Chelsea
Sevilla chief Monchi reveals transfer stance on Chelsea target Jules Kounde – report
Sevilla sporting director Monchi has revealed the club’s stance on Jules Kounde amid the transfer interest from Chelsea. The Blues have identified the Frenchman as their prime centre-back target, but it appears that a deal is unlikely at the moment. The club made an opening bid of around €55 million last week, but it fell short of Sevilla’s reported valuation between €65-70m. Monchi has now revealed that the club will no longer negotiate. The Blues must trigger the €80m release clause to sign Kounde today. He said in his deadline-day press conference: “The only offer from Chelsea for Kounde was last Wednesday for an amount we didn’t like.” “It was not enough for us. We responded with a counter-offer which had a deadline of Friday, to allow us to be able to sign a replacement...
Champions League Group H previous meetings: Chelsea and Juventus the standouts in Group H
The eighth and final Champions League group has been drawn, and it promises to be an interesting one. Defending champions Chelsea will come up against a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Juventus, while Zenit Saint Petersburg and Malmo also compete to reach the knockout stage. Here are the previous meetings between these sides. Chelsea vs Juventus It’s been a while since Chelsea and Juventus faced off against each other. The last meeting was in the 2012/13 group stages when the Blues were eliminated early just months after winning the competition. The Londoners squandered a two-goal lead in the home fixture, having gone ahead through Oscar’s double. Arturo Vidal pulled one back before half-time, and Fabio Quagliarella netted a late equaliser. And in Turin, the hosts comfortably came out on top. Quagl...
Atletico Madrid star Saul Niguez makes Chelsea transfer decision – report
Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez has opted against a move to Chelsea, 90min reports. The Blues are searching for a new midfielder, and it was recently reported that they had made an official loan bid for Saul with an option to buy. However, it appears that the deal is unlikely to materialise. The Spaniard has snubbed the Blues’ advances due to concerns over playing time. The 26-year-old has failed to receive assurances of regular game time by Thomas Tuchel. Sportslens view: The west London giants currently have N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic as their regular midfield options under Tuchel. They also have Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ethan Ampadu and Ross Barkley in the squad despite loaning Billy Gilmour to Norwich City. With the excellent form of Kante and Jorginho earlier this year...
‘We are aware’: Thomas Tuchel speaks on Chelsea transfer plans before Tuesday’s deadline
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has provided an update on the club’s potential transfer activity before Tuesday’s cut-off time. The Blues have made just one marquee signing this summer with Romelu Lukaku, who returned from Inter Milan for €115 million. The Belgian has already made an impact with a match-winning display against Arsenal. There is the anticipation of more signings. Speaking ahead of the Liverpool game, Tuchel confirmed that negotiations are ongoing behind the scenes and refused to rule out new arrivals. He told football.london: “Well, hoping is maybe. We have still some ideas, and we are trying and not all decisions are taken regarding also to our squad. “So, there are some negotiations going on, and we are aware of all the situations. “Hoping in meaning that we need somet...
Kante and Lukaku start, Predicted Chelsea line-up (3-4-2-1) vs Liverpool
Chelsea travel to Anfield for Saturday’s late Premier League kick-off against Liverpool. The Blues have made the perfect start to the season with successive wins, and they are only behind West Ham United on the table in terms of goals scored. They are scheduled to face the Reds on the road tomorrow. Their recent league record is not great against them, but they won at Anfield earlier this year. Jurgen Klopp’s side were missing several key defenders including Virgil Van Dijk. The tussle between Van Dijk and Romelu Lukaku will be one to watch out for. Formation: 3-4-2-1 Predicted Line-up: Edouard Mendy has started the season with successive shutouts, and he has been faultless with the limited shots at him. He is expected to start in goal ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga. No changes are likely in t...
‘Done deal’: Journalist claims West Ham have secured the signing of €30m star
West Ham United have finally secured a deal for Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma. Although the deal is yet to be confirmed by either club, reputed football journalist Fabrizio Romano claims it is as good as a ‘done deal’. The Hammers have been looking to sign Zouma for the past couple of weeks, but there was uncertainty with issues concerning agents threatening to scupper the move. The main issue between Kurt Zouma and West Ham is about agents. Chelsea want Zouma to go as they’re ready to bid for Jules Koundé in order to complete the deal. 🔵 #CFC West Ham will try to resolve the problems with Zouma – deal in danger but no Caleta Car talks as of now. https://t.co/vJMtCI4gox — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 25, 2021 West Ham have other options if they fail to land Zouma, but it ...
Man City vs PSG the standout as Champions League groups drawn
The groups for the Champions League 2021/22 have been drawn. Chelsea are looking to defend their title, having defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the final last March. Those two are joined by fellow English sides Manchester United and Liverpool. Paris Saint-Germain look to win the competition for the first time, hoping that the acquisition of Lionel Messi can help them over the final hurdle. Man City are also yet to win the trophy, while Juventus have gone a quarter of a century since their last European triumph. Meanwhile, Sheriff Liraspol become the first ever Moldovan team to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. There are several exciting fixtures to come out of the draw. The headline tie of the group stage will likely be Man City vs PSG in Group A, while Barcelona and Bay...
Jose Mourinho could bring £60,000-a-week Chelsea star to Roma after Tammy Abraham – report
Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is one of the midfield targets for Roma boss Jose Mourinho, Corriere dello Sport reports. The Giallorossi have been busy during this summer’s transfer window with six signings for a combined fee of around €98 million. The most expensive of those was Tammy Abraham from Chelsea. He made a huge impression on his debut with two assists. It is now reported that Mourinho could be eyeing another player from his former club. Loftus-Cheek is under consideration. Borussia Monchengladbach’s Denis Zakaria is the priority midfield target, but he is proving costly with his contract expiring next summer. Roma are prepared to pay between €10-15m for the Swiss, but Monchengladbach are reluctant to sell him for less than €20m. Sportslens view: Loftus-Cheek spent th...
Man Utd, Liverpool and co. find out their fixtures for the Carabao Cup third round
The draw for the third round of the Carabao Cup has been completed. The second round brought about a number of big results. Aston Villa, Norwich City, and Arsenal all hit their opponents for six, while Southampton comfortably defeated Newport County 8-0. Top flight sides Newcastle United and Crystal Palace were eliminated early. Seven more teams enter the competition at this stage, with all clubs participating in Europe being given a bye to the third round. Manchester City get in on the act as they look to win their fifth Carabao Cup in a row, while Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leicester City, West Ham United, and Tottenham Hotspur also join. Man City have won the competition four years on the trot The Cityzens begin the defence of their crown with a visit from League One side Wy...
Tottenham remain keen on 22-yr-old but their PL rivals are in the driving seat
Tottenham Hotspur are keen on improving their defensive options before the transfer window closes and they are still considering a move for the Sevilla star Jules Kounde. According to L’Equipe via GFFN, Chelsea are currently in the driving seat to sign the French international. Tottenham continue to consider a move for Jules Koundé, but Chelsea sit very firmly in the driving seat, according to L’Équipe. — Get French Football News (@GFFN) August 24, 2021 The Blues have agreed on a deal to sell Kurt Zouma to West Ham and Kounde is likely to replace his compatriot at the London club. The 22-year-old is one of the best young talents around Europe right now and he was certainly one of the best defenders in the Spanish league last year. Both Premier League clubs could use a quality centre ...
Chelsea leading the race to sign 26-yr-old, but face competition from Man Utd
Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez has repeatedly been linked with a move away from La Liga this summer. Manchester United and Chelsea are keen on securing his services as they strive to build title-winning squads. According to AS, the Blues are well placed to beat the Red Devils to the 26-year-old’s signature. The two Premier League clubs are hoping to sign the midfielder on a loan deal and pay a loan fee to the Spanish club. They will also take over the midfielder’s wages completely. Saul needs to leave to play regular first-team football this season, and a move to United or Chelsea would be ideal. Both clubs need to add quality and depth to their midfield, and Saul could prove to be a smart addition. The Spaniard can operate in multiple roles across the midfield and can also sl...
£100m-rated Chelsea target planning to reject new contract offers
Declan Rice would reject any new contract offers at West Ham United, according to the Times. Rice signed his first professional contract with West Ham in late 2015 and made his debut a year-and-a-half later. He became a regular in the first team the following season, appearing in 26 league games. Rice has subsequently become one of the most important players at the London Stadium. He has made 146 appearances for the Hammers in all competitions, scoring five times. His performances have earned him 24 caps for the England national team, as well as three for Republic of Ireland earlier in his career. During the Three Lions’ European Championship campaign, the 22-year-old garnered plenty of praise for his displays. He protected the backline alongside Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips as they reac...
