Gabriel Jesus is closing in on an Arsenal return after four months on the sidelines, but the Premier League leaders will not have the striker available for Saturday's meeting with Bournemouth.

Jesus made an immediate impact upon his arrival from Manchester City last year, but he has not played since suffering a knee injury while representing Brazil at the World Cup in December. 

The 25-year-old returned to light training last month, and while his first club outing since November is not imminent, Arsenal fans will not have to wait much longer to see him in action.

Manager Mikel Arteta said of Jesus at Friday's pre-Bournemouth press conference: "He's not far now. I don't want to give a timeline – he's not very close, but he's not far at all, and he's feeling better every day. 

"The doctors are confident with the way the injury is evolving and we are in a good place with him, I think.

"It's been pretty straightforward. Obviously at the start we were really concerned about the extent of the injury. Thankfully it was not that bad, but it was a long-term injury and required surgery.

"Knowing Gabi, he's gone through this before. His mentality is just incredible and I think the team has done a good job to put him in the position he's in today."

Asked if Jesus could play before the international break later this month, Arteta added: "We don't know. We're not far away but he needs to do much more with the team.

"Lets see how the next week or 10 days develop, then we'll have a much better picture."

Despite Jesus' absence, Arsenal are five points clear at the summit after winning seven of their 11 Premier League games since the World Cup.

Arteta is proud of his players' reaction to Jesus' injury, with Eddie Nketiah among those to have stepped up to fill the void up top.

"That was a huge blow for the team. We knew the importance of Gabi and the way he transformed this period and the belief," Arteta said.

"But to be fair, the team made a step forward and players took more responsibility individually. They were keen to maintain the level and we have done it so far.

"What he was producing for the team was phenomenal. But it's true that we now need to see what level he comes back at, how we are going to fit him in. 

"Like everybody else he will have to earn his place, but we know what Gabi can give to the team, that's for sure."

Meanwhile, two other stars of Arsenal's bid for a first league title since 2004 – Bukayo Saka and William Saliba – have entered the final 18 months of their contracts with the Gunners, who are keen to tie them down to long-term deals.

Arteta, however, is unwilling to publicly discuss their futures until Arsenal's title charge is concluded.  

"Every player is very important. Obviously there are players with special circumstances contractually, and we are trying to deal with them," he said.

"But I don't want to cause any distractions in this moment with those conversations. When something is done and it's good news, we will announce it."

Pep Guardiola backed Vincent Kompany to become Manchester City manager after the Premier League champions were drawn against their former captain in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Kompany will face City for the first time as a coach when Burnley visit the Etihad Stadium in the last eight.

The former centre-back spent 11 years at City as a player, captaining the club four Premier League titles.

Kompany has similarly impressed with Burnley, who were relegated from the top flight last season but are clear at the top of the Championship, 19 points clear of third place with promotion almost assured.

To Guardiola, it is clear his ex-skipper is cut out for the top job at the Etihad Stadium.

"I'm impressed with the consistency. The Championship is so difficult for the amount of games," Guardiola said. "The consistency so far is unbelievable.

"They are close to being promoted again to the Premier League next season. Personally, I'm delighted with his success, what he is doing in Burnley. I think all of us, our fans are happy he'll be back.

"He will be back sooner or later. So, I think his destiny to become the manager of Manchester City is already written in the stars. It's going to happen. I don't know when, but it's going to happen."

Asked if Kompany could be his direct successor, Guardiola replied: "Sooner or later, he will be manager for Manchester City. When? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure."

It is not a topic Guardiola has discussed with Kompany as he added: "No, it's my feeling.

"Maybe I'm wrong, but he has all the attributes – work ethic, knowledge of the game, well respected, experienced. Doing what he has done is so difficult, and he's doing really, really well.

"He knows the club, knows the environment, knows our fans, knows what our people need. The destiny is there."

Manchester City watched rivals Manchester United win their first trophy in six years last weekend, but that EFL Cup final success had no impact on Pep Guardiola's men.

Man United defeated Newcastle United – City's Premier League opponents on Saturday – 2-0 at Wembley to mark a new high point in Erik ten Hag's impressive debut season at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag's side are still in the FA Cup, like City, and the Europa League, while their form has encouraged talk of an unlikely Premier League title bid.

City will hope to stand in their neighbours' path, but Guardiola had a short response when asked if Man United's victory meant anything for his team.

"No, nothing," he replied.

Guardiola was similarly terse in swatting away questions on comments from Erling Haaland's agent and LaLiga chief Javier Tebas.

Rafaela Pimenta, Haaland's representative, had described Real Madrid as a "dreamland" for players, while City critic Tebas has weighed in on the Premier League investigation into the club's alleged financial breaches.

Guardiola was more interested in discussing Newcastle, who are winless in four in the league and suffered Wembley heartbreak but remain in Champions League contention in fifth place.

Having been battling relegation last season, Guardiola said: "[The progress] is incredible. What happened last season and this season making the step forward, it looks like they came to stay here.

"From what I've seen lately, even the final against United, and what they have done all season, it is one of the toughest opponents we have until the end of the season for their quality.

"They can do everything – experience, the threats, the transitions, [at] set-pieces the best team in the league. There are many, many things. That's why they are there for a long time this season."

Erik ten Hag challenged Manchester United to "make it our game" and take a significant step in their development by beating Liverpool at Anfield.

The United manager is certain his players will be undaunted by a fiery atmosphere, a week on from winning the EFL Cup and ending a near six-year trophy drought.

Liverpool's Premier League form is improving, after a dismal start to the year, and United's hosts have a top-four finish in their sights again.

That is the bare minimum target for United though, given they are in with an outside chance of the title.

Results at Old Trafford have been outstanding, with United dropping just four points there since a season-opening defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, but on the road, against the elite clubs, wins have been hard to come by.

United lost 6-3 at Manchester City in October, went down 3-2 at Arsenal in January, and were held 1-1 at Chelsea prior to the Blues hitting the skids and falling away from the top-four battle

Now comes the Liverpool test, and Ten Hag said: "That is the next step we have to make then."

He took Ajax to Anfield in September 2020 for a behind-closed-doors Champions League game, at the height of the pandemic, but a full house awaits on Sunday.

"I'm looking forward [to it], I know the ambience, the atmosphere will be great. It will be hostile against us, and we like it," Ten Hag said.

"It is, of course, a test. But we're facing Liverpool and we're really looking forward [to it], I know these players, my squad, my team will be prepared to go and fight, to go with confidence, but we know it's going to be difficult.

"We know we have to suffer, we have to sacrifice to get a good result."

United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford in August, a result that got them back on track after Ten Hag's sketchy start, and the Dutchman said his team have advanced to "a different process" since that game.

They have scored two or more goals in each of their last 12 matches, one game short of matching a club record in that regard.

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six home league games against United (W3 D3) since a 1-0 loss in January 2016, but they face a resurgent team this weekend.

Despite this season's travails, Ten Hag expects Liverpool to remain a force, but United are a pace ahead of them for now and will be fancied by many to come away with the points.

"I think we are in a good direction with our philosophy, strategy and culture, and we have to keep getting progress, it's all about that," Ten Hag told a press conference.

"We face a fantastic opponent. It's all about us getting the right preparation to be ready for that game. We have to play and to make it our game."

United came from behind to beat West Ham 3-1 in the FA Cup on Wednesday, improving after a first-half display that displeased Ten Hag.

"Every day I demand the performance and I don't accept when it's low," he said. "I will criticise them and tell them what I expect, and I have to give the team solutions how to win the game, and the performance second half was much better."

There is a possibility of a quadruple, with United also still going in the Europa League, and Ten Hag sees no problem with his players lasting the distance.

"We like to play. We have energy from playing every third or fourth day, and we want to keep that going, but think about it game by game," he said.

"I think our mentality in general is very good. I think we have many leaders who set the mentality, who set the standards, who control the standards, who correct if necessary. 

"I think we are happy with this process, but we can always be better and that has to be the approach."

Eddie Howe had no issue with Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley promising the club would win the Champions League, although he hopes they will have patience with him along the way.

Newcastle played their first major final in 24 years on Sunday but were beaten 2-0 by Manchester United in the EFL Cup showpiece at Wembley.

Staveley's response was a strong one, inspired by the experience of the defeat as she told talkSPORT: "We will win the Carabao Cup, we will win the FA Cup, we will win the Champions League, and we will win the Premier League."

Those comments were relayed to Howe on Friday ahead of a trip to Manchester City, where Newcastle will attempt to get their Premier League campaign back on track.

"I love Amanda's positivity, I love her outlook," Howe said. "I've got no issue with the statements.

"All I'd say is, from my perspective, there's no time limit on that. If we set targets that are maybe too short-term, that can have a negative effect and build external pressure that the players don't need.

"We want the players to play free and not really think too much about the consequences. It's my job to take the pressure off them, so that's what I'll try to do."

Newcastle were in a relegation battle last season but now sit fifth even after a four-match winless run in the top flight, with Champions League qualification still in their hands.

"The leap is harder, and time is something that is a very small commodity, really, when you're sat in my shoes here," Howe added.

"Lowering expectation and controlling that environment is so important.

"I don't think we created a problem for ourselves, but the speed with which the team has improved has been so quick that I think people naturally assume that will continue. If it was that easy... it's not that easy.

"So, to continue on a forward trajectory is harder and harder. The better you get, the harder it is to get better.

"We have big challenges ahead, and we need to be smart at what we do. My work will be judged on that evolution of the team."

Jurgen Klopp has described Manchester United as a "results machine" and backed Liverpool's fierce rivals to compete all the way for the Premier League title.

United travel to Anfield on Sunday unbeaten in 11 matches and having lost only one of their 20 games since the World Cup break, winning 16 of those.

That run of form has propelled the Red Devils within 11 points of leaders Arsenal with a game in hand, while they ended a six-year trophy drought with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final last Sunday.

Indeed, no Premier League team has won more points than United (23) since the campaign resumed in December, which Klopp believes stands them in good stead to push for the title.

"They have turned into a results machine," Klopp said at Friday's pre-match news conference. "They are squeezing results out with some really good performances.

"They're playing some top football, and if it is not going so well for them they still get results. That's why they are there [in the table]. 

"Everyone knows it: they are fully in a fight to win the league. That's not really important for Sunday because we are there as well when we try to be at our best."

Marcus Rashford's goalscoring form has played a massive part in United's impressive first campaign under Erik ten Hag, particularly since the World Cup.

The England international has scored 10 goals in his past 10 league games, netting in each of his past five appearances, and has 25 goals for the season in all competitions.

Only Ruud van Nistelrooy (three separate runs), Eric Cantona (in April 1996) and Cristiano Ronaldo (in April 2008) have scored in six successive league games for United.

While reluctant to praise any players of Liverpool's biggest foes, Klopp says it is hard not to take some joy from Rashford's upturn in fortunes.

"It's pretty much impossible to be happy about something positive at Manchester United when you are the Liverpool manager, but I am really happy for Rashford," Klopp said.

"He had a very difficult last year where he was not performing on the level that he is able to perform. 

"I knew this would change again but sometimes in life we don't have enough time to change it. Now he is playing incredible. His speed, his technique – it is a mix of everything. 

"How calm he is in front of goal. He scores worldies, he scores the simple ones, he can put his head in. All these kinds of things.

"We have to defend against that collectively. He is not their only world-class player."

With one trophy in the bag, United are still competing for silverware on three further fronts, whereas Liverpool are now effectively just battling for fourth place in the league.

The Reds trail Real Madrid 5-2 ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, but Klopp is remaining upbeat heading into some key fixtures.

"I said before last game, this is a week to give the season a proper push. Now we have to make the next steps," he said.

"Nothing is done yet which is good for us. We all know everything is possible in football. We need to use our crowd in home games."

Liverpool are unbeaten in six home league games against United (W3 D3) since a 1-0 loss in January 2016 – their longest run without defeat since a run of nine in the 1970s.

United will be confident of ending that run on Merseyside this weekend, but Klopp insists form will play no part in what remains one of the biggest fixtures in the game.

"They have had a better season so far but thank God it means absolutely nothing on Sunday," Klopp said. 

"We have to show it's still incredibly difficult to play against us. We have to make sure they realise that. I couldn't be less interested in what United are doing, I just respect it.

"It's what I enjoy most. Around these games we put ourselves out of this sometimes not so nice reality and dig into the game. 

"Football is the most important thing for 98 minutes or whatever. I love that. The whole world will watch it. I would watch it if I was not here.

"It's 'the game'. They are playing a much better season than us but that means nothing. It doesn't mean you win the game, it just means you have more points."

Trent Alexander-Arnold knows Marcus Rashford will be "difficult to stop" at Anfield on Sunday but the Liverpool full-back is relishing the challenge of facing in-form Manchester United.

Rashford has been outstanding for the resurgent Red Devils this season, scoring 25 goals in a new era under Erik ten Hag.

United travel to Merseyside on a high from winning the EFL Cup last weekend and coming from behind to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over West Ham – stretching their unbeaten run to 11 matches.

Rashford has 10 goals in his past 10 Premier League games and could join Ruud van Nistelrooy, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only Red Devils players to score in six consecutive top-flight encounters this weekend.

Alexander-Arnold is not surprised to see his England team-mate thriving as he prepares for a blockbuster showdown, with the sixth-placed Reds in need of a win as they strive to snatch a Champions League spot.

He told Sky Sports: "The only thing that's really changed is he's [Rashford] probably scored a lot more recently, but he's the same player, he's always a threat and I'm sure he will be a threat on Sunday.

"It will be a tough game but it's one I'm looking forward to and it will be a good test.

"It's difficult [to stop Rashford]. He's a player who's got a lot of weapons in his arsenal, but I think it's more of a team effort, it won't be just a one-on-one thing.

"They'll have more than just Marcus going forward, it's a team thing and as long as the team wins on Sunday, that's all I'm bothered about."

Goals from Rashford and Jadon Sancho gave third-placed United a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford in August, but they have not won at Anfield since Wayne Rooney secured a 1-0 victory back in January 2016.

Chelsea will reportedly make a run at signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic at the end of the season after a troubling campaign for the Blues in front of goal.

Through 24 Premier League fixtures, Chelsea have only scored 23 goals, ranking them 14th overall and the lowest total of any side in the top 11.

Lacking a true number nine, and with it remaining unlikely that Romelu Lukaku returns from his Inter loan next season, Chelsea have been keeping a close eye on Vlahovic.

The 23-year-old, who arrived in Turin for a €70million fee in January 2022, has had an injury-interrupted first full season in Italy, with eight goals in 15 Serie A appearances.

While Massimiliano Allegri's side would likely prefer to persist with the tall frontman, who already has 10 senior international goals for Serbia in 19 appearances, the club's financial position could force their hand.

TOP STORY – VLAHOVIC EMERGES AS POTENTIAL ANSWER TO CHELSEA'S STRIKER DILEMMA

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are "desperate" to add a true striker, and view Vlahovic as one of three desirable Serie A targets.

They are also supposedly weighing up the possibility of bringing Roma's Tammy Abraham back to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea will also test the availability of Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who is thought to be an unrealistic option.

The report adds that Vlahovic is one of the players Juventus may make available at the end of the season as they work to recover from financial uncertainty.

ROUND-UP

– The Times reports that Chelsea have reignited their interest in 21-year-old RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, who they are hoping to land for a fee cheaper than the £97m (€110m) release clause that will become active in 2024.

– According to Express, 24-year-old Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has decided to snub Manchester United and will instead join Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer when his contract expires in July.

– Real Madrid are monitoring 25-year-old Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, although the Brazilian insists he is content with his current situation, per Mundo Deportivo.

– Sport reports that Madrid will be joined by rivals Barcelona in the pursuit of 28-year-old Manchester City centre-back Aymeric Laporte.

– According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are considered the frontrunners to land 24-year-old Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount if he decides to not sign a long-term extension.

Gabriel Martinelli can maintain his excellent form at Bournemouth's expense on Saturday after capitalising on Everton's defensive frailties.

Martinelli scored twice as the Gunners thrashed the sorry Toffees on Wednesday to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League – and hopefully earned you a healthy haul of fantasy points.

If the Brazil winger is not in your team, then it'll perhaps be better late than never, with struggling Bournemouth travelling to Emirates Stadium on the back of a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City.

Danny Ings can make his mark in West Ham's trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, while Harry Kane and Antonee Robinson can also rack up the points.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform highlights why that quartet deserve to get the nod.

Antonee Robinson (Brentford v Fulham)

Fulham have exceeded expectations so far this season and left-back Robinson has played a big part.

No defender has had more top-flight clean sheets (5) since the World Cup than the United States international, who was also in the Fulham side that shut out Leeds in a 2-0 FA Cup victory on Tuesday.

Robinson provided an assist in the draw at Wolves last week, and only four defenders have created more chances from open play than his eight in the Premier League since the World Cup ended.

Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal v Bournemouth)

A brace for Martinelli on Wednesday took his Premier League goal tally for the season to 11 – as many as he had scored in his previous three campaigns combined.

Unfortunate with injuries early in his career, Martinelli is putting those woes behind him and has found the back of the net in three consecutive games.

He has scored six top-flight goals since the World Cup and should cause the Cherries all sorts of problems.

Danny Ings (Brighton and Hove Albion v West Ham)

Ings opened his Hammers account in a 4-0 rout of Nottingham Forest last Saturday, scoring a double.

The striker can build on that when David Moyes' men head to the south coast to face Brighton, who Ings has also scored twice against this season during his time at Aston Villa.

Ings clearly enjoys facing the Seagulls, as he has netted five times against them and he can get on a roll to help the Hammers climb the table.

Harry Kane (Wolves v Tottenham)

It may be that Kane is a mainstay in your side, but if not then you can reap the rewards of investing in the Tottenham striker this weekend.

Kane came on as a second-half substitute in Spurs' shock 1-0 FA Cup loss at Sheffield United on Wednesday and the London club should be fired up after seeing another opportunity to end their trophy drought pass them by.

England captain Kane scored his 18th Premier League goal of the season in a derby win over Chelsea last Sunday and you should back him to put on a show at Molineux.

Harry Kane should leave Tottenham for Manchester United if he wants to win trophies in his career, former Red Devils full-back Gary Neville said.

England captain Kane has spent his entire career at Spurs despite regularly being linked with a move away over the years, most notably in 2021 when he was seemingly pushing for a move to Manchester City before agreeing to stay in north London.

The 29-year-old is having another productive season, having scored 18 goals in 25 Premier League games, but is yet to win a major trophy with Spurs, who were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sheffield United on Wednesday.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Neville said Kane could look to move on at the end of the campaign as a result, and believes his former club are a realistic destination for the striker.

"Harry Kane is going to want to win trophies, I think," Neville said. "It's whether he sees it as being a case whereby he commits to Tottenham for his last five years and he does what some players have done.

"But if Harry is going to leave, I think now is the moment. He is a wonderful player, he's a great professional, and I think if Harry Kane could leave now, and you could get him an exit out of there to a club in Manchester probably, United or City, I think he would take that opportunity.

"It's more than likely not going to be City because of their [Erling] Haaland expenditure and what they've done with him, but Manchester United are desperate for a centre-forward.

"Chelsea, I can't see him going there. He's quite loyal to Tottenham and there's a big rivalry with Chelsea, so I don't see that happening, even though they do need a centre-forward.

"He's not going to go to Arsenal, because of the rivalry, so Manchester United is the only option in England for Harry Kane this summer.

"Bayern Munich have been mentioned. That could happen and I think Daniel Levy would be happier if he was to go internationally, so we could see that.

"But I think Harry, if he wants to win trophies, is going to have to leave Tottenham, because Tottenham do struggle with that aspect."

Neville also queried the idea of United signing another England international, Declan Rice, who was a part of the West Ham team who lost 3-1 to the Red Devils in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday.

"Obviously, Declan knows the position, but when I look at world-class holding midfielders, and players of that type, because Rice doesn't score or assist enough goals, so you're putting him into that category of more of a destroyer," he said.

"You've then got to be someone who I think is highly competent on the ball and linking play, and having that knowledge of the subtleties of getting on the ball from the back four.

"I personally feel, at this moment in time, that Declan needs to go and work under a different set-up, he needs to drive forward in his career, he needs to go and play at a different club.

"But for me, I wouldn't be spending £110million or £120m on Rice if I was Manchester United this summer. I would spend £50m-60m on Declan Rice, but I wouldn't spend the figures being reported because I feel in that position, I still feel like he's got a lot of growth."

Newcastle United director Amanda Staveley says the club's owners decided to invest in the Magpies over the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham because it was cheaper.

Staveley's consortium, partnered with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, purchased Newcastle in October 2021, paying around £300million, and she explained that one of the key reasons for doing so was so more money would be left over to invest in the club than if they had bought a more expensive alternative.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, Staveley also pointed to the fans as a driving force behind deciding to buy the club.

"I think if we look specifically at Newcastle, we were very clear that prior to buying the club, we wanted a club with a very passionate fanbase," she said. "But we also wanted a club that we could buy affordably, because we're also partners with PIF and they are, effectively, a pension fund, managing money for future generations.

"So we wanted something that was very sustainable, and that we could build. We didn't go for the wonderful Tottenham and Chelsea and Liverpool and obviously, everybody knows I was a massive Liverpool fan.

"We tried to buy Liverpool, and when we walked into the Newcastle game, we said 'why spend x billion when you can actually spend 300 and some million and put in?' I think we've put in £200+ [million] to date of new money since we bought the club. We had a particular business plan based on a five, 10, 15-year timeline.

"Critical to that plan was making sure we had the right partners...PIF are very long term investors."

Staveley also explained why it is unlikely that the PIF would also look to invest in another Premier League club, despite previous links to Manchester United.

"Mehrdad [Ghodoussi, co-owner and Staveley's husband] and I are not wealthy," she said. 

"Jamie [Reuben, co-owner] obviously is an extraordinarily wealthy gentleman, we're the poor partner, but that helps govern a lot of the decisions – so there's no scenario where Saudi Arabia will decide to sell Newcastle to buy one of the mega clubs like Manchester United."

Staveley spoke about the challenges since arriving at St. James' Park, including in player recruitment where the owners are mindful about what head coach Eddie Howe wants for his team.

"If I did it all again. I think we should have probably brought in more people more quickly," she said. "Players or staff... the players we had to be just very careful and analytical on everything we did and we still do that.

"Because we have an FFP budget we keep to... that guided a lot of our transfer policy but we couldn't afford to have a dud player. And so we had to make sure that we built at the back so that we [could] start to play the football that Eddie wants to play, this fantastic pressing football that we love and exciting attacking football.

"But to do that we needed to make sure that we could really strengthen because we had, I think, the weakest defence in the whole league, and now we have one of the strongest. And that was really important.

"So we always want more players. But the problem is, especially when you're running a football club, you don't really want to lose the players that you've worked with, and Eddie's the same, and so it's really difficult. So we've got to do that."

Chelsea prospect Andrey Santos has returned to former club Vasco da Gama on loan.

The 18-year-old midfielder will move back to Brazil until the end of June.

Santos helped Vasco earn promotion to the top-flight last year before joining Chelsea in January, reportedly costing the Blues £18million.

Despite being highly rated, Santos was unable to secure a work permit for the United Kingdom, though reports suggest Chelsea are confident he will qualify for one next season.

Palmeiras had apparently been leading the race for Santos, but negotiations were said to have broken down due to a disagreement on the length of the loan.

It was claimed Chelsea wanted Santos back for next season, whereas Palmeiras wanted him until the end of their campaign, meaning he would not have been back at Stamford Bridge until December.

Santos captained Brazil to success in the South American Under-20 Championship glory last month, finishing joint-top scorer with six goals.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters will reserve judgement on Chelsea's spending until seeing what they do in subsequent transfer windows.

After a busy first window following the May 2022 takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Chelsea went even further in January, signing eight players for an approximate total of £300million, including a Premier League record £106.8m on Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, Masters was asked about the Blues' spending, and was not in the mood to pass judgement.

"I'm not here to defend [them]," he said. "The new owners have owned the club for less than a year, they've had two transfer windows, and you need to judge the football club after three or four years.

"They might have bought, they would argue probably... a different transfer policy to the previous regime, buying younger players and [signing them to] longer contracts at low wages. And obviously, within our rules, it's a test that is over a 12-month period.

"So the question is whether they're going to sell some of their existing players in the next window. And I don't know the answer to that question. I'm not here to defend them, but you have to judge these things over a period of time."

Masters also spoke about the UK government's recent white paper on reforming football governance, outlining a plan to introduce an independent regulator for clubs in the English football pyramid.

"It is a significant moment for English football, things are going to change," Masters said. "The review process has concluded, the white paper is finally out and we're all getting the opportunity to reflect upon it.

"I think from the Premier League's perspective, we've always accepted that there needs to be stronger regulations, more independently enforced, and the white paper offers to deliver that... we would like to protect everything that's great about English football, including the Premier League, but sit on the top and make sure that the system doesn't run too hot.

"It's dealing with football [through] sustainability, ownership, and fan interests. And who can argue with those three objectives?

"Our concerns would be clear; it's an independent regulator with a lowercase i, it reports to politicians, and can be instructed by politicians. And so we would be worried that over time, football might become the ultimate political football.

"... I think the league should continue to write its own rules and continue to govern itself, and the regulator hopefully will only step in as and when necessary, when regulation is seen not to be performing, or the clubs are financially overheating to the point where the regulator needs to step in."

Masters was also asked about recent comments from Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira on the lack of black coaches in the Premier League.

"There's always more that we can do... Patrick is right," Masters said. "If you look at the diversity on the pitch, and it's not just in the Premier League, it's throughout the academy system, it is incredibly diverse, but that isn't translating into opportunities for people from ethnic backgrounds, not just in coaching but in other employment pathways as well.

"We have a number of schemes in place at the moment. Player-to-coach pathways, player-to-executive pathways. We launched this last year. We have seven ex-Premier League players and WSL players who are participating in that.

"So Patrick is accurate to say there's an issue and to raise the point and to put pressure on football authorities to do more, and we'll always look at that."

Patrick Vieira believes English football may have to consider a quota system to counter the lack of black managers in football.

The Crystal Palace boss is the only black manager in England's top flight in both men's and women's football.

A study conducted in October also found that only four per cent of bosses in the Premier League and EFL were black, a figure that does not align with the fact 43 per cent of players in the top flight are black.

In America, the NFL uses the 'Rooney Rule', which requires teams to interview ethnic minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs.

Former Arsenal and France midfielder Vieira does not necessarily agree with that approach but says such steps may have to be taken.

"Looking at the number of minorities or black players we have and seeing how few are staying in the game is difficult to understand," he said at the Financial Times Business of Football summit.

"That [quota] helped the NFL and US sport to move forward. There are more black coaches in the NBA and NFL, but I don't personally believe it is the right answer.

"You want to make a decision based on what you want as quality at your club for a manager.

"But if that can move things forward that is maybe the first step we can take. In the long term I hope owners will make decisions based on what the manager can do for the club.

"I heard so many excuses like ex-players don't want to do their badges, but it is not true. They are waiting for an opportunity to do what they want, but the door is not open."

Investigations into Manchester City's alleged financial misconduct have "taken too long", believes LaLiga chief Javier Tebas.

The Premier League champions have been charged by the competition with over 100 rule breaches in relation to their financial dealings following an investigation lasting Wober four years.

City have denied any wrongdoing, and say they will fight the accusations, which could lead to sanctions including a points deduction and potential relegation.

Tebas, who has been frequently critical of the Premier League's wealth, suggested the investigation had dragged its feet however, having first raised the issue in 2017.

"Now it is 2023, and nothing has moved on, but suddenly there is an enquiry," he told the Financial Times Business of Football Summit.

"It has taken too long. We know there was an alleged breach of 100 articles. So any decisions will have to be adopted accordingly by the Premier League."

Tebas drew comparisons to LaLiga title frontrunners Barcelona, who have frequently been in conflict with the governing body over their own financial conduct.

The Blaugrana have amassed eye-watering debts, and were forced to activate additional financial levers in order to fund their transfer market activity last year.

"One of the worst things about financial controls is if you don't follow or comply with it," Tebas added.

"Barcelona are so important for LaLiga in Spain, but if I looked away and didn't pay attention to what is happening with their finances, it would be a gross error.

"Our whole system would collapse. It is impossible for them to do transfer business in the summer because of the numbers. This needs to be resolved, and we need to act."