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Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Arsenal are currently among the "frontrunners" to land midfield transfer target Declan Rice in the summer window.

What’s the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

While the Gunners will no doubt be primarily focusing on the exploits in the Premier League as they look to win the division as he enter the final 11 games of the campaign, others will still have one eye on the upcoming transfer market.

In fact, it seems the West Ham United captain may even be looking ahead to the end of the season as he dropped a big hint about his future when saying in December that he wants to play Champions League football soon.

This no doubt would have put a number of clubs on high alert and while speaking about the player on the Devils United podcast, Jacobs said Manchester United and Chelsea are both keen on the player but tipped Arsenal to get the deal done if things remain as they are.

He said: "Declan Rice is a player that Manchester United have liked for a while, but Arsenal and Chelsea are thought to be the frontrunners.

"And the reason for that is because, a bit like what I said a moment ago, Rice just really likes living in London and has spoken glowingly about Mikel Arteta.

"So I sense that Arsenal are frontrunners, but Chelsea are still very much in that race as well."

Why does Declan Rice want to join Arsenal?

As Jacobs alludes to, Rice is understood to be very keen to learn under manager Arteta – with the midfielder said to be a big fan of the Spaniard (via The Guardian).

What's more, the Gunners seem to be in the market for a big new midfielder signing – evidenced by their failed attempts to sign Moises Caicedo in the winter – so the West Ham captain may be able to see a clear path for him to claim a spot in the starting XI.

On top of that, the club's superb season now means the prospect of winning major trophies in the near future is a lot more realistic and this will no doubt appeal to Rice who is yet to win any silverware up to this point in his career.

Of course, clubs like Chelsea and Man Utd will also be able to offer him similar incentives, so it's not a done deal just yet. But it does feel as though this transfer is in Arsenal's hands for now.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed an update on Ange Postecoglou amid supposed Celtic fears he could join Spurs mid-season.

The Lowdown: Spurs target Ange?

The subject of Antonio Conte and who will ultimately succeed the Italian long-term looks set to be a real talking point over this next week.

The Premier League top-four chasers were subject to an astonishing rant from their manager after Spurs blew a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 away to relegation candidates Southampton.

Indeed, Conte launched a scathing attack on the club’s culture, Tottenham’s board and the squad, stating:

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in).

“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”

The Latest: Journalist shares Ange to Spurs update…

Celtic boss Postecoglou is thought to be on the shortlist of possible replacements for Conte, taking his place as a Spurs managerial target alongside the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank.

Sharing an update on their links to Ange, journalist Wayne Veysey has provided an update, writing for Football Insider.

Apparently ‘there has been fear’ among the Celtic fanbase that their boss could quit mid-season and potentially join Spurs amid their interest.

However, it is now believed that this is unlikely to be the case, with the SPFL giants ‘confident’ Ange won’t quit for Spurs or any other English club.

Indeed, Celtic now ‘do not expect to lose’ their manager and believe he will remain until the end of the campaign.

The Verdict: Go for him this summer?

The former Australia boss, whilst arguably lacking experience in a competitive top flight division, does have plenty of credentials – like six league titles in total across his career in the UK and far east.

He is also out of contract at the end of this 2022/2023 season, potentially making him an attractive option for chairman Daniel Levy in the summer.

While he is unlikely to make the switch now, Ange has been revered for his ‘sensational’ job north of the border, so there could be a candidate worth considering.

Burnley could reportedly make an ‘audacious’ move to sign Borussia Dortmund star Raphael Guerreiro this summer, despite their current transfer embargo.

The Lowdown: Clarets charged…

The Championship high-flyers were placed under a surprise embargo after failing to submit their financial accounts by March 1, the deadline to hand over necessary paperwork.

Vincent Kompany’s side will want this lifted as quickly as possible and especially before the summer, where they will more likely than not be preparing for life back in the Premier League.

Burnley’s boss is confident the issue will get resolved ‘very soon’ considering the reason they weren’t able to send over their accounts on time.

The club changed auditors last year, and in a statement, the Clarets wrote that was the main reason why their accounts weren’t sent over by March 1 – but they did provide other financial details to the EFL.

They are yet to have the embargo lifted but reports suggest Kompany and co are confident it will be rescinded by April.

The Latest: Guerreiro on Burnley radar…

According to 90min, Burnley are so confident their embargo will be lifted that they’re making transfer plans for the summer.

Indeed, reporters Sean Walsh and Graeme Bailey write that ‘sources have suggested’ the Turf Moor side ‘could make an audacious attempt’ to lure Dortmund star Guerreiro to Lancashire.

The 61-cap Portugal international is out of contract at the end of the 2022/2023 season, making him an enticing prospect for Burnley and other suitors on a free deal.

Leeds United, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Wolves are also in the running.

The Verdict: Ambitious…

Guerreiro is a player of great experience and real quality with Man City even linked to making a move just last year.

The 29-year-old has enjoyed quite a decorated career at both club and international level, winning the European Championship with Portugal in 2016 and the Nations League three years later.

For Dortmund, Guerreiro has clinched domestic honours galore with two German Cups and a German Super Cup in his trophy cabinet.

According to WhoScored, the versatile left-back remains a key player under Edin Terzic – ranking as their fourth-best performing player by average match rating in the Bundesliga this season.

Guerreiro has racked up an impressive seven assists in that time whilst averaging Dortmund’s second-highest rate of key passes per 90 in the final third (WhoScored).

Defensively, the former Lorient star has also made more interceptions per match than any Dortmund player.

It’s crystal clear to us that he would be a stellar signing for Kompany with superstar England international Jude Bellingham even once saying Guerreiro ‘runs rings around everyone’.

Leeds United boss Javi Gracia has impressed those inside Thorp Arch, with some seeing similar traits to the ones former coach Marcelo Bielsa brought to the club.

Is Javi Gracia similar to Marcelo Bielsa?

According to the Spaniard, the Leeds manager is putting in long days at Thorp Arch training ground for the Whites as they look to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

He has suggested that he is only getting a few hours of sleep per night in a bid to devise his plan on how to keep the West Yorkshire side afloat.

And during Bielsa's time with the club, it was believed he had asked the club to provide beds for the players and himself to rest between sessions as he looked to optimise his methods while at the club.

Speaking on his podcast, Phil Hay has suggested some of the people around the club have noticed some similarities in the values brought in by Gracia:

"It probably is [Marcelo's bed in the office], and the good news for him is there's a bed built into that office, but there's also a kitchenette that he can use.

"It's interesting actually, speaking to people about Gracia, they're not trying to compare him to Bielsa as such, but I do think they see certain traits in him that are quite recognisable."

Will Gracia keep Leeds up?

Leeds were able to soar up the table before the international break through their victory away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, which saw them climb up to 14th place.

However, it has to be stressed how tight the table remains, with the Whites still just two points off the drop zone and three off rock bottom.

So the win on the weekend has by no means made a huge difference in what is needed from the Whites over the coming weeks, however, it will have felt like a big win before the break.

Had they gone into the break on the back of another loss, there could well have been a lot of concerns still lingering around the club's future.

But the impressive victory against Wolves will have certainly relieved some of the tension surrounding the club.

Two wins and one defeat from his opening four Premier League games will have also gone some way to easing the pressure on the players who have shown some signs of being able to salvage their top-flight status.

Leeds' remaining fixtures certainly offer up a mixture in the quality of their opponents, but they do face five of their relegation rivals in the remaining weeks.

And if this Leeds side have shown anything under Gracia, it has been their ability to beat the teams around them having already taken six points from Southampton and Wolves.

Chelsea players had grown tired of Graham Potter towards the end of his tenure at Stamford Bridge with the results failing to pick up over recent weeks.

Who is to blame at Chelsea?

Saturday offered up another disappointing afternoon of football at Stamford Bridge as the Blues lost to Aston Villa who leapfrogged them in the table.

However, perhaps more concerning is where Chelsea ended up in the table on the back of the defeat with the Blues now slumped down in 11th spot.

But since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Potter has been handed a difficult task in managing a side who have spent around £600m on players this season alone.

Despite claims suggesting the Blues were going to give Potter the time needed to turn around their struggles, on Sunday the decision was made to sack him.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed a number of players had grown tired of the 47-year-old in the dugout:

(1:45) "So I'm told it was not an easy moment for them to communicate with Potter on the human side. But this is football, and so they told him that he was out then the official statement.

"But let me clarify that was never guaranteed for Graham Potter to stay after the Aston Villa game. We had many rumours during the day. But from what I understand, already yesterday night [Saturday], Chelsea had in their mind to fire Graham Potter because they wanted to give a different kind of idea also to the players.

"They knew that some of the players were not happy at all with the situation with Graham Potter. And so this is another reason why Chelsea fired Graham Potter, of course, the results, of course, the impact was not excellent. But also some of the players were not so happy."

Were Chelsea right to sack Potter?

Since arriving in west London earlier in the campaign, Potter has now overseen 31 games across all competitions where his side have provided a return of 12 victories, eight draws and 11 defeats (via Transfermarkt).

Looking back on their results, the defeats have mainly come against sides who are battling at the top end of the table but there are some concerning losses against the likes of Southampton at home.

However, the amount of money Todd Boehly has spent over the course of the season will mean the expectations will be sky-high for the Blues.

With this in mind, it is unlikely to matter who Chelsea play as there will be an expectation for them to be fighting for the title given the figures which have been spent.

It is difficult to deny the results have been largely underwhelming under Potter, however, sacking him at this stage of the season may not provide much benefit unless they can bring in someone like Julian Nagelsmann.

Tottenham Hotspur are already finding it difficult to find an appointment to replace Antonio Conte with the likes of Nagelsmann said to be waiting until the summer to assess their options.

Chelsea have invested massively since Boehly's arrival and there is certainly an argument for Potter being handed a squad so big that it was incredibly challenging to manage and get the best out of the players.

On the other hand, having come from Brighton & Hove Albion, there will have always been the question to whether Potter would have the ability to handle the egos of players at clubs the size of Chelsea.

Leeds United are interested in completing the signing AC Milan attacker Charles De Ketelaere in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh report.

Is De Ketelaere having a good season?

The Belgian joined Milan from Club Brugge last summer, in a transfer that was described as "excellent" by former Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri, given his ability. Things haven't panned out the way he would have hoped so far, however, with his performances flattering to deceive.

De Ketelaere, who is on a weekly wage of around £47.5k-p/w, has made 25 appearances in Serie A in 2022/23 to date, with seven of them coming from the start, but he hasn't scored and has registered only one assist in that time. Similarly, he hasn't chipped in with a single goal contribution across six Champions League games, proving to be an underwhelming signing to date.

The 22-year-old was linked with a move to Leeds numerous times before he ended up choosing Milan, with the lure of joining one of Europe's biggest clubs something he has found too difficult to ignore. It still looks as though a move to Elland Road could still happen, however, following a new update regarding the attacking midfielder's future.

Could Belgian join Leeds this summer?

According to TEAMtalk, the Whites are "ready to offer Charles De Ketelaere an exit route from AC Milan this summer", as he looks for a new challenge after failing to succeed in Italy. Burnley are also mentioned as a possible destination for the youngster, having secured promotion back to the Premier League ahead of next season.

While De Ketelaere's struggles at Milan may have seen his stock drop over the past nine months or so, he could still be an inspired signing by Leeds, if they can get a deal over the line. This is still a player with years ahead of him in the game, and one who scored 25 goals and registered 20 assists in 120 appearances for Brugge at such a young age.

The towering 6ft 3in midfielder, who has been labelled as a 'flop', possesses the physicality to be a success in the Premier League and he could simply thrive playing for a club with a little less pressure to have to perform at an elite level week in, week out. He is worth taking a risk on from a Whites perspective, potentially coming in for a cheaper amount because Milan are happy part ways with him at the end of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to continue their fine recent home form as they take on struggling Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.

Cristian Stellini's side have won their last five Premier League home games in a row and will be targeting another three points against the Cherries this weekend as they look to boost their top-four hopes.

Spurs were perhaps fortunate to defeat Brighton last time out after a number of controversial VAR calls but will still be confident against a Bournemouth side who have shipped the most goals in the Premier League so far this campaign with 57.

How should Spurs line up against Bournemouth?

Here is how Football FanCast expects Stellini to line his side up on Saturday afternoon, with two changes from the team that started last time out against Brighton:

(5-2-3) Lloris (GK); Porro (RWB), Sanchez (CB), Romero (CB), Lenglet (CB), Perisic (LWB); Hojbjerg (CM), Skipp (CM); Son (LW), Richarlison (RW), Kane (ST).

Although he looked suspect on a number of occasions against Brighton, Hugo Lloris looks unlikely to lose his spot in between the sticks for the visit of the Cherries.

After another game without a clean sheet, however, Stellini should shake up his defence and bring in Davinson Sanchez for Eric Dier, in the hope that the Colombian's pace can help to counteract Bournemouth's counter-attacking threat.

He starts on the right-hand side of the defence with Clement Lenglet on the left, which allows Cristian Romero to return to the centre in the hope that he can return to his best form.

Pedro Porro and Ivan Perisic both retain their starting spots in the wing-back positions, with the absence of Emerson Royal and Ryan Sessegnon through injury meaning there is little competition in that position for Spurs right now.

Similarly, with Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur both still sidelined, it would be a surprise to see anyone other than Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp starting in the middle of the park this weekend.

However, one change Stellini could make is to re-introduce Richarlison to the starting side after his return from injury, in place of the misfiring Dejan Kulusevski, as the Sweden international has managed just one assist and no goals since the beginning of February.

While Richarlison has also struggled, with no Premier League goals to his name, Lloris has described him as a "genius" in the past, and a game against relegation candidates such as Bournemouth could be the ideal time to kickstart his Spurs career.

He supports the deadly duo of Son Heung-min and Harry Kane in the attack, with both forwards getting on the scoresheet with impressive finishes against Brighton.

Aston Villa are looking to sign Charlton Athletic forward Miles Leaburn in a possible buy-to-loan move, Football Insider report.

What’s the latest transfer news on Villa and Leaburn?

Unai Emery is set to be backed with a “huge” summer budget ahead of his first full season in charge which could see the club’s transfer record smashed.

However, Villa are also still looking to bring in some of the best teenagers around after signing the likes of Kerr Smith and Rory Wilson last year, with Celtic's Aiden Borland possibly the next gem to arrive at Bodymoor Heath.

Another teenage target on the radar in the Midlands is Leaburn, who has enjoyed a fine breakthrough campaign in the first team at The Valley. The 19-year-old has contributed to 15 goals in 36 appearances this season, with Villa reportedly leading the chase for his services.

Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke provided a fresh transfer update out of Villa Park in the last 24 hours. He revealed that Villa, and by extension owners NSWE, are placing an emphasis on signing youngsters with “huge potential” and provided news on Leaburn.

O’Rourke stated that Villa are keen to sign Leaburn in a deal that could see the forward be loaned back to Charlton in the summer to continue his development at senior level.

Does the deal make sense?

Leaburn has certainly caught the eye of current Charlton boss Dean Holden in recent months, who has labelled the forward as “really exciting” with “huge potential”. He said:

“It proves he’s not just a goalscorer. His all-round game, as much as he’s got to learn, is solid. He is not just a fox-in-the-box, he’s not just someone who will run in behind and he’s not just a target man.

“All of those different parts of his game will improve because it is his first season in senior football. Why can’t he get to 12 or higher than that? He is such a great lad to work with – he wants to improve. He doesn’t for one second think he is the finished article, which is really exciting. Huge potential.”

Leaburn, who stands at a towering 6 foot 5, appears to be a potential star in the making, so securing his services could be a smart piece of business in the long run.

However, in the short term, allowing him to continue playing senior football in League One with The Addicks seems to make sense for all involved. Villa could be securing another gem, Charlton would be receiving a fee and his services on a temporary basis and Leaburn could carry on playing, potentially making everyone happy.

Manchester City are renowned to have one of the best squads in Europe in terms of quality of depth, which has seen them be crowned champions of England four times in the last five seasons.

City manager Pep Guardiola knows how to build the perfect team for success, the four-time Premier League winner and two-time Champions League winner has coached some of the greatest players in European football, including Lionel Messi.

What's the latest on Man City's interest in Kim Min-jae?

It looks as though the Spaniard is ready to delve into the market for the sky blue’s latest recruit this summer, as the champions have been linked to Napoli defender Kim Min-jae as a potential star to join the impressive list of centre-backs at the club according to The Sun.

The Napoli centre-back has been colossal since signing for the Italian giants last summer for a fee of €18m (£16m), which has seen his value rocket to €50m (£44m) in less than a season of play in Naples.

It's thought that he has a low release clause of just £40m, a far cheaper alternative to fellow transfer target Josko Gvardiol, who could command in excess of £97m.

What could Kim Min-jae bring to City?

It’s been a season to remember for Napoli, who lead Serie A with a 17-point advantage over Lazio in second place.

Luciano Spaletti’s side have been impressive in all areas of the team this season, led by talisman Victor Osimhen. Goals haven’t been the only thing attributable to Napoli’s dominance, as their defence has been stellar all season.

Reported to be on Manchester City’s radar, Min-jae has been an integral part of Napoli’s defence this season, making 30 appearances in Serie A so far and contributing to conceding the fewest number of goals, (21) level with Lazio. Named "the monster" by fans, the numbers don’t lie when it comes to Napoli’s 6 foot 3 centre-back.

The South Korean ranks at number three in the league for most pass interceptions (171), as well as winning an average of 5.1 aerial duels per 90 minutes in Serie A. It’s clear to see why City would want to claim the signature of Min-Jae in the summer, especially when considering how he could fit into the sky blues back three alongside a player such as John Stones.

John Stones has recently been enjoying a free-roaming number six role when asked, which could become a more permanent position should City recruit a reliable, ball-playing mammoth in defence to allow the likes of Stones to advance offensively.

The presence of the centre-back at the back would suit the champion's game-plan, and Guardiola’s extensive expectations of a ball-playing defender, to a tee.

The Korean tops the charts in Serie A as playing the most successful passes per 90 minutes (74.03), a trait that Guardiola asks of his defenders to allow his side to break the lines and transition rapidly from defence to attack.

Consistency is key in defence, and Min-jae has just that in his locker, averaging a Sofascore match rating of over 7.2 in both the Champions League and Serie A.

Manchester United are reportedly eyeballing the movement of the Korean, as both Manchester clubs seek his signature in the summer.

Just imagine the partnership between the South Korean and Stones next season; it's certainly a mouthwatering prospect.

Arsenal remain interested in Declan Rice and he could be the missing piece in the Gunners' attempts to go one further next season…

What's the latest on Arsenal's interest in Declan Rice?

The Athletic's David Ornstein recently gave a fresh update on the situation, reaffirming the north Londoners' interest in the 24-year-old's signature to Rio Ferdinand's podcast.

"It perhaps illustrates that Mikel Arteta really wants a prominent signing in there to help this squad going forward. So I’m really intrigued to see in which direction they go. Many Arsenal fans asking me all the time. We know the interest in Declan Rice is strong," he said.

Back in January, the Guardian reported that the West Ham United captain was the top target for Arteta and co, with other reports suggesting that £70m could be enough to get a deal over the line.

What would Declan Rice bring to Arsenal?

Rice's role under David Moyes at the London Stadium has often changed over recent seasons but it does highlight the England international's wide skillset and major ability – he's able to be a defensively-sound anchorman, a deep-lying playmaker and a box-to-box machine.

Currently ranking as the Hammers' best-performing player in the Premier League this term, the Rush Green graduate has provided five goal contributions whilst maintaining an average of 2.3 tackles (second-most) and 1.8 interceptions (most) per game, via WhoScored.

In the latter regard, he actually ranks among the top 3% of his positional peers across Europe's 'big five' divisions, as per FBref, who have also compared him – in terms of statistical profile – to present Gunners mainstay Thomas Partey, which bodes well for Rice's chances of adapting to Arteta's system.

Now capped 41 times for the Three Lions, Rice has been lauded as an "absolute monster" by ESPN UK editor David Cartlidge and is believed to be capable of taking a team "to another level" – in the eyes of ex-professional Paul Parker.

Indeed, with the Gunners seemingly letting slip of the title this season, the arrival of the Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale's international teammate could be what Arteta needs to bridge that gap between his side and his former employers, having been whitewashed by them in midweek.

Rice would add some defensive stability to a threadbare engine room and isn't afraid to chip in with goals and assists further up the pitch either. That strength in depth will also aid them in the Champions League too. Given the evidence above, it's no wonder he remains one of Arsenal's main priorities in the off-season.

Whatever the price, sporting director Edu Gaspar and co must pay up otherwise they risk this season being a mere anomaly in what has been a mediocre few years for the club.