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Chelsea finally found their shooting boots on Saturday afternoon as they put three goals past Bournemouth to earn their first win under interim manager Frank Lampard.

A worrying run of six successive defeats had seen the Blues crash out of Europe and drop even further down the Premier League, but they were able to restore some pride with a win on the south coast.

However, the goals would come from Conor Gallagher, Benoit Badiashile and Joao Felix, of whom just one is an attacker, and it is still unclear whether the Portuguese's loan will be made permanent.

Therefore, it seems clear that Mauricio Pochettino, who looks likely to be confirmed as Chelsea's new manager, will need attacking additions in the summer if the west London outfit are to enjoy a more prosperous 2023/24 campaign.

One man who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in recent weeks is Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez, and the Argentine could represent a dream first signing of the Pochettino era.

Could Chelsea sign Lautaro Martinez?

According to football.london, Pochettino has given the green light for the Blues to hijack Manchester United's move for the World Cup winner, as he no doubt considers a number of striking options ahead of the summer.

The former Tottenham Hotspur boss is clearly a big fan of the 25-year-old, having sung his on Radio La Plata praises back in 2020, during his previous spell in the Premier League.

He said (via Daily Mail): "Lautaro Martinez is one of the best strikers in the world.

"It's not just for what he does now, but for what his potential means going forward. If you start looking at hitmen for the big clubs, clearly his name has to be in there."

Lionel Messi also gave his seal of approval, labelling his international teammate "spectacular," so he would certainly arrive with some world-class credentials.

This season has seen the former Racing Club star notch an impressive 19 goals and five assists in Serie A, earning a superb 7.19 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which is significantly better than anyone in Chelsea's squad so far this term.

He also boasts two goals and three assists in the Champions League, which has been a significant help to Simone Inzaghi's side en route to the semi-finals, where they face fierce rivals AC Milan next week at the San Siro.

While it might be tough to prise the £70m-rated "animal" – in the words of Argentine boss Lionel Scaloni – away from Italy this summer due to the lack of European football on offer at Stamford Bridge, based on previous praise he is clearly a player that Pochettino would love to have, so Todd Boehly should do everything he can to make it happen.

Donald Carr, the former Derbyshire and England batsman who went on to become one of the most prominent administrators of the post-war era, has died at the age of 89.In a first-class career that spanned from 1945 to 1968, Carr scored nearly 20,000 runs and claimed 328 wickets with his left-arm spin for Oxford University, Derbyshire and England, whom he captained at Madras in 1951-52 in his second and final appearance.He also played in the third “Victory Test” against Australia in 1945, alongside the likes of Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Cyril Washbrook and Bill Edrich, and was a notable footballer too, winning his Blue at Oxford, and playing in front of 100,000 people at Wembley in two Amateur Cup final appearances for Pegasus in the 1950s.Carr captained Derbyshire between 1955 and 1962, and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1960.However, it was his subsequent career in administration for which Carr will be remembered. He was assistant secretary of MCC from 1962 to 1974, during which time he was privy to one of the most contentious moments in cricket history, the omission and subsequent selection of Basil D’Oliveira for the tour of South Africa in 1968. He went on to become secretary of the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) and the Cricket Council until 1986.”Cricket has lost one of its greatest friends,” said Colin Graves, the ECB chairman. “Someone who gave a lifetime of service to our game; as a cricketer, a captain, a club secretary, an England tour manager, and, of course, as a senior administrator – serving MCC and the TCCB with distinction in a leadership role as the game moved into the modern, professional era; and always meeting the many difficult challenges he faced during this period with his customary good humour and charm.”This is deeply sad news for all Donald’s many cricketing friends and former colleagues and team-mates across the domestic and international game. He will be hugely missed by those who worked and played with him and we send our condolences and sympathies to all in the Carr family.”The President of MCC, Roger Knight, said: “Donald’s career in cricket, especially at Lord’s, is unlikely ever to be surpassed. As a cricketer, he captained both his university and his county, and after turning to administration became Assistant Secretary (Cricket) of MCC, and Secretary of the Cricket Council and of TCCB from their formation in 1974.”His period of office included the supervision of the first three World Cups in England, the advent of one-day cricket and the introduction of sponsorship in the professional game.”Donald’s commitment to cricket, his skills – both on the field and in the committee room – spanned more than 40 years, from his first-class debut in 1945, for England against Australia in the Victory “Test” at Lord’s, to his retirement in 1986.”He also served on MCC committees, on the Middlesex committee and as captain of Cross Arrows Cricket Club. He will be deeply and sorely missed across the cricket world.”The MCC flag, over the Main Ground, and the Cross Arrows flag, over the Nursery Ground, have been lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect to a man who devoted so much of his life to the game.”

American investors Carlyle are in talks with Manchester United over a major investment at Old Trafford, Sky News report.

What’s the latest Man United takeover news?

The Glazers have scheduled a third round of takeover bids, with a deadline for final offers set for Friday, 28th April.

Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe look set to make another bid to take full control from the Glazers, however, Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus withdrew from the race to buy Manchester United, hitting out at the current owners and describing the process as a 'farce'.

It doesn’t look as if it is a straight shootout between Jassim and Ratcliffe, though, with a fresh update coming to light in recent hours.

Sky News reporter Mark Kleinman shared a Red Devils takeover update he’s heard from Old Trafford on Saturday morning. He revealed that Carlyle, one of the world's largest private equity firms, are in talks about a major investment, with a source close to the situation saying this weekend that their interest in Manchester United was "serious".

Carlyle are among a handful of parties which have pitched proposals to acquire a minority stake in the club, with the investor’s assets worth more than $370bn (£298bn).

Could this be what Avram Glazer is after?

The Glazers haven’t exactly all been on the same page during the takeover process, with previous reports suggesting that Avram Glazer doesn’t want to sell up. Therefore, allowing Carlyle to invest in the club by purchasing a stake at Old Trafford could be appealing to him, allowing him and his siblings to remain as majority owners.

However, should Jassim and Ratcliffe submit improved bids closer to their £6bn valuation over the coming weeks, that could also tempt the family into a complete sale.

It looks as if they will have plenty of options on the table when deciding their next step in May, but manager Erik ten Hag could be hoping that the process speeds up so that the off-field saga does not impact the club's transfer plans this summer, something which Old Trafford staff appear to be wary of.

As Manchester United prepare to take on Sevilla in the Europa League this evening at Old Trafford, one man who will no doubt be hoping to remain in the starting lineup is club captain, Harry Maguire, with the England international having produced a solid display against Everton last weekend.

The 30-year-old seemingly looked like a "different" player in that win over the Toffees, according to manager Erik ten Hag, with the towering centre-back having been "dominating his opponent" and showing "so much initiative".

Despite that strong showing, however, it would appear that the former Leicester City ace remains among those who could be allowed to depart Old Trafford this summer, having fallen way down the pecking order under the ex-Ajax boss.

The £190k-per-week man – who was branded "woeful" earlier in the campaign by pundit Lianne Sanderson – has notably made just two starts in United's European run thus far, with it set to be no surprise if teammate Raphael Varane takes his place once again alongside Lisandro Martinez.

Will Maguire start vs Sevilla?

There may also be bad memories among Red Devils supporters regarding Maguire's performance when the Old Trafford outfit took on today's opponents in the Europa League semi-final back in 2020, with the Sheffield native having somewhat cost his side in that disappointing 2-1 defeat.

The £80m man was seemingly culpable as the Spanish outfit drew level midway through the first half in that meeting, bizarrely allowing the ball to run across the box and find former Liverpool winger Suso at the back post, rather than attempting an interception.

The central defender also appeared somewhat out of position as opposition forward Luuk de Jong struck what proved to be the winning goal late on, with club legend Paul Scholes having been particularly critical of Maguire and the rest of the backline:

"You can almost blame the whole back four for this goal. Firstly, [Brandon] Williams doesn’t get to the ball. Where Maguire is, I’m not too sure, he has to drop in, surely."

While much of the blame was undoubtedly placed on his centre-back colleague Victor Lindelof for failing to stay with his man, Maguire's inaction epitomised what was a disappointing individual display, as he lost possession on 11 occasions and won just six of his ten total duels.

The skipper also came in for criticism from Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, with the respected insider awarding the struggling asset a measly 5/10 match rating, while writing:

'Let the captaincy go to his head with some pointless protests which led to Maguire losing his focus and being admonished by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.'

That "leggy" outing from Maguire – as per pundit Danny Murphy – certainly did not help his cause, even if the one-time Hull City ace wasn't the only villain on the day, with Ten Hag likely hoping to avoid a repeat scenario occurring this time around.

For all the positive strides that the 6 foot 4 dud made against Sean Dyche's men last Saturday, the calming presence of multiple Champions League winner, Varane, could be what is needed in the backline tonight.

Much has been made about Wolverhampton Wanderers' struggles in front of goal this season but Julen Lopetegui has another big issue to fix at Molineux if he wants to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

What is Julen Lopetegui's biggest issue at Wolves?

Hwang Hee-chan's goal against Newcastle United at the weekend was the first time a striker has scored for the Old Gold in the Premier League for more than a year.

The South Korean's tap-in wasn't enough for Wolves to escape St James' Park with a point, but fans will be hoping it is the catalyst to end the attacking curse which has afflicted the likes of Raul Jimenez, Diego Costa and Matheus Cunha across the past year.

Despite an upturn in form since Lopetegui's arrival, Wolves are still ranked as the joint-lowest scorers in the top flight this season alongside Southampton, with just 20 goals to their name in 27 outings.

Ruben Neves and Daniel Podence lead the way for goals with five each in the Premier League, but there is an argument that the problem lies not with scoring chances, but with creating them.

Only Bournemouth and Crystal Palace have a poorer expected goals tally in the top-flight this season, while Joao Moutinho leads the way for assists in Lopetegui's side, with just two to his name.

Considering the veteran Portuguese midfielder is a prime candidate to depart Molineux this summer when his contract expires, as well as his lack of game time since Lopetegui's arrival, it seems clear that the Spanish manager's main problem is a lack of creativity in his squad.

Lopetegui has favoured a 4-3-3 formation since taking over, so it is somewhat baffling that the wide options in his squad, namely Podence, Adama Traore, Pablo Sarabia and Hwang, have just two assists between them so far this campaign.

Results went against Wolves at the weekend and they are now just three points clear of the bottom three, so their spot in 13th cannot be considered a comfortable one, and Lopetegui must look to arrest their disappointing performances in the final third if he is going to keep them up.

His side have scored more than once just four times in the Premier League this season and it could well cost them a spot in the top flight next season, unless the manager can find a way of getting his wingers and midfielders more involved in creating chances.

Once he does that, the quality of Jimenez and Cunha should surely shine through, and the goals can start flowing again at Wolves.

Sky Sports have shared a new name in the frame to replace Antonio Conte as Tottenham shortlist Fulham boss Marco Silva.

The Lowdown: Conte exit looms?

The Italian looks set to leave at the end of this Premier League season with reports suggesting Spurs are not eager to negotiate an extension.

They do have the option to prolong his stay by an additional 12 months, but according to recent claims, there is currently zero appetite for that either.

Many managerial candidates have been mentioned in the last week, including former fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino and other big names like Luis Enrique.

The Latest: Spurs eye Silva…

As per Sky Sports (via Football Daily), ‘it’s understood’ that Whites boss Silva is on their list of managerial candidates with the former Hull City head coach now ‘in the equation’ to succeed Conte.

This comes amid mounting pressure to re-appoint Pochettino, and while the north Londoners will consider their ex-boss, there are also other targets on the agenda.

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The Verdict: Magic Marco?

Called ‘magic’ by members of the media for his work at Craven Cottage, it’s quite safe to suggest that Silva could be a silent contender for manager of the season.

Fulham are currently contending for Europe after earning promotion back to the top flight last campaign, putting past failed Premier League seasons behind them.

They’ve won an impressive 11 games this season whilst boasting a better defensive record than the likes of Man United and, of course, Spurs.

Losing just once in their last five, Fulham are in brilliant form, leaving little surprise Silva has turned heads in north London.

As well as this, beyond his work in west London, Silva also has experience winning silverware – having clinched a Greek Super League title with Olympiacos in 2016.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United are “really keen” on signing youngster Luca Fletcher who is currently on trial with the club.

What’s the latest on Luca Fletcher and his West Ham injury?

While the January transfer window has come and gone this season and we are still many months away from the summer market, it seems as though the Premier League club are still eyeing up some new arrivals.

However, the latest linked names won’t be players to come in and sign for the first team. Instead, the Hammers have been tipped to hand 15-year-old Fletcher an offer to come in and play for the club’s academy whilst he is on trial having been with Reading earlier on in the season.

Indeed, while speaking about the situation, Ex told The West Ham Way podcast, that the teenager has impressed the club and seems to be the standout trialist.

He said (5:39): “So we’ve got two players, former Reading players, currently on trial.

“Apparently, Luca Fletcher is the one they really really like and so they’re tempted to bring him in soon.”

Who is Luca Fletcher and will he end up at West Ham?

Still only 15 years of age, it’s hard to know the full potential of the young centre-forward but the talent spotters at West Ham clearly feel as though he might be worth taking a punt on.

To be fair, he has impressed at international level with the England U16 side. Indeed, earlier on this season, he scored three goals in two games against Turkey’s U16 as the youth teams met twice in the space of a week.

Seeing as he’s in the Three Lions’ academy setup already, he must be fairly highly rated and so perhaps it would be a good move for West Ham to get him swiftly confirmed as one of their own.

Taking it all into account, Fletcher certainly looks like a name to keep an eye out for in the future.

Leeds United can consider themselves one of the Premier League’s best-performing outfits for this January window, having added four new faces all of whom will likely have a big part to play in the future of the club.

Fans and pundits alike have raved over the newly-bolstered squad assembled by Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch, with journalist Phil Hay, in particular, echoing this sentiment: “In terms of the way Leeds United altered their squad, they’ll feel as happy as most Premier League clubs about the way they used January”.

With a new striker, midfielder and centre-back all entering Elland Road, they were decisive in outlining targets and incisive in their execution.

However, it was not all perfect.

There were one or two deals that did slip by them when they seemed so close, with a proposed move for Tete arguably the most disappointing to miss out on.

Having reportedly been in advanced discussions for the Brazilian, to see him move to Premier League rivals Leicester City was a hammer blow. Especially given that his reported valuation of £21m was snubbed in favour of a loan move.

To miss out on this tricky winger is made all the more frustrating given his similarities to former Elland Road favourite Raphinha, who departed the club in the summer.

His absence has been felt heavily, as the 26-year-old played a starring role in their narrow escape from relegation last season.

Having scored 11 times and assisted a further three, the Barcelona man was synonymous with cutting in from the right flank onto his deadly left foot.

This is one of many traits he and Tete share.

The Shakhtar Donetsk flyer was enjoying blistering form for Lyon this season, with six goals and three assists after just 17 Ligue 1 matches. As such, when compared to other wingers across Europe, he ranked in the top 17% for non-penalty goals and the top 10% for assists.

However, given his samba roots, he is at his core an entertainer. 

His presence in Yorkshire could have got fans off their seats once more, to rejoice in the second coming of the man who saved their club from relegation with such finesse.

Such is his maverick nature, he was lauded by the CEO of Shakhtar Donetsk Sergei Palkin as a “hurricane”. He expanded upon why he had earned this title: “This means that he brings confusion into the opposition defence, being extremely difficult to stop. He has some serious technique, shooting and passing.”

Although there is plenty of cause for celebration after what must be deemed a successful transfer window, there will remain a hint of regret about what could have been with this failed Tete deal.

West Bromwich Albion are interested in signing both Lewis O’Brien and Nathaniel Chalobah in the January transfer window, according to reports on Sunday morning.

The Lowdown: West Brom looking good for play-offs

The Baggies have recovered from a disastrous start to the season in the Championship, with Carlos Corberan changing their fortunes after the exit of Steve Bruce in the autumn.

West Brom now sit 10th in the table and are only one point off the play-offs and their recent form suggests that they could rise further up the division in the coming months.

New signings may be required for that to become more likely, though, and an intriguing reports has emerged in the morning hours.

The Latest: O’Brien and Chalobah in talks with West Brom

According to The Mail on Sunday [via West Brom News], Albion are in discussions to sign both O’Brien and Chalobah before the transfer deadline on Tuesday night.

The duo are currently in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest and Fulham respectively, but neither have been regular presences at those clubs and could be allowed to leave this month.

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The Verdict: Could be a great double coup

If the Baggies were able to bring in O’Brien and Chalobah, it would have the potential to be game-changing in their promotion push, considering the quality they both possess at Championship level. They have only made a total of seven starts in the Premier League between them this season (O’Brien six, Chalobah one) and could be itching to feature more prominently elsewhere.

Although things aren’t working out for them in the top flight, the former started 46 Championship games for Huddersfield Town last term, averaging 2.1 tackles per game as they reached the play-off final, while the latter has 142 appearances to his name in the second tier and has been promoted from the division with Watford and Fulham in the past two years.

O’Brien and Chalobah could provide stiff competition in the middle of the park at West Brom for the likes of Okay Yokuslu and John Swift, giving Corberan the depth to rotate his squad and keep players fresh as the game comes thick and fast in the final four months of the campaign.

West Ham United have now made an official bid for Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri on a loan with obligation to buy deal.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing En-Nesyri

West Ham’s interest in En-Nesyri dates back to the January transfer window of 2021, making a formal bid of an initial £22.5m for the forward, but this proved to not be enough to tempt Sevilla into a sale.

David Moyes is a keen admirer of the Moroccan, describing him as an ‘incredible good runner’ in an article for the Times during the World Cup, and he has now come back to the table with another offer.

The Latest: Bid made…

According to a report from The Daily Mail, the Hammers want the 25-year-old on loan for the rest of the season, with an obligation to buy him for £25m in the summer.

However, Sevilla are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of £35m, so there is still some way to go in the negotiations between the two clubs.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Moyes will be hoping that Gianluca Scamacca has now found his feet in the Premier League, after scoring in the last match against Leeds United, however another attacking reinforcement would be helpful, given that the Italian and Michail Antonio have scored just five between them this season.

En-Nesyri has a fantastic scoring record for national side Morocco, netting 17 in 57 caps for his country, including two at the World Cup, one of which coming in the form of a remarkable headed goal against Portugal in the quarter-final.

However, the 6 foot 2 marksman is not only strong in the air, but he is also good with the ball at his feet, being lauded as ‘skilful’ by Kevin Campbell on the Highbury Squad Podcast. (via TransferMarketWeb)

Both dominant on the air and comfortable in possession, the forward would be a fantastic signing, capable of playing a big part in turning around the Hammers’ poor form.