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A new deal for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount is ‘far from being agreed’, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Mount’s future unclear

The Englishman’s future has been a major talking point at Stamford Bridge of late, with few signs of a new contract being agreed between all parties.

Mount is not seemingly unhappy with the terms being offered to him, arguably considering himself more valuable than the club believe he is, and he has been continually linked with a move away.

Liverpool are the club most commonly tipped to take advantage of the situation, with Jurgen Klopp in need of making sizeable changes to his own midfield following too many problems in that area this season.

It is a saga that feels like it could rumble on and on in the coming months and a fresh update has now emerged, as the saga dominates the Chelsea-related headlines.

The Latest: Romano gives update

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that Mount feels increasingly likely to leave Chelsea at the end of the season, with no progress made regarding contract negotiations:

“There’s still a big gap in the negotiations between Chelsea and Mason Mount, as new deal is again far from being agreed.

“No final decision yet but chances of MM leaving Chelsea are increasing – Mount will be on the market if new deal is not agreed before the summer.”

The Verdict: Not looking promising

Losing Mount would be such a sad thing to happen for Chelsea, with the 24-year-old rising through the academy to become such an influential player in recent years.

The 36-cap England international has now racked up a total of 192 appearances for the Blues, despite still being a fairly young player, scoring 33 goals and registering 37 assists along the way and tasting Champions League glory back in 2021.

Granted, Mount’s form has been disappointing overall this season, with just one goal contribution coming his way since the middle of October, but he is a top-class footballer – one who has been hailed as a ‘terrific talent’ by Danny Murphy – and has often been a regular starter for England.

His combination of intelligence, versatility and all-round influence could be a massive loss for Chelsea as the years pass and he could instead thrive in a Liverpool midfield that he looks tailor-made for.

The hope is that Mount and the Blues eventually reach an agreement over an extension, keeping him in west London for many more years in the process.

Crystal Palace Tyrick Mitchell came in for criticism from reporter Alex Crook during the club’s Premier League defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. 

The Lowdown: Still no win

The Eagles travelled to the Emirates with Paddy McCarthy in temporary charge following Patrick Vieira’s dismissal on Friday. He couldn’t manage a first win in 2023, though, with the Gunners running out 4-1 winners.

First-half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka put Mikel Arteta’s men in total control at the interval, with Granit Xhaka and Saka again scoring in the second half.  Jeffrey Schlupp did pull a goal back for the Eagles, who remain just three points clear of the relegation zone.

The Latest: Mitchell criticism

Crook took to Twitter during the first half, saying that Palace ‘might need to untie’ Mitchell at half-time, with Saka ‘twisting and turning him all over the place’.

Shortly after when Saka doubled Arsenal’s lead, Crook then said:

‘Right on cue Saka plays a lovely one-two with Ben White before firing home left-footed’.

The Verdict: Afternoon to forget

It was always going to be a tough afternoon for Palace, especially Mitchell who was coming up against an in-form Saka. The Palace left-back, like his defensive teammates, struggled to contain Arsenal throughout.

As per SofaScore, Mitchell gave possession away on 13 occasions and ended with a match rating of 6.2/10 on the full-time whistle, the lowest score of any Palace defender. He made just two tackles and failed to make an interception or complete any of his attempted crosses or long balls in what was his 28th appearance of the season in all competitions.

You’d expect that Palace officials will now be looking to finalise a managerial appointment relatively quickly, who will have time to work with Mitchell and the squad ahead of a crucial home meeting with Leicester City.

Newcastle United have long been linked with a move for Moussa Diaby and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Moussa Diaby?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Newcastle are now willing to pay £60m for the Bayer Leverkusen winger this summer.

As the report, the Magpies hierarchy have become obsessed with snapping up the services of the player ahead of next season and are willing to pay the price tag set by his current Bundesliga club to secure his signature.

Could Moussa Diaby replace Allan Saint-Maximin?

It is no secret that the North East club have been open to the idea of selling Allan Saint-Maximin with a reported £50m price tag being set a year ago for potential suitors to meet if they are interested in signing the player.

The Newcastle winger's talent has never been in doubt, however, the 26-year-old – dubbed "frustrating" by journalist Dominic Scurr – has tallied up 13 separate instances of illness and injury since joining the club in 2019 and although considered a crucial player in Eddie Howe's set-up is one of the more unreliable presences in the squad.

As a result, the signing of Diaby could be a breath of fresh air in the Newcastle front line and bring a new perspective to the attacking threat next season.

Over 24 league appearances, the 23-year-old ace has been phenomenal in forward areas of play, scoring eight goals, registering four assists and creating a whopping 12 big chances, as well as averaging 1.8 key passes and producing 1.2 shots on target per game.

Combine that with his tricky nature, having completed 1.2 successful dribbles and won 2.3 duels per game, it proves that he is an incredibly influential attacker on the pitch.

Not only that, Diaby ranks number one for chance creation and key passes in the entire Bundesliga, as well as ranking fifth for shots on target and eighth for crosses completed.

The talented Frenchman – who has equal experience on both the left and right wing – has been the recipient of high praise for his impact on Leverkusen's output this season, with the German club's sporting director Simon Rolfes stating:

"Moussa is an extremely quick, technically gifted attacker whose qualities are perfectly suited to our playing style. He’s one of France’s most talented players and he’s got the ideal conditions here in Leverkusen to develop into an absolutely top-class player."

With that being said, it is without a doubt that Diaby would be a major coup for Newcastle this summer and could be the key to not only selling the frustrating Saint-Maximin but also unlocking regular Champions League football and dominance in the Premier League.

Manchester United continue to make impressive progress under the guidance of manager Erik ten Hag, with the Dutchman having already claimed Carabao Cup glory with further silverware still up for grabs.

With the Red Devils still having plenty left to play for between now and the end of the season, the club are in a far stronger position that at the same stage last term, with interim boss Ralf Rangnick having overseen a dismal end to a rather dire campaign at Old Trafford.

Having crashed out in the early rounds of both domestic cup competitions, a Champions League, last-16 exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid in March 2022 only served to exacerbate the frustration surrounding the club, with the stop-gap appointment of the German visionary having failed to have the desired effect.

With the veteran's brief tenure not looked upon too fondly by supporters, one positive that may well have come during Rangnick's tenure was the signing of teenage midfielder, Toby Collyer, with the former Brighton and Hove Albion starlet one figure who could potentially be a star of the future at the Theatre of Dreams.

Who is Man United's Toby Collyer?

It is now just over a year on since young Collyer was snapped up by the Premier League outfit, although the promising 19-year-old is still waiting for his first taste of life at senior level, despite having been involved in first-team training on occasion.

That inclusion would appear to indicate that the Worthing-born gem is certainly on the radar of Ten Hag as the Dutchman seeks to build for the future, with the midfield department one area, in particular, that is seemingly in need of bolstering.

Manchester Evening News only recently revealed that a 'younger midfielder' could be targetted ahead of the summer window, with United likely to be plotting potential successors to the likes of Fred, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen – all of whom are in their thirties.

In order to help provide a fresh injection of youth in the squad, the former Ajax boss could look to the likes of Collyer as a possible option rather than splashing out millions in the transfer market, with the England youth international a potential hidden gem who is just waiting to be unleashed.

The former Seagulls star has made a quiet start to life in his new surroundings after making just 12 appearances in all competitions in the youth ranks this season, although was previously tipped for big things during his time on the south coast.

The defensive midfield asset was notably hailed by former Brighton U18 coach Mark Beard last year, who said of his talents: "You could see he was going to be a top-class player. He is a pleasure to coach. He is so low maintenance, what I mean by that is you don't know he is there."

"He gets on with his job. He regularly put in displays of 8/10 at the least. He had the best running stats, runs 13 kilometres a game, breaks things up. He is so unassuming, he gets on with his job. You want 11 of these type of players in the team. You know what you're going to get in training, he works hard, he wants to improve, he's intelligent. He's a good all-round kid."

Beard also dished out further praise for the youngster's defensive quality, having stated: "He plays like two men sometimes. As defensive midfielders go, and it is quite a disciplined role, he is probably the best in the country at doing it".

That glowing praise should well catch the attention of those back in Manchester, with Ten Hag potentially missing a trick by not handing Collyer a chance in the first-team, particularly with the midfield department having been stretched due to Eriksen's injury woes and with Casemiro having been inhibited by suspension.

With games set to come thick and fast once again when club action resumes this weekend, the United boss should think about handing an opportunity to the teen ace sooner rather than later.

Aston Villa have set their sights on Dean Henderson to replace Emiliano Martinez this summer, according to a report from Football Insider.

Will Emiliano Martinez leave this summer?

Martinez is contracted until June 2027, meaning Villa are under no real obligation to sell the goalkeeper, but he has been linked with a move away from the club, even more so since openly being criticised by manager Unai Emery.

The Daily Mail reports the Villans will listen to offers for the 30-year-old this summer, with the player keen to play in the Champions League – although they are set to demand a high price for the World Cup winner.

According to Tuttosport, Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race for the shot-stopper, though they are not the only Premier League club interested, with Manchester United also being named as potential suitors.

As per a report from Football Insider, Villa have set their sights on Man United goalkeeper Henderson as a new target, with the £100k-per-week Englishman accepting he has no future at Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest, having been unable to dislodge David De Gea as the first-choice goalkeeper for the Red Devils.

Not only are Premier League sides plotting moves for Martinez, but the likes of Atletico Madrid, Inter and Juventus are also believed to be admirers in the wake of his World Cup success with Argentina in Qatar.

Would Dean Henderson be a good signing for Aston Villa?

The England international has missed a total of 12 games for Forest due to a thigh injury, however, when he has been fit enough to play, he has been a vital player for Steve Cooper's side.

Hailed as "unbelievable" by members of the media, the Man United youth product has averaged a 6.88 rating from Sofascore this season, the sixth-highest figure in the squad, most notably impressing in the remarkable 1-0 victory against Liverpool, in which he made six saves from inside the box.

Martinez is the more proven player at the top level, being lauded "world-class" for his performances at the World Cup. However, he will be 31 years old very early into next season, while Henderson is just 26.

Not only that, but receiving a huge fee for the Argentinian would allow Emery to invest into other areas of his squad, and Henderson would be a more than suitable replacement judging by his performances this season.

Tottenham Hotspur winger Son Heung-min has been hailed by his teammate Harry Kane after he scored his 100th Premier League goal on the weekend.

How did Son reach his 100th Premier League goal?

It was an afternoon filled with controversy in north London on Saturday as Brighton & Hove Albion tasted defeat at the hands of Spurs.

But many will argue the Seagulls' defeat also came at the hands of the officials with a number of VAR decisions going against Roberto De Zerbi's side.

Indeed, the PGMOL issued an apology to the Italian and his side the following morning after admitting Brighton should have been awarded a penalty in the second half.

And the controversy has perhaps overshadowed Son's achievement of becoming the first-ever Asian player to have netted 100 league goals in the Premier League.

The 30-year-old hit the achievement in style with a stunning curling effort from outside the box which left Sam Steele with no chance in the Brighton goal.

On the back of becoming both Tottenham and England's all-time record goalscorer, Kane spoke highly of his South Korean colleague on hitting the landmark:

“He's an unbelievable player, and what a goal to do it,” Kane told the club website.

“I’m extremely proud of him, we’ve known each other for a long time now and I’ve been there to see all of his goals."

“He just brings a good energy around the training ground, even when things aren’t going so well, you can count on him to get everyone going. On the pitch, the way he presses, the way he runs with the ball, he’s such an exciting player."

Is Son still good enough for Spurs?

It has been a hugely underwhelming campaign for last season's Golden Boot winner, Son, who has only been able to return seven goals in the league thus far (via Transfermarkt).

Kane endured his own struggles in front of goal for a large part of the 2021/22 campaign and Spurs were helped by the South Korean taking on a lot of the responsibility and ending the campaign with 23 in the league.

However, this season has seen Kane carry Spurs for large parts of the season with the likes of Son and Dejan Kulusevski not exactly pulling their weight in front of goal.

But the goal on the weekend from the South Korean was vintage Son and could provide fans with some optimism that he can get back to his usual self over the coming weeks.

It is not just the South Korean's goals which are down on last season, he has also provided fewer take-ons and progressive carries per 90 minutes (via FBref).

Perhaps there is something to be considered in the fact Kulusevski has also struggled this season and a new permanent manager could resolve the issues over the summer.

He certainly has the backing of the club's highest-ever goalscorer and there are some huge games ahead of Spurs where he could potentially turn his season around.

Leeds United look set to allow Adam Forshaw to leave the club at the end of the season, with the club viewing it as too risky to offer him an extension, Football Insider reports.

What’s the latest Leeds news on Forshaw?

Forshaw has struggled with injury over recent years, problems which have continued during the current campaign. The 31-year-old last played for the Whites on New Year’s Eve against Newcastle United in the Premier League and only just returned to the bench in last weekend’s 5-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.

According to Transfermarkt, the midfielder was the club’s most expensive signing since the 2001/02 season when he moved to Elland Road from Middlesbrough in 2018 in a deal worth €5.1m (£4.5m). He is out of contract in a matter of months, although Leeds have an option to extend that by a further year through to 2024. However, it doesn't look as if they will be triggering that clause.

Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke shared a story he’s heard from Elland Road regarding Forshaw in the last 48 hours. He revealed that the Whites, and by extension, director of football Victor Orta, look set to let the player go at the end of the current campaign.

The report adds how Leeds ‘view it as too much of a risk to offer him a new deal when there is so much doubt surrounding his availability’, with Forshaw set to become a free agent as a result.

The right decision by Radrizzani and Leeds?

Allowing Forshaw to move on appears to be the right decision, especially as he has hit double figures for league appearances just once in the past four seasons due to various short and long-term injury issues.

The player shares the same agency as loanee Weston McKennie, and reports have suggested that Leeds won’t be making the American's move permanent at the end of the season.

Therefore, the club could find themselves with a real shortage of senior central midfield options, with Marc Roca and Tyler Adams the only two who could be left on the books.

It remains to be seen as to what division Leeds will be playing in next season, with Javi Gracia looking to guide the club to safety, however, Forshaw and McKennie departing could present a first-team opportunity to teenagers Archie Gray and Darko Gyabi.

The former of the two recently signed a professional contract at Elland Road while the latter joined from Manchester City over the summer and has been in and around the senior squad, so two exits could benefit the youngsters.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna is in contention to play in the Europa Conference League.

What's the latest Angelo Ogbonna and West Ham injury news?

While the club's Premier League form has been iffy at best this season, they've continued to march on with real promise in Europe.

Indeed, David Moyes and co managed to win all their group stages games, as well as both legs of their last-16 clash with AEK Larnaca.

However, they had to settle for a draw when they made the trip to Belgium for their quarter-final match against Gent which ended 1-1 last week.

Seeing as Ogbonna has played in all but two of West Ham's Europa Conference League matches so far, it will be great if he's fit to play on Thursday night.

And despite missing the league draw with Arsenal on Sunday, it seems as though the experienced Italian could return to feature against Gent.

Indeed, while speaking on The West Ham Way Podcast, Ex said (2:43): “Obviously, Ogbonna was due to start the game on Sunday. But he'd had a knock in training, I think which had been a result of the actual game, I think from memory, he went down for quite a long time against Gent on Thursday.

"I assume the injuries from there – and Nayef Aguerd also picked up an injury in the same game.

"But both of them should be available for Thursday, or Bournemouth at the latest. So it's not a massive thing.

"But yeah, Ogbonna's absence was a very last minute thing. And that explains it, but both of them are just minor knocks."

Will Ogbonna start for West Ham against Gent?

When speaking ahead of the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, Moyes explained the absences from his backline, telling the press: “They both tried training yesterday. We thought one of them might make it but they haven’t made it. They’re both carrying knocks. But we don’t think they’re serious.”

And now after Ex's update, it sounds as though there have been no setbacks during the week leading up the West Ham's big European match on Thursday.

That's great news as Ogbonna has been excellent in Europe so far. Indeed, as per SofaScore, he has delivered an average 7.14 match rating each game, keeping four clean sheets in seven matches.

All in all, then, it wouldn't be a surprise if the £70k-p/w defender returned to the starting team against Gent.

Everton are now in a fight to sign Villarreal striker Boulaye Dia, who is currently on loan at Salernitana, according to recent reports from Italy.

Which strikers could Everton sign this summer?

Everton are looking at a number of strikers currently playing in the Serie A, with it recently being reported they are pushing hard to sign Inter Milan's Joaquin Correa, having already made contact with the Italian club about a potential deal.

Duvan Zapata is also a target for the Toffees, with it being reported back in March that they are ready to make an offer of €15m (£13m) for the Colombian, who is out of favour at Atalanta due to Rasmus Hojlund's recent form.

Udinese's Beto has been named as a player of interest to Sean Dyche, with a new striker seemingly high on the list of priorities for the manager, and the 25-year-old is said to be valued at around €25m (£22m).

According to a report from La Citta di Salerno (via Sport Witness), Everton are in the picture to sign Salernitana star Dia, who is on loan at the Italian club from Villarreal, and can be signed permanently for €12m (£10.6m) in the summer.

Leeds United and AC Milan are also interested in the forward, who the Toffees have been following for months, having been impressed by his goal-scoring record, now just one goal away from matching Salernitana's record for most goals in a Serie A season.

However, it will seemingly be a very difficult transfer to complete, as the player himself wants to continue with the Italian side, in order to try and break more records.

Should Everton sign Boulaye Dia?

While it appears likely the £20k-per-week forward will remain in the Serie A, there is still a possibility he is attracted by a move to the Premier League, and he could be exactly what the Toffees need to bolster their attack.

Hailed as "absolutely fantastic" by former West Ham United striker Marlon Harewood, the Senegal international has weighed in with 17 goal contributions in 28 Serie A appearances this season, a very impressive record considering he plays for a midtable side.

It is clear that Everton will need a new striker this summer, given that Neal Maupay has very poor all season, scoring just once in 23 Premier League appearances, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin has struggled with injury issues.

Dia has also displayed by his creative side by ranking in the 94th percentile for assists per 90 in the past year, when compared to other forwards, and given his age, he is likely to be entering his prime, making him the perfect signing for Dyche.

Journalist Charles Watts has warned that there may be no point in playing Arsenal defender William Saliba for the recent of the season amid a worrying recent injury update

What's the latest on William Saliba and his Arsenal injury?

The 22-year-old centre-back missed the north London club's last six Premier League games due to a back issue.

In this time, the Gunners have dropped from first to second in the division, winning just two games, drawing three and losing the other to rivals Manchester City.

Amid these struggles, there is an understandable clamour among the fanbase to see Saliba return to action as soon as possible.

Sadly, it seems he will play no part against Chelsea on Tuesday night. Indeed, speaking ahead of the game, Mikel Arteta told the press: "He’s not going to be involved tomorrow. He hasn’t improved this week."

With that in mind, when talking about the defender on his YouTube channel, Watts warned that Arsenal may be best to leave Saliba out for the rest of the season, so he can be fully fit for pre-season training in the summer

He said (9:40): “I look at how close we are to the end of the season now, and I just think, is there any point risking it?

"If it's going to muck things up for the summer, if there's any chance that it's going to aggravate something that could end up seeing him ruled out of pre-season – and that can have an impact on next season – I just think you kind of err on the side of caution.

"Maybe if Arsenal were still top and really genuinely pushing Manchester City for his title, maybe you'd risk it…"

How important is Saliba to Arsenal?

The Frenchman had started every league game right up until his unfortunate injury, and so was a key cog in Arteta's machine that did look capable of winning the title.

Without Saliba, however, things have fallen apart and it will now take a minor miracle if Arsenal are to win the league, as they trail City by a point despite having played one more game than Pep Guardiola and co.

With a return date still not even known yet, Saliba can only feature in four more games for Arsenal anyway (after the Chelsea match), so you can see why Watts it's pessimistic about the need to rush him back.

Of course, the Gunners aren't out of the title race completely, so maybe Arteta may be hoping to get the £40k-p/w defender back in time to play some part in the coming weeks.

But having missed Saliba so much in this run-in, it could be disastrous if he hurts himself even more and ends up unavailable for the start of next season.