to embody Frank Lampard’s greatness for Chelsea.
Tottenham’s majority owner ENIC, which is run by the Lewis family Trust, has injected £100million of new capital into the club.
The announcement on Thursday morning is the latest statement of intent by the Lewis family Trust, which invited Daniel Levy to step down as chairman on September 4 in an effort to achieve more on-field success at Spurs.
Three expressions of interest in buying a stake in Premier League club Tottenham have been “unequivocally rejected” during the last month by the Lewis family Trust and further funds are available to help Thomas Frank, the PA news agency understands.
A source close to the family gave PA an exciting 5-word update that implies further investment is on the way.
They continued: “As the club’s management decides what’s needed to deliver success, more money will be available. The Lewis family is committed to backing the club to be successful.”
A statement on the official club website claimed “this equity injection will further strengthen the club’s financial position and equip the club’s leadership team with additional resources to continue the focus on driving long-term sporting success”.
New Spurs boss Frank has made a strong start to life in north London, winning six of his opening 11 matches in charge and guiding the club to third in the Premier League going into the October international break.
Peter Charrington, who was named non-executive chairman in the wake of Levy’s sudden departure, said: “As I stated a few weeks ago, our focus is on stability and empowering the management team to deliver on the club’s ambitions.
“I know the Lewis family are also ambitious for the future. Today’s capital commitment reflects that ambition and I would like to thank them for their ongoing support.
“We will continue to do all we can to ensure that Vinai (Venkatesham, CEO) and his team are supported in the best way possible to take this club forward.”
The ENIC plan that "weakened" Levy before he was "pushed" out of Tottenham
The Lilywhites chief announced his shock exit on Thursday.
Premier League rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all set to go head-to-head in the transfer market to secure a move for FC Porto's star striker Samu Aghehowa. The young Spaniard has enjoyed tremendous success since moving to the Liga Portugal in the summer of 2024. The 21-year-old is a key figure in the Porto squad, but the club are reportedly ready to sanction a move for him.
Chelsea are back in the race for Aghehowa
The Blues were linked with a move for the young Spanish striker in the summer of 2024 and had even agreed to pay £35 million ($44m) to secure his transfer but the move collapsed at the last moment after Aghehowa failed his medical test, following sustaining an ankle injury. The youngster returned to Atletico Madrid before being shipped off to FC Porto.
Aghehowa enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in Portugal as he scored 27 goals across all competitions and provided three assists. In the 2025-26 season, the 21-year-old has scored nine goals in 11 appearances. As Aghehowa continues with stunning form, he has attracted interest from Chelsea, alongside Tottenham Hotspur, according to .
AdvertisementAFPPorto ready to sell star forward
The report further adds that former Blues manager and current Porto president Andre Villas-Boas is ready to sanction a move for Aghehowa. The striker's current deal at the Liga Portugal side runs until 2029 and has a €100million (£88m/$115.9m) release clause; however, Villas-Boas could let him leave for €80m as he considers it to be an "irresistible deal".
Correio da Manha also claims that Porto are ready to sell the striker in the upcoming January transfer window due to financial pressure, and the club believes that they are well covered in the striker position and feels that the management will be able to find a suitable replacement for Aghehowa within the roster.
While the two London clubs are being strongly linked with a move for the Spain international, there is no guarantee that either of the clubs would consider making a bid for the Porto star in the next transfer window, as both teams spent heavily during the summer.
Aghehowa rejected two Premier League bids in summer
The other clubs from the English top-flight had shown interest in Aghehowa in the last summer transfer window as Newcastle United and Aston Villa reportedly considered signing him, but both offers were turned down.
Portuguese outlet Record reported in August that the Magpies had enquired about the striker as they were desperately looking for Alexander Isak's replacement at that time. But despite their strong interest, the Spaniard turned the offer down as he was fully committed to Porto's campaign and was looking forward to winning more trophies. In the case of the Villans, the club made an enquiry with Porto but did not make an advance due to his massive release clause, which the Premier League were not in a position to match.
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Chelsea back to winning ways
After a shock defeat at the hands of Sunderland last weekend, Chelsea returned to winning ways on Saturday as they edged out Spurs 1-0 courtesy of Joao Pedro's first-half strike. The Blues climbed back into the Premier League's top four with a deserved win away at Spurs on Saturday. Enzo Maresca's side were head and shoulders above their London rivals as the disparity between the two teams was clear for all to see throughout the 90 minutes, with Thomas Frank's side registering just three shots in total and one on target.
The Blues next face Qarabag in the Champions League away from home on Wednesday, before hosting Wolves for a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on November 8.