Atlético Madrid has jumped ahead in the race for Botafogo right-back Vitinho, leaving Everton scrambling to catch up, according to Brazilian radio station Tupi FM. Everton have tracked the 26-year-old closely, desperate to shore up their shaky defence, but right now, they’re lagging.

Atlético aren’t messing around—they’ve ramped up their pursuit and are looking hard at how Vitinho might fit into their plans. Everton’s scouts are still hanging around, but at this point, it feels like they’re just hoping for a window to open. Neither club has put in an official bid so far, but Atlético’s aggressive approach puts them firmly in front as the top European option for Vitinho.

Botafogo aren’t in any hurry to sell. Vitinho just wrapped up a brutal 2025 season, logging 59 matches with two goals and four assists. He’s become a mainstay for Botafogo, both in Brazil and in continental competitions. On top of that, his contract runs through December 2029, so Botafogo holds all the cards when it comes to negotiating a fee. For Everton, trying to get back in the mix is going to be an uphill battle. Right now, everything points toward Madrid.

Does David Moyes need Vitinho?

David Moyes needs a real right-back—fast. This season, he’s had to stick central defender Jake O’Brien out on the right, which has killed any attacking threat down that side. Seamus Coleman is 37 and winding down his career, and Nathan Patterson can’t stay fit or consistent. Moyes just doesn’t have a reliable option there.

Vitinho could be the answer. Playing 59 games in a season shows he can handle Moyes’s demands. But if Everton wants him, they have to move quickly. Making bold moves in January isn’t really Everton’s thing, and Moyes usually prefers players who already know the Premier League. Even so, tight finances might push him to look for bargains in South America.

Convincing Vitinho won’t be easy. Everton can offer regular Premier League football, but Atlético has Champions League nights and a bigger stage. If Everton really wants him, they’ll have to meet Botafogo’s asking price and hope the promise of a starting spot outweighs the glamour of Madrid. Right now, though, Atlético has the upper hand.

Jamie Carragher isn’t convinced that bringing in Liam Rosenior will get Chelsea any closer to the Premier League title.

Unless something changes at the last minute, Rosenior’s set to take over as manager after Enzo Maresca left on New Year’s Day. Right now, Rosenior is coaching in France at Strasbourg, another club owned by BlueCo. He’s meeting Chelsea’s top brass on Monday to talk things through in person.

Everyone expects Chelsea to announce Rosenior before their next game—a west London derby against Fulham on Wednesday. Over at Strasbourg, club president Marc Keller has already started looking for Rosenior’s replacement, and they’ve narrowed it down to three options.

Chelsea played their first match without Maresca—a 1-1 draw at Manchester City, with Enzo Fernandez grabbing a last-minute equaliser. Calum McFarlane filled in as interim manager for that match but will head back to the U21S once Rosenior arrives.

Rosenior has managed at Strasbourg, Hull City, and Derby County so far. As a player, he spent time with Hull, Fulham, Reading, and Brighton before retiring in 2018.

Carragher liked Maresca and wasn’t surprised to see him go, especially once things soured between him and the Chelsea board. Carragher isn’t sold on Rosenior, though. He thinks this job’s coming too soon for the 41-year-old.

“I was a big fan of Enzo Maresca,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “He held his own against some of the league’s best. But honestly, I saw this coming—if you start speaking out of turn, especially at Chelsea with all those sporting directors, it’s not going to end well. When the results dipped, and he missed a press conference, it was inevitable.”

Rosenior, for his part, tried to keep things low-key when asked about the Chelsea rumours. “There’s a lot of noise, a lot of speculation,” he told local reporters. “But as a coach, if you get caught up in it, you lose focus. I enjoy my time here, and I love this club, but I can’t promise anything—no one can. You could say you’ll stay for years and get sacked the next day.”

Carragher thinks the spotlight now shifts to Chelsea’s ownership. “I’ve been pretty critical of the way they’ve done things these last few years,” he said. “Just look at the managers: they started with Thomas Tuchel, who won the Champions League. Now they’re about to bring in Rosenior, who’s managed Derby, Hull, and Strasbourg.

“It’s a massive opportunity for Rosenior, but Chelsea and their fans aren’t used to these kinds of appointments. They’re used to big names—Mourinho, Hiddink, Conte—guys who come in and make a huge impact. I don’t see Rosenior doing that.

“His main target will be to get them into the Champions League next season, and they can do that. With five English teams likely qualifying again, it’s right there for them. But honestly, I don’t think this is the kind of hire that gets Chelsea back to winning the Premier League or the Champions League. That’s what the club and the fans expect.

“That’s not a knock on Rosenior—he’s young and has time to grow as a coach. But for me, this job’s probably come a bit too early for him to deliver the success Chelsea should be aiming for.”

Gary Neville, the former Manchester United and England defender, isn’t convinced either. He weighed in on his Sky Sports podcast: “You can’t win anything with kids. Alan Hansen was spot on. Chelsea needs some experience at the club. If you’ve got young players, you need an experienced manager too. But here they go again, another young manager. Young players need real authority and guidance.”

Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Manchester City leaves them fifth in the table, three points outside the Champions League spots.