^ ^ Chelsea struggling to secure future of highly-rated left-back Ian Maatsen

The youngster has just one year remaining on his contract with the club (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea remain uncertain about the future of Ian Maatsen despite numerous attempts to tie the defender down to a new contract with the club.

Maatsen turned down the chance to join Burnley on the final day of the summer transfer window after the Blues accepted a £31.5million offer for the full-back.

However, the Dutch defender has been unable to agree terms with the club on a new deal with little progress made on terms since the start of the month, according to the Telegraph.

The 21-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season meaning Chelsea may look to sell him in January if they are unable to agree terms by the end of the year.

Maatsen started his second game of the season in Chelsea’s midweek victory over Brighton in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

He has also made three substitute appearances in the Premier League and has established himself as a key member of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.

With injuries and suspension affecting Chelsea’s options at right-back, alongside concerns over Marc Cucurella’s long-term future at the club, Maatsen may well be in line for an even greater involvement in the starting XI if a new contract is agreed.

Maatsen turned down the opportunity to rejoin Burnley on deadline day (Picture: Getty)

The left-back joined the Chelsea youth setup after spells in the Netherlands with Feyenoord, Sparta Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven.

Having impressed on loan with Charlton Athletic and Coventry City, Maatsen spent last season on loan at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.

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Under the tutelage of the Belgian, he became a vital player in the Burnley side that stormed to the Championship title and returned to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Maatsen turned down the chance to reunite with the Clarets in the Premier League this season but still faces an uncertain future at Chelsea.

Pochettino’s side next face a trip to local rivals Fulham as they look to improve upon their poor start to the season.

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^ ^ Carabao Cup fourth round draw sees Manchester United face Newcastle

Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United booked their place in the fourth round on Tuesday night (Picture: Getty Images)

The draw for the fourth round of the Carabao Cup has been made, with a repeat of last season’s final between Manchester United and Newcastle United a standout tie.

There is also a notable all-Premier League clash between West Ham and Arsenal, while Mansfield meet Port Vale, meaning one of those unlikely sides will be heading into the quarter-finals.

Other favourites to lift the trophy in February include Liverpool who travel to Bournemouth and Chelsea who host Blackburn.

Manchester City were beaten on Wednesday night, losing 1-0 at Newcastle, ending Pep Guardiola’s hopes of regaining the Carabao Cup.

Carabao Cup Fourth Round Draw

Mansfield v Port Vale
Ipswich v Fulham
Manchester United v Newcastle
Bournemouth v Liverpool
Chelsea v Blackburn
West Ham v Arsenal
Everton v Burnley
Exeter v Middlesbrough

When is the fourth round played?

The matches will be played in the week commencing 30 October 2023.

The quarter-finals are on w/c 18 December and the two-legged semi-finals on w/c 8 and 21 January before the final on 25 February.

Carabao Cup Third Round Results

Bradford City 0–2 Middlesbrough
Exeter City 1–0 Luton Town
Ipswich Town 3–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Mansfield Town 2–2 (3–1 p) Peterborough United
Port Vale 2–1 Sutton United
Salford City 0–4 Burnley
Manchester United 3–0 Crystal Palace
Aston Villa 1-2 Everton
Blackburn Rovers 5-2 Cardiff City
Bournemouth 2-0 Stoke City
Brentford 0-1 Arsenal
Chelsea 1-0 Brighton
Fulham 2-1 Norwich City
Lincoln City 0-1 West Ham
Liverpool 3-1 Leicester City
Newcastle United 1-0 Manchester City

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^ ^ Carabao Cup round-up: Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all win but Man City crash out with defeat to Newcastle

Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all won but Man City crashed out in the third round (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all booked their spots in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday night while champions Manchester City crashed out with a shock 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United.

Arsenal travelled to Brentford and Reiss Nelson got them off to the perfect start as he fired the Gunners ahead on eight minutes.

It was eventually enough for Mikel Arteta’s side to seal a 1-0 victory as Aaron Ramsdale, who recently lost the No.1 spot to David Raya, recorded a clean sheet and Emile Smith Rowe picked up valuable minutes after being handed a start.

Chelsea locked horns with Brighton at Stamford Bridge and the Seagulls had two massive chances in the first half after errors from both Robert Sanchez and Moises Caicedo, but Joao Pedro and Ansu Fati could not find the back of the net.

Brighton paid for those missed opportunities as Nicolas Jackson fired Chelsea ahead in the second half – and he had the ball in the back of the net for a second time after the hour mark – but it was ruled out for offside as it ended 1-0.

Liverpool took on Leicester City and the Championship leaders stunned the Anfield crowd after just three minutes as Kasey McAteer slotted past Caoimhin Kelleher.

But Jurgen Klopp’s men produced a second-half comeback as Cody Gakpo levelled it up after an assist from summer signing Ryan Gravenberch before an absolute rocket from Dominik Szoboslai. Diogo Jota also got on the scoresheet late-on, finishing past Jakub Stolarczyk with a backheel as it finished 3-1.

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In the other third-round games, Premier League sides West Ham, Fulham and AFC Bournemouth progressed with victories over Lincoln City, Norwich City and Stoke City respectively.

League One side Lincoln thought they had took the lead against the Hammers in the first-half but the goal was ruled out for offside before Tomas Soucek’s goal sealed a 1-0 win for the east Londoners.

Meanwhile, Everton eliminated Aston Villa with a 2-1 victory in an all-Premier League battle to seal their spot in the fourth round and Blackburn Rovers knocked out Cardiff City with a 5-2 win.

GET IN!!!!!! 🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/fMdOENmOsf

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) September 27, 2023

But the biggest shock of the night game at St James’ Park as Pep Guardiola’s side suffered an early third-round exit to Newcastle.

Last season’s treble winners had won every single game in all competitions since losing the Community Shield on penalties to Arsenal heading into the clash against Eddie Howe’s side, but Alexander Isak’s goal saw City suffer a rare defeat.

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^ ^ Mauricio Pochettino has same problem as last two Chelsea managers, reckons Paul Merson

Mauricio Pochettino is struggling early in his Chelsea career (Picture: Getty Images)

Mauricio Pochettino has little chance of success as he doesn’t know his best team, just like the last two Chelsea managers, believes Arsenal hero Paul Merson.

It has been a difficult start to his tenure at Stamford Bridge for the former Spurs boss, winning just two matches of his first seven, beating Luton in the Premier League and AFC Wimbledon in the League Cup.

Merson feels that Pochettino has the same problem that Frank Lampard and Graham Potter before him had at Stamford Bridge, not knowing his best starting XI.

With an enormous amount of incomings and outgoings over the last year at Chelsea, it is understandable that things are confused, but Merson reckons Pochettino must work out his best team to have a chance of success.

‘It hasn’t changed. Nothing’s changed,’ Merson told Sky Sports of Pochettino’s reign at CHelsea so far. ‘The three football matches they’ve won in 21, was Bournemouth the week after they stayed up [last season], beat Wimbledon in the cup and beat Luton. No disrespect to Luton, but at home you’re expected to beat them.

‘He’s got the same problem as the last two managers at Chelsea – Potter and Lampard – Pochettino is exactly the same, he doesn’t know his best team. If you don’t know your best team I don’t see how you’ve got a chance of winning. Swap here, swap there.’

Merson feels a number of the young players Chelsea have brought in under their current owners are not good enough, and believes they still lack strength in depth, noting that Nicolas Jackson has been struggling in attack, but there has been no option to replace him.

‘I don’t think they’re good enough. For all the players they’ve bought, they haven’t bought a team,’ continued the former England forward.

‘I hope he [Pochettino] gets the time, but you just don’t know with the owners. I think come January they’ve got to bring in more experience. I don’t think all of them are good enough.

‘If you ain’t got a good centre-forward you don’t win nothing. Chelsea haven’t got a centre-forward. I like the kid, I like Jackson, but he’s a young lad. He should have been taken out of the firing line every day of the week by now, but they haven’t got anybody.’

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^ ^ Kevin Campbell urges Arsenal to sign Victor Osimhen amid Napoli fall-out

Victor Osimhen could be set to leave Napoli amid a nasty fall-out at the club (Picture: Getty)

Kevin Campbell has urged his former club Arsenal to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Gunners are reportedly looking to sign a new forward in the January transfer window and have been strongly linked to Brentford star Ivan Toney.

However, Campbell thinks the north Londoners could get Osimhen if they wait until the end of the season.

Osimhen has registered 62 goals and 15 assists across 107 games for the Italian side, helping them lift the Serie A title last term.

But his future at Napoli appears to be up in the air amid a nasty fall-out and Osimhen could be set to leave amid reported interest from Premier League clubs.

‘What Osimhen would cost, it would be ground-breaking,’ Campbell told Sky Sports. ‘But it’s just like anything, isn’t it?

‘If you want to be that side and you want that style of play, that type of player, you’ve got to pay the money.

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‘Obviously with Champions League money now coming in, Arsenal might be in with a shout of signing Osimhen next summer.’

Campbell is not ruling out a move for Toney, though, and has identified him as another option if the Gunners feel they cannot wait until the end of the season.

‘(Brentford manager) Thomas Frank might have somebody who can help Arsenal this season,’ he added. ‘Arsenal might look to do a deal in January.’

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^ ^ Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is ‘his own worst enemy,’ says Anton Ferdinand

Arteta’s side remain unbeaten but have fallen behind Manchester City in the title race (Picture: Getty)

Anton Ferdinand believes that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is ‘his own worst enemy’ and feels that the Spaniard’s overthinking could cost his side.

Despite going ahead twice in the north London derby on Sunday, Arteta’s team were pegged back on both occasions by Tottenham and were forced to settle with a 2-2 draw.

It continues Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season, but they now sit four points off Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after the champions’ 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest.

Having pushed Pep Guardiola’s side all the way last season, Arteta has made a few changes to his side’s set-up this season. David Raya looks to have replaced Aaron Ramsdale in goal, while the Gunners boss appears to be trying to implement a more attacking midfield three with Martin Odegaard playing alongside new summer signings Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.

While Ferdinand believes that the chopping and changing could hurt his Arsenal side, the former Premier League defender still believes Arteta is the right man for the job.

‘At times I think he overthinks,’ he said speaking on FIVE’s YouTube channel. ‘He said it himself that he is obsessed with different formations and wanting to be the best.

‘You need to be like that but I feel like it can sometimes cloud his judgement when it comes to in-game management and he overthinks a bit.

‘But overall it’s fantastic what he’s doing. He’s bringing in younger players who will make them better in time.

‘You can see a clear identity not only in terms of the playing style but in terms of the culture and the direction of the football.

‘Last year they challenged for the title. This year, I know they have spent a lot of money and there is more pressure, however, he’s changed the club’s fortunes and the mentality of the fanbase to go ‘we are in it [the title race] again.”

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Despite some critics, Arteta appears steadfast in his approach, even suggesting after his side’s win against Everton that he would consider substituting goalkeepers during a game.

Arsenal travel to Brentford in the third round of the Carabao Cup tonight before facing Bournemouth away in the league on Saturday.

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^ ^ Real Madrid want Premier League manager to replace Carlo Ancelotti

Roberto De Zerbi joined Brighton just over a year ago (Photo: Getty)

Real Madrid have identified Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as a top candidate to replace Carlo Ancelotti next summer, according to reports.

Los Blancos have been on the hunt for a new head coach following the announcement that Ancelotti will ending his second spell with the La Liga giants at the end of the season.

The former Chelsea and Everton boss is set to takeover the Brazil national team next June, just a few weeks before the start of the 2024 Copa America.

Ancelotti has said that he would like to see a former Real star take the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Xabi Alonso the name most closely linked with the job.

The Liverpool and Real legend began his managerial career just last year with Bayer Leverkusen and has impressed so far, recently signing a new long-term contract with the Bundesliga side.

But according to Spanish outlet Cadena, there is another name high on Real’s shortlist: De Zerbi.

The Italian joined Brighton early into last season following Graham Potter’s ill-fated move to Chelsea, and has very quickly established himself as one of the Premier League’s best and most exciting managers.

Carlo Ancelotti is the only manager to have won four Champions Leagues (Photo: Getty)

He guided the Seagulls to the FA Cup semi-finals and a sixth-place finish, qualifying the club for European competition for the first time in its history.

Despite losing many of their best players over the summer, including Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, Brighton have continued their fine form in 2023/24, with the side third in the table after five wins in six matches.

De Zerbi, who previously managed Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk, currently has a contract at the Amex until 2026.

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While the selection process is still in it’s early phases, Real greatly admire the 44-year-old, especially for the way his side play free-flowing, attacking football, and view him as a viable candidate alongside the likes of Alonso and fellow club legends Raul and Alvaro Arbeloa.

Ancelotti will of course be a hard act to follow, having won many trophies with Los Blancos over his two spells, including the La Liga title and two Champions Leagues.

For now, De Zerbi is preparing Brighton for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup clash at Chelsea, which will be followed by a league meeting at Aston Villa, which, if results align, could send the club to the top of the table.

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