winger

Sources close to Mudryk say he is confident of returning to his best form, citing the work he has put in to maintain his fitness during 20 months on the sidelines.

They also point to the support Chelsea have provided throughout the process, while adhering to the restrictions imposed by his suspension and respecting the legal proceedings.

The Ukrainian received backing from the club from afar, while also being given the space to navigate what those close to him describe as an extremely difficult period.

Under the terms of the suspension, Mudryk was unable to access Chelsea‘s training ground or work with club staff. His only known public interaction with members of the first-team squad came at the Conference League final celebrations in May 2025.

To maintain his fitness, Mudryk paid for private coaching and hired goalkeepers for individual sessions while using a pitch at non-league club Uxbridge FC in London. He also organised a training camp in Austria, with videos from those sessions showing him scoring goals and taking part in attacking drills.

However, those close to Mudryk acknowledge there is no substitute for training and competing alongside elite players on a daily basis. Mudryk is understood to be realistic about the challenge ahead, but believes he can overcome it.

Chelsea are prepared to provide a pathway back into professional football. Whether that involves reintegration into the first team, a loan move – potentially involving sister club Strasbourg – or a permanent transfer remains to be seen.

Whatever the outcome, the resolution of the case represents a significant moment for Mudryk. He now has the opportunity to resume his career and determine what the next chapter looks like.

Having joined Chelsea in one of the most closely watched transfer sagas of 2023, his story at Stamford Bridge is not over yet.

“He can play in more than one position and his versatility will be a great fit in the side,” said Swansea head coach Vitor Matos.

“Elijah joins us after performing well in all aspects of our recruitment process, and after a brilliant performance at the World Cup and we are very happy to have him with us.”

Just joins fellow New Zealand international Marko Stamenic at Swansea.

He will also be reunited with summer signing Stephen Welsh, who spent last season on loan at Motherwell from Celtic.

“I’ve admired Lewis for a long time and tried to sign him at previous clubs, but I wasn’t in a position to afford him.

“He’s consistently impressed us whenever we’ve watched him, but what really stood out was that the numbers backed up exactly what our eyes were telling us.”

Overall, Smith played 81 times for Livingston, scoring 12 goals, seven of them last season, and contributed 12 assists.

“Some of the performance data our recruitment department track placed him among the best wide players in the Premiership last season,” Robinson said.

“We can all overlook what’s right on the doorstep at times. Lewis has proved over several years that he can perform consistently in this league and we believe there is still plenty more to come from him.

“Dons fans can expect an energetic, attack-minded winger who is deceptively quick, works tirelessly for the team, is comfortable with either foot and carries a genuine goal threat.

“He finished as Livingston’s leading league goalscorer last season despite playing predominantly in the wide area, which tells you a lot about the attacking qualities he’ll bring.”

An “excited” Smith pointed out that he had made his Hamilton debut at Pittodrie and believes “I’ve got a lot more to give” for his new club.

Smith, who came through Accies’ youth ranks, signed a two-year contract when moving to West Lothian in 2024, but that was extended until summer 2027 after a season.

Livingston sporting director David Martindale said the sale proved their player trading model was working.

“We signed Lewis on a pre-contract when he was with Hamilton in League 1 and that’s a strategy we’d obviously like to continue going forward,” he told his club website.

“We’re in a good place at the moment and, subject to a Governing Body Endorsement, we’ll be announcing Smithy’s replacement very soon. He was identified early on in anticipation that Lewis could move.”

Smith’s arrival at Pittodrie comes on the same day Aberdeen sold striker Marko Lazetic to Armenian Premier League runners-up Noah for an undisclosed fee.

Everton are close to agreeing a deal with Chelsea to sign winger Tyrique George following his loan spell.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan on Merseyside, with an option to buy for £25m, but Everton have renegotiated an upfront fee to one with add-ons.

George made 11 appearances for Everton, starting once, but impressed manager David Moyes during his four-month spell at the club.

In May Moyes described him as “an excellent boy” with an “excellent work-rate” when asked about the possibility of a permanent move before the final match of the season.

With the deal for George close, Everton are finalising a £16m deal for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

Attacking midfielder Merlin Rohl is also set to make his loan move permanent following a successful spell from SC Freiburg last season, while Idrissa Gana Gueye and Seamus Coleman have departed after their contracts expired.

George, who came through Chelsea‘s academy, has been available for transfer for the past 12 months.

He held talks with RB Leipzig last summer, while a £22m move to Fulham collapsed on transfer deadline day in September 2025.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are continuing their squad rebuild under new manager Xabi Alonso.

They have signed Marco Palestra from Atalanta and retain interest in Crystal Palace‘s Maxence Lacroix, Como’s Jacobo Ramon and Rayo Vallecano full-back Pep Chavarria.

However, the club are also looking to reduce the size of their squad after finishing 10th in the Premier League and failing to qualify for European competition.

That means fewer matches and reduced revenue from broadcasting and matchdays, while Chelsea remain under a Uefa settlement agreement for the next three seasons after breaching financial regulations last summer.

Player sales are therefore likely, with Real Madrid interested in Enzo Fernandez, while Como and Inter Milan are among the clubs keen on Trevoh Chalobah.

The futures of Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana also remain uncertain, along with forwards Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap.

Jones’ performance wrote another chapter in his Wembley story, which started when he helped Coventry win the EFL Trophy in 2017 and being on their books when they won the League Two play-offs in 2018.

His previous visit for Notts involved him scoring a penalty in the National League promotion final shootout against Chesterfield in 2023.

He followed that up by representing Malta as a substitute against England in November 2023 before going on to be named League Two player of the year in 2024 after breaking a record shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne with 24 assists.

“I’d like to think there’s another chapter at Wembley coming for me,” said Jones. “I haven’t lost with a club. I’d like to think Wembley is a good place for me.”

County’s promotion was their 14th in EFL history, one short of the all-time record held by Grimsby Town, and Jones says there is no reason why they cannot be optimistic about the future.

“My godfather said to me when I went to Notts, ‘I really believe you can do something similar to what you did at Coventry and go up the leagues. Notts seem like the sort of club who would do something like that, they are a massive club’,” said Jones.

“It wasn’t that long ago that I was a Coventry City player and we got promoted against Notts in the play-offs. I hope they have forgiven me for that.

“Who knows where we can go. We are a fantastic club and I’m sure we’ll attract a lot of talent who will want to come and join us.”

As for it being a third major success among his significant clubs, Jones said he spoke about Arsenal, Coventry and Notts County having fruitful campaigns in a family group chat at the start of the season, saying it “would be amazing”.

“And it’s happened, fantastic.”

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler says he “is not sure yet” if Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma will be fit to play in the 2026 World Cup.

Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury in a win against Wolves and will miss his side’s final two Premier League games of the season.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu is set to name his squad for the World Cup, which starts on 11 June, on Friday.

“Regarding the World Cup, I’m not sure yet,” said Hurzeler before the Seagulls play at Leeds United on Sunday (15:00 BST).

“We’ll be in touch with the Japan federation.

“We really have to be patient with this injury, we cannot give a clear schedule.

“He will miss our two games. That is sad for Kaoru. He was in good form and had a big impact on our performances.”

It has not been a straightforward two seasons in English football for the forward.

He joined the East Yorkshire club from Portuguese outfit Farense in August 2024 and enjoyed a decent start only for an anterior cruciate ligament injury at Oxford in November to end his season.

By the time he returned to action last August the club had sacked both Tim Walter and his replacement Ruben Selles and brought in Jakirovic.

Understandably after such a serious injury it took him time to get back up to speed and two hamstring injuries have kept him out for four months of this campaign.

He started Friday’s goalless first leg and hit the post after just two minutes but Jakirovic said he began Monday’s game on the bench as he had not been able to train since.

“He was very tired and had fatigue in both his hamstrings and Achilles so the plan was to give him the second half,” Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside.

“It was a great substitution and a great decision. Now I am very smart, if they do nothing I am stupid. It’s always like this.

“This group of players is unbelievable with the chemistry between them.”

Skipper Lewie Coyle was also full of praise for the match-winner and the club’s medical staff.

“He’s incredible. We are so lucky that we’ve got so many players that can come on and impact the game,” he said.

“We all know what that boy’s about. I’m so pleased for him.

“He’s had an incredibly tough injury but it says a lot about him and the recovery team that he’s come back as he has.”