Borussia Dortmund host Chelsea for the first leg of a Champions League tie that sees two of the world's best prospects go head-to-head.

Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez have a combined age of just 41. Between them, the pair have already stacked up 278 senior club appearances.

Bellingham has played 161 times for Dortmund and Birmingham City, while Fernandez has racked up 117 appearances across spells at Defensa y Justicia, River Plate, Benfica and now Chelsea.

As good as the duo have been for their clubs, they elevated themselves into the "must buy" category for Europe's elite sides with their performances at last year's World Cup.

Fernandez was named the tournament's best young player as he played a key role in Argentina claiming their third world crown, and Chelsea were determined to get their man.

While their efforts early in the January window were frustrated, Chelsea eventually agreed to pay Benfica the full amount of Fernandez's £106.8million (€121m) buy-out clause as he became the crown jewel of their spending spree.

Bellingham, meanwhile, asserted himself as a crucial player in Gareth Southgate's England side, with the 19-year-old's displays in Qatar reminiscent of when Wayne Rooney starred at Euro 2004.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid are said to be battling it out for Bellingham, should Dortmund decide to cash in on their talisman at the end of the season.

Should Bellingham be destined for a move back to England, then Wednesday's clash between Dortmund and Chelsea at Signal Iduna Park could just hint at what is to come from two potential Premier League staples.

Lighting up the world stage

While Bellingham was always likely to be on the radar of Europe's biggest sides regardless of whether he had a great World Cup or not, his performances for England will likely do Dortmund's bank balance no harm.

If Bellingham's fine showings in the groups had hinted at his immense talent, then his performance in England's 3-0 victory over Senegal in the last 16 was a coming of age performance on the international stage.

Bellingham did not score but was heavily involved in all three of England's goals to mark him becoming the only teenager, after Michael Owen in 1998, to start a World Cup knockout game for England.

He went off in the 76th minute of that tie having provided an assist – the youngest player to do so for England in a World Cup game since 1966 – and completed 30 of his 33 passes (91 per cent), with eight of those attempted in the final third.

Across the tournament, only Luke Shaw (16) contributed to more open-play shot-ending sequences than Bellingham (15) did for the Three Lions.

Fernandez, on the other hand, has certainly had the limelight thrust on him due to his excellent World Cup.

Not that he had not been excellent at Benfica. However, his stunning goal in Argentina's group stage win over Mexico led to him being a constant starter for the rest of the tournament.

In the final, Fernandez led all players for touches (118), successful passes (77) and tackles (10). His tally of tackles was the most of any player in a World Cup showpiece match since Gennaro Gattuso in 2006 (15).

Combative off the ball, Fernandez won 40 of his 68 duels in the tournament (58.8 per cent), and also proved dependable in possession, completing 410 passes, with his accuracy of 87.6 bettered by only six of his team-mates to play at least 90 minutes in Qatar.

Fernandez played more successful long passes (16) than any other Argentina player, while only Nicolas Otamendi, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo de Paul played more forward passes than his 116.

Thriving at club level

As previously noted, Fernandez had impressed with Benfica before carrying that form into the World Cup.

Only Ricardo Horta (126) had been involved in more open-play shot-ending sequences than Fernandez (122) in Portugal's Primeira Liga prior to the latter's move to Stamford Bridge.

Fernandez ranked third in the competition for goal-ending sequence involvements (14), second for expected goals (xG) sequence involvement (18.8) and second for goal build-up involvements (eight).

From a role at the left-side of Benfica's central midfield, Fernandez was also key to starting moves during his half-season in Portugal. In the Primeira Liga alone he started 23 shot-ending sequences (league rank third), four goal-ending sequences (second) and accumulated 4.8 xG from moves he started (first).

Fernandez has taken little time to settle into the Premier League. He assisted Joao Felix's first Chelsea goal with a wonderfully weighted ball in Saturday's 1-1 draw with West Ham and his tally of 171 passes across the last two games – only four top-flight midfielders attempted more.

No Chelsea midfielder won more duels (12), tackles (nine, six of which he won), touches (209), carries (43), or forward passes (29). Just Fred, of Manchester United, has won more tackles in the last two league games.

The 22-year-old might have a huge price tag to live up to, but he has certainly proved to be one of the most efficient all-round midfielders in Europe this term.

Right up there with him in that regard is Bellingham, who has been let off the leash somewhat from an attacking standpoint at Dortmund this season.

With BVB no longer able to rely on Erling Haaland goals, Bellingham has been tasked with arriving into the box late to supplement their attack.

Bellingham has featured 27 times for Dortmund this season, second only to Nico Schlotterbeck. He is their top scorer with 10 goals, second for assists (six) and third for chances created (28). He boasts an impressive 19.2 per cent shot conversion rate and has outperformed his xG (7.6).

More of an attacking threat than Fernandez, Bellingham has the other side of the game too: 388 duels is 172 more than any of his club-mates, and he has won 225 of them (Schlotterbeck ranks second with 144); the same goes for tackles, with the teenager attempting 70 and winning 39 – both team highs.

A sign of what's to come

Fernandez is the most expensive signing in Premier League history, and should Bellingham join him in England's top tier next season, it seems likely as though the Birmingham boy would take that record.

They don't play the same role and shouldn't be expected to. Bellingham's game has gone up another level since he was given the freedom and responsibility to provide more attacking threat, and Fernandez can pull the strings from deep.

Bellingham's all-action style mixed with his sharp turn of pace makes for a player that would seem perfectly suited to Liverpool or City, while Graham Potter will be expected to build around Fernandez for years to come – the Argentine did, after all, sign an eight-and-a-half-year deal with Chelsea.

One thing is clear. Bellingham and Fernandez are already outstanding players and both are destined to reach the very top.

Real Madrid are eager to bolster their forward options, with a quality striker wanted to deputise for Karim Benzema.

Benzema, who is now 35-years-old, has battled injuries this season and played in 12 of their 20 LaLiga games.

Los Blancos have been regularly linked with Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe, while there have been reports of a big-money bid for Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani in recent days.

Instead of signing another French forward though, there is a report that Madrid are eyeing up a Brazilian.

TOP STORY – ANCELOTTI WANTS FIRMINO

Real Madrid want to sign Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino on a free transfer at the end of this season, claims Gazzetta dello Sport.

Liverpool are bullish on re-signing Firmino but no extension has yet been agreed, with his contract due to expire in June.

According to the report, Atletico Madrid and Inter are also interested in the 31-year-old, who has been battling a calf injury in recent months.

ROUND-UP

- Barcelona president Joan Laporta is determined to sign Julian Alvarez from Manchester City, reports Fichajes. The report claims "Laporta will do everything in his power" to land the Argentinean World Cup winner.

- Manchester City are monitoring Southampton full-back Tino Livramento, claims the Evening Standard. The English 20-year-old is viewed as a long-term successor to Joao Cancelo, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich.

- Tuttomercatoweb reports that Bayer Leverkusen will compete with Juventus to sign Alex Grimaldo from Benfica. The Bianconeri want the left-back as a replacement for the departing Alex Sandro.

- Chelsea have joined the contenders to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, writes Football.London. Raya's contract expires in 2024, with interest also from Tottenham and Manchester United too.

- West Ham United are circling for Brazil international striker Pedro, who plays for Flamengo, according to Fichajes.

- Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch is being considered for the vacant Southampton job following Nathan Jones' dismissal, claims The Athletic. Football Insider reports Southampton and Leeds both want Marcelo Gallardo, while the Mail adds that Saints are also interested in Torino boss Ivan Juric.

Benfica president Rui Costa has no regrets over sanctioning Enzo Fernandez's record-breaking move to Chelsea, saying the World Cup winner forced the transfer through his desire to leave.

Chelsea made Fernandez the most expensive acquisition in Premier League history on the final day of the January transfer window, meeting the £106.8million (€121m) release clause in his Benfica contract.

While Fernandez's arrival took Chelsea's spending to a reported £288.5m in January alone, the fee surpassed the £100m Manchester City spent to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in 2021.

Benfica coach Roger Schmidt said Fernandez was unsettled by Chelsea's interest earlier in the month, and Costa admits the player's desire to leave left the Lisbon giants powerless.

"Everything was done to ensure that Enzo was not sold. I have a clear conscience and I am as sad as any Benfica fan," Costa told BTV on Thursday.

"We tried everything. Enzo has always shown a desire not to stay at Benfica.

"As a fan, I no longer wanted Enzo as a player. As president, he could not continue. I decided he had to leave.

"Commitment to Benfica is not beating your chest. In Arouca [a 3-0 win on Tuesday] we played without Enzo. 

"We lost a great player, but I will not cry for a player who did not want to stay at Benfica. I was raised at Benfica, knowing how to honour Benfica.

"Respecting Enzo, he is free to choose and the choice was not to stay at Benfica. At Benfica, there will only be players who are proud to be here."

Costa questioned Fernandez's unwillingness to remain in Portugal until the end of the season, saying any suitors would have waited for the 22-year-old.

"Was Enzo going to lose value until the end of the season at Benfica? No," he continued. 

"We tried to show him that if he stayed at Benfica until the end of the season, Chelsea and others would appear."

While the last-minute nature of Fernandez's exit left Benfica unable to sign a replacement, Costa was ultimately pleased with the structure of the deal.

Asked about Fernandez's record-breaking fee, Costa said: "It's in instalments. The value of the clause doesn't have to be paid upfront.

"We reached what we wanted and came out five million above the clause. It was not by chance that this deal ran out of time, we did everything to keep Enzo."

Enzo Fernandez declared his gratitude to Chelsea after his move to the Premier League club was finally formally announced on Wednesday.

World Cup winner Fernandez emerged as a key target for big-spending Chelsea early in January, but it appeared the player would be staying at Benfica after the two clubs failed to agree a deal.

Chelsea did not give up on their man, however, and Tuesday's deadline day saw an agreement reached with Benfica to pay Fernandez's £106.8million (€121m) release clause.

The transfer, which Benfica announced before Chelsea officially unveiled their latest buy on Wednesday, is the most expensive ever by a British club.

Fernandez acknowledged the Blues' long and determined pursuit of his services as he said upon signing: "I am grateful to Chelsea and its ownership for doing everything they could to make me a part of this project.

"I'm happy and excited to join the Pride of London, to play in the best league in the world and to compete for the biggest trophies.

"I can't wait to play in front of our fans and help my team-mates on and off the pitch."

Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali added: "In Enzo, we are signing a World Cup winner and one of the brightest talents in global football.

"We are excited to add him to Graham [Potter]'s squad, and we are sure he will form an important part of our team going forward.

"Enzo has demonstrated his ability at the very highest levels, so we're looking forward to seeing what he will do in Chelsea blue."

Chelsea completed an extraordinary spending spree by landing World Cup star Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, the biggest deal of transfer deadline day.

It was Premier League clubs that featured front and centre as big-name players found new homes on Tuesday, with Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City kept busy.

Deals struck on this day can be born of desperation; however, if the right player becomes available, those that jump at the opportunity to reinforce might be thankful they took that choice come May.

Here Stats Perform assesses five deals that went through and could prove hugely significant come the season's end.

Enzo Fernandez: Benfica to Chelsea, £106.8million

A World Cup wonder for Argentina, Fernandez's stock soared over four weeks in Qatar, to the point he became linked to the wealthiest clubs in Europe.

It was Chelsea owner Todd Boehly who lasted the distance in the race for his signature, adding Fernandez to the previous window deals for Mykhaylo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto.

Fernandez has only played half a season in Europe after moving to Benfica from River Plate, so there is an element of risk in Chelsea's investment, regardless of his national team performances alongside Lionel Messi and co.

He has played five Champions League group games, and the 22-year-old has looked the part, with his arrival handing Graham Potter another expensive plaything. This means there can be no excuses now for the head coach as he looks to turn the Blues into a winning machine.

Marcel Sabitzer: Bayern Munich to Manchester United (loan)

Bayern Munich decided they could afford to part company with Sabitzer, with the former RB Leipzig midfielder jetting out to secure a move to Manchester United, swapping one European giant for another.

It was reported Erik ten Hag fancied Ryan Gravenberch, his former Ajax player, but Bayern were said to have resisted that interest and instead allowed United to take Austria international Sabitzer.

He emerged as a surprising spare part for Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann, with Sabitzer having featured in 23 games for the Bundesliga leaders this season, albeit starting only 11 times.

Ten Hag will certainly like the fact Sabitzer has a duel success rate of 58.77 per cent – the highest of his career – this season.

He is not a like-for-like replacement for the injured Christian Eriksen, but Sabitzer brings his own qualities, will want to prove a point, and should not let United down over the coming four months.

Jorginho: Chelsea to Arsenal, £12million

Arsenal wanted Moises Caicedo and were prepared to pay a king's ransom for the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder. They settled for Jorginho, a Euro 2020 champion with Italy and Champions League winner with Chelsea, paying a small fraction of the fee they would have had to spend on Caicedo.

A deal worth around £12million looks sensible business, and Jorginho makes the jump from 10th-placed Chelsea to the table-topping Gunners, seeking the first domestic league title of his career.

He played 25 games this season for the Blues, scoring three penalties but not managing any goals other than those spot-kicks, nor any assists.

Some Arsenal fans have grumbled over the signing, but Jorginho brings defensive qualities and experience of winning, which for Arsenal in recent years has been in short supply.

Joao Cancelo: Manchester City to Bayern Munich (loan with option to buy)

Bayern brought in goalkeeper Yann Sommer earlier in the window after Manuel Neuer suffered a season-ending broken leg. That was a deal that many saw coming, but the move for Cancelo came out of the sky blue, reportedly after a disagreement with Pep Guardiola saw City happy to offload the full-back.

It went through on Tuesday, opening up the possibility of Cancelo being a Premier League and Bundesliga winner in the same season.

He looks set to feature at right-back for Bayern, with Alphonso Davies featuring on the left. It means Bayern will have a pair of attacking full-backs that will put the fear up opponents.

With Bayern in a slump, drawing their past three Bundesliga games, it felt important for there to be a new face coming in. Cancelo, until very recently a favourite of Guardiola, is used to winning things with City so should fit in well at Sabener Strasse.

Pedro Porro: Sporting CP to Tottenham (loan with obligation to buy)

Three and a half years since he joined Manchester City, Porro should finally make his debut in English football after being recruited to fill the right-back role for Antonio Conte at Spurs.

This has the makings of a masterstroke signing, with Spain international Porro having caught Spurs' eye in the Champions League group stage earlier this season. He previously played for Real Valladolid while farmed out on loan from City, for whom he never played a competitive senior game.

He represents an upgrade on Matt Doherty, who was released to join Atletico Madrid, and may have the edge on Emerson Royal, with Conte bringing in a player with serious defensive and attacking qualities.

Among defenders with 10 or more appearances and at least 10 tackles, Porro's 78.95 per cent tackle success rate ranks as the sixth-best in the Portuguese Primeira Liga this season.

Meanwhile, only one defender, Benfica's Alejandro Grimaldo, has created more chances than Porro's 34 from 14 games, which have brought him six assists.

Porro ranks second among defenders in the Portuguese top flight for the most crosses played too, with 108 to Grimaldo's 116. Significantly, though, Porro has played 526 minutes fewer than Grimaldo, illustrating how effective the Spurs new boy has been when on the pitch.

Hector Bellerin has left Barcelona to sign for Primeira Liga side Sporting CP on a permanent deal.

The full-back started his career in Barca's youth ranks before Arsenal brought him to the Premier League in 2011, where he went on to become a first-team regular.

However, after falling out of favour under Mikel Arteta, the London side agreed to terminate his contract with one year left to run and Bellerin returned to Barca on a free transfer.

The 27-year-old has now left the Spanish giants for a second time, though, having made just seven appearances in all competitions since rejoining in September.

While Sporting's Primeira Liga title hopes look over, Bellerin will hope to help his side in the Europa League, with the club due to face Midtjylland in the knockout round in February.

Bellerin's arrival at the Portuguese side comes as fellow attack-minded right-back Pedro Porro departs the club for Tottenham.

Europe's elite clubs raced to beat the January transfer deadline as Pedro Porro signed for Tottenham and Enzo Fernandez neared a record Premier League move when the window slammed shut.

Argentina's World Cup winner Fernandez appeared set to complete a long-awaited move to Chelsea in a record-breaking Premier League transfer.

While Chelsea aimed to bring in the youthful Fernandez, veteran Italy international Jorginho departed as he joined Arsenal after Mikel Arteta's side were unable to secure Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo.

Manchester United also looked to strengthen their midfield with a loan deal for Bayern Munich's Sabitzer after an injury to key playmaker Christian Eriksen at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Tottenham solidified their defensive options by snaffling Spanish wing-back Porro from Sporting CP after lengthy negotiations.

Stats Perform provides a rundown of the notable deals as the mid-season transfer window finally closed.

BOEHLY BREAKS RECORD FOR FERNANDEZ

Fernandez emerged as a target for Chelsea following his influential displays for Argentina during their World Cup triumph in Qatar and the Blues' Todd Boehly-led consortium appear to have finally got their man. 

After already snatching Mykhaylo Mudryk from under the noses of Arsenal, Chelsea are set to splash a reported £105.5million (€120m) on Fernandez from Benfica.

That would break the Premier League record of £100m Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish, as the Blues looked to secure the former River Plate midfielder on a reported seven-and-a-half-year contract.

ARSENAL'S CAICEDO BLUES CURED BY JORGINHO

Arteta and Arsenal's pursuit of Caicedo fell on deaf ears as Brighton refused to budge, despite the Gunners lodging a reported £70m bid for the 21-year-old.

After missing out on primary midfield target Caicedo, Jorginho switched the blue shirt of Chelsea for the red of Arsenal as he completed a reported £12m transfer to the Premier League leaders.

The 31-year-old will provide able competition for the impressive Thomas Partey after penning an 18-month contract at Emirates Stadium.

TEN HAG FINDS ERIKSEN COVER IN SABITZER

With Eriksen ruled out for three months, Erik ten Hag and United acted swiftly to attempt to bring in experienced midfielder Sabitzer on a short-term loan.

Opportunities had been hard to come by for the Austria international after joining Bayern from Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig ahead of the 2021-22 season.

He started just 15 times in his 40 appearances for the Bundesliga champions, though he may now have the chance to impress in the Premier League with Ten Hag's resurgent Red Devils.

CONTE GETS PORRO AS DOHERTY AND SPENCE DEPART

It appeared Tottenham may not secure the services of attack-minded wing-back Porro, formerly of Girona and Manchester City, after it seemed negotiations had come to a halt with Sporting.

But Spurs confirmed the 23-year-old's arrival late on, with Porro signing a five-and-a-half-year deal after a reported £40m (€45m) move from Sporting, who signed Barcelona's Hector Bellerin as a replacement.

That transfer saw Djed Spence, who only signed from Middlesbrough in a deal worth up to £20m in July, sent out to Ligue 1's Rennes for the rest of the season on loan.

Fellow full-back Matt Doherty also made way as he joined Atletico Madrid on a six-month contract, with Spurs terminating the 31-year-old's contract to "enable him to join another club".

OTHER DEALS

Bournemouth paid their second-highest transfer fee in history for Illya Zabarnyi, parting with a reported £24m (€27.2m) for the Ukraine centre-back from Dynamo Kyiv.

Gary O'Neil's Bournemouth added a second signing soon after, confirming the arrival of Sassuolo midfielder Hamed Traore on a loan that will become permanent on a five-year deal in June.

Nottingham Forest continued their spending after signing Atletico centre-back Felipe on a deal that will run until 2024, while Jonjo Shelvey also arrived from Newcastle United on a deal until 2025, and a move for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas on loan was reportedly nearing.

Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace bolstered their midfield by bringing in Naouirou Ahamada for a reported £10.5m (€12m) fee from Stuttgart, while Arsenal's Albert Sambi Lokonga joined on a six-month loan.

Leeds United's Diego Llorente joined Jose Mourinho's Roma on loan until the end of the season, with an option for a permanent transfer reportedly worth €18m (£15.9m).

Ayoze Perez is another Premier League player who will spend the second half of the term on loan, with the Leicester City forward moving to LaLiga side Real Betis.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's Serbia team-mate Sasa Lukic traded Torino for Fulham in a transfer reportedly worth £8.8m (€10m) including add-ons, signing a contract until June 2027.

Lukic will likely be joined by Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares after Marco Silva's side reportedly agreed to bring the former Southampton defender on a six-month loan.

Outside of England, Borussia Dortmund and Belgium midfielder Thorgan Hazard completed a short-term loan move to Eredivisie title hopefuls PSV.

Tottenham have completed a deadline-day deal for attack-minded wing-back Pedro Porro from Sporting CP.

With Spurs fifth in the Premier League, three points behind Newcastle United and Manchester United having played one game more than their top-four rivals, Antonio Conte has been in the market for reinforcements this month.

Spurs beat Everton to the loan signing of Arnaut Danjuma last week, but Porro has consistently been touted as Conte's top target as the Italian coach seeks to revitalise their top-four bid.

Porro, a senior Spain international with three goals and 11 assists for Sporting this season, underwent his medical on Tuesday and put pen to paper shortly before the window closed.

He has joined on an initial loan until the end of the season, at which point Spurs are expected to pay up to £40million (€45.5m) to sign him permanently.

Porro's arrival came on the back of Tottenham allowing Djed Spence to join Ligue 1 side Rennes on loan until the end of the season, while fellow full-back Matt Doherty joined Atletico Madrid after his Spurs contract was terminated.

Porro only joined Sporting permanently last year after enjoying an impressive two-year loan spell at the club, where he won the Primeira Liga title once and the Taca da Liga twice.

However, his final game with the Lisbon club saw them fall to a 2-0 defeat against Porto in this season's Taca da Liga final on Saturday.

The 23-year-old previously spent time at Manchester City after impressing at Spanish outfit Girona, though he failed to make a competitive appearance for the Premier League champions.

Porro could face his former employers on his Tottenham debut on Sunday, with Conte's side looking to avenge the dramatic 4-2 defeat they suffered against City at the Etihad earlier this month.

He will compete with Emerson Royal at right wing-back following the departures of Spence and Doherty.

Tottenham have completed a £40million (€45m) deal to sign attack-minded wing-back Pedro Porro from Sporting CP on the final day of the transfer window, as Djed Spence completed a loan move to Ligue 1 side Rennes until the end of the season.

With Spurs fifth in the Premier League, three points behind Newcastle United and Manchester United having played one game more than their top-four rivals, Antonio Conte has been in the market for reinforcements this month.

Spurs beat Everton to the loan signing of Arnaut Danjuma last week, but Porro has consistently been touted as Conte's top target as the Italian coach seeks to revitalise their top-four bid.

Porro, a senior Spain international with three goals and 11 assists for Sporting this season, underwent his medical on Tuesday and put pen to paper shortly before the window closed.

He has joined on an initial loan until the end of the season, at which point Spurs are expected to pay up to £40million (€45.5m) to sign him permanently.

Porro only joined Sporting permanently last year after enjoying an impressive two-year loan spell at the club, where he won the Primeira Liga title once and the Taca da Liga twice.

However, his final game with the Lisbon club saw them fall to a 2-0 defeat against Porto in this season's Taca da Liga final on Saturday.

The 23-year-old previously spent time at Manchester City after impressing at Spanish outfit Girona, though he failed to make a competitive appearance for the Premier League champions.

Porro could face his former employers on his Tottenham debut on Sunday, with Conte's side looking to avenge the dramatic 4-2 defeat they suffered against City at the Etihad earlier this month.

He will compete with Emerson Royal at right wing-back, with Spence completing his temporary move to France and Matt Doherty leaving on a free transfer to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Chelsea have splashed the cash this month and could break the Premier League record by landing Enzo Fernandez before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

The Blues have already spent big to bring Mykhailo Mudryk to Stamford Bridge, while Noni Madueke, Joao Felix and Benoit Badiashile are among their other recruits.

Fernandez could follow from Benfica on what promises to be a busy deadline day as clubs across Europe scramble to get late deals done.

It remains to be seen if Arsenal can tempt Brighton and Hove Albion to part with Moises Caicedo.

Joao Cancelo looks set to swap Manchester City for Bayern Munich on loan and Paris Saint-Germain could finally seal a deal for long-time target Milan Skriniar along with Hakim Ziyech.

Stats Perform has picked out the standout transfers that could go through before the deadline.

BLUES TO SHOW THE COLOUR OF THEIR MONEY FOR WORLD-CUP WINNER?

Fernandez emerged as a target for Chelsea following his influential displays for Argentina during their World Cup triumph in Qatar.

The London club have wasted no time in building a new-look squad since a Todd Boehly-led consortium completed a takeover and Graham Potter arrived as head coach.

They have already made huge statements this month, none more so than snaring winger Mudryk from under the noses of Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Chelsea are working on trying to secure the services of Fernandez for a reported fee of £105.5million (€120m), which would break the Premier League record of £100m City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish.

CAICEDO A NO-GO?

Arsenal have already raided Brighton to bring wantaway winger Leonadro Trossard to the capital.

The Gunners have failed with big-money offers for centre midfielder Caicedo, who last week made it clear he wants to join the Premier League leaders.

Arsenal are said to be ready to test the Seagulls' resolve again on deadline-day with a third bid of £75m, but Brighton want to keep him for the rest of the season.

If they do not get an offer they cannot refuse, Arsenal could turn to Leicester City's Youri Tielemans or Chelsea's Jorginho.

CANCELO BAYERN-BOUND

Eyebrows were raised on Monday when it came to light that Bayern are poised to bring Cancelo to the Bundesliga from City.

The Portugal full-back Cancelo has fallen out of favour at the Etihad Stadium, having reportedly had a bust-up with Pep Guardiola.

A loan deal would be great business for Bayern as they hunt more trophies and this one is expected to go through.

PSG'S SKRINIAR PERSISTENCE COULD PAY OFF, ZIYECH TO FOLLOW?

While Bayern's move for Cancelo has come late in the window, Skriniar has long since been a target for PSG.

The Inter centre-back is only under contract at the end of the season and with the Serie A giants unable to tie him to a deal, it has been seemingly only a matter of time before he moves on.

PSG should finally get their man before the window closes, with the defender having already confirmed he has agreed terms with the Ligue 1 champions. Chelsea winger Ziyech could also be on his way to the French capital.

Arsenal are still desperate to add a new face in central midfield and will reportedly make late runs at Chelsea's Jorginho and Leicester City's Youri Tielemans before the transfer deadline.

Tielemans is one of Leicester's top talents, appearing in all 20 of their Premier League games this season while contributing three goals and an assist from his 18 starts.

Jorginho is in his fifth season at Stamford Bridge and remains an integral part of Chelsea's squad, making 15 league starts this season, including wearing the captain's armband in their two most recent fixtures.

However, both players are in the final six months of their contracts and are set to become available via free transfers at the end of the campaign, and their clubs may be willing to accept a significantly reduced figure for highly valuable assets.

TOP STORY – GUNNERS GUNNING FOR MIDFIELD ACTION AT THE DEADLINE

According to Football London, Arsenal's pursuit of 21-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion standout Moises Caicedo appears to have been unsuccessful, and they now view Jorginho as an acceptable alternative.

The report states Chelsea are willing to let the Italy international leave, indicating he will become expendable if the impending arrival of Benfica's Enzo Fernandez comes to fruition.

Football London also adds Arsenal will make another push at both Caicedo and Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi, but they are considered unlikely options.

Meanwhile, 90min claims Leicester would be more open to allowing Tielemans to leave if they were not locked in a relegation battle, but as it stands they would need a "huge" bid to prioritise a transfer fee over their Premier League survival.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Leeds United will try to secure Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo after he snubbed Bournemouth, but Roma are unlikely to accept unless the full transfer fee is paid up front.

– According to L'Equipe, Paris Saint-Germain are interested in a loan move for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech, who would prefer a loan to France instead of a fellow Premier League side.

– Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has rejected a loan approach from Inter and will instead opt to fight for his place, although he will re-evaluate his future at the end of the season, per the Daily Star.

– El Nacional is reporting Liverpool will make a run at signing Chelsea's N'Golo Kante when his contract expires after the season.

– According to Football Insider, Southampton have agreed to meet the £26.2million (€30m) release clause for 22-year-old Braga forward Vitinha.

Roger Schmidt acknowledges Benfica may be helpless to stop World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez leaving the club as reports of Chelsea's interest persist.

Argentina midfielder Fernandez has been linked with the Premier League club throughout the January transfer window after catching the eye at Qatar 2022.

Benfica coach Schmidt was frustrated by Chelsea's attempts to sign Fernandez earlier in the window when it was claimed they did not intend to pay his £105million (€120m) release clause.

Schmidt, who dropped Fernandez for one match, said the Blues were trying to "drive the player crazy" as it appeared he was keen to make the move.

Yet it was suggested on Monday a bid had been lodged that would see Chelsea match the £105m clause, giving Benfica no option but to allow their prized asset to leave.

The Portuguese giants are top of the Primeira Liga and through to a last-16 Champions League tie against Club Brugge, and Schmidt believes they are set for their next move if Fernandez departs ahead of Tuesday's transfer deadline.

"I think we always have to prepare everything in the background, especially at the end of the transfer window, and especially when you are not in the driver's seat," Schmidt said on Monday.

"So, we all know that we have a situation with Enzo that he has a clause in the contract. That means if the player wants and there's a club that pays this amount of money, you cannot stop that.

"Of course, for this moment, you have to be prepared and you have to find solutions. But at the moment, he is our player, he's still there, so there is no deal.

"We will see what happens in the next two days. Then I'm happy when the transfer window is closed and we can focus completely on our players in the squad and we can try to play a top season."

Despite removing Fernandez from the team at the start of the month, Schmidt has no concerns around the player's mentality now.

"Of course, he gets our full support," the coach added. "He's a great person and a great player, and I think I said everything about that topic.

"I already said a few times that as long as the transfer window is open, you always have to expect that something can happen. It's the same with the Enzo topic.

"So, we will see what happens in the next two days. But my mindset hasn't changed in the last weeks. I really appreciate after the discussions at the beginning of January that he was able to focus again on Benfica.

"I think he played top games for Benfica, which shows what I said before – that his attitude towards Benfica is 100 per cent.

"But we know also how the football business is. I think I'm always very honest, as honest as possible, to you here in the press conference. That's the situation. I cannot say anything more about this topic."

Arsenal are reportedly weighing up a potential £75million bid for young Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Caicedo, 21, has been one of the breakout stars of the Premier League season, starting 18 of Brighton's 19 league fixtures to help his side up to sixth.

The talented central midfielder has already earned 28 caps for Ecuador and collected valuable experience at the Qatar World Cup, where he scored against Senegal in the group stage.

Brighton have rejected some serious bids already this month, and while they have reportedly set Caicedo's price at nine figures, Arsenal are prepared to test how much money they are willing to turn down.

TOP STORY – ARSENAL PREPARE BUMPER BID FOR BRIGHTON TALENT

According to Fichajes, Arsenal are determined to add reinforcements before the end of January, and they will see if £75m is enough to pry Caicedo away from Brighton.

Metro had previously reported Brighton would hold out for a fee in the range of £100m, having already batted away a £50m approach from Chelsea.

Fichajes believes Arsenal are willing to outspend Chelsea in the pursuit of Caicedo, which has them in the driver's seat if Brighton are willing to budge before the transfer window closes.

ROUND-UP

– According to the Daily Telegraph, Chelsea and Liverpool will both pursue 24-year-old Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes, who is expected to cost £55m.

– 90min is reporting Tottenham are confident they will complete their move for 23-year-old Sporting right-back Pedro Porro in the coming days after negotiations over his release clause.

– 90min adds Sporting will target 22-year-old Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey as Porro's replacement, although Lyon are also interested in the Seagulls defender.

– Everton have lowered their asking price for Anthony Gordon to £40m plus add-ons after their initial £60m valuation put off Newcastle United, per the Telegraph.

– Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting Inter will demand £35m (€40m) for 26-year-old right-back Denzel Dumfries, who is a target of Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester United.

Chelsea have spent plenty of money on recruitment during the January transfer window, landing Mykhaylo Mudryk, Noni Madueka, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana and Benoit Badiashile.

But the Blues may not be done with transfer activity before Tuesday's window closure.

Chelsea are still eager to bolster their midfield options, having missed out on a few key targets.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA TO MOVE FOR EVERTON MIDFIELDER

Chelsea will move to sign unsettled Everton defensive midfielder Amadou Onana, according to The Times.

The Blues will divert their attention to the Senegal-born Belgium international after missing out on Benfica's Enzo Fernandez and Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo.

Onana was given a leave of absence from Everton training earlier this week and is unhappy given the club's plight with Frank Lampard sacked as manager this week.

ROUND-UP

– Ferran Torres could be sold by Barcelona in the off-season, despite only joining the Blaugrana in January last year, reports Sport. Barca have ignored offers for the forward in January, despite some clubs wanting him on loan while the report links Atletico Madrid with the 22-year-old.

– Milan are monitoring the status of Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo, according to The Sun. The Portuguese has struggled for games since the World Cup and could be open to a move.

– Tottenham are getting closer to completing a deal for Sporting full-back Pedro Porro, reports The Guardian. Sporting are determined to recoup his buyout clause of €45 million (£39.7m), with talks, ongoing since the start of the month, getting towards a conclusion.

– Fabrizio Romano claims Weston McKennie has agreed personal terms with Leeds United however the move hinges on negotiations with Juventus about the transfer fee. Leeds' opening bid was €28m, but the Bianconeri want €35m.

– Everton are plotting a shock £25m move to sign Chelsea's Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech, claims Sky Sports. Roma are also interested in the 29-year-old too, while PSG are keeping tabs on him, according to Media Foot.

– Nottingham Forest are weighing up a bid to sign 28-year-old Italian midfielder Roberto Gagliardini from Inter, claims Calciomercato.

Enzo Fernandez will remain a Benfica player beyond the end of the January transfer window, according to the Portuguese giants' head coach Roger Schmidt.

The Argentina midfielder has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea throughout the month, but Benfica are reportedly insisting the Premier League side meet the player's release clause, believed to be £106million (€120m).

Schmidt previously described Chelsea's pursuit of the 22-year-old as "disrespectful", and speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he reiterated his confidence that Fernandez will stay.

"Yes, of course," he said about the player remaining in Lisbon. "When you see Enzo playing for Benfica you can tell he's in shape and happy. He's not thinking about anything else.

"I'm not expecting to lose any of our regular starters. I see the players concentrated and I hope this continues."

Fernandez, fresh off winning the World Cup last month as well as picking up the tournament's Young Player award, leads the Primeira Liga for passes attempted this season with 1,511, 260 more than the next most (Sporting CP's Goncalo Inacio – 1,251).

Chelsea have had a busy window already, signing David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Joao Felix (loan), Benoit Badiashile, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke.