Chelsea are working to find a solution with Sevilla as soon as possible to sign Jules Koundé. He’s the priority after personal terms agreed, and Chelsea want him to join.
Kurt Zouma still discussed in the deal, but Chelsea want go through also if Zouma won’t be included.
Kounde is Chelsea’s number one target now this summer. (Fabrizio Romano)
Kounde already has everything agreed on a five year contract with wages of £65k a week. (ElDesmarque)
Jules Koundé is getting nervous about his move to Chelsea as they struggle to get a deal done with Sevilla for the defender. (SportWitness)
Tiemoue Bakayoko
Bakayoko has been offered back to Napoli on loan, completely free of charge. (DailyMail)
Bakayoko would like to return to Milan.
AC Milan would like to acquire Bakyoko on loan with an option to buy. (Tuttosport)Tammy Abraham
Chelsea have told Abraham that he is available for transfer. The Blues will now accept offers of £30m for the striker. (ExWHUemployee)
Chelsea have lowered their asking price by £10m to try and entice teams into buying Tammy Abraham this summer.
Kurt Zouma
Kurt Zouma has made it ‘very clear’ that he wants to join West Ham this summer, with the Hammers set to offer closer to Chelsea’s valuation. (ExWHUemployee)
The French defender has made it clear that he does not wish to be a part of the deal to bring Jules Kounde from Sevilla to Chelsea, and will instead be joining West Ham United instead.
The French international does not wish to depart the Premier League, which has since given West Ham the impetus to make a move for him. (TheHardTackle)
Lucas Gourna-Douath
Chelsea have asked for information about Saint-Ettiene midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath.
Dortmund and Leverkusen have also enquired for the youngster and it will take a lot of trying to lure the midfielder to West London. (TeamTalk)
Another player that West Ham are interested in is Kurt Zouma. Chelsea are believed to value the Frenchman at £30million but that is a figure that West Ham are unlikely to be able to afford. (Football London)
Tino Livramento
Livramento is expcted to leave Chelsea “imminently”. (Football London)
Jules Kounde
Chelsea are prepared to do whatever it takes to sign Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde this summer.
Kounde’s France team-mate is of more interest to the La Liga club but there are still complications in this regard. The 26-year-old Zouma is settled in London and is now subject of interest from West Ham.
“Chelsea want Kounde no matter what. He has been earmarked as a player they have been wanting to buy for the past two years. Zouma is the player that is being looked at to go the other way, but Chelsea are going to try and find a way to get this done regardless.” (The Athletic)
Ian Maatsen
Ian Maatsen has joined Coventry City on loan for the upcoming season.
Maatsen impressed in League One at Charlton and has now stepped up to the Championship with Coventry.Conor Gallagher
Conor Gallagher has completed a move to Crystal Palace that will see him spend the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Selhurst Park.
In a relatively young Palace side, Gallagher will provide youthful experience to the side from South London.
Image Source : Crystal Palace
Hakim Ziyech
AC Milan have maintained contacts with the entourage of Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech and the player seems tempted by a new experience, a report claims.
AC Milan seemingly have good relations with Chelsea after quick and swift moves with Giroud and Tomori. (SempreMilan)
Andreas Christensen
It is also understood that Sevilla are admirers of Christensen, but Chelsea are looking to keep the Denmark international.
Chelsea have opened talks over a contract extension following the 25-year-old’s fine form in 2021.
Christensen can discuss a pre-contract with foreign clubs from January and leave on a free transfer next summer. (The Athletic)
Antonio Rudiger
Rudiger can discuss a pre-contract with foreign clubs from January and leave on a free transfer next summer.
Rudiger wants to be made one of Chelsea’s highest-paid players. He was also not prepared to hold new talks until he returned from his break following the European Championship with Germany. (The Athletic)
Chelsea are preparing to slash their asking price for Tammy Abraham by at least £5m.
Arsenal, West Ham and Aston Villa are all interested in the 23-year-old but every club listed here is unwilling to pay the £40m asking price Chelsea have set at the moment. (The Sun)Jules Kounde
Chelsea and Sevilla are discussing to reach an agreement for Jules Koundé/Kurt Zouma swap deal. Talks progressing – Chelsea now offering around €30/35m (£26m/£30m) and Zouma included in the negotiation.
Personal terms will never be a problem for Kounde and Chelsea, he wants to play Champions League football and likes the idea of a Chelsea transfer. (Fabrizio Romano)
The deal could be completed in the coming days. (DiMarzio)
Sevilla have told Chelsea to increase their offer for Jules Koundé, and the deal could run into further complications after West Ham entered the race to sign Kurt Zouma from their London rivals.
Chelsea have proposed paying €35m (£30m) for the French centre-back and including Zouma on top of that. Sevilla have made it clear they want at least €45m in addition to Zouma.
Sevilla like Zouma and would be open to signing him as part of a deal. (The Guardian)
Koundé agreed personal terms with Chelsea two days ago – he’s buzzing to join Chelsea. (Fabrizio Romano)
Kurt Zouma
Crystal Palace have reportedly joined the race for Kurt Zouma as personal terms seem an issue for Sevilla regarding a Kounde, Zouma swap deal.
It is claimed Palace have made contact with the Frenchman as they look to completely renovate their back-line this summer. (SportWitness)
West Ham have entered the race for Zouma. They are willing to pay £20m, which is unlikely to convince Chelsea to sell. (The Guardian)
Conor Gallagher
Conor Gallagher will have a medical at Crystal Palace later after opting for the Eagles on loan over Leeds.
Thomas Tuchel has been really impressed by the midfielder in pre-season but can’t guarantee him regular PL minutes, which is what Gallagher wants. (Sam Inkersole)
Romelu Lukaku
Inter star Romelu Lukaku has reportedly snubbed a potential return to Chelsea, despite being offered a higher salary.
However, Lukaku wants to stay at Inter and refused to continue negotiations with the Blues. (Football Italia)
They approached him, who thanked the Blues for their interest, but he ‘politely said no’. Thomas Tuchel’s side tried to convince him by offering over €10M per season. He wants to stay at Inter Milan. (Gazzetta)Marquinhos
Chelsea have no chance to sign Marquinhos this summer. (Fabrizio Romano)
Marcus Bettinelli
Bettinelli (29) has signed a two-year contract with Chelsea as he becomes third choice goalkeeper for the upcoming season.
This is a free transfer as his contract ran out at Fulham recently.
Erling Haaland
“In the conversations with Mino Raiola about the Malen transfer, I did not have the feeling that we would have to meet again soon about Erling. And we have already emphasized 1000 times that we do not want to give it up.” – Sebastian Kehl
Sebastian Kehl was also asked if Haaland would stay at Dortmund and his reply was simply, “Yes”. (BILD)
Ann-Katrin Berger
Berger has signed a contract extension to keep her at the Blues until the summer of 2024, with the club having an option to extend for a further 12 months.
Chelsea are not expecting to sell Timo Werner this summer. (Kevin Palmer)
His name has been mentioned in a potential swap deal but this is apparently fake news.
Sasa Kalajdžić
Stuttgart sporting director Sven Mislintat isn’t worried about the latest rumours of Chelsea and other sides looking at Kalajdžić.
“Sasa still has a two-year contract with us and feels right at home. You can see that. He’s been training in VfB clothes all summer. I’m not that worried about that, to be honest,” said Mislintat. (portWitness)
Michy Batshuayi
Inter Milan see Batshuayi as an option in terms of bringing in a new striker.
Batshuayi does not ‘warm’ Inters management.
If Inter progress with the deal they see Giroud’s transfer as the perfect layout for their swoop on the Belgian. They would hope the deal would only cost a few million. (SportWitness)
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski has long been in Chelsea’s thoughts and interest could be revived as Chelsea continue their search for a goalscorer.
The 32-year-old could be tempted with a move away this summer for a new experience. (Goal)
Harry Kane
Harry Kane will assess his future when he returns from holiday.
However, Daniel Levy makes the club extremely hard to work with, which could hinder the potential of Kane joining Chelsea. (Goal)
Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger
The defensive pairing have just one year left on their deals and talks around new contracts for the two have not progressed. (Goal)
Emerson Palmieri
Chelsea have the option to extend Emerson’s contract by a year.
This helps to justify the Blues asking price of around £22m. (Nizaar Kinsella)
Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham is admired by several influential voices inside Arsenal, including Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal see Abraham as a potential target this summer.
Abraham is understood to be aware of Arsenal’s interest, and would be open to the prospect of a move across London.
Arsenal have the preference of a loan deal with an option to buy. If this kind of deal were to go through, Chelsea would put the fee at around £40m.
Tammy Abraham moving to Arsenal is reliant on outgoings from the Emirates.
The transfer of Alexandre Lacazette away from Arsenal would make the signing of Tammy Abraham more likely and more logical. (The Athletic)Declan Rice
“The more you talk to people about the Declan Rice situation, the more you think a move could still happen in this window. He has made it very clear to West Ham that he won’t sign a new deal & as reported elsewhere, wants to be kept informed of any bids. Would clearly favour Chelsea over any other club.” (Simon Johnson)
Eden Hazard
There is nothing in regards to a potential move back to West London for Eden Hazard. (Simon Johnson)
Lewis Bate
The deal between Leeds and Lewis Bate was confirmed today.
He’ll join their U23’s for this upcoming season.
It is possible Bate was lured away due to the project that Leeds are undergoing as of this moment, with signings like Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville and Joe Gelhardt all on the brink of first team chances.
Sergio Romero
Chelsea are stepping up their search for a third-choice goalkeeper and have Sergio Romero on their list of candidates. (The Telegraph)
Romero is a free agent and would sign for Chelsea in a free transfer.
The 34-year-old Argentinian is the perfect player to bring in as a third choice. He has a lot of experience that can be passed down to his younger counterparts and he is perfectly capable of stepping in when needed.
At around 12pm today, an exclusive and unexpected report was released by The Athletic regarding promising centre back Marc Guehi.
The report said that Crystal Palace are close to completing the permanent signing of highly-rated Chelsea defender Marc Guehi on a five-year contract, with the England Under-21 international having a medical today. This news seemingly came out of nowhere and shocked many Chelsea fans with the news that it is a permanent deal and not a loan.
This source continued to claim that “the offer was too good to refuse”. The reported fee is around £15m-£20m however Crystal Palace and Chelsea would prefer to keep the fee ‘under wraps’.
Chelsea have managed to negotiate a sell-on clause and matching rights on a future move.
Guehi attracted serious attention from other Premier League clubs and the Bundesliga but many of these sides had a preference of a loan with an option to buy, whereas Palace were ready to splash the cash outright on the Englishman.
Southampton, Brentford, Norwich, West Ham and Newcastle, Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen were other potential destinations listed for Guehi.
Olivier Giroud
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Giroud is now an offical AC Milan player. The paperwork is signed and his medical will be tomorrow. Official announcement pending, probably tomorrow or on the weekend if medical is successful. His contract is until 2023 with the Rossoneri.
Tammy Abraham
According to The Telegraph, Tammy Abraham has attracted interest from Arsenal. Abraham has also been made available to Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur, which suggests Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane are still on Chelsea’s radar.
Chelsea reportedly value Abraham at £40m and would like to offload the 23-year-old before purchasing a big-money signing.
Arsenal are likely to need to sell players to get near Chelsea’s asking price. Our rivals from North London would be open to offers for Alexandre Lacazette as his contract is due to expire next summer.
West Ham cannot afford the £40m asking price and Leicester (who were also linked) have signed Patson Daka instead of pursuing a deal for Abraham.
Erling Haaland
Two conflicting reports have come out today regarding Erling Haaland.
Firstly, Sky Sports in Germany suggested that the Blues offered Tammy Abraham or Callum Hudson-Odoi in part-exchange for Haaland. However, sources close to Hudson-Odoi have claimed he will not be part of a deal for Haaland.
Fabrizio Romano tweeted just one hour later to dispute these claims and say that “Borussia Dortmund have not received any official bid yet for Haaland. BVB know about Chelsea interest, their position is clear: if a “crazy” bid won’t arrive, he’ll stay”.
This completely contradicts earlier reports and leaves many people to wonder what is going on behind the scenes between the two clubs.
It’s blatant to say that if we won’t sign Haaland this summer, we will never see him in a Chelsea shirt.
Simon Stone (BBC Sport) has been told “no official bid for Erling Haaland from Chelsea but even if they did, they would be wasting their time as BVB has no interest in selling”.
The talks between Chelsea and BVB are informal and no proper bid has been sent over yet regarding Haaland.
Due to Chelsea already looking to offer players to BVB we can assume a big money bid will be incoming soon.
Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku’s agent has come out today and stated that “There’s absolutely no problem with Inter. Romelu is on holiday”. Inter Milan consider Lukaku ‘untouchable’ and with the sale of Hakimi, they have absolutely no reason to sell one of their most prized assets.
Alfonso Pedraza
Will Faulks (via Chelsea-News) has exclusively reported today that Chelsea have “serious interest” in the Villarreal wing back Alfonso Pedraza. With the sale of Emerson and Alonso reported to occur this summer, Chelsea would be in the market for a suitable backup at left back.
Pedraza has a similar playing style to Chilwell which means he would seamlessly step in when Chilwell is injured or in cup games.
Pedraza is 25 and according to the report, Villarreal will not demand a large fee for the Spaniard. It is likely he will receive a large pay rise upon his move to Stamford Bridge and will be aware of his playing status.
Pedraza has been linked with Chelsea before and it is certain the board and/or Tuchel believe he is capable of backing up Ben Chilwell.
Davide Zappacosta
Zappacosta is considered a target for Inter Milan. Their first choice for the right back spot is Hector Bellerin but Zappacosta is seen as their second choice. SempreInter have been reporting that Zappacosta has stayed a target of theirs for a while.
Inter are fans of his Serie A performances in loan spells with Roma and Genoa and are looking to bring him in on a permanent deal.
Conor Gallagher
Crystal Palace are also looking to secure a loan signing of Conor Gallagher this summer according to The Athletic.
With a lot of Palace players contracts running out this summer, they are looking to strengthen the midfield with high quality loan signings.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
TheSecretScout has today confirmed that Hudson-Odoi will be staying an England player despite rumours of him switching his nation to Ghana.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is the perfect example of a panic buy. Chelsea were left with a vastly important decision to make following the unpleasant departure of Thibaut Courtois. A replacement had to be signed, and it had to be done fast.
Then came the announcement that Chelsea had signed Athletic Bilbao keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. For many, this came as a shock, as Kepa wasn’t entirely known as a stand out keeper, and many saw the move as a downgrade to Courtois. As well as varied opinions on the player himself, the price tag raised many concerns as to whether this deal was the best for the club.
£72million for a 24-year-old goalkeeper who was yet to prove himself entirely at his former club was nothing short of outrageous from Chelsea. The move showed next to no ambition and was seen as a huge stab in the dark. However, there must have been certain things that attracted Chelsea toward the Spaniard, right?
Kepa’s time at Athletic Bilbao:
Well, to go off stats alone, Kepa produced far from attractive numbers to trigger a move from Chelsea for the Spaniard. In 53 games, Kepa managed 15 clean sheets. During his first season in the BBVA, he made on average, 1.7 saves per 90 minutes, which isn’t an admirable statistic. He improved slightly in his second season, with an average of 3.2 saves per 90 minutes. (Stats from whoscored.com and footystats.org)
The stats reinforce the idea that Chelsea panicked when Courtois exited and didn’t do enough homework when searching for a replacement. A signing was certainly required, but you would expect better recruitment from a club with Chelsea’s stature. The price tag doesn’t help at all, either. Had Chelsea picked Kepa up for sub £30million, it would arguably not have been as big of a flop as it actually was, but for £72million, you expect a world class talent, and Kepa just isn’t that.
Where could he go?:
Kepa’s time in the Premier League has ultimately been a dissapointment. The Spaniard failed to live up to the hype, and now finds himself in a difficult position. A move away from Stamford Bridge is the only way he can revive his career. So where would he go?
At the age of 26, Kepa still has a lot to prove. A move back to Spain could be a positive option for him, as the game is completely different to English football. Premier League football has an extremely high intensity, and defenders rely heavily on passing back to the keeper. This has never been good for Kepa, as his distribution is very poor. In Spain, the game is played at a slower pace, which would benefit Kepa’s overall performance, giving him more time to prepare for shots, and also takes the pressure off when he recieves the ball.
Kepa has proved that he is a decent shot stopper, with important saves including THAT penalty save against Frankfurt, the wonder save against Watford, and the incredible double save in the Super Cup against Liverpool. That being said, he has let Chelsea down on countless occasions, thus leading to a depleting confidence, which may improve with a move back to his native country.
Chelsea’s current standpoint:
Chelsea have made it pretty clear that Kepa has no future at the club. The arrival of Edouard Mendy made that very clear, as Mendy has impressed immensely since moving to the SW6. The Blues have also been heavily linked with AC Milan superstar Gianluigi Donnarumma, which would potentially leave Kepa as Chelsea’s third choice. It is also unlikely that Chelsea would continue to pay the high wages of Kepa, meaning his career in London is very much over.
Kepa could very well revive his career with a move back to Spain, much like Courtois did following a rough patch in his Chelsea career. Courtois is now recognised as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, and Kepa could be the same. Only time will tell what happens with the Spaniard, but it is all but confirmed that his Chelsea career is coming to an end.
After a successful transfer window in the summer, it seems Chelsea are yet to slow down with some big plans for their transfer targets going into the new year. The first link is already well known with some additional information, while the second being a high profile player likely to surprise Blues fans but also excite them. Therefore we’ll discuss the logistics of each deal, pros and cons of each deal, and end with a conclusion of final thoughts on both deals together.
The story of both targets for Chelsea was originally broken by none other than Sky Sports journalist Angelo Mangiante. He discusses in the tweet below Chelsea’s ambition to step up their pursuit for the West Ham captain Declan Rice as well as pursue Dortmund star Erling Braut Haaland.
The game would be different if #Ziyech and #Havertz were fit. #Chelsea need to find quality and talent of Havertz and Ziyech in January. Then, for next season, #CFC need two great players: Erling Haaland and Declan Rice. The two main targets in the summer. #ARSCHE@SkySport
Beginning with Declan Rice, this target is nothing new to Chelsea fans. It’s no secret that Chelsea were heavily linked with the English international all throughout the summer and were hoping to add him along the arsenal of players signed in the previous window. Reports from multiple sources have stated Rice is a top priority if not the highest priority of all targets and rumors have come out that the player is also interested in rejoining his boyhood club.
Although it may seem that both Chelsea and the player want the same thing, the difficulty comes down to striking a deal with West Ham for their highly valued captain. With Declan being an integral part of the team and locker room, the Hammers have placed a high price tag on the player with quotes of even £80m being discussed in reports during the summer window.
Additionally, Rice is known to be a highly professional player who would likely not want to leave on any bad terms with the club, meaning he is unlikely to push for a move himself in January, making the probability of a deal this window unlikely.
However, this does not mean Chelsea won’t be looking to sign Rice in future windows as previously stated, so we’ll discuss pros and cons of what a deal for the 21-year-old defensive midfielder might look like for Chelsea and their squad.
Photo Credit: Faisal HQ on Twitter
Pros
Quite a few positives can be discussed in this signing, firstly Rice is an extremely talented player and already considered West Ham’s best player at 21 as well as being their captain. He is homegrown, and has multiple seasons of experience in the Premier League with very consistent game time.
He fills the need for a true no.6 at the club since the departure of Nemanja Matić, which could allow N’Golo Kanté to play in a variety of roles in the midfield as we saw under Maurizio Sarri, or in a double pivot alongside Rice. In addition Chelsea being Rice’s boyhood club means he is familiar with many of the players already at the club and has a close friend namely in Mason Mount. This, along with already being located in London, should make the transition and settling between the clubs much more seamless in respect to other transfers.
Finally, as aforementioned Rice has proven a strong mentality and leadership quality at such a young age at West Ham being their captain for multiple seasons, and his versatile skill set and quality can allow him to fill a variety of roles, even as depth as a central defender if need be.
Cons
However, there remains a few lingering issues which may accompany the deal that must be addressed. Firstly the price tag is undeniably going to be an issue in negotiating a deal for the player. As we saw in the summer even with the COVID-19 crisis and turmoil at the club, West Ham were still able to hold out for their valuation on the player, meaning he likely will not come cheap.
In addition to the money spent aspect, this could prove to be problematic as we’ve seen expensive transfers before add pressure to young players before whether it be through the media, or an effect on their own confidence and mentality. This means the board would likely have to exhibit a high degree of certainty in their belief of the player’s capabilities and positive influence on the squad.
Finally, Rice would be joining what is an already flooded midfield, and although he fits a niche role it seems no player other than N’Golo Kanté can fit, many players from Chelsea’s midfield will likely have to be shipped out to make up some funds and space for the move.
This theme will be further discussed in regard to the second main target Chelsea have been linked with, Erling Braut Haaland.
Photo Credit: Sky Sports
Erling Braut Haaland
Logistics
Haaland is a new link which is indicative of the ambitions of the board and the profile of player they’re looking for to progress this Chelsea squad to be a force in all competitions. However, one of the most sought after and talented young strikers in Europe will not be easy to sign and will have many obstacles to overcome in securing a deal.
Firstly, Haaland has stated in interviews before, that in this current moment of time he is not looking to leave Dortmund. Although these kinds of statements often are made even before transfers actually go through, it is likely to complicate negotiations if there isn’t a strong desire for the player to leave.
In addition to this, reports from multiple sources such as the Evening Standard, and NBC Sports have reported that although Haaland has a release clause reported to be in the region of €75m, the clause does not kick in until 2022, meaning any deal which could be negotiated before 2022 will have to cost more than this amount.
Finally, the biggest threat that seems to be in Chelsea’s way of securing the signature of Haaland is likely to be the attraction from other suitors namely Real Madrid who have been most heavily linked with the Norwegian striker.
The tweet below from the Madrid Zone on twitter discusses the idea of a potential deal in place for the 20-year-old forward to join the Galaticos in the summer of 2020, naming the works of Mino Raiola and influence of Martin Ødegaard.
🚨| Real Madrid are convinced that the striker they need is Erling Haaland. His agent Mino Raiola has already agreed with Dortmund that he will leave in the summer of 2022. Martin Ødegaard could play a big role in convincing him to join Real Madrid. @diarioas#rmalivepic.twitter.com/kM6eB5uQCr
With these hurdles in the way of signing the Dortmund star, it will be a tall task for Chelsea to accomplish. Nonetheless we’ll analyze what pros and cons may come of a deal for Haaland, and how they might effect the the club.
Pros
With a player such as Haaland and what he has shown thus far, it’s clear the first positive of signing such a striker would be his talent in scoring goals. He broke out onto the scene last year in spectacular fashion in the Champions League scoring 8 goals in 6 games for Salzburg, and then another 2 in 2 for Dortmund that same year. In addition, he scored 13 in 15 games for Dortmund last season in the league with 2 assists as well. This season he has improved on his form with 18 goal contributions (16 goals and 2 assists) in 12 games in both the league and UCL. This is likely down to his superb striking technique of the ball, as well as his intelligent movement for a striker his age, allowing him get on the end of consistent scoring opportunities and convert them.
Even so, many times top players from top leagues arrive to the Premier League and struggle to adapt to the physical nature of the league especially as a focal point striker. However, in Haaland’s case at 6’4 and about 200 pounds, he is likely to not only fare well in this regard but to excel. This is due to not only his size, but his mobility at his size. This combination of size, strength, and mobility is likely to wreak havoc in any league making Haaland a very desirable target.
Finally, with the likely departure of Oliver Giroud in the future, as well as the use of Werner out wide so far under Lampard, it seem the only two main options for a focal striker at Chelsea would be Haaland and Abraham in this scenario.
When a talent such as Haaland becomes available its hard to not pursue such a player not only to benefit a club like Chelsea, but also to prohibit other competitors from signing the player. However, this fill in vacancy also poses a possible negative consequence of such a transfer.
Cons
The first idea to discuss in a potential disruption of the Haaland deal, is what becomes of Tammy Abraham. The English striker is clearly favored under Frank Lampard, however if a big money move were to happen for the Norwegian, it’s uncertain if Abraham would retain a first choice position which may unsettle him at the club.
Photo Credit: Faisal HQ on Twitter
Being 23 years of age, if Haaland were to come in and make the starting role his own, it’s possible Tammy looks for a move elsewhere especially if he feels he is able to play for another Premier League side consistently. With the record Chelsea have of letting blossoming academy talent slip away, this may be a serious consideration for the club.
Building on this same theme, Abraham may represent that such a signing for a striker may not even be necessary. In fact, it may show that the money may be wasted signing a striker of Haaland’s calibre and could be better spent reinforcing other positions of need for the squad. Furthermore, with the signings of Ziyech, Werner, and Havertz, it’s clear Chelsea have already spent a considerable amount bolstering a formidable attack.
With the more urgent needs of a defensive mid, a long-term replacement for Thiago Silva, and added depth at winger and left-back, its possible that the funds used to sign Haaland could be less efficient in improving the overall squad.
Conclusion
Both Rice and Haaland are obviously extremely talented, young, and sought after players whose signings would likely improve the quality of players in the squad. With Rice, the proven ability in the Premier League as well as seamless transition, homegrown status, and desire for the player to join show to be a match made in heaven. However, there is no denying he will likely not come cheap, and a move for him will be most realistic in the summer rather than this window.
With Haaland, it’s difficult to pass on the opportunity of signing a generational talent, and some may even say that’s what inspired our signing of Kai Havertz rather than a necessity for the player. His goal scoring ability and physical talent is one that will surely continue to impress and a talent every team desires. However, outside of just desire, it seems this signing could be the most difficult Chelsea have ever pulled off both as a result of valuation, and other suitors’ desire of the player. Although it looks unlikely or possibly even unnecessary, Chelsea have been in this position before with Werner, Havertz, and Eden Hazard in which they proved to be successful in their pursuit of a player with many suitors. As a result, it would be unwise to count out the West London club in their pursuit of Haaland, and one to look out for in the future.
It is all but confirmed that Olivier Giroud is at the sunset of his time at Chelsea. The Frenchman who’s on the verge of leaving the club in the January transfer window needs to be playing regular football in order to secure his place in the French squad for the upcoming 2021 Euros. A career laden with trophies including the FIFA World Cup, I am explaining why Olivier Giroud will always remain English football’s underrated gunman.
Even at 34, Olivier Giroud debatably remains the best target man in the world. A player whose first touch and linkup remains second to none, Giroud is a dream to play with for many explosive wingers in the world. A player who isn’t appreciated by many, he has come up a long way since his dream season at Montpelier.
After a slow start to his life at Arsenal, Giroud quickly became a fan favorite in North London. Even after many world-class performances at the club including THAT Puskas Award winning Scorpion-Kick against Crystal Palace, it was evident that Giroud might make way for fresh blood at Arsenal. The signatures of Alex Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were an important catalyst for Giroud’s move to West London. Despite averaging about 14 Goals a season, Giroud remained underappreciated at Arsenal. Even in 2020, Giroud’s exceptional link-up is underrated by many.
Since Giroud’s transfer to Chelsea in the 2018 winter transfer window, he has been a clutch player for the club. While it is easy to forget his contributions in the FA Cup winning season, he consistently delivered during the Europa League for Chelsea. Giroud has earned rightful plaudits for his heroics in the Europa League campaign under Maurizio Sarri. Chelsea remained undefeated throughout the Europa campaign and the performances of Giroud, along with the likes of Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek deserve far more recognition.
While Giroud might be criticized for his lack of goal-scoring boots in the World Cup, his aerial threat and his ability create spaces for his team mates helped the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Antoinne Griezmann be fierce in front of goal throughout the campaign. The fact that Giroud did not have a single shot on target throughout the World Cup surprises many, including myself. However, Giroud remains one of the great examples why stats don’t always matter in world football.
Giroud’s link-up with Eden Hazard was really beautiful to the eyes. Eden Hazard, who’s arguably the most talented player to ever play for Chelsea, hailed Giroud’s influence in the games. Hazard was probably the one player who benefited the most from Giroud’s signature, even calling him the best target man in the world.
Despite warming the bench in the current campaign, Giroud has remained an important mentor to our young players. An extremely dedicated individual coupled with great professionalism is what makes Olivier Giroud special at Chelsea Football Club. One might not rate him alongside other strikers such as Sergio Aguero, Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane, but Giroud has indeed been an underrated gem to have graced English Football.
It’s almost time for some of the most exciting and frustrating hours in world football – transfer deadline day. Chelsea are normally heavily involved, with the likes of David Luiz, Ashley Cole and Fernando Torres all previously joining us on the last day of a two month long window.
This time though, it seems as if Chelsea have done their business early. Hakim Ziyech was brought in as early as February, with Timo Werner joining us only a few months later, who was then followed by Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, Thiago Silva, Edouard Mendy and Malang Saar. 7 signings – you’d think that’s Chelsea’s transfer window done.
What a window so far… and there’s still more to come!
Wrong. Well, at least that’s what it seems like. There is a lot of business to be done with outgoings and trimming our squad down, and there also seems to be a chance that we could still bring in a defensive midfielder. All I’ll recommend is having Sky Sports News on for the next day, because it’s going to get thrilling. In this article, I’ll talk about the likelihood and my opinion of possible incomings and departures…. let’s get started!
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Hudson-Odoi is a player who gets linked away every single window. This time though, it’s quite serious. Rumours started to rise after being the only fit natural winger against Brighton and Liverpool, yet finding himself on the bench. Frank Lampard is adamant on wanting to keep Callum at the club, and he also wants to stay. However, it’s the board which wouldn’t mind him leaving, as although they rejected a loan bid with an option to buy for £70m from Bayern Munich, it has been heavily reported that Chelsea could accept an important bid if there was an obligation to buy, which probably should worry Chelsea fans and it brings up many questions as to why the club are even thinking of selling one of the brightest talents the academy has ever produced. If I was to give my own opinion, I really can’t see this complicated deal happening as it would need time and that’s not available. Frank wants to keep him. He loves the club and wants to stay. So surely he remains a blue?
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
It’s definitely a very interesting situation with Loftus-Cheek, and I’m at the point where I cannot stop feeling disappointed with how his career has gone. On his day, at full fitness, he is genuinely in my opinion the best player at this club. But, his 13 month injury was another one added to the list, and every day we just pray he can get back to full fitness quickly. Under Lampard will he be able to get to full fitness? Probably not. His appearance against Brighton was certainly underwhelming, and since then hasn’t been involved in any of the Chelsea matchday squads, suggesting his departure on loan is coming. Out of nowhere, Ross Barkley went on loan to Aston Villa, meaning Chelsea have had to rethink about what to do with Ruben. On current form, he has Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Mount and Havertz all as options in front of him in midfield, and he couldn’t even get a minute in the Carabao Cup. As much as it pains to type, he needs to play at the age of 24 and he simply won’t get that at Chelsea. Whether he can finalise a loan move to another club is anothing thing, but there is a lot of interest in the England international and keep an eye on whether the club can send him out on loan despite his high wages…
Barkley’s departure on loan to Aston Villa means that Loftus-Cheek could stay after all…
Marcos Alonso & Emerson
I’m writing these two players in one, as for me only one of them is going to depart in this transfer window, with it likely being the Spaniard. Marcos Alonso’s return to Inter always seemed an option after simply not being good enough in a fullback role, and him leaving the club looks even more likely after his row with Frank Lampard after the game against West Brom, where he decided to watch the second half in the team bus instead of supporting the team from the sidelines. Emerson meanwhile almost looked guaranteed to leave to an Italian club, but when played this season, he actually looked impressive, whether that was at left-back or even at right-wing! The possiblity of both of them leaving is low as although Azpilicueta can easily cover both sides, Frank would feel much more comfortable with two fullbacks on each side of the pitch. Personally, a deadline day loan deal for Marcos to Inter will be done, although it’s important to keep an eye on the Brazilian’s situation too.
Tiemoue Bakayoko & Danny Drinkwater
Again, I put these two players together, not because it’s either one though, but more to show how easy it is for clubs to waste money. Bakayoko and Drinkwater cost us just under the price of Ziyech and Werner combined – put that into perspective. The Chelsea Spot had actually heard that there was a chance Bakayoko could stay at Chelsea if we desperately needed him, although a move did always seem the most likely option. For months and months he had been linked with top clubs including AC Milan, Napoli, PSG and more. And it looks like he’s finalising his deal to Naples in the next few hours… good luck to him!
Regarding one of our worst signings in history, I actually have no idea what’s going on with him. While writing this, I’ve also just remembered about Victor Moses who I think is still here! I’m guessing both are doing fitness work at the club, but I haven’t read a single report of either player leaving. We probably should try and get them off our wages and out of Cobham.
Antonio Rudiger
I mean, you have to feel bad for the German international, right? #AgentRudi was heavily involved in bringing Havertz and Werner to the best club in London, and then two months later is being completely isolated from the squad and Lampard’s plans. For me there is no doubt he is our worst centre-half at the club, but he does bring something to the dressing room and is also a great character, so I’m sure we will miss his presence more than his footballing abilites. Rudiger has not played a single minute so far for Frank this season, and his first choice is a move to Spurs, yet Chelsea are only going to let him move to our rival clubs if he signs a contract extension here before moving on loan. Napoli and Barcelona have also shown previous interest in the defender, but he’s a player who will almost guaranteed be leaving, so keep an eye on him.
Jorginho, Declan Rice & Thomas Partey
I’ve put all these three midfielders together because any involvement from any client will all be related to at least one other person in this list. Jorginho was incredible against Crystal Palace yesterday, but despite that performance I think his Chelsea career could be in danger soon, with Lampard wanting a more traditinonal 6 to protect the back four like a Declan Rice, or a 6 who can play next to Kante like a Thomas Partey, allowing Havertz to play as a 10 in front of them. Jorginho has heavy interest from Arsenal and Arteta is very interested in taking him on loan to join his fellow ex teammates in David Luiz and Willian, but Chelsea will still be slightly reluctact to be helping out a rival team. I think the plan for him is he will stay this window unless we sign a CDM in the next day, which Lampard still does want. The options at the moment seem to be either Rice, or Partey. Rice wants to join Chelsea, Chelsea desperately want Rice, and The Chelsea Spot understand that the deal is quite likely to happen one day, whether that is now or in the future transfer windows. But at the moment it seems like West Ham are holding their ground and refusing to sell him. Could anything change in the last 24 hours? Of course, and I’d be very surprised if a Chelsea bid didn’t go in to unsettle the West Ham board, but whether it can be done in 36 hours is the main hurdle. With Thomas Partey the deal would be much quicker as he has a release clause of £45 million, and he’s a player who Chelsea have scouted for quite some time now. All in all, if we’re going to sign one more player, it’ll be Partey or Rice, which will probably result in Jorginho leaving. All to watch for….
Sarr, McEachran & Castillo
The final three players to discuss, and they’re in the same paragraph as you most likely forgot about them! Sarr somehow isn’t on loan by now, after he had many discussions with Bayer Leverkusen and also Rennes where Chelsea used his as compensation for the Havertz and Mendy deals respectively. With only a day to go, nothing much has happened, and he does need to get his game-time as that was the whole reason we signed him on a free deal, in hope that he can develop and become a top quality centre-half in the future. He really should be going on loan soon.
George McEachran needs to experience first team football after being in the youth team for too long in my opinion, and even if that means he has to go to a low English league and work his way up, so be it. The technical midfielder struggled last season on loan in the Dutch second division, and he’s at the age where he needs to just get gametime and kick on with his career, as he certainly does have the potential in his boots.
Juan Castillo was at Ajax Jong last season and was set to sign for them this Summer, yet there were drastic last minute changes and he has found himself back in the Chelsea setup this season. It’s likely he’ll still move on loan again this season to get some more gametime, and who knows, could push into that Chelsea first team and challenge with Ian Maatsen.
I think I’ve covered all the players now…. if you want to find out updates on these players and how their moves are progressing, simply follow us on all our social media platforms!
Are there any players think have a higher/lower chance of leaving than what I said? Just let me know on my personal Twitter platform.
In another episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast, Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho) and special guest Ram (@rramesss ) discuss Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against Brighton in Pre-Season, and then also go into detail about possible areas of the transfer market to dip into!
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In another episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast, host Dan (@danbarkzr) and special guest Simon (@SiPhillipsSport) go into detail about Chelsea’s transfer window, talking about Sarr, Havertz, Silva, Rice, Barkley, Ampadu, Goalkeepers and so much more!
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According to the latest reports from the most reliable such as David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are closing in on a deal to sign Thiago Silva from Paris Saint-Germain who is a free agent this Summer.
Unfortunately Thiago Silva couldn’t keep a clean sheet, as PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final.
The latest BREAKING NEWS from @David_Ornstein is that the Brazilian defender’s move to Chelsea ‘is now almost done.’
Go and follow us on our Twitter while you are there… (@TheChelseaSpot)
Initially, The Telegraph reported that Chelsea had been offered the defender by his agent. Straight away, my reaction was that this was similar to Coutinho, where the agent was offering his client’s availability to as many big clubs as possible in order to stir up some rumours and get him involved in the transfer market.
A few days later, while I was in a middle of a conversation and having a laugh with Mr. CarefreeYouth about the announcement of the Kai Havertz signing, news broke from Liam Twoney from The Athtletic that Chelsea were heavily interested in signing Silva on a free, which was certainly surprising to most Chelsea fans and journalists.
Since then, the news has developed even more, and the signing is looking extremely likely to be completed. So, time to stop the waffling, and actually get into why he would be a great signing… I should also mention that I’m not going to go into a deep scout report on the player, but mainly talk about why he would be a great fit at Chelsea, since anyone who has watched football over the last 15 years know how good of a centre-back the Brazilian is and what he offers on the pitch.
Firstly, the main thing to see is that he is a free agent this Summer, and according to reports is also willing to take a pay cut in order to play in the Premier League. We have already spent a lot of money this Summer with the signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, and will be looking to do so even more with Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell, as well as a Goalkeeper too. Signing Silva for free means we don’t have to rely on players like Jorginho to be sold in order to get funds for someone like Declan Rice, and it also frees up some more money in other positions, or for us to take a larger loss on players like Bakayoko or Kepa.
I completely understand why Silva’s age may be a worry to some Chelsea fans. Normally, a 35 year old defender who has never played in the Premier League before would struggle immensely with the pace of the game. We also want to be looking into the future as much as possible and buying younger players, whereas Thiago is clearly a much more short term signing. In this case though, I still wouldn’t be worrying too much.
The main question is – is there really anyone else out there who is any better? We have been linked with Ben White, Rice, Jose Gimenez and Lewis Dunk as our main centre-back options. Ben White is just some small interest and Leeds are the only club to put an offer in, Rice would cost closer to 60 million pounds and West Ham are in no position to need to sell. Jose Gimenez has a release clause of around £90m and Chelsea would have to negotiate heavily to get that price down, and Lewis Dunk just signed a new five year deal at Brighton a few days ago. And then, removing price and just looking at quality, Silva is comfortably better than all those players at centre-half and is still showing world class qualities.
Willian’s age stopped Chelsea from offering him a three year deal…
His age, this time, shouldn’t be a worry either. Previously, Chelsea’s have kept a one year contract policy for players over the age of 30, and the likes of Lampard and Terry weren’t offered anymore. In more recent times, Luiz and Willian have been offered two, and it has been reliably reported that Silva will get a one year deal with an option to extend for another year. This suggests that we have become a lot less strict on this policy and that if the player is good enough, we’re willing to offer them a good deal (well for Willian not good enough, but he’s crazy.)
And with his age, comes so many positives too. Something which we have needed so many times this season is a mix of leadership and quality throughout the team. Thiago certainly adds to that. He’s played at the top level for so many years, knows what it’s like to win trophies, and although he may not speak the most amazing English, he’ll make sure that everyone in the squad knows their place. His experience and ability is certainly something which the likes of Tomori can learn from if he stays, or for a new signing like Declan Rice or Ben White to endeavour.
Which defender will leave to make space for Thiago Silva?
And obviously, he still is one of the best centre halves in the world. Despite losing 1-0 last night in the Champions League Final to Bayern Munich, he still managed to show a solid display. Comfortable on the ball, great positioning including a goal line clearance as well as some tactical fouling which eventually stopped a 1v1, something we have desperately missed so many times last season. He wasn’t afraid to throw his body at the ball either, very JT like, and their characters can certainly be compared in this sense.
Finally, the area which he’ll be able to help us the most in my opinion is his aerial ability, both defensively and offensively. Defensively, he will make sure that everyone is in the right place and his height will aid with clearing the ball, and offensively we haven’t scored at all from set pieces recently, and something which we could easily do with if we ever struggle with breaking a team down.
There is no doubt that Thiago Silva will be a great player for us, and for free we cannot complain. But, there may even be a few more signings in the defence soon….
In another episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast, Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho) and special guest EC (@ExpectedChelsea) discuss the Chelsea season as a whole and talk specifically about trends which could go into next season, player ratings over the season, improvements in coaching staff needed and much more!
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In our twenty second episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast, Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho) is joined by special guest Kees (@HemmenKees) who is a massive Ajax fan and a Dutch Football Expert, where both talk about the strengths and weaknesses of Hakim Ziyech and how he can fit the Chelsea team, rumours with Onana and Tagliafico, our two games against them and much more!
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Frank Lampard and Chelsea still want to improve on the attack for next season, despite the signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, and generational talent Kai Havertz is one player who is certainly on the list. Matt Law of The Telegraph reported that Chelsea will step up their interest in the upcoming weeks. Fabrizio Romano, the transfer guru, reported that Havertz would not have any problem in joining the Blues due to Lampard’s project, and that he is just waiting for Leverkusen to accept an official bid from Chelsea.
Kai Havertz agents told to Bayer Leverkusen he wants to leave the club if an “important bid” will arrive on next weeks.
Chelsea board have contacted Havertz agents and Kai “would like” Chelsea as next step because of the project – also Werner would push him to join. 🔵 #CFC
However, recent shambolic defending against West Ham, Crystal Palace and Sheffield United brought up the question again – do we actually need Havertz? The answer is a complicated one. For me, it’s no and yes. Simply, it will not be the end of the world if we do not bring in the German international, but with the way the club are looking forward, it would be a crime to miss out on him when the opportunity is very muchthere… but let’s get into some more details as to why have to secure the German international.
Some shambolic defending against West Ham United provided Chelsea fans with the question on whether we should be going for Havertz or not…
I think one of the main reasons fans are against the signing of Havertz is due to the squad depth we already have in midfield. Those supporters are certainly not wrong, with us having a large list, as I explained in huge detail in a previous article. ‘Kovacic, Kante, Jorginho, Mount, Loftus-Cheek, Ziyech, Barkley, Gilmour, Ampadu, Gallagher and Anjorin.’ But my question is – where has the ambition gone? Chelsea have been one of the biggest clubs in the world in the last decade, and we must continue to keep that status up, and that can only be done by improving in every single department possible. Unfortunately, the way football is, business must be done in the best way and although that may mean some good players have to leave on the way, we always need to be looking forward. This means that although it is harsh for players like Barkley who have performed much better as of recent times, he probably needs to move on as he is struggling to show the potential he has on a consistent level. This also is the same with Jorginho, who’s story at Stamford Bridge is remarkable as to how he changed the opinions of Chelsea fans in Stamford Bridge, but with our new tactic and the way Lampard is looking forward, he will definitely struggle to get many minutes next season and would only be seen as a leader in the dressing room.
We all know Frank likes to rotate and keep players hungry, but imagine if he can do that with brilliant players in comparison to the mediocrity we have in some places at the moment? The level of the team would certainly increase vastly, with there being a good chance that one of Mason Mount or Loftus-Cheek would be left on the bench if Kai did come in – two outstanding players who will be very important to Lampard’s plans for the future. But the way we want to move forward, like Liverpool and Manchester City, we need to have high quality in depth, across all positions. It will be instrumental as Chelsea will be in four competitions next season, and it’s even the reason Lampard still wants to get Benrahma if Willian does leave the club, despite having Hudson-Odoi, Pulisic, Werner and Ziyech all as options out wide. If you look at Manchester City’s bench, it’s just filled with players who would fit in almost every other team in the world, and that should be the sort of ambition and level we are aiming towards.
We’ve had a look at how he would fit our squad and what it would mean for other players, but let’s delve into his actual qualities. The word ‘generational’ for young players gets sprung around quite a lot on social media, but I truly do believe Havertz is one who can come under this complicated word. At just the age of 21 he is one of the best players in the world, would be arguably the best player in our team if he was to join Chelsea, and puts up stats which many midfielders in the world are struggling to keep up with.The man with some of the best movement football has seen, a brilliant eye for goal and on top of that elite technical ability, makes him one of the most exciting prospects in the world, and it’s clear to see why he is linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Will Werner convince Havertz to join the best club in London? (IMAGE SOURCE: FOOTBALL.LONDON)
While writing this, I have just remembered that fellow The Chelsea Spot Writer Danny wrote a scouting report on Havertz about a month ago and all his qualities, so I won’t go into that but instead you can have a read here. On top of that article, all I’d like to say is that he’s there to finish off the chances which Ziyech will create, and there to also provide them for Werner. I saw a couple people saying that we have already signed two attackers so why do we need a third, but for example against a low block, Ziyech will be used as that creative option and we will need someone like Kai to finish off them chances, and against a high line a player like Havertz will be the one linking up with Werner who will be running in behind in all the space. All three could create some special chemistry between them, and as expected, world class players play so much better with great players surrounding them.
Another argument is that Chelsea should be signing a defender instead. Wrong. We CAN get both, as many journalists have reported. It is set in stone that Chelsea will be buying a left-back in the Summer, whether that is Chilwell, Tagliafico or Telles, due to the strong possibility of both Alonso and Emerson leaving the club. A centre-half is also looking possible, with the most recent name linked being Declan Rice, leaving the chances of Tomori going on loan or Zouma leaving high in the sky. Chelsea have a big budget this Summer after the transfer ban and the sale of Eden Hazard, and it’s clear that Roman Abramovich won’t be afraid to splash the cash if needed to bring back quality football at the Bridge, and to back the one and only Frank Lampard.
The Gaffa has made it clear that he wants to play attacking football at a high intensity, and next season it genuinely may be that attack is the best form of defence. We see teams like Liverpool and Manchester City score 4-5 goals a game sometimes against the worse opponents, and if Havertz joined next season we probably could start to see those numbers. Next year there’s still a good chance we will be conceding many goals, but we could try and outscore most teams and I do have some confidence that with a new Left-Back and the return of the Zouma-Tomori partnership, as well as a new Goalkeeper, we will be much much stronger in defence.
Is Zouma-Tomori our best partnership at the back? (IMAGE SOURCE: METRO)
One other thing is that there isn’t really an obvious choice for a Centre-Half available on the market. Nathan Ake still has his buyback clause of 40 million pounds which runs out this summer, but the Dutchman isn’t a huge improvement of what we already have, but I would not say no to him. Declan Rice would cost close to £60 million and there would definitely be some tension in the Cobham buildings as it was Chelsea’s decision to release him at the age of 15 for free. Then, players like Kouliably and Upamecano, are looking likely to join Manchester City and Arsenal respectively in the Summer, leaving us with not many standout options.
Here, is when it is important to have some patience and wait for the right player to pop up. We saw Liverpool wait for Van Dijk, and after good research and patience to find the perfect Centre-Back for their style of play, he is now comfortabley the best defender in the world and has improved the Scouse club’s defence drastically. Considering there isn’t an obvious option on the market, we may as well spend on the likes of Havertz when we can, and improve on the other areas when we can. After all, we certainly do not want to be repeating the mistakes of rushing transfers and buying the likes of Danny Drinkwater, Morata and Kepa, who had such big fees yet all three players haven’t really helped the club in the slightest.
Finally, Havertz fits the plan of the club. He fits the plan of wanting to play attacking football, being young, and is already at a very high level, making him perfect for any club in the world, and if Chelsea can snatch him up then we could be looking at one of the best deals in history. Signing the German would also attract many other players to our club, as like I said, the best want to play with the best.
This investment would show that Roman is more ready than ever to take the club back to the highest level and back to winning multiple trophies a season. As Alex Goldberg says, something very special is happening at Chelsea Football Club.
For months, the talk surrounding football has largely been of the huge effect that the current global pandemic will have on the market. Supposedly even the biggest teams would have to scale back on their usual splurges, forced to be stingy by the potential loss of broadcasting revenue as well as the lack of any match day income. In total, Deloitte have predicted Premier League sides alone could lose up to £1 billion over two seasons as a result of the pandemic. However, it seems like one owner didn’t get the memo. Having stolen Timo Werner from underneath Liverpool’s nose by activating his £53 million release clause when the Reds were unable to, it seems that Roman Abramovich could attempt to prise away another of Liverpool’s supposed targets, and one of the Bundesliga’s brightest talents in Kai Havertz. This spending spree, which will also probably include a left back in either Ben Chilwell or Nicolás Tagliafico, in a time where other clubs are faltering, could set up Chelsea to be a force to be reckoned with over the next 5-10 years. And Havertz could be the star.
Photo credit: 90Min
The return of elite football arrived earlier in Germany than the rest of Europe, causing a new audience to flock to watch the Bundesliga in search of their football fix. With the spotlight seemingly firmly fixed on Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich fought for the title, it was Kai Havertz who stole it. He has long attracted interest from European powerhouses, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich seemingly chief amongst them, but his back-to-back braces in the opening two games following the forced break in the season showcased his talents on a much larger scale, perhaps prompting Abramovich to amp up his pursuit of him.
Before we dive into the youngster’s incredible stats, it is worth discussing his personality. When making a big money move to the Premier League, having a strong mentality is essential. As the British media wait for you to slip up spectacularly, you have to shut out the outside world and hit the ground running. Despite still being 20 years old, Havertz is in his 4th season of regular game time at Bayer Leverkusen. Making his Bundesliga debut at the age of just 17 years and 126 days old (at the time making him the club’s youngest ever league debutant), he has shown remarkable mental strength to earn his place and keep it from such a young age and with such media attention focussed on him. More impressive still is the fact that he has led Leverkusen as captain on 5 occasions this season in the absence of club captain Lars Bender, going further towards proving that he truly is an old head on young shoulders.
Photo credit: Metro
However, the most encouraging aspect of Havertz’s mental make-up is his ability to keep going in the face of adversity. He came into this season with the pressure of having to follow up a 17 goal haul in 2018/19 (with 4 assists to his name as well, despite him playing as a midfielder/winger), and initially struggled. In fact, he only netted twice between the start of the season and 2020, with those goals coming across 14 league starts. The media scrutiny that follows a superb breakthrough season looked to be getting to him, but the German persisted and has dramatically turned his form around. Having scored in the first game back after the winter break, he has amassed a huge 9 goals and 4 assists in 12 appearances so far in 2020, making him the Bundesliga’s third top scorer since the turn of the year, behind only Lewandowski and Haaland! It is clear that Havertz can handle the burden of huge expectation, which will be vital if he is to join Chelsea in a big money move. So, he can handle the psychological aspect of the game, but how is he with the ball at his feet?
Not only is Havertz’s goal contribution haul impressive – he has bagged 11 goals and 5 assists in 26 league appearances to date – but look closer at his underlying numbers and you will understand that his current red-hot form is no fluke. He is the fulcrum of all Leverkusen’s play; whether he is playing as a false 9, a right winger or as an attacking midfielder, and has been a crucial component of one of Germany’s most exciting offensive forces. His 2.1 chances created per league game rank him 9th in the league, and are only 0.2 fewer than Jadon Sancho, who has 11 more assists than Havertz. This implies that in a more clinical team, the German would be racking up huge assists numbers. The potential of seeing him play with the deadly Werner (who has netted 25 league goals this campaign so far), therefore, is mind-blowing for all Chelsea fans!
On top of being an elite chance creator, Havertz is also excellent at ball progression. Wherever he is playing, he will always drop deep in search of the ball and then force his team up the pitch, with his average of 46 passes per game (at an 86% completion rate) very high for an attacking player. For context, his teammate and usually the man who plays on the opposite wing to him, Moussa Diaby, makes only 20 passes per game, and the highly involved Sancho manages 48. His 2 completed dribbles every match also make for impressive reading, and are more than both Willian and Hudson-Odoi (our right wing options this term) currently average. He is also a player who will constantly make defences uncomfortable, as he naturally drifts between the defensive lines, willing to receive the ball all over the pitch, with his marker unsure of whether to be drawn out of position and follow him (opening up space behind the defensive lines for pacy players like Werner or Hudson-Odoi to exploit) or to sit back and allow Havertz to work his magic. He has the ability to take a touch and make a sensational cross-field pass, or beat his man before feeding a teammate or going alone. With such incredible match intelligence at only 20, Havertz’s potential truly is incredible.
Another facet to Havertz’s game is his aerial presence. Standing at around 6 foot 2 inches (or 1.89m) tall, he boasts a physical advantage on many central defenders, and is only 2cm shorter than Tammy Abraham. This allows him to win 1.4 aerial duels per game, behind only Abraham and Giroud (on 3.2 and 2.9 respectively) for non-defenders in the Chelsea squad. His aerial prowess has helped him bag 2 headed goals this season, the same figure as Tammy, despite only making 7 appearances as a number 9. His physique should cause opposition defenders all kinds of problems, as he is a threat from set pieces and he can hold up the ball well, which is vital in a relatively short squad (the 7th shortest in the league). He also happens to be left-footed, something none of our wingers are, and therefore could play on the right wing and cut in should Lampard require it, a trait which makes him even more desirable to the Chelsea board.
Photo credit: talkSPORT
So Havertz is a brilliant creator, a fantastic dribbler and a threat in the air, but what are his areas of weakness? Well, one aspect of his game that he could easily improve on is his shot volume: as he has managed only 1.9 shots per game this season, the 25th most in the Bundesliga. Part of the reason his average shots per game are low is that he has only recently started playing as a false 9, but even as an attacking midfielder I would expect him to get off more efforts at goal every game. For example, Mason Mount – in his first season of Premier League football – has made 2.3 attempts on goal per game as an attacking midfielder, and should continue to improve on that as he gets older. If Havertz can take more shots per game, it is only logical that more goals should follow. He is also quite regularly dispossessed, at an average rate of 2.7 times a game, which would rank joint top in the Chelsea squad with Pulisic. However, this could be because most of Leverkusen’s attacking moves go through him, and so he is bound to make a few mistakes when he is constantly trying to force openings for his team.
Having seen a breakdown of his game, we know that Havertz is a star and has huge scope to improve at only 20 years of age. Put simply, he could become a truly elite player in the future. What might concern a lot of Chelsea fans, however, is where he will fit in. With Ziyech and Werner (hopefully) due to arrive this summer, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek coming back from his lengthy injury lay-off, the competition for places will be monumental, which could push the squad on as a whole, but could also lead to some significant player departures.
The German international is capable of playing a number of roles, with his versatility another reason why he is sought after by so many sides. He is able to play as: a free number eight in a 4-3-3 (similar to how Mount plays when in central midfield), a central attacking midfielder in the hole behind the striker, a right winger, or as a centre forward. Such versatility should offset any worries about him keeping any particular player out, as Frank can move him around regularly as Peter Bosz has done this season at Leverkusen. With Ziyech and Hudson-Odoi both capable of playing on the right wing, the ideal place to play Havertz would be as a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1 behind Tammy and with Werner cutting in from the left wing. This would be a devastating attacking unit, arguably one of Europe’s best, and would make the most of Havertz’s creativity, ball progression and finishing (as he can arrive late in the box to tuck shots away).
Photo credit: talkSPORT
However, if Lampard opts for a 4-3-3, as he has tended to do this season, Havertz would be more than able to play as a number 8, perhaps with two more stable central midfielders beside him allowing him to push forwards (perhaps N’Golo Kanté and Mateo Kovačić). The possibility of a 2 striker formation has also been thrown about recently, and is something that could prove really exciting. Should we play a 4-4-2 with Tammy and Werner spearheading the attack, Havertz could possibly be paired in a midfield pivot with the ridiculous defensive shield that is N’Golo Kanté, which would allow him to get forwards regularly. Such squad selection headaches can only be a good thing for Frank Lampard, who wants his players to fight for their places, which will improve the long-standing issue of mentality and motivation in the Chelsea dressing room. We must also assume that the board are backing Frank Lampard as part of a 3 year plan (as per The Athletic) in which Chelsea are winning major honours by the conclusion of the 2022/23 season, and if Lampard has sought out Havertz and Werner, I am confident he knows exactly how he wants his side to lineup with them in next season.
Havertz has handled the pressure of being his club’s star man as a teenager, as well as being their captain, and his 59 goal contributions in 114 Bundesliga games before turning 21 is incredibly impressive. When we add in his mental toughness and ability to come back firing following a scoring drought, as well as his Champions League experience and 7 international caps for Germany (including a goal), it is clear that Havertz is a must buy. With other clubs seemingly incapable of meeting his rumoured €80-100 million valuation, Roman Abramovich could play on Havertz’s eagerness for a new challenge by being his sole realistic suitor this summer. If he manages to secure two of Europe’s most talented players in one window (not to mention Ziyech and a left back), Abramovich could create a dynasty which leads to years of Chelsea success!
In our ninth episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast, Dan (Host – @danbarkzr) and Orlando (@0rland1nho) discuss the Werner to Chelsea move and how it affects us and Abraham next season, Chilwell’s rumoured price, possible departures and a lot more!
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In our third episode of the Simon Phillips show, Simon discusses the latest transfer news regarding the Football Club, including Werner’s transfer, Havertz, Sancho, Chilwell, Tagliafico, Benrahma and more!
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