Leicester City defender Ben Chilwell has emerged as a top transfer target for Manchester City, as Pep Guardiola looks ahead to next season.

According to ESPN, the Spanish boss is keen to bring in a new left-back this summer, with Benjamin Mendy’s injury problems preventing him from having a prominent role in the team.

Chilwell is considered as a potential replacement, having impressed for the Foxes in the Premier League over the last two years, while also earning himself five England caps.

ESPN reports that Guardiola wants to have two high-quality players available in every position across the pitch and Chilwell would also help City raise their quota of homegrown talents, with the squad currently short on English-bred stars.

Fabian Delph and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been the men to fill in for Mendy whenever he has been absent, but neither is a long-term solution on the left for Guardiola, which has left him desperate to bring in fresh reinforcements.

Should Chilwell arrive at the Etihad in June, Mendy might ultimately lose his status at the club’s first choice left-back, unless he can finally prove himself able to cope with the regular demands of Premier League football.

Ben Chilwell

The Frenchman made his return to action after two months out against Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup earlier this month, but he was then forced to sit out City’s win against Burnley in the FA Cup on Saturday due to knee swelling.

Chilwell has no history of injury problems and given his age and immense talent, he could develop quickly if given the platform to succeed at a top-six club, with many experts and supporters already rating him among the best defenders in England.

At the moment, City are the dominant force in the Premier League and the young full-back would thusly be taking a huge step up in his career by accepting a switch to the Etihad, but it remains to be seen whether or not a deal will be arranged with Leicester.

This story could develop significantly in the coming months, particularly if City fall short against Liverpool in their bid to retain the title, with Guardiola’s need to strengthen his squad then likely to become all the more urgent.

Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly eager to secure two reunions this summer as he’s said to want both Marcelo and Bruno Alves at Juventus.

The Portuguese superstar has wasted little time in making his mark on Italian football, bagging 16 goals and eight assists in 27 appearances so far this season.

SEE MORE: Video: AC Milan fan urinates on Gonzalo Higuain shirt following transfer to Chelsea

That has helped the Bianconeri remain on course for an eighth consecutive Serie A title as they sit nine points clear at the top of the table after 20 games, while they remain in the hunt for the Coppa Italia and Champions League having already claimed the Supercoppa.

With that in mind, things are seemingly going well for Ronaldo and he appears to be settled, and as per Calciomercato, via the paper edition of Tuttosport, it’s reported that he wants both former Real Madrid teammate Marcelo and compatriot Bruno Alves to join him in Turin.

Whether or not he gets his wish remains to be seen, as the Alves move would make sense with the report noting that Medhi Benatia could be heading for an exit. If that materialises, then Alves could potentially fill the void left behind by moving from Parma.

As for Marcelo, it remains to be seen if he can be prised away from Real Madrid firstly, while with Alex Sandro currently the first-choice left-back at Juventus, it’s difficult to see the compatriots being happy with scrapping for a starting role next season if they are both at coach Massimiliano Allegri’s disposal.

The Turin giants would arguably have to sell first which seems unnecessary given their success in recent years, and so time will tell if Ronaldo is able to secure a double reunion with Juve undoubtedly keen to keep him happy too.

Chelsea loanee Tiemoue Bakayoko has revealed that it’s his “dream’ to stay with AC Milan and seal a permanent move to the Italian giants.

Bakayoko, who signed for the Blues from Monaco in the summer of 2017, flopped during his first season at Stamford Bridge, with the player subsequently being loaned to Milan last summer as a result.

The French international has since been a fantastic signing for the Rossoneri, with the player himself seemingly also enjoying his spell in Italy if his words are anything to go by.

As per the Sun, who are re-reporting from Corriere dello Sport, Bakayoko has stated that “staying at Milan is my dream and the fixed thought in my mind, but I have a contract with Chelsea”

These words probably won’t come as a surprise to most, as Bakayoko was very poor for Chelsea during the 2017/18 season, thus it’s hardly shocking to hear the player would rather stay in Italy than go back to west London.

Bakayoko’s dream is to seal a move to AC Milan and leave Chelsea behind

It doesn’t seem like there’d be much room for Bakayoko at Chelsea should he end up returning to the Blues, as the west London club already have stars like N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to choose from in the centre of the park.

This is something that may have played a part in Bakayoko’s want to remain at AC Milan, news that will surely be great to hear for fans of the Italian giants.

Chelsea and Real Madrid have been linked with a swoop for Inter forward Mauro Icardi, but they could be dealt a real blow in their reported pursuit.

As noted by Football London, the Blues have been paired with a move for the Argentine ace, while Goal.com note that he has also attracted interest from Real Madrid with both sides looking to add a clinical presence in attack.

SEE MORE: ‘What a beast’ – These AC Milan fans react to Chelsea loanee Tiemoue Bakayoko’s latest impressive display

Chelsea have scored 40 goals in their 23 Premier League games so far this season, giving them the lowest tally of the top six sides, while Madrid have managed 30 goals in 20 outings, the joint-worst of the top four in Spain.

It would appear as though Maurizio Sarri will see a solution arrive this month with Gonzalo Higuain tipped to join the Blues, although it’s noted by Sky Sports that he will initially join on loan until the summer, with conditions needing to be met in order to see it extended for just another year.

With that in mind, whether or not he emerges as the long-term frontman at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen, hence why transfer rumours linking Icardi with Chelsea are refusing to go away.

However, if either Chelsea or Real Madrid still hold an interest in Icardi, then they could be set for a major blow as Sportmediaset note that if the 25-year-old agrees to a contract renewal with Inter, it could include a whopping €180m release clause which would seemingly make an exit from the San Siro highly unlikely.

Icardi has established himself as one of the most prolific forwards in Europe since moving to Inter in 2013, scoring 121 goals in 206 appearances for the Nerazzurri.

In turn, it’s easy to see why top clubs from around Europe would see him as a possible solution to their problems in the final third, but if he puts pen to paper on the touted extension, it will force any interested party to splash out big money to prise him away.

Liverpool have confirmed that Lazar Markovic has left Anfield, joining Fulham in a permanent deal on Deadline Day.

The 24-year-old joined the Merseyside giants in 2014, but made just 34 appearances for the club while scoring three goals.

SEE MORE: Man City star BRUTALLY mocks Liverpool after dropped points vs Leicester

Markovic ultimately failed to make an impression at Anfield, as he spent most of his time with the Reds out on loan, with stints at Fenerbahce, Sporting, Hull City and most recently Anderlecht.

With that in mind, Liverpool will arguably be pleased to have now found a long-term solution for all concerned, with Claudio Ranieri hoping that the Serbian ace can prove his worth with the Cottagers as they bid to avoid the drop from the Premier League this season.

As noted in Liverpool’s official statement, it is a permanent transfer, and so given that Markovic was never able to make his mark at the club, it will surely come as a slight relief that they’ve now been able to remove him from the wage bill.

Time will tell if he is still able to prove to be a success in England as he now has a fresh opportunity to do so, but with Liverpool boasting such a dangerous attacking line-up with quality depth, Markovic has steadily fallen further down the pecking order at Anfield and so an exit is undoubtedly the right decision for all concerned.

As for Fulham, they sit in 19th place in the Premier League table, six points adrift of safety. Ranieri will hope that Markovic can offer a different dynamic in the final third and help a side which has only scored 25 goals in 24 league games so far this season.

Chelsea will have to splash out if they wish to extend Gonzalo Higuain’s stay at Stamford Bridge beyond this season, as confirmed by Juventus.

As noted by BBC Sport, the 31-year-old has joined the Blues on loan for the rest of the season, after his previous agreement with AC Milan was cut short.

SEE MORE: What Gonzalo Higuain said about Chelsea, Maurizio Sarri in first words as CFC player

In turn, Maurizio Sarri will hope that his former Napoli star can fire them towards their objectives over the next few months, with Chelsea looking to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League as well as claim trophies both domestically and with the Europa League still on the agenda.

However Juventus have released a statement confirming the fees involved in the Higuain deal, albeit they haven’t clarified how much the Argentine international will cost Chelsea for this season alone.

As per Sky Sports, Milan were set to pay €18m for the season-long loan deal with Juve, and so perhaps with half the season remaining, Chelsea may have essentially picked up that same agreement and will pay the remaining €9m. However, that is merely speculative at this stage.

What has been confirmed though via Juve’s official press release, is that if Chelsea wish to extend Higuain’s loan move for another season this summer, that will cost them €18m, or they could choose to sign Higuain on a permanent basis for €36m, which would be paid over two years.

It remains to be seen if the prolific striker delivers at Stamford Bridge in the next few months to warrant an extended stay with Chelsea, but if he does score regularly and prove that he’s capable of leading the line successfully, it sets up an interesting decision for the Blues as to whether to exercise one of those options on a player well into his 30s.

Having bagged a staggering 38 goals in just 42 games under Sarri in the 2015/16 campaign in Naples, the Italian tactician will be hoping they can enjoy similar productivity this time round, which would surely make signing the Argentine a no-brainer from Chelsea’s perspective.

Barcelona will have to pay £17 million to land Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud during the January window, as the Frenchman pushes for a move.

According to Don Balon, Giroud has grown frustrated by his lack of playing time at Stamford Bridge recently and he is thusly hoping for a transfer this month.

Don Balon reports that Barcelona are interested in securing his services but they will have to meet Chelsea’s £17 million asking price or risk missing out on the deal completely.

Another issue which may hold up Giroud’s departure is the future of Alvaro Morata, who has also been tipped to leave Chelsea and join Atletico Madrid.

The Blues cannot afford to lose both strikers and at the moment Morata looks the more likely to leave, as negotiations with Atletico approach their latter stages.

Sky Sports states that AC Milan’s Gonzalo Higuain is still expected to join Chelsea before the transfer window closes and if the club are also able to keep hold of Giroud their prospects going forward will look much brighter than before.

Morata has been the biggest underperformer for Maurizio Sarri’s men this term, often anonymous in matches and guilty of missing clear cut chances on a consistent basis.

giroud chelsea

Giroud has been similarly ineffective in front of goal, but he offers Chelsea so much more in their build-up play, with his physical style and aerial prowess which helps the team progress in the final third.

At Barcelona, the World Cup-winning centre-forward would again play second fiddle to Luis Suarez in the attack, which makes it a strange move for him to contemplate at this stage of his career.

Giroud still has a lot to offer Chelsea and they would be well advised to keep hold of him heading into a crucial period of the season, regardless of whether or not Higuain arrives at Stamford Bridge in the coming days.

Manchester United are reportedly ready to pay as much as £120million for the transfer of Barcelona attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho.

The Brazil international has been linked with other top clubs in recent times after struggling at the Nou Camp, with a potential return to the Premier League making sense for the former Liverpool star.

MORE: Man United star reveals prediction he made before Arsenal game, discusses surprise new role under Solskjaer

Coutinho’s best form of his career came in his time at Anfield and Don Balon claim United are now convinced he could be ideal for their team as well alongside other quality attacking midfielders like Paul Pogba.

The Spanish outlet claim the Red Devils could be prepared to pay as much as £120m for Coutinho, which follows a recent report from the Express also linking the 26-year-old with Chelsea.

With Don Balon and others strongly linking Chelsea with being set to lose Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, Coutinho makes sense as an ideal replacement for the Belgian at Stamford Bridge.

Philippe Coutinho to Manchester United or Chelsea?

Real Madrid are reportedly considering a major squad overhaul with up to six players being offloaded this summer to rebuild the squad.

Things haven’t gone well for the Spanish giants so far this season, as they remain in third place in La Liga, 10 points adrift of leaders Barcelona.

SEE MORE: 207-goal striker ready to follow old manager with Manchester United transfer

Further, they haven’t entirely convinced in Europe in defence of their Champions League crown, while Julen Lopetegui has been sacked already with interim boss Santiago Solari in charge until the end of the season.

In turn, there are changes expected on the bench as well as in the squad, with Calciomercato noting via TV show ‘El Chiringuito de Jugonese’, that Marcelo, Isco, Jesus Vallejo, Lucas Vazquez, Keylor Navas and Dani Ceballos could all be moving on at the end of the season.

That is a significant number of players who make up a crucial part of the squad both in terms of offering quality and depth, and so there will surely be significant spending at Real Madrid this summer too to fill those voids and ensure that they aren’t left short in their bid to compete on multiple fronts.

Marcelo and Isco are of course the stand-out names given their influence in the side over the years, while the other quartet are arguably less of a surprise given that they’ve struggled to cement their place in the starting line-up for some time.

It promises to be a fascinating summer in the Spanish capital if such an overhaul is undertaken, with the club under pressure now to replace several stalwarts such as Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema who aren’t getting any younger either, while it could be argued that they have failed to efficiently replace former talisman Cristiano Ronaldo too.

Juventus winger Douglas Costa is a very lucky man after reportedly escaping unscathed from a high-speed car crash in Italy.

Corriere Torino reports that the Brazil international had been travelling in his jeep before colliding with another vehicle, with the pictures showing the scale of the damage.

The person in the other car is reported to have had to go to hospital, though it’s unclear how severe their condition is at this time.

It’s also not entirely clear who was at fault in this collision, but Juventus fans will hope Costa can stay out of this kind of situation and keep himself safer in the future!