Chelsea
Jorginho leads Manchester and Tottenham stars as best performing player in the league
The final phase of the Premier League campaign will resume after the international break and there is plenty of stake for clubs in both ends of the table. While Manchester City appear to be cruising to a third league title in four seasons, there is plenty of competition for the remaining three Champions League spots. At the bottom, Fulham have given themselves a fighting chance of beating the drop as they are only two points adrift of 17th-placed Newcastle United, who have a game in hand. There have been many standout performers this season and the CIES Football Observatory has published a list of players ranked on the basis of their performances. Here are the top-five best-performing players in the league since the turn of the year, who have played at least two-thirds of the ava...
Daniel Sturridge on the verge of MLS move
Daniel Sturridge could be set to move to the MLS, according to the Daily Mirror. Sturridge has been without a club since being released from Trabzonspor back in March 2020. The striker had just received a four-month ban and a £150,000 fine after a breach of betting rules. It’s been a difficult few years for the Englishman, who was once one of the Premier League’s deadliest strikers. In his first season-and-a-half at Liverpool, he scored 31 league goals in just 43 appearances, finishing as runner up in the 2013/14 Golden Boot race behind strike partner Luis Suarez. However, he suffered numerous injury problems which severely limited his game time over the next few years. Suarez’s departure and the replacement of manager Brendan Rodgers with Jurgen Klopp also impacted his form, and he found ...
‘So happy’, ‘Improving’: Some Chelsea fans praise 22-year-old’s display on int’l duty
A selection of Chelsea fans were delighted with Mason Mount’s display during England’s 2-0 win over Albania in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday. The 22-year-old had come for criticism from some Blues supporters in the past for his inability to convert chances in the final third of the pitch. However, he showed a significant improvement in that aspect and prior to the international break, he registered three goals from six league starts. Mount recently bagged an assist in the Three Lions’ 5-0 triumph over San Marino. He created eight chances in his 45-minute appearance, which was the most in a World Cup qualifier since Xavi for Spain in 2008. He carried his fine form into the Albania game where he scored after the hour mark to make it 2-0 for Gareth Southgate’s side. Harry Kane, who opened t...
Chelsea could move for £81m Serie A star, if they fail to sign Haaland
Chelsea could make a surprise move to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan if they fail to land Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland this summer, The Telegraph claims. The Blues spent more than £225 million on new signings last summer, but the move has not proved effective, with the club still far away from competing for the Premier League crown. They are likely to be more changes to the squad in the next transfer window, and it is reported that the club have their sights on signing a new number nine. Haaland is their top name on their wishlist, but they face stiff competition with interest from Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona, among others. They may need an alternative option this summer, and The Telegraph’s Matt Law claims that the club could consider a surpri...
Borussia Dortmund name their price for Erling Braut Haaland
Borussia Dortmund have slapped an enormous €180 million price tag on star striker Erling Haaland, reports ESPN. Haaland made his breakthrough during the 2019/20 season. He first caught the eye with his prolific performances for RB Salzburg in the Champions League group stages. He carried this form into the second half of the season with Dortmund following his transfer in January 2020. Haaland is a man in high demand He has since established himself as one of the world’s very best strikers, scoring 49 goals in as many games for the Black and Yellows. This has attracted the attention of several of the world’s biggest clubs. However, ESPN claims that any club willing to sign the 20-year-old will need to stump up an eye-popping €180m for his services. This would be the second most expensive tr...
From Owen to Wilshere, the Premier League’s Unfulfilled XI features the best players to never make it
The launch of the Premier League in 1992 sparked a wave of hype that has continued apace since then. While the self-styled ‘best division in the world’ clearly has plenty of attributes, it is debatable whether the excitement it generates is truly justified. One area where the propaganda machine has run riot is regarding players, with the last few decades littered with examples of someone being hailed as ‘the next big thing’. With many of those players failing to live up to expectations, we have assembled a Premier League Unfulfilled Potential XI. David James (GK) – Although James ended his career with two major trophies on his CV, it is impossible to look back on his playing days and think that he delivered what was expected of him. For starters, you don’t end up with the nickname ‘Calamit...
Tottenham and West Ham stars lead the list of Premier League’s bargain transfers this season
The transfer market has exploded in recent years. Newly-promoted clubs spend tens of millions, the top sides seem to cough up nine figures every summer, and someone breaks their transfer record every five minutes. However, it isn’t all £100 million deals. We still see plenty of players come in on the cheap and prove themselves to be superstars. Here is a look at the best bargains from the Premier League this season. GK: Emiliano Martinez (£16m) – Off the back of a succession of impressive performances post-lockdown for Arsenal, Aston Villa decided to splash out on Emiliano Martinez. It’s safe to say the signing has worked out. Martinez has been a brilliant signing for Aston Villa The Argentine has arguably been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season. His tally of 14 cle...
Chelsea enter race for Tottenham Hotspur target, won’t pay over £38.7m to sign him
Chelsea have joined Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Paulo Dybala from Juventus during this summer’s transfer window, Calciomercato reports. Dybala joined the Bianconeri from Palermo more than five years ago and he has registered 98 goals and 40 assists from 244 appearances for the club. The current season has been a frustrating one for him due to injuries and he has been out since January with ligament damage in his left knee. Dybala could return to action shortly after the international break, but there are doubts whether he will remain with the club beyond the summer. His existing contract expires in 15 months and the club’s vice president Pavel Nedved recently said that the club are open to evaluating all options. It is now reported that an extension appears unlikely and Dybala co...
Jorginho enjoying ‘special moment’ under Thomas Tuchel
Jorge Luiz Frello Filho, best known as Jorginho’s agent believes the Chelsea midfielder is enjoying a ‘special moment’ under Thomas Tuchel. The Italy international is a key figure in Tuchel’s midfield. But his agent, Joao Santos, says Jorginho would be open to a return to Italy if the situation changed at Stamford Bridge. “There are many rumours about that because he did so well at Napoli,” Santos told Naples-based station Radio Marte. “It’s a special moment for him. He is an important player for Chelsea now. However, he is an Italy international, and we are thinking about a return to Serie A if he leaves the Blues. “If Napoli will make an offer, we’ll evaluate it. He had a great time in Naples, and he has many friends over there.” Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make ...
Chelsea receive boost as £110,000-a-week star is ready to sign a new contract
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva is prepared to sign a new one-year deal with the club, a report from The Express claims. The 36-year-old joined the Blues on a free transfer last summer, shortly after his contract expired with Paris Saint-Germain. There were doubts whether he could adapt to English football at his age, but he has done so with flying colours and is now a firm fan favourite. Silva has not played since early February because of a hamstring injury, but that is unlikely to scupper his prospects of prolonging his stay with the Blues. His current contract expires at the end of June, but there is a 12-month extension clause that can be activated if both he and the club agree to it. The Blues are open to the extension, and it is now reported that Silva is prepared to put pen-to-paper ...
Barcelona and Real Madrid target rejects Chelsea move
David Alaba has rejected a move to Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, reports Sky Germany. Alaba has been a regular at Bayern Munich for the best part of the last decade, making 421 appearances in all competitions for the Bavarians. During that time, he has won nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB Pokals, and two Champions Leagues. David Alaba has had a highly successful time at Bayern Munich However, the Austrian looks nailed on to depart the Allianz Arena this summer on a free transfer, having rejected a new contract. This has got several of Europe’s top clubs keeping an eye on the situation, hoping to bring in one of the world’s best defenders for cheap. Two clubs who were looking at the defender were Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. However, Sky Germany are claiming that he has said no to bot...
Chelsea owner takes legal action over ‘Putin’s People’ book
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has launched legal action for defamation over the book Putin’s People. The Blues owner’s case relates to “a number of false and defamatory claims made about our client in the book published by HarperCollins.” The book was written by author Caterine Belton and contains a number of claims about Abramovich and others close to Russia president Vladimir Putin. Abramovich’s statement, published on Chelsea’s club website, says: “Today my legal representatives have issued legal proceedings in England in relation to a book that was published in the UK. The book contains a number of false and defamatory statements about me, including about my purchase, and the activities, of Chelsea Football Club. “Today’s action was not taken lightly. It has never been my ambition to ...