Chelsea’s Three Little Birds: Boehly, Potter and Eghbali – Why every little thing is gonna be alright

Thursday was a busy day on Chelsea Twitter, as fans were blessed with a double ‘Here we go!’ from Fabrizio Romano. Continuing the trend set by the summer purchases of Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei, Chelsea are set to further bolster their army of U20 talent with the additions of Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana for a combined €32m. While many are excited by the Football Manager-style prospect of a Chelsea dominant for years into the future, others are quick to point out the need to address the less-than-ideal actuality facing Graham Potter’s disjointed and underperforming squad. 

Potter celebrates. https://theprideoflondon.com/2022/09/09/chelsea-graham-potter-take/

A bleak run of form just before the World Cup has left many Chelsea fans under a dark cloud of negativity, growing increasingly frustrated with the ownership of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. Many criticise the bulldozing entrance which saw them rip up the entire internal structure of the club, culminating in the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, who was so greatly adored by the Chelsea faithful. These events seem to have generated a widespread view that the new ownership is out of its depth, lacking the necessary knowledge to cut it at the top level of football. Any action now comes under immediate heavy criticism, and fans are questioning the signings of youth players amidst the need for ready-made reinforcements. However, in moments like these a bit of level-headed objectivity can go a long way. While Chelsea are in need of first team signings, we also have to appreciate the work being done to rectify the lack of sustainable progress the club has made over the last five years. The establishment of solid, long-term foundations for success is, really, incredibly exciting, and it is important to remember what Boehly & co have come here to do.

Also on Thursday, a month-old interview with co-owner Behdad Eghbali surfaced on Twitter. Encouragingly, it confirmed the ambition that many of us had seen in the new ownership, with Eghbali again displaying a desire to establish a multi-club model. It was interesting to see the Chelsea man reiterate the inefficiency he sees across many clubs in Europe, highlighting the opportunity for clubs to be more optimally and sustainably run. In fact, he explicitly states that Chelsea ‘was not terribly well managed on the football side, sporting side or promotional side’. He goes on to speak about the Red Bull model, citing their ‘50 to 100 million a year profit in player sales’ and underlining the importance of ‘using data […] and a cohesive global structure’ in order to ‘produce a winning product’. Indeed, Chelsea themselves have already entirely restructured their board, bringing in the ex-Red Bull technical director himself, Christopher Vivell. He brings his multi-club expertise to a team of Joe Shields, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, four specialists replacing Marina Granovskaia who, in theory, previously carried out the jobs of all four. Already, you can see the optimisation mentioned by Eghbali is being put into place, ready for the January transfer window. Logically, bringing in some of the best in their fields should prevent Chelsea from continuing to make the wrong decisions, squandering millions on failed signings and missing youth development opportunities. 

Potter, Eghbali, Boehly. https://www.reddit.com/r/chelseafc/comments/ziynet/todd_boehly_and_behdad_eghbali_chatting_with/

It may not be immediately clear how a multi-club model would do anything other than expand the assets of the Clearlake enterprise. Fortunately for the fans, both Eghbali and Boehly, in an interview dating back to September, have emphasised the model’s role in player development, allowing Chelsea to present their youth players with reliable pathways to the first team. See following from Boehly’s interview:

‘The challenge at Chelsea is that when you have 18-, 19-, 20-year-old superstars, you can loan them out to other clubs, but you put their development in someone else’s hands. Our goal is to make sure we can show pathways for our young superstars to get onto the Chelsea pitch while getting them real game time. To me, the way to do that is through another club somewhere in a really competitive league in Europe. […] What we really need is a place to put our 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds to develop them, in Portugal, Belgium or somewhere like that. Get them the (GBE) points they need and also get them out of South America and into Portugal, which is a perfect example, we think, and then to get them on the pitch for Chelsea.’

This really is nail on the head from Boehly. How many times have we seen talented Chelsea youngsters either stagnate at a poor loan, or force a permanent move away for their own development? Just look at the progression of the likes of Marc Guéhi, Jamal Musiala and Fikayo Tomori since leaving the club. What might have been for Callum Hudson-Odoi had the right structure been in place for him to maximise his potential in his favoured position? How did Billy Gilmour go from starting regularly in the Premier League under Frank Lampard, dubbed the ‘Scottish Iniesta’, to being sold by the club for a measly £9m? I could go on and on, but the point is that Chelsea have grossly mismanaged the abundance of talent produced for years at their very own training ground. For Boehly to identify this issue publicly and accurately, and present us with a convincing solution, must inspire confidence. His mention of Portugal as a facilitated entry point for young Brazilians displays his knowledge of the task at hand and might provide a hint as to the eventual destination of Andrey Santos. Regardless, it’s clear that Boehly and Eghbali are extremely ambitious with their plans for Chelsea, and that the new owners are committed to the prolonged and sustainable success of the club. 

Yes, I do still miss him. https://twitter.com/ttuchelofficial/status/1569032860782182400

As mentioned above, many fans seem to have difficulty getting excited about this, still hurt by the ruthless sacking of their beloved Thomas Tuchel. While understandable, some perspective needs to be applied here. The truth is Tuchel never displayed a desire to develop the young players at the club. Instant success was always prioritised, hence his blocking of Hudson-Odoi’s Borussia Dortmund loan to keep him as wingback cover, amongst other questionable decisions. Even with the new ownership in place, Tuchel had the power to break the cycle. Yet, after less than one week of Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the US, Tuchel sent home Billy Gilmour and Harvey Vale, neither of which seemed to have imminent loans lined up. Meanwhile, the likes of Ross Barkley, Michy Batshuayi and Kenedy, all entering the final year of their contracts, remained. Apart from the glaring mismanagement of the squad from the previous board, leaving these players under contract and on a never-ending cycle of unproductive loans, Tuchel must be held accountable for his decisions. Both Jorginho and N’golo Kanté were entering the final year of their contracts, and Billy Gilmour had shown the ability to perform as a 6 at the highest level. Academy Player of the Year Harvey Vale had the potential to provide effective squad depth in the attack, where both Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech were heavily linked with moves away. Yet, Tuchel preferred to keep the deadwood in the squad. It was difficult to understand, and decisions like these are simply not compatible with the new direction of the club. Boehly himself has made this clear:

‘The reality of our decision was we just weren’t sure Thomas saw it the same way we saw it. No one’s right or wrong, we just didn’t have a shared vision for the future. It wasn’t about Zagreb, it was about the shared vision for what we want Chelsea Football Club to look like. It wasn’t a decision made because of a single win or loss, it was a decision made about what we thought was the right vision for the club.’

Omari Hutchinson vs. Aston Villa. https://twitter.com/cfckel/status/1601972256204374019

Emotion removed; this makes sense. Now, under Potter, we are seeing the likes of Charlie Webster, Omari Hutchinson and Lewis Hall training regularly with the first team. This isn’t a token gesture, it’s because they are good enough to be there. Under previous managers, that fact hasn’t always been enough. It’s crucial that these players are given the time to grow in and around the first team set up, rather than being given one five-minute cameo, under all the pressure in the world, before being thrown back to the academy and deemed below standard. It’s also essential that the manager is allowed the time and space to do this, as seems to be the case currently. In his latest press conference, Potter stated:

‘I met up with Bedad (Eghbali) and had a good chat. I’m even more confident, more aware of the support I have now than I was three months ago. That tells you something. It’s a credit to them and their support. It’s been fantastic. […] We all know the pressure and the demands at Chelsea, but we have also got enough people who can see the perspective. I’m really looking forward to the weeks, months, years ahead.’

This is extremely encouraging, and it truly looks like Chelsea are finally going to be backing a manager for the long run. Part of doing this is accepting the bumpy ride that is part and parcel of the process – things are not always going to be perfect. Potter’s press conferences and general demeanour leave plenty to be desired, and the new ownership certainly didn’t handle their first transfer window particularly well. There is no doubt that improvements must be made. But, like most successes in life, you need to endure the difficult times first. If we have to play Europa League football next year, so be it. It’s proven to be an extremely effective competition for player development. Choose to see the positives. The same fans calling for Potter’s head will have mocked Arteta as a useless manager after Arsenal’s three straight losses at the start of last season, now silenced as the north Londoners sit top of the table, 19 points ahead of Chelsea at the halfway point. It’s like selling your Bitcoin stocks during the March 2020 dip, before seeing it skyrocket over 1000% into 2021. Don’t be that guy. Have some patience, have some faith. At the end of the day, this is the direction the club is going in. As a fan, why not be excited? Why not support your club, your youth? I promise you, in good time, we will be back. 

To quote Mr. Marley:

Bob Marley on a visit to Brazil. https://g1.globo.com/pop-arte/noticia/2021/05/11/bob-marley-no-brasil-o-dia-em-que-o-musico-jamaicano-jogou-futebol-com-chico-buarque-e-moraes-moreira-no-rio.ghtml

Written by Tom Driver

Exclusive: Jim Fraser promoted to Head of Youth Development & Recruitment

The Chelsea Spot understand Jim Fraser has been promoted to Head of Youth Development & Recruitment at Chelsea FC.

Neil Bath was promoted into the role of Director of Football Development and Operations in November, where we understand he will continue to oversee the U21s progress as well as the loan system for the academy players.

Jim Fraser was Neil Bath’s assistant for over 15 years, and together they have been the main men behind producing one of the best academies in the world.

Make sure to follow us on all our social media platforms and let us know if you have any questions!

Tomorrow evening (Tuesday evening, UK) we will be recording a Twitter Space which will eventually be uploaded as a podcast episode – so make sure to tune into that!

Written by Paree

Reece James Injured , Now What?

When the news surfaced of Chilwell needing surgery on his ACL injury we didn’t even fathom that potentially another injury of that magnitude was right around the corner. Reece James quite literally hobbled off of the pitch and was seen after the game walking only with the aid of some crutches. The injury is rumoured to be his hamstring and these kinds of injuries can vary in severity.

I’m no insider at the club but I can assume some scans will be done ASAP, probably today or tomorrow. Hamstring injuries can be tedious and are often flared up again if overdone and the normal thing would be to ease Reece back into play slowly. However, with 5 games in the next 17 days this is just not possible. This leaves Tuchel and the team in quite the predicament.

Below is a great post surrounding the possibilities of Reece James’ injury and the different types of recovery times for the different grades of hamstring injuries.

The options remaining at right-wing back now read Azpilicueta, Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi. Two of these aren’t even defenders… Azpilicueta is slowly declining which is saddening for everyone to see but is still a great option at RCB and to see him against the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham at wing back could be dangerous. Pulisic is still adapting to the position and everyone knows with him playing there against the aforementioned teams we could be in serious trouble. Hudson-Odoi didn’t have his finest match today against Brighton but it is evident to see he is more suited to the attacking positions. Both Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi will be in defensive bother trying to mark Mane if they have to play there and this will definitely reduce their attacking output as they would have to deal with a marauding Robertson and Mane.

An injury concern still looms over Andreas Christensen as his back problem flared up again tonight. A back injury like he has usually comes with the need for rest and with the hectic January schedule, it won’t do him any favours continuing to play through the pain. This means Azpilicueta could be forced to play RCB, lessening the options at wing back even further.

The only natural wing back at the club that is fit is Marcos Alonso. Even tonight he was having trouble against Lamptey, imagine the damage that Salah will do come Sunday. The idea was floated around before the game that Tuchel could be getting Reece James adapted to the left wing-back role as a way to prepare him for playing there against Liverpool. Well if that was a tactical plan by Tuchel, that went terribly wrong.

Obviously, we know that Reece James’ scans could all come back positive and he could be fine within a few weeks but what can we do in that time? My thoughts are that Tuchel will use Azpilicueta there against Liverpool to try and stay compact but for the other games throughout January he will use either Hudson-Odoi or Pulisic.

It would be nice if we had maybe Tino Livramento and Tariq Lamptey to replace Reece for the moment but we don’t. There are academy options that fit the profile of a wing back. For example, Dion Rankine is a pacy and dynamic player that has been utilised in this role before in the youth setup. Against Brentford we saw Xavier Simons play there and he put in a decent enough performance to earn some trust from Tuchel. It would be a big risk for academy players to be used in these big matches and I can’t really see it happening apart from the Chesterfield match.

If worst comes to worst and we need to explore the market for wing back options it would be a good idea for Tuchel and his recruitment team to possibly find a player capable of operating on both sides.

Another thorn in the side of a Chelsea side that has been ravaged by Covid and injuries over the past few weeks. The schedule comes under scrutiny and maybe rightly so but now is the time for the team to scrape together a few wins and steady the ship.

Written by Frankie

The 16-Year-Old Genius In Chelsea’s Academy

Tudor Mendel-Idowu is a 16-year-old, left footed attacker that can operate on the flanks or centrally. Tudor has recently signed a scholarship with Chelsea but he has not let this get in the way of his educational ambitions. You would think that a player at one of the best academies in the world would pack it all in education wise and focus on football but with Tudor that is not the case…

The Slough born teenager attends Eton College alongside a presumably tough schedule that he has to maintain for Chelsea. Eton is notorious in England for being one of the top academic private schools and its exceptional students that get the highest grades. Eton is commonly found among the top 10 ranked colleges in England which means Tudor is literally in the best of both worlds. Elite facilities at Cobham with some of the best coaches in the nation and also receiving some of the best teaching in the world when he’s not playing football.

The mindset of Tudor must be astounding for his age, being able to keep up with the seemingly impossible task of maintaining grades at Eton whilst being 1 of 10 boys selected to receive a scholarship for 2021/22 at Chelsea.

Tudor’s academic promise has been evident since the early 2010’s, with an 8-year-old Tudor featuring on Channel 4’s show ‘Child Genius’ and placing second where he went up against other children much older than him.

His academic abilities did not plateau there as now at Eton he studies a wide variety of subjects including English, Greek, Latin, German, Maths and Physics.

Tudor has been with Chelsea since under-8’s and has been regularly featuring for the Blues since the under-9 age group. Whilst playing for Chelsea, Tudor has been apart of England training camps all the way up to under-15 level. Tudor is also eligible for Nigeria and the English FA appeared to up their attempts of persuading him to play for England in 2019.

Tudor has a 2 year scholarship with the club that runs out after the 2022/23 season, it will be interesting to see whether his contract gets extended as the records of matches that he has played in seems to be a bit sparse.

Image Source : Chelsea FC

However, this is the final step before a pro contract for these scholars including Tudor and will be interesting to see how his career pans out. He is in the classic dilemma of studies or football, many youngsters are faced with this challenge and it seems at the moment Tudor has taken the rare option of both and is excelling.

Written by Frankie

29th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Dujon Sterling

Dujon Sterling has agreed a new contract with Chelsea and is set to join Championship side Blackpool on loan for the remainder of the season.

Sterling will sign a new two-year contract at Chelsea that includes the option for another year.

Sterling was intent on staying at Chelsea but due to an influx of defenders at the club, the decision to get regular game time in the Championship became a good option. (Adam Newson)

Blackpool sit 22nd in the Championship and Sterling’s ability to play a number of positions on the right hand side will be good for them.

Callum Hudson-Odoi

Borussia Dortmund want to sign Callum Hudson-Odoi on loan and have not been put off by Thomas Tuchel’s insistence that Chelsea intend to keep the winger this summer.

Callum is open to joining Dortmund on loan before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday. The 20-year-old wants more opportunities to showcase his talent and is waiting to see whether the Bundesliga club firm up their interest.

Hudson-Odoi’s long-term preference would be to prove himself at Chelsea after rising through the club’s academy.

There is a growing acceptance, however, that he needs to play regularly and he could benefit from spending the campaign at Dortmund, whose new manager, Marco Rose, has a reputation for attacking football. (The Guardian)

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

There is a possibly that Napoli could make a late attempt to sign Loftus-Cheek. (Corriere dello sport)

Tiemoue Bakayoko

The announcement of Bakayoko to AC Milan is expcted to be announced in the next few days.

He has completed a medical today and will join Milan on a two-year loan.

Chelsea will extend his contract until 2023.

Written by Frankie

26th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Kurt Zouma

Zouma to West Ham is a done deal and will be announced soon.

Paperowork is completyed between West Ham and Chelsea.

A few final agent details to be done and it will be official.

Fee will be £25.7m. (Fabrizio Romano)

Tiemoue Bakayoko

Tiemoué Bakayoko deal between AC Milan and Chelsea will be completed today.

Medical is this week.

Chelsea will extend Bakayoko’s contract until 2024.

The deal will be a two-year loan with the option to buy set at €15m.

Jules Kounde

Chelsea have their final bid ready to be submitted for Jules Koundé.

Koundé personal terms, agreed since July – nothing new. (Fabrizio Romano)

Kurt Zouma’s deal to West Ham is seen as the catalyst for this move and we can expect news on the Kounde deal soon. Possibly after the Liverpool match on Saturday.

Ilaix Moriba

Tottenham seem to have edged closer to signing Moriba instead of Chelsea. (Daniele Longo)

Saul Niguez

Chelsea have agreed terms on a season-long loan deal for Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez, 90min understands, with just a clause over any future permanent transfer left to iron out.

The Blues have moved ahead of Manchester United in the pursuit of the 26-year-old, who has been flattered by Chelsea’s determination to bring him in before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

Saul has been told he can leave Wanda Metropolitano – with the Rojiblancos also allowing him to leave to the Premier League.

The two parties remain locked in talks over whether there will be an option or obligation to buy the Spain international at the end of that spell.

Atletico want to include an obligation to buy for around £40m. However, at this stage it is more likely the west Londoners will get their way in securing an option instead of obligation.

Written by Frankie

25th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Jules Kounde

Kounde is very close to a move to Chelsea.

Frenchman is ready for a new adventure in the Premier League.

The deal should be around €50m, with additional bonuses and clauses that would be triggered for certain achievements. (DiMarzio)

Chelsea are ready to bid for Kounde. (Fabrizio Romano)

Some sources have encrypted the first proposal at 50 million euros, but obviously the player is not going to come out for that amount. Sevilla already rejected last summer an offer of 55 million euros for Koundé from Manchester City.

The release clause of the French international has risen to about 90 million in recent days of the market.

The agreement can be found between the parties in an intermediate range; that is to say, in a valuation amount of about 70 million euros. (Orgullo de Nervion)

Kounde deal is stalling, presumably to do with the Zouma shenanigans.

Chelsea want to sign him as a priority but not agreed as of yet. (Fabrizio Romano)

Kounde’s release clause has raised from €80M to €90M.

Kurt Zouma

Negotiations between Chelsea and West Ham have resumed this evening for Kurt Zouma. Medical examination scheduled tomorrow in Paris has not been canceled yet. (Julien Maynard)

Multiple agents are involved in Zouma to West Ham deal and something has gone very wrong in the negotiations.

The move is in jeopardy. (Sam Inkersole)

The deal isn’t quite off yet for Zouma to go to West Ham.

Zouma is ready to go to West Ham and they are making sure the deal does not fall apart. (Jacob Steinberg)

Saul Niguez

Chelsea are still in negotitation with Atletico Madrid to sign Saul on loan. (Fabrizio Romano)

Chelsea have held talks with Atletico over loan + option to buy for Saul Niguez. (Mike McGrath)

Tiemoue Bakayoko

AC Milan are finalsing a deal with Chelsea for Bakayoko.

£430k loan fee and £17.1m option to buy. (GFFN)

Written by Frankie

24th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Saul Niguez

A proposal from Chelsea for a loan with buy option has been sent to Atletico for Saul.

Chelsea are working hard to do the deal.

Saul is ready for a Premier League experience. (Fabrizio Romano)

Jules Kounde

Negotiations are on for Kounde to Chelsea.

Chelsea are waiting for Zouma to negotiate personal terms with West Ham and then Kounde deal can start to progress.

After Zouma has left Chelsea, the fee for Kounde will be discussed between Sevilla and Chelsea.

Chelsea are currently working on a new deal to submit for Jules Kounde. (Fabrizio Romano)

Kurt Zouma

West Ham are closing on Kurt Zouma deal with Chelsea for €30m, the agreement is now at final stages also on player side. Last details to be completed then done deal. (Fabrizio Romano)

Ike Ugbo

Ugbo has joined Genk today.

The deal could reach €7.5m if all add-ons are met. Initial fee is €3.5m. The Blues also have a 20% sell-on clause in the deal. (Nizaar Kinsella)

Tino Anjorin

The 19-year-old has drawn the attention of Lokomotiv Moscow’s head of sports and development Ralf Rangnick, who is looking for youngsters to build his club around.

They will attempt to sign the youngster permanently but the Blues will try to keep some attachment to their prospect.

There’s also interest from the Championship and the Netherlands, but due to his relatively high wages for his age the Russian side might have the edge on their rivals.

Tuchel also holds Anjorin in high regard but is struggling to give him minutes at Stamford Bridge. (Goal)

Davide Zappacosta

Zappacosta has joined Atalanta on a permanent deal.

The fee is reportedly around €10m.

Antonio Rudiger

Rudiger wants to assess all his options before deciding on the next step of his career.

Chelsea were in the process of extending the 28-year-old’s contract last October ahead of allowing him to leave on loan when Tottenham, PSG and AC Milan were all interested.

He can sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club in January, with Real Madrid and PSG both interested. (Sky Sports)

Written by Frankie

22nd + 23rd August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Tiemoué Bakayoko

AC Milan are close to complete Tiemoué Bakayoko deal with Chelsea. Talks progressing – loan with buy option [fee to be decided in the next hours].

Chelsea will allow Bakayoko to leave, final details to be agreed in the next hours/days.

Davide Zappacosta

Davide Zappacosta leaves Chelsea to join Atalanta on a permanent move for €10m, done and confirmed. He’s just landed in Bergamo where tomorrow he’ll complete his medical and sign until 2025.

Saul Niguez

Chelsea will decide this week whether to buy a new midfielder or not.

are not seeking a new midfielder as a matter of priority. But they are open to taking up a late opportunity and that may arrive in the form of Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid, who is available on loan. (Matt Law)

Jules Kounde

Jules Kounde is the priority for Chelsea as of this moment.

Jules Koundé has an agremeent on personal terms with Chelsea until June 2026 since weeks. He’s ready to join if the two clubs reach an agreement but he’ll be respectful with Sevilla, not forcing his move. (Fabrizio Romano)

Kurt Zouma

The agreement between West Ham and Chelsea for Kurt Zouma is not a problem. Chelsea are prepared to sell as they want to sign Koundé as priority.

Spurs are not in the race for Zouma.

Zouma is negotiating on personal terms with West Ham for days. Talks ongoing. (Fabrizio Romano)

Ike Ugbo

Ike Ugbo to Genk, done deal for €7.5m.

Medical in the coming days. (Fabrizio Romano)

Luis Díaz

Chelsea and Tottenham are reportedly interested in Luis Diaz.

He has a €80m release clause which is deemed too high for any club at the moment. (Maisfutebol)

Written By Frankie

20th + 21st August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Ike Ugbo

Ike Ugbo will make his decision ‘soon’ as he has the option of Genk and Marseille to move to on permanent deals.

Fee is expected around £5m. (Fabrizio Romano)

Davide Zappacosta

Zappacosta is set to join Fiorentina on loan with the option to buy. (Fabrizio Romano)

Malang Sarr

Bologna want Malang Sarr on loan. (Fabrizio Romano)

Sarr will have a very hard time getting anywhere near the Chelsea first team with Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Azpilicueta, Ampadu and even Reece James in front of him in the pecking order at centre back.

Everton are also interested in Malang Sarr on loan.

Frankfurt are also interested. (DiMarzio)

Tiemoue Bakayoko

Bakayoko is one step away from joining AC Milan on loan. (Fabrizio Romano)

Saul Niguez

Chelsea will decide in the next few days whether to buy a new midfielder or not. Keeping an eye on Saúl Ñíguez, he’s considered “a possibility” – not advanced yet. (Fabrizio Romano)

Chelsea are working on signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Saúl Ñíquez on loan, as he is Thomas Tuchel’s preferred midfielder choice over Aurélien Tchouaméni. Saul wants to leave Atletico Madrid and his preference is a move to the Premier League.

Marina Granovskaia held talks with Tuchel yesterday regarding this possible deal. Nothing advanced yet, but one to keep an eye on. (CFCNewspage)

Matt Miazga

Alavés have completed the agreement with Chelsea to sign USA centre back Matt Miazga on loan until June 2022, paperworks signed today.

There is an option to buy in the contract. (Fabrizio Romano)

Declan Rice

Declan Rice is unhappy with West Ham’s £100m price tag.

Rice is unhappy that West Ham have effectively priced him out of a move to Chelsea or Manchester United this summer.

Rice will run down his contract instead of signing a new one.

He will keep giving his all for the club but wants to play Champions League football and challenge for throphies.

Both Manchester United and Chelsea may have already bid for Rice if his valuation was between £60m or £70m. (The Telegraph)

17th + 18th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Tammy Abraham

Tammy Abraham’s move to Roma has been confirmed.

He will take up the number 9 shirt at Roma and be managed by Chelsea legend Jose Mourinho.

Tammy Abraham rejected a number of late overtures from Premier League clubs in favour of sealing a transfer to Roma.

Abraham has long accepted that his future lies away from Chelsea, having failed to agree a new contract with the club. This stemmed from a belief that he was worth more than the Blues were offering.

Arsenal, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and West Ham all made fresh contact with Chelsea and the player’s representatives in the past week, but to no avail.

Abraham is understood to have been convinced by Roma’s firm stance, their willingness to put a deal on the table and how they made him feel wanted. (90min)

Kurt Zouma

The 26-year-old is one of a number of defenders Tottenham are currently looking at.

Earlier this month, Sky Sports News reported Zouma’s preference is to remain in London amid interest from West Ham.

The centre-back is West Ham’s primary target, with the Frenchman open to a move to the London Stadium, although difficulty lies in the valuation – with Chelsea thought to want in the region of £25m – and Zouma’s wages.

If a deal cannot be struck for Zouma, the 26-year-old is happy to remain at Chelsea, where he has a contract that runs until 2023. (Sky Sports)

Michy Batshuayi

Beşiktaş Futbol A.Ş. reported to the Public Disclosure Platform that negotiations have started for the transfer of professional football player Michy Batshuayi. (Besiktas)

Michy Batshuayi has today extended his contract at Chelsea until 2023 and joined Besiktas on loan for the season. (Chelsea FC)

Kenedy

As Chelsea winger Robert Kenedy seems to be on his way back to Brazil, with there being only a few details left before the move is confirmed Flamengo.

Club president Rodolfo Landim has already signed the documentation and it’s ‘all agreed’ for the player to move on a one-year loan deal.

Kenedy is going through isolation in London following a Covid-19 infection, and even though that’ll delay his presentation, he should travel in the next week.

Flamengo are expected to make the announcement before that, as even the contract should be signed as soon as possible so he can be registered for the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals’ second leg, which will be played on September 15th. (Sport Witness)

Brazilian winger Kenedy extends his contract with Chelsea until June 2023 and joins Flamengo on one-season loan. Agreement completed and confirmed. (Fabrizio Romano)

Emerson Palmieri

Lyon in Ligue 1 are keen to give the Euro 2020 winner some time on the pitch, something he is sorely lacking at Chelsea, and a loan is being looked at.

Emerson Palmieri ‘has seen his deal extended until 2023’, thus allowing him to head to Lyon without the worry of the Blues losing out on a potential sale down the line.

The Chelsea defender is a very appreciated man at the Ligue 1 club, where their director of football, Juninho Pernambucano, is an avid fan.

That’s why ‘discussions with Chelsea are about a loan’, and we’ll have to see whether Lyon end up choosing Palmieri or the alternative target, Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa. (Sport Witness)

Chelsea are still working to sell Emerson Palmieri. OL are progressing in talks with Chelsea but Napoli hope Emerson to wait for their proposal in the next days. (Fabrizio Romano)

Done deal, confirmed. Emerson Palmieri will join OL on loan from Chelsea – his contract will be extended until June 2023. (Fabrizio Romano)

Jules Kounde

The defender is ‘transferable’ for the La Liga side for two reasons; he ‘wants to leave’ and his transfer means a ‘record sale’ for the club.

Chelsea, as of now, have ‘not even picked up the phone’ to call the Spanish club and have ‘simply tested the operation’ with the centre-back’s representatives.

‘Time is running out and Sevilla will not give so many facilities in the event that now they really go after their player.’

Julen Lopetegui’s side are asking between €65-70m [with add ons] to let the player leave, but there’s no mention of what those add ons are.

Lopetegui’s side would be in a position to ‘squeeze’ Chelsea, if the latter make contact. In addition to this, Koundé’s agreement with the English club would mean nothing if they don’t start negotiating with Sevilla. (Sport Witness)

Tiemoue Bakayoko

AC Milan are in talks with Chelsea for Tiemoué Bakayoko’s comeback, negotiations ongoing as he’s on the market. (Fabrizio Romano)

Davide Zappacosta

Chelsea are also in negotiation for Zappacosta to Fiorentina [with Lirola to join OM] or Atalanta as plan B. (Fabrizio Romano)

Fiorentina/Atalanta are in for Zappacosta. (Fabrizio Romano)

Ike Ugbo

Understand Marseille have made a late move for Ike Ugbo. Talks have taken place over the last few days between player and club. Fee would be similar to that agreed with Genk (around €5m). (Adam Newson)

Ethan Ampadu

Newcastle United are lining up a move for Chelsea’s versatile defender Ethan Ampadu, according to the latest reports.

Newcastle have enquired about the availability of the Wales international and look set to take the 20-year-old on a season long loan. (Chronicle Live)

Karlo Žiger

Karlo Žiger has joined NK Rudar Velenje of the Slovenian second tier on loan for the season. (ChelseaYouth)

Written by Frankie

16th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Emerson Palmieri

The case of the left side of PSG Layvin Kurzawa is too complex to lead for the Lyon leaders, who prioritize the track leading to the Italian European champion Chelsea Emerson, in advanced contacts. (lequipe)

A fee for Emerson could be around £15m. (The Guardian)

Davide Zappacosta

Chelsea have received approaches from Italian clubs for Zappacosta. (Fabrizio Romano)Michy Batshuayi

Batshuayi will sign tomorrow as a new Besiktas player on loan. (Fabrizio Romano)

The Belgian striker will head to Turkey on loan, with Besiktas discussing an option to purchase for between £5m ($7m)-£11m ($15m).

The forward is also set to add an extra year to his contract to avoid the Blues losing him for free next summer. (Goal)

Michy Batshuayi: Chelsea's Good Misfit | by Daniel Tiluk | Medium
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Ike Ugbo

Ike Ugbo will also leave Chelsea this week to join Genk on a permanent deal. (Fabrizio Romano)

Kurt Zouma

There is also uncertainty over Kurt Zouma’s future. West Ham are interested in a £25m deal for the French centre-back, although they are not prepared to meet Zouma’s wage demands at the moment. (The Guardian)

Jules Kounde

Interest remains strong in Jules Kounde from Chelsea. (The Guardian)

Trevoh Chalobah

Tuchel was impressed with Chalobah in pre-season and could start him again against Arsenal this Sunday. However the 22-year-old, who has a year left on his current deal, could still leave on loan this month. (The Guardian)

Written by Frankie

15th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Tammy Abraham

Abraham flew from London to Rome with Tiago Pinto (Roma director).

A large crowd of Roma fans greeted Tammy Abraham at the airport and then he went to do his medical.

Tammy will now have to obtain a visa to complete his move to Roma.

Abraham completed his medical and is now ready to sign his contract.

An announcement is expected soon. (DiMarzio)

Salary around €4/5m net per season.

Chelsea will receive €40m plus €5m add ons on permanent deal. €80m buy-back clause starting from June 2023. (Fabrizio Romano)

Kenedy

Flamengo have since agreed the loan deal outlined here with Chelsea for Kenedy. It’s a loan with an option to buy for 10m euros. (Nizaar Kinsella)

Matt Miazga

Miazga, meanwhile, seems set to join Alaves but the structure of the deal is still being discussed. With just one year left on his Blues contract, Chelsea will likely ask to extend that deal by one year before allowing him to leave on loan. (Goal)

Timo Werner

Werner definitely wants to stay at Chelsea this season. He even sees the move from Lukaku as an opportunity, because it means he could switch to his favorite position behind him. Inter has inquired about him but no chance. (Plettigoal)

Tiemoue Bakayoko

AC Milan have been challenged by Rennes and Lyon for the signing of Bakayoko.

Bakayoko will leave Chelsea in the coming days. (Daniele Longo)

Written by Frankie

14th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Tammy Abraham

Tammy Abraham has decided to join Roma this summer instead of waiting for a concrete Arsenal proposal.

Mourinho has called Tammy and the English striker believes in the project and is happy with what his role will be in the team.

Tammy Abraham will fly to Rome on Sunday to undergo medical tests, sign the contract and complete his move to AS Roma. Deal to be announced in the next few days.

Personal terms agreed. €40m to Chelsea and a buy-back clause. (Fabrizio Romano)

Chelsea will include a buy-back clause in the agreement with AS Roma for Tammy Abraham.

Chelsea will have a buy-back clause for €80m, valid since June 2023 and NOT from next summer. (Fabrizio Romano)

Abraham, who was an unused substitute in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, will fly to Italy tomorrow to have his medical around lunchtime.

Roma’s manager, former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, has also been speaking to the England international on the phone to convince him to come.

Abraham was reportedly telling Chelsea team-mates that he wanted to join Arsenal. However, no offer was forthcoming.

Roma will pay the fee in installments over the length of Abraham’s contract. He is being paid a salary of €6 million-a-year net – which is considerably more than the £70,000-a-week he is on at Chelsea.

Roma’s general manager Tiago Pinto has been in London for four days to seal the deal. Time was of the essence with Roma due to kick off their Conference League campaign against Trabzonspor this week and their season opener in Serie A against Fiorentina also nearing on the horizon.

Pinto and Mourinho’s charm offensive consisted of going all-in on Abraham who was their absolute first choice. No other alternatives were given serious consideration. (The Athletic)Saul Niguez

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United remain interested in Saul Niguez.

These three clubs have been interested in the midfielder all summer but a formal approach has yet to be made as of now.

Chelsea may be in the market for a new midfielder with Declan Rice seemingly too expensive and a lack of cover in that area. (SportWitness)

Antonio Rudiger

Real Madrid are ‘monitoring’ the 28-year-old’s situation at the west London club after receiving good reports about him.

Real Madrid are looking at the Germany international for next summer. So far, they haven’t held talks with the ex-AS Roma man, but he’s on the list of transfer targets.

Rüdiger has a ‘good relationship’ with David Alaba and Carlo Ancelotti knows him well, having followed his evolution before ending up at Chelsea.

If the player decides against accepting Chelsea’s renewal offer, he can end up joining Real Madrid on a free transfer, the same path taken by Alaba.

Tuchel will be a ‘problem’ for the Spanish giants since the manager ‘wants to have Rüdiger at all costs’. (SportWitness)

Matt Miazga

Alaves are set to reach an agreement with Chelsea for American centre back Matt Miazga.

This will be a loan deal until June 2022.

With his contract expiring in June 2022 also, it will be interesting whether he signs another contract with Chelsea which we know Chelsea like to do. (Fabrizio Romano)

Is Matt Miazga Ready to Make the Premier League Jump? — OneGoal USMNT  Soccer News, Analysis, and Email Newsletter
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Michy Batshuayi

Batshuayi permanent deal to Besiktas will be completed next week. (Fabrizio Romano)

Written by Frankie

13th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Michy Batshuayi

Besiktas manager Sergen Yalçin: “We’re currently in talks to sign Michy Batshuayi from Chelsea. If nothing goes wrong, I expect him to join the squad next week.” (Fabrizio Romano)Tammy Abraham

AS Roma are still pushing on Tammy Abraham as priority to replace Dzeko. Talks ongoing in London with Roma director Pinto trying to convince Abraham as he received an approach from Arsenal.

The wait is on Tammy Abraham’s response as he weighs up his options.

Tammy will be in the squad for the Chelsea game tomorrow. (Fabrizio Romano)

Jake Clarke-Salter

Clarke-Salter will join Coventry on a season-long loan.

He will join Ian Maatsen who is also at the club.

Clarke-Salter will also join up with assistant manager of Coventry Adi Viveash who he has managed by in the youth setup. (Chelsea Youth)

Ross Barkley

Despite the lack of clubs being linked with Ross Barkley, the fact that Mateo Kovacic now occupies the number 8 at Chelsea highly suggests that his future at Stamford Bridge is very limited.

Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski’s agent Pini Zahavi offered Robert Lewandowski for €80m to Chelsea. (Christian Falk)

Chelsea’s speculation of offering players over 30-years-old long term deals and big money can only have halted this transfer ever taking place.

Written by Frankie

12th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku has rejoined Chelsea after 7 years on a five year contract which sees the Belgian stay at Stamford Bridge until 2026.

Two bids for Lukaku were rejected by Inter, one of which included Marcos Alonso going the other way.

Marina Granovskia flew to the south of France to combine work and a bit of holiday time to try and seal the deal.

Inter hoped for more than £100m and Chelsea hoped to use players in a part-exchange for Lukaku. Neither happened and the two clubs agreed on a fee of £97.5m.

Once image rights and bonuses are taken into account, Lukaku’s salary will work out from around £325,000-a-week to £450,000-a-week, depending on just what is taken into account. (The Athletic)

Image
Image Source : Chelsea FC

Tammy Abraham

Roma’s general manager Thiago Pinto has flown to London to meet Tammy Abraham and his entourage to try and lure the striker to Italy.

Tammy Abraham is waiting for any offer from Arsenal as they remain his preference.

Roma want to snap up Abraham quickly as they want to provide Mourinho with the striker of his choice to get ready for the new season.

The financial agreement between Roma and Chelsea has been done for days and now it is up to the players final decision.

Thiago Pinto’s intentions are to stay in London until he receives a definitive answer from the Englishman.

Roma have an alternative with the name of Alexandre Lacazette.

Roma deciding to pursue Lacazette could see the opportunity for Tammy to move to North London. (DiMarzio)

Southampton rival Arsenal and West Ham for Chelsea FC striker Tammy Abraham  | Evening Standard
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Davide Zappacosta

There is definitely contact between Atalanta and Chelsea surrounding Zappacosta. (Alfredo Pedulla)

Chelsea news: Davide Zappacosta confident of ousting Victor Moses from  first XI | Metro News
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Jules Kounde

Chelsea have asked Sevilla to negotiate a deal for Jules Kounde which would seem them avoid paying his entire release clause.

Kounde’s release clause sits at around £68m and Chelsea are not willing to pay this full amount of as of now. (90min)

Man Utd transfer target Jules Kounde backed to play for 'great club' by  Sevilla team-mate | Football | Sport | Express.co.uk
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10th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Tammy Abraham

Edin Dzeko has left Roma and has joined Inter Milan. This means Roma are in search of a new striker.

Tammy Abraham has had contact with Jose Mourinho but has asked for two more days to give his final decision.

Abraham has also not given his ok to Arsenal yet.

There is an agreement surrounding money between Chelsea and Roma which is thought to be an initial loan for €5m and an option to buy for around €35m or €40m.

Abraham is happy with the interest from Roma but wants a few extra days to decide his future. (DiMarzio)

Tammy Abraham has agreed personal terms with Arsenal and would prefer to stay in the Premier League.

Arsenal is his preference and a decision could be made in the next few days regarding his future. (Rudy Galetti)

Antonio Rudiger

Antonio Rudiger on contract situation: “For now, talks have begun and we will see what time brings.” (Nizaar Kinsella)Trevoh Chalobah

Trevoh Chalobah is preparing to leave Chelsea on loan with a decision on his future likely to be made within the next week.

Valencia are among a number of continental European clubs interested in Chalobah.

He also has Premier League suitors.

A final decision is expected within the next week with Chalobah keen to integrate with his new team. He has two years remaining on his current contract and Chelsea could well move to extend it by a year before sanctioning any loan deal, but a new long-term contract is not likely to be discussed until the summer of 2022. (The Athletic)

Kurt Zouma

A move for Chelsea centre-back Kurt Zouma collapsed earlier in the window but tentative negotiations have been reopened by West Ham over a potential move for the Frenchman. (Evening Standard)

Armando Broja

Broja’s year-long loan deal has been confirmed by Southampton.

Written by Frankie

9th August 2021 , Chelsea Transfer News Roundup

Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku has just completed main part of his medical tests as new Chelsea player today morning in Milan.

Lukaku may be in the country now or be arriving later tonight.

Official announcement and unveiling could be coming as soon as tomorrow. (Fabrizio Romano)

Romelu Lukaku won’t be involved in the Super Cup game against Villarreal. (Paul Brown)

Lukaku is now in Monaco with his agent Pastorello for some ‘technical’ stuff. If there are no other changes, he’ll be in London in the next hours to sign his contract.

There’s no issue or problem with Chelsea – Romelu will be announced as a Chelsea player soon.

Armando Broja

Armando Broja joins Southampton on loan from Chelsea, medical completed today – total agreement reached after five year contract extension signed.

Southampton overtook Udinese in the race for Broja and have secured him for the upcoming season. (Fabrizio Romano)

Chelsea may feel that Broja is better suited for English football and the opportunity to go to Southampton was too sweet to refuse for the club and Broja himself.

Broja will join former Blues Tino Livramento and Dynel Simeu at the Saints.

Broja was granted the loan move because of Lukaku’s imminent arrival from Inter Milan.

Tammy Abraham

Arsenal are ready for Alexandre Lacazette to leave the club and this will mean they have to bring in another striker and Abraham is near the top of that list.

Chelsea are demanding £40m for the 23-year-old and don’t have much interest in loaning Abraham out. (Mirror)

Jose Mourinho officially has asked for Tammy Abraham.

AS Roma are in need of a replacmenet for Edin Dzeko and in the last few hours Mourinho has asked for Tammy Abraham.

Roma consider the £40m asking price a bit excessive and will try and lower it by asking for an initial loan deal with the option to permanently buy him later.

Roma will face a tough challenge from Arsenal who are known as Tammy’s preference. (GFIN)

Roma are close tonight to securing Tammy Abraham.

Roma have offered Chelsea €5m to take Tammy Abraham on loan + option to buy later down the line.

Chelsea would prefer to sell abroad than strengthen a Premier League and London rival. (SkySports)

Tammy Abraham agreeing to go to Roma is the only detail that needs to be finalised and he will join Roma on loan for the upcoming season. (DiMarzio)

Sasa Kalajdzic

It is understood Chelsea have also shown an interest in the Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, although any move for the Austrian would depend on the departure of Tammy Abraham, who is wanted by Arsenal. (Guardian)

Kenedy , Matt Miazga , Davide Zappacosta , Danny Drinkwater , Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ross Barkley

These 6 Chelsea players have been put on the transfer list by the club. (Nizaar Kinsella)

Trevoh Chalobah

Valencia have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah on a season-long loan after he excelled in pre-season.

Tuchel is adamant to not sell the 22-year-old and wants him playing regular first team football instead of being a backup for Chelsea. (Nizaar Kinsella)

It is thought that Valencia will be open to playing Chalobah at centre back as this is where Tuchel sees his future at.

Ike Ugbo

Genk are still in talks with Chelsea over signing Ugbo for around £5m but still have not come to an agreement as of yet. (Nizaar Kinsella)

Dujon Sterling

It is likely that Dujon Sterling renews his contract and then be sent on loan. (Nizaar Kinsella)

Jules Kounde

Chelsea will pursue a deal for Kounde after the Lukaku deal is complete.

Sevilla have rejected Chelsea including the likes of Emerson and Kenedy into a deal. (Nizaar Kinsella)

Written by Frankie