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Chelsea target Jonathan David may be on the move this summer; however, he may not end up leaving Lille to complete a move to Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Jonathan David?

As per L'Equipe via The Daily Mail, Chelsea are keen to bring David to west London in the forthcoming transfer window to try and beef up their forward line.

The report claims that Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also monitoring the 23-year-old's situation and could look to enact a swoop in the summer.

Sky Sport Germany reported Florian Plettenberg has also revealed that Bayern Munich are interested in the Canadian forward, stating on Twitter:

"Bayern scouted him. They are monitoring his situation. Chief scout Pilawa has a good opinion about him. But no concrete talks yet. Not hot at this stage. Concrete talks between the bosses & Tuchel (about names & positions) scheduled for the next weeks."

Capology understands that David earns around €32,308 (£28,173) per week on the books at Lille and has a contract at his current employers until June 2025.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones is sceptical over whether David could move to Chelsea in the summer.

Jones told FFC: "I think Jonathan David's definitely a player that is going to be in line for a transfer this summer. I do believe he can end up in the Premier League, I'm just not wholly convinced that it's going to be at Chelsea."

Would Jonathan David be a good signing for Chelsea this summer?

David has certainly given a good account of himself in France this season, netting 23 goals and laying on a further four assists for Lille in 35 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also notes that the 23-year-old has gained an average rating of 7.22/10 for his exploits this term, making him the second-most consistent performer at Lille across 2022/23 behind Remy Cabella.

At international level, David has also turned into something of a talisman for Canada, powering home 24 strikes in 40 international caps for John Herdman's men.

The Brooklyn-born ace has also led the line in exemplary fashion outwith his goalscoring record, successfully carrying out 101 shot-creating actions in Ligue 1, as per FBRef.

As Chelsea seek to avoid a repeat scenario of what has been a disappointing season for all involved at Stamford Bridge, signing David could well be a step in the right direction heading into 2023/24.

تعرف على نتائج مباريات كأس أمم إفريقيا، اليوم السبت 20-1-2024 وترتيب مجموعات البطولة

أسدل الستار على مباريات اليوم السبت 20-1-2024 ببطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا والذي شهد خوض ثلاث مواجهات، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات.

والتقي منتخب الجزائر مع نظيره بوركينا فاسو، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثانية لدور المجموعات من كأس أمم إفريقيا في مباراة انتهت بالتعادل (2-2).

وتقدم منتخب بوركينا فاسو في الدقيقة 45+3 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة عن طريق مهاجمه محمد كوناتي برأسية من داخل منطقة الجزاء، لجأ فيها الحكم إلى تقنية الفار بعد احتساب تسلل في بداية الأمر.

طالع |ترتيب مجموعة الجزائر في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023 بعد التعادل مع بوركينا فاسو ونهاية الجولة الثانية

وتعادل بغداد بونجاح في الدقيقة 51 من بداية الشوط الثاني، بعد دربكة في خط دفاع المنتخب البوركيني.

وعاد منتخب بوركينا فاسو وتقدم بالهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 71 عن طريق بيرتراند تراوري من ركلة جزاء.

وفي الدقائق الأخيرة من عمر اللقاء، سجل بغداد بو نجاح هدف الجزائر الثاني والتعادل في الوقت القاتل وتحديدًا في الدقيقة 90+4.

وبتلك النتيجة، يكون منتخب بوركينا فاسو في صدارة المجموعة الرابعة برصيد 4 نقاط من فوز وتعادل.

بينما يتواجد منتخب الجزائر في المركز الثاني برصيد نقطتين بعد تعادلين في الجولتين الأولى والثانية.

منتخب الجزائر كان قد استهل مشواره في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا بتعادل إيجابي أمام أنجولا بهدف لمثله. أهداف مباراة الجزائر وبوركينا فاسو في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023

وفي لقاء آخر، حقق منتخب أنجولا فوزًا مثيرًا على موريتانيا، بثلاثية مقابل هدفين، في مباراة ممتعة ضمن الجولة الثانية من المجموعة الرابعة ببطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

مباراة أنجولا وموريتانيا جمعت بين الفريقين على ملعب السلام بمدينة بواكي الإيفوارية، بصافرة الحكم المصري محمد معروف.

شوط المباراة الأول شهد تبادلاً للفرص بين الفريقين، قبل أن يتمكن المنتخب الأنجولي من تسجيل الهدف الأول بعد خطأ في إبعاد الكرة من ركنية على مرمى موريتانيا، ليستغلها جيلسون دالا ويهز شباك الحارس باباكار نياسي، في الدقيقة 30.

وقبل نهاية الشوط الأول بدقيقتين فقط، تمكن سيدي بونا عمار، من تسجيل هدف التعادل، بأحد أفضل أهداف البطولة، بمرور رائع من دفاعات أنجولا، ووضع الكرة بطريقة مثالية في مرمى الحارس نيبلو.

أنهى منتخب موريتانيا الشوط الأول بطريقة رائعة، وفي الشوط الثاني، كاد أن يسجل هدف التقدم عن طريق جويسوما فوفانا، ولكن الدفاع الأنجولي أبعدها في اللحظات الأخيرة.

طالع أيضًا.. بلماضي يدافع عن محرز بعد هجوم الجماهير ويؤكد: أثق في لاعبي الجزائر

في ظرف 3 دقائق فقط، أخطاء دفاعية كارثية من المنتخب الموريتاني، أهدت أنجولا هدفين عن طريق جيلسون دالا ثم جيلبرتو.

بعد 5 دقائق، أبى المنتخب الموريتاني أن يستسلم، وسجل هدفًا ثانيًا من صاروخية لـ أبو باكاري كويتا، أشعلت حماس المرابطون في المدرجات.

ظل المنتخب الموريتاني يبحث عن التعادل، وأهدر فرصة الهدف الثالث من تسديدة كويتا، التي مرت بجانب القائم الأيمن للمنتخب الأنجولي.

سيطر المنتخب الموريتاني على المباراة، ولم يفقد تركيزه مثلما حدث في الهدفين أمام أصدقاء مابولولو، وكاد أن يسجل الثالث في أكثر من مناسبة.

تغييرات أمير عبده بعد الهدف الثاني، كانت توضح نواياه، من أجل التعادل، ولولا التسرع في بعض الأحيان لكان المنتخب الموريتاني تمكن من تسجيل التعادل.

في النهاية، تمكن منتخب أنجولا من الخروج بـ3 نقاط من فم الأسد، ليرفع رصيده إلى 4 نقاط، ويتساوى مع خيول بوركينا فاسو، بنفس الرصيد، قبل مواجهتهما في الجولة الأخيرة.

بينما موريتانيا تتذيل ترتيب المجموعة بدون رصيد من النقاط، بعد الخسارة من بوركينا ثم أنجولا، وتتصعب المهمة في المرور إلى دور الـ16. أهداف مباراة أنجولا وموريتانيا في كأس أمم إفريقيا

وفي ختام مباريات اليوم السبت، تعادل منتخب تونس بهدف لهدف مساء اليوم السبت أمام المنتخب المالي في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

منتخب تونس واجه مالي، في الجولة الثانية من عمر مباريات المجموعة الخامسة لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا المقامة في كوت ديفوار.

اقرأ أيضًا..محرز يتجاهل الانتقادات بعد تعادل الجزائر مع بوركينا فاسو: لا نستمع لما يُقال خلف الهواتف

تقدم منتخب مالي بهدف مبكر من التصويبة الأولى عن طريق لاسين سينايوكو في الدقيقة العاشرة من عمر اللقاء.

وجاء هدف التعادل للمنتخب التونسي عن طريق حمزة رفيعة في الدقيقة الـ20 من عمر الشوط الأول لينتهي اللقاء بتعادل الفريقين بهدف لهدف.

بتلك النتيجة يحصد منتخب تونس أول نقاطه في البطولة، بينما وصلت مالي للنقطة الرابعة حيث سبق وأن فازت على حساب منتخب جنوب إفريقيا.

وبات منتخب مالي في صدارة المجموعة الخامسة برصيد 5 نقاط، بينما زامبيا في الوصافة برصيد نقطة بالتساوي مع تونس ثم جنوب إفريقيا في المركز الأخير من دون نقاط.

منتخب تونس يتواجد في المجموعة الخامسة مع مالي وجنوب إفريقيا وناميبيا. أهداف مباراة تونس ومالي في كأس أمم إفريقيا

ترتيب مجموعات البطولة

المجموعة الأولى

1- غينيا الاستوائية 4 نقاط من مباراتين 

2- نيجيريا 4 نقاط من مباراتين.

3- كوت ديفوار 3 نقاط من مباراتين.

4- غينيا بيساو بلا نقاط من مباراتين.

المجموعة الثانية

1- الرأس الأخضر 6 نقاط من مباراتين.

2- مصر نقطتان من مباراتين.

3- غانا نقطة واحدة من مباراتين.

4- موزمبيق نقطة واحدة من مباراتين.

المجموعة الثالثة

1- السنغال 6 نقاط من مباراتين.

2- غينيا 4 نقاط من مباراتين.

3- الكاميرون نقطة واحدة من مباراتين.

4- جامبيا بلا نقاط من مباراتين.

المجموعة الرابعة

1- أنجولا 4 نقاط من مباراتين.

2- بوركينا فاسو 4 نقاط من مباراتين.

2- الجزائر: 2 نقاط من مباراتين.

4- موريتانيا بدون نقاط من مباراتين.

المجموعة الخامسة

1- مالي 4 نقاط من مباراتين.

2- ناميبيا 3 نقاط من مباراتين.

3- تونس نقطة واحدة من مباراتين.

4- جنوب إفريقيا بدون نقاط من مباراة واحدة.

المجموعة السادسة

1- المغرب 3 نقاط من مباراة واحدة.

2- زامبيا نقطة من مباراة واحدة.

3- الكونغو الديمقراطية نقطة من مباراة واحدة.

4- تنزانيا بدون نقاط من مباراة واحدة.

Michael Beale has enjoyed a solid start to life as manager of Glasgow Rangers since arriving in November, tasting defeat just twice so far.

With only the Scottish Cup as the Ibrox side's realistic hope for any glory this term, Beale will be hoping he can learn from his previous three Old Firm matches and defeat Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup for the second year in a row.

Much will depend on his team selection for the match next week, as the Light Blues didn’t play badly in their recent 3-2 defeat, with two major mistakes ensuring they suffered an agonising loss.

Beale’s men went toe to toe against the Hoops for the duration of the match and his two January signings, Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell, were excellent throughout the encounter.

This summer will be vital in terms of building a side that can challenge for the Premiership title next term and the Englishman should seriously consider making Cantwell front and centre of his plans for the future, especially with his performances so far.

Has Todd Cantwell played well this season?

Having fallen out of favour at Norwich City, Beale managed to lure the midfielder north of the border and it has been an inspired move thus far.

Taking a punt on the £1.5m maestro was certainly a risk given his form for the Championship side, where he started just nine games during the first half of the campaign, and it looked like his career was slipping into its lowest ebb.

Thankfully, Beale signed the player, and he has been incredible ever since. The 25-year-old has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.3/10 across just ten matches so far, which ranks him as the third- best performer in the squad, proving his worth in such a short space of time.

His attacking ability has clearly been on display as he has scored twice, grabbed four assists, created four big chances, and taken 1.9 shots per game, giving Beale that extra dynamism which was sorely required after that stagnation of the team during the first half of the season.

Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie is a big fan of the player and has lauded him occasionally since he arrived at Ibrox, praising his performance against Motherwell a few weeks ago, saying: “Cantwell is quality, improves the team regardless of where he plays.”

Imagine him in 2023/24 if he can continue this rich vein of form. Cantwell could well be the attacking midfielder the club have needed for quite some time and there is no doubt the future looks extremely bright with the Englishman hitting his stride.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Feyenoord attacker Santiago Gimenez during the summer transfer window.

How is Gimenez playing this season?

The 21-year-old is enjoying an extremely fruitful season for the Dutch giants, producing consistently influential performances in the Eredivisie and the Europa League. He has scored 10 times in just 15 league starts, while in Europe, he has netted five times in seven outings – with only two of those being starts.

Gimenez's performances don't seem to be going unnoticed, with Crystal Palace one of the sides linked with making a move for him this summer. It certainly looks as though a Premier League switch could be on the cards, with United now also getting a mention.

Could youngster seal United move?

According to W Deportes [via Sport Witness], the Red Devils are the "most interested team" when it comes to Gimenez ahead of a possible move to Old Trafford. They have sent scouts to watch him in action several times and are believed to have made the "first contact" with his representatives.

He has a "clause close to €20m", and with doubts over Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial's long-term futures, he could be seen as a superior option to come in and bolster United's attacking options.

Gimenez could be such an exciting signing for the Red Devils this summer, as despite not necessarily coming in as a guaranteed starter – the hope is that Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen may arrive, too – he may be viewed as a long-term prospect who can be an important squad player from the off.

His goalscoring record this season is testament to his potential, with 18 in all competitions marking a great return for Feyenoord. Meanwhile, he also has two strikes in nine caps for Mexico despite his tender years. We think it is essential that Erik ten Hag buys young players as well as those in their late 20s or even 30s, such as Raphael Varane, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, in order to build for the future at Old Trafford.

Gimenez could be an ideal addition in that respect, hopefully coming in and having an even greater impact than his compatriot Javier Hernandez did, with the Mexican bagging 59 goals in 157 outings for United.

At 21, he still has so much improving to do as a player, and he could go through the gears faster by having top-quality players around him.

Journalist Charlie Bennett is buzzing over the news that Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has been nominated for the Premier League’s POTM award.

The Lowdown: Isak nomination

As shared on the Premier League’s official Twitter page, Isak is one of six nominees for the Player of the Month (POTM) award for March, along with Brighton and Hove Albion’s Alexis Mac Allister, Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings, Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard.

The Sweden international scored two goals in his last match away at Nottingham Forest in the top flight last Friday, which came after a goal at home to Wolves in the previous game week, helping Newcastle win both in the process.

The Latest: Bennett buzzing

Taking to Twitter, Bennett has been left buzzing over the update, claiming that Isak’s nomination is ‘wholly deserved’:

“Alexander Isak nominated for PL player of the month. Wholly deserved. The frustrating – but equally exciting – thing is Newcastle fans have only seen glimpses of his quality.

“Immense quality. Imagine him at 26/27/28.”

The Verdict: Finding his feet

Isak is finally starting to find his feet at St. James’ Park since his club-record £63m move from Real Sociedad last summer.

The striker unfortunately missed a large chunk of the season with injury, but showed early signs of what he is capable of, scoring in two in his first three appearances for the club, including on his debut at Anfield against Liverpool.

Aside from his goals, Isak ranks in the top 11% of all forwards for a number of key metrics for forwards in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, including progressive carries, successful take-ons, touches and progressive passes received per game.

Nonetheless, if the Magpies want to give themselves the best chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the next campaign, then they need to keep Isak fit.

Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino could be offered the Chelsea job at some point in the near future, according to journalist Miguel Delaney.

The Lowdown: Potter’s future still up in the air

The Blues picked up a huge victory over Borussia Dortmund in midweek, booking their place in the Champions League quarter-finals on a massive night for Graham Potter.

The Chelsea boss simply had to win that game in terms of his future at the club, and the performances from the players suggested that they are performing for him.

Potter still isn’t exactly safe in his role, however, and constant links with possible replacements continue to surface.

The Latest: Pochettino could be offered job

Writing about Tottenham’s manager situation for The Independent, the reliable Delaney claimed that Chelsea could jump in before Spurs with a move for Pochettino, although the win over Dortmund has bought Potter time:

“It is even possible Pochettino gets offered the Chelsea job before that, although Graham Potter’s own badly needed Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund probably puts off immediate concerns about his future.”

The Verdict: A strong enough option?

Potter certainly has to keep improving in order to stay on as Chelsea’s manager in the long-term, but showing patience with him is the right way to go currently.

Pochettino, called a “genius” by Heurelho Gomes, is a good manager who enjoyed a strong spell at Spurs between 2014 and 2019, guiding them to the Champions League final. However, he has only won three trophies in his managerial career, all of which came with a Paris Saint-Germain side who were streets ahead of everyone else in their league.

The Argentine would be a gamble, as would so many of those linked with the job, so for now, sticking with Potter and trusting his methods is the best approach.

Mike Arteta was in constant danger of being sacked as Arsenal manager at one point early in his tenure but the patience they have shown with him is now paying off, and Chelsea fans will hope the same happens with Potter.

Tottenham have been told by Udinese goalkeeper Marco Silvestri that they have an absolutely ‘devastating’ youngster in Destiny Udogie.

The Lowdown: Spurs sign Udogie…

Last year, Spurs put pen to paper on a deal for the Italian who became their seventh summer signing of what was a fairly busy window.

The 20-year-old comes with plenty of promise, and to further his development, the Lilywhites sent him back out on loan to Udinese for the whole of 2022/2023.

Udogie has continued to make strides in Serie A, remaining a fixture in their starting eleven under Andrea Sottil.

The Latest: Silvestri heaps praise…

Speaking to website Football Italia, the Italian side’s keeper Silvestri has claimed Spurs supporters have a lot to look forward to come when it comes to Udogie.

He explained:

“Destiny is a hard worker, Antonio Conte will love him. The only thing is that [Udogie] should only focus on the pitch. London has so much to offer, but I am convinced he won’t have problems and that he will play a lot because he is a devastating player.”

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The Verdict: Very exciting…

The Italy Under-21 international has been a key player yet again for Udinese this season, starting 18 league matches and the fifth-most minutes of any player in their side (WhoScored).

In that time, only Rodrigo Becao has averaged more tackles per 90 than Udogie domestically with the left-back able to contribute both defensively and going forward.

Indeed, the Spurs starlet is a real threat for Udinese as he enjoys a thoroughly productive loan spell – ranking in their top four in terms of key passes made and completed dribbles per 90 (WhoScored).

Once he returns to Hotspur Way, Udogie will surely be a major presence in the Spurs squad given just how regularly he has turned it on in Italy.

Chris Waugh has insisted on Pod on the Tyne that Anthony Gordon will become a Newcastle United regular sooner than perhaps expected.

The Lowdown: Howe now has options

For a long time during the first half of the season, Eddie Howe was rather limited when it came to his team selection, with the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson spending time on the sidelines.

However, following the arrival of Gordon from Everton for £40m and Saint-Maximin returning to full fitness, the Magpies now have choices in the forward areas.

Their January arrival was indeed handed his debut against West Ham United and almost made an instant impact when he slipped Wilson through on goal, only for the No 9 to see Nayef Aguerd race back and make a last-ditch tackle, although the striker did praise Gordon for his substitute cameo, claiming he has a ‘bright future’ ahead of him.

The Latest: Gordon will soon be a starter

Despite having just 22 minutes under his belt as a Newcastle player, Waugh was indeed impressed and believes the winger will be a starter for Howe sooner rather than later.

He said: “I thought that he looked like a very Eddie Howe-style player – he’s tall, he’s physical, he gets around the pitch, he presses and he can play in several different kinds of positions, he’s adaptable, will do exactly what is needed for the team, but will add that little bit of flair.

“That’s almost like the ideal Eddie Howe player, combining those factors, and he certainly brought it [against West Ham]. I think he injected something into the game and into that Newcastle side which had been lacking, and it will be fascinating to see how he’s used going forward.

“I think he may come into the side slightly quicker than some of the other players previously – people are referring to how long it took for Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman.

“The plan initially was he wasn’t going to be in the team as quickly, but Gordon is Premier League-experienced and I think sooner or later, he will be getting into that side more regularly than not.”

The Verdict: Competition for places will be a good thing

PIF will likely be keen to see their latest expensive signing getting regular minutes under Howe, but they will also understand that the Newcastle boss knows how to get the best out of his players, so will leave him to his job.

However, after Saint-Maximin failed to make an impact on Saturday against West Ham – completing just one take-on and only managing a single progressive pass in 68 minutes (FBref), it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him dropped for Gordon this weekend.

Given that Gordon is cup-tied for the Carabao Cup final, it would make sense to use him a lot in the Premier League while keeping the likes of Miguel Almiron and Saint-Maximin fresh for their trip to Wembley at the end of the month.

Phil Hay has claimed Juventus are willing to sell Weston McKennie just to get the Leeds United target out of the club.

The Lowdown: Leeds looking to land final target

Leeds are set to have a busy end to the transfer window with the Whites being credited with an interest in Juventus ace McKennie amid their ongoing issues and problems off the pitch.

McKennie has reportedly already spoken to Jesse Marsch about where he would fit into the team and the system they would play which will have likely excited him as he could line up alongside fellow countryman Tyler Adams.

The Juventus midfielder has reportedly already agreed personal terms with Leeds over a move this month according to Fabrizio Romano and while no fee has been agreed between the two clubs, Juventus are said to be willing sellers.

The Latest: McKennie could end up at Elland Road

It could indeed help Leeds seal a deal that suits them if Juventus are keen to get McKennie off their books this month as Hay has spoken about on The Phil Hay Show.

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He said: (19:55) “The feeling out of Italy and the message that seems to be coming from Turin and the ownership there is that they would quite happily take a fee for Weston McKennie at this point, they would quite happily trim him from the wage bill.”

The Verdict: Third deal would top off a great window

Reports have suggested that Leeds could well land McKennie with a bid in the region of £31 million which would surely prove to be great value for money when players such as Mosies Caicedo with 26 Premier League games under his belt are getting bids rejected around the £60 million mark.

Despite being just 24 McKennie is a seasoned midfielder in mainland Europe having turned out 91 times for Schalke in the Bundesliga and 96 times for The Old Lady across all competitions.

Therefore, McKennie would be able to come in and hit the ground running surrounded by several players he will already know including Adams, Brenden Aaronson and Marsch himself so everything points towards it being a smart move from a financial and football sense.

Wolves could reportedly get the chance to sign Weston McKennie in this month’s transfer window and the USA international could prove to be Julen Lopetegui’s own version of Conor Gallagher at Molineux.

According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato last month, Juventus are keen on signing Rayan Ait-Nouri in the January window and could offer McKennie as a makeweight in any potential deal for the French defender.

The report claims that if Wolves are to consider a swap deal with the Serie A side, they would have to offer around €15m (£13m) to the Old Lady in order to complete the transfer.

Lopetegui recently lost Boubacar Traore to injury and it seems as if midfield signings are a matter of priority for the Spaniard this month after the arrival of Matheus Cunha on loan from Atletico Madrid.

Since joining Juventus from Schalke in 2020, the versatile midfielder has gone on to make 93 appearances for the Italian giants, contributing 13 goals and four assists in that time, so he has plenty of experience playing at the top level for one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Still just 24, McKennie could prove to be a great long-term addition at Molineux, providing excellent competition for Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes in Wolves’ side, so it is easy to see why Lopetegui might consider bringing him to Molineux this month.

When the American starlet was still just a young player coming through the ranks at Schalke, he earned a lot of praise from sporting director Christian Heidel.

He said: “Weston is a very good footballer, but he also has a lot of traits that are very, very important to Schalke. The fans love the way he plays, and the work he puts in. His body language is extraordinary.”

Should he complete a move to Wolves in the current transfer window, he could potentially emulate Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, who lit up the Premier League last season on loan with Crystal Palace.

According to FBref, the England international is the second-most similar player to McKennie when compared with other midfielders across Europe’s top leagues.

The midfield duo appear to be extremely competent in front of goal but most importantly, they are box-to-box players capable of influencing play both offensively and defensively with their strong work rate.

The two youngsters have recorded very similar statistics this season with regard to goals per shot on target (both 0.25), passes leading to a shot (both 13) and recoveries (40 vs 38).

This emphasises that they are both all-action midfielders and given Gallagher’s phenomenal form with Palace last season, which saw him earn an England call-up after hitting eight Premier League goals for the Eagles, then Lopetegui would surely be foolish to turn down such a similar player in McKennie.