CHELSEA are in need of some defensive reinforcements with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen departing from Stamford Bridge.
And the Blues are reportedly interested in Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt but the Old Lady have demanded for Timo Werner in return.
But reports suggest that Chelsea are also chasing Paris Saint-Germain defender Presnel Kimpembe.
Meanwhile, the battle for Raphinha is far from over as Barcelona have put in a staggering £60 million bid according to reports.
- IN: None
- OUT: Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Andreas Christensen (Barcelona), Danny Drinkwater (released), Charly Musonda (released), Jake Clarke-Salter (released), Lucas Bergstrom (Peterborough, loan), Sam McClelland (Barrow, loan)
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Chelsea told to forget duo
Chelsea should drop their transfer interest in both Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele, according to club legend Frank Lebeouf.
Lebeouf has concerns about the consistency of the pair who have been strongly liked with moves to Stamford Bridge.
When asked who he prefers out of the two, Lebeouf told ESPN: “Can I say none? Is that possible for me?
“I’ve expressed myself about Ousmane Dembele and the lack of consistency that he showed playing for Barcelona.
“It’s impossible to say what will happen with Dembele and [maybe] once he will have a normal full-time season with Barcelona or any other club.
“On Raphinha, I saw him playing for Rennes, I saw him playing for Leeds with a little bit more consistency.
“He’s a pure talent, he’s somebody I have doubts about, still the same question marks that I have for Dembele. The consistency of performances.”
Nou development
Barcelona are odds-on favourites to sign Leeds winger Raphinha.
That’s according to bookmakers Sky Bet, who’ve priced the Spanish heavyweights at 1/2 to clinch the Brazilian’s signature.
Chelsea looked certain to secure his services having agreed a £55m deal plus add-ons with Leeds.
But he’s now drifted out to 13/8 to arrive at Stamford Bridge before the transfer window closes.
A stay at Leeds is available at 18/1, with Arsenal and Newcastle offered at 20/1 and 25/1 respectively.
Manchester United are major outsiders, coming in at 40/1.
40 Why Chelsea missed out on Richarlison
Chelsea missed out on Tottenham new-boy Richarlison despite making a last-ditch bid.
Prior to his move to Spurs, the Brazilian was among the Blues’ shortlist of potential Romelu Lukaku replacements.
When Tottenham accelerated their interest this week, Chelsea made an attempt to gazump them.
According to the Metro, the West Londoners’ surge in interest prompted Spurs to up their bid.
The Lilywhites offered Everton £50million plus £10m in add-ons, with Blues owner Todd Boehly unwilling to match.
Going Ney-where
Neymar has reportedly activated a clause in his contract to extend his stay at Paris Saint-Germain until 2027.
The Brazilian, 30, most recently put pen to paper on a five-year extension in 2021.
But he has now activated his annual extension option, which means his deal will stretch until 2027, according to Sport.
That means Neymar is set to earn £155million more from PSG with the forward being paid £31m a year.
According to Sky Sports, PSG are looking for a buyer to take Neymar off their hands with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi looking to move away from their high-earner model.
His £600k-a-week wages are putting potential suitors off, however.
Man Utd were joined by Chelsea as contenders for Neymar’s signature with Thomas Tuchel potentially playing a key role in the deal.
The pair worked together at PSG and under Tuchel’s tenure, Neymar scored 51 goals and assisted 32 in just 67 appearances.
Blues centre-back Thiago Silva is also keen to reunite with his friend and Brazil team-mate Neymar at Stamford Bridge.
He said: “He has to go to Chelsea. If it happens, it will be for the best. He needs no comments. And on top of that, he’s a super friend.
“So far, I don’t know anything, but I hope it comes to fruition.”
Live in the Pres-ent
Chelsea target Presnel Kimpembe admitted it was a “key moment” for him in his career.
He said: “Everyone knows the love I have for PSG, I think it’s mutual.
“I am coming to a key moment in my career, my next contract will be very important.
“I’m waiting to meet the new sports management to discuss the club’s future project. I think we will have to discuss things fairly quickly.”
Prem king
Man City and Liverpool are favourites to be crowned 2022-23 Premier League champions.
That’s according to bookmakers Betfair, who are predicting another two-horse race with Pep Guardiola’s Citizens available at 8/13 and Liverpool at 12/5.
Liverpool, who start against promoted Fulham, are next at 12/5 having missed out by a single point last term.
Tottenham are now considered third-favourites at 14/1 after a flurry of incomings.
Antonio Conte’s side have signed Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster to join Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, who arrived in January.
They are ahead of London rivals Chelsea (16/1) who have seen Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave the club. The futures of Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta are also in doubt, while Barcelona are now favourites to sign Raphinha.
Manchester United are 25/1 to clinch the title during Erik ten Hag’s debut campaign, ahead of Arsenal (40/1) and Newcastle (100/1).
Jong time coming
Chelsea watching transfer developments with Frenkie de Jong.
Manchester United still favourites to sign the Barcelona midfielder but he has admirers at Chelsea, according to The Guardian.
Meanwhile, deals for Nathan Ake and Raheem Sterling said to be “progressing” for the Blues.
Afternoon De Ligt
Chelsea have emerged as the odds on favourites to sign the Juventus centre back Matthijs de Ligt.
The Netherlands international has been linked with a move away from Italy and Sky Bet are pricing a move to Stamford Bridge at 8/11.
Chelsea are desperate to sign a central defender or two this summer following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Erik ten Hag was the Ajax manager when de Ligt helped the Dutch side to the semi-finals of the Champions League, and made the defender the club’s youngest ever captain at 18 years old.
The Dutch manager has taken over at Manchester United this summer, who also had some difficulties in the centre-back department last season.
Naturally, there have been rumours of ten Hag and de Ligt linking up again, with Sky Bet pricing the move at 8/1.
Pep talk
Pep Guardiola understands when players decide to leave in search of regular game time.
Manchester City forwards Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus are expected to be sold this summer.
And they could be followed by defensive duo Nathan Ake and Oleksandr Zinchenko, while midfielder Bernardo Silva would like a move to Spain.
City boss Guardiola said: “The most complicated thing to manage in a team is the players who do not play and to keep them happy.
“There’s no solution — that’s why good players leave their teams, because they want to play.
“I cannot retain a player who does not play just because he has a contract.
“I told my players I want to see them happy. We’ve known each other a long time and if anyone is unhappy, they have to leave.”
Jesus, 25, is poised to join Arsenal for £45million after fearing his chances would be limited by the arrivals of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.
Sterling, 27, has similar concerns and is wanted by Chelsea, who have also enquired about Ake and Zinchenko.
Tuch of magic
Chelsea could deploy a permanent shift in their formation ahead of the upcoming season.
Significantly, Tuchel played with a back four at both sides – albeit in different shapes.
With PSG, he opted for an attacking 4-2-4 system thanks to the prowess of stars including Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Should Tuchel land his top targets, the wide-forward areas would be perfect for Raheem Sterling and Raphinha.
Kai Havertz could then operate in a free attacking role while Armanda Broja does all the running up top.
A lively midfield duo of workhorses N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount would keep the ball ticking over while providing adequate support for the backline.
And in defence, Reece James and Ben Chilwell would get the opportunity to push high and wide as attacking full-backs.
Meanwhile, Nathan Ake and Matthijs de Ligt are Tuchel’s top choices in the middle.
Fast, strong and technical, the Dutch duo would be more than capable of protecting goalie Edouard Mendy while also building up play from the back.
But should Tuchel feel the Premier League is not suitable for such a free-flowing formation, he could always opt for the 4-3-3 system he used at Dortmund.
With more or less the same side, one change would see a forward replaced by an extra midfielder.
Conor Gallagher would be the ideal man to slot in alongside Mount, leaving Kante to push up from a deeper position.
Chelsea ‘target PSG defender’
Chelsea are reportedly targeting Paris Saint-Germain defender Presnel Kimpembe.
The Blues were considering a move for Kimpembe, 26, in both the past two transfer windows.
And GOAL reports that “interest from Chelsea still exists” over Kimpembe.
It seems they are keen again after having a pair of centre-backs exit Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel has lost Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid and released Andreas Christensen, who is on the verge of joining Barcelona.
Raphinha tells agent ‘block Chelsea’
Leeds ace Raphinha has delivered Chelsea a huge blow by telling his agent to block any further contact from the club amid interest from Barcelona, reports claim.
The Blues were in pole position to land Raphinha after they seemingly stole him from Arsenal’s clutches.
But the winger has done a u-turn by demanding he representatives shut down Chelsea’s advances as he prefers a move to Barca, according to Sport.
And he’s prepared to wait patiently until the Catalan giants show their hand, it was added.
Get the Bill
Billy Gilmour has been periodically linked with a loan move to his old club Rangers – but former Chelsea star Pat Nevin believes he would be perfect for rivals Celtic.
Former Blues winger Pat Nevin believes the 21-year-old is almost the finished article as a player but must avoid going on loan to a team battling relegation, like Norwich were during the last campaign.
It’s well-known that Gilmour’s mum in particular is a huge Gers fan and she cheekily refused to touch the green part of the Norwich scarf when he signed for them last year.
Speaking to BoyleSports, exclusively for the Scottish Sun, Nevin said: “I know Billy a bit and his family and yeah Rangers would suit his style and so would Celtic.
“Knowing his family though, the Celtic one is unlikely.
“He’s different class Billy, he’s a super player. But he needs to be playing for a team who plays good football which is suited to him. I think Celtic and Rangers style would work for him, but because of his family, it wouldn’t be Celtic for him.”
Fitness first
Billy Gilmour has been getting ready for his Chelsea pre-season – by training with a Scottish junior outfit.
The 21-year-old Ayrshireman is back at the family home in Ardrossan for the summer and he’s keeping himself in trim by attending training with Glenafton.
The West of Scotland Premier League side shared an image on their social channels of Gilmour clad in a Glenafton top with manager Ryan Stevenson, himself a former Chelsea youngster.
Gilmour, who spent last season at Norwich, has been linked with a loan move to Everton from Chelsea this season.
He has been spotted at Loch Park in the past cheering on old pals – while his younger brother Harvey has signed his first pro deal with Kilmarnock.
A spokesperson wrote: “Earlier tonight, we were delighted to welcome Champions League winner, Chelsea player and Scotland internationalist Billy Gilmour to our second session of pre season training.
“This session was geared towards raising the fitness levels of the players for the upcoming season, and we hope the fitness work will be of great assistance to our players and Billy before he returns shortly to Chelsea to start their pre-season preparations.
“Billy is a regular at our games whenever he is back in Scotland and everyone at the club would like to wish Billy all the best for the upcoming season with Chelsea.”
Eagle eyed
Newcastle are frontrunners in the congested battle to sign Conor Gallagher.
That’s according to Sky Bet, who’ve installed Eddie Howe’s side at 4/1 to clinch the midfielder’s signature this summer.
However, there’s no shortage of competition from the Premier League.
Everton are second in the betting market, while Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and West Ham are also in contention.
Gallagher has gone from strength to strength at Selhurst Park this season.
The 22-year-old scored eight goals and provided five assists in 39 appearances in all competitions last season.
His exploits earned him a first call up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad in November, and has earned four caps since then.
Gallagher has returned to Stamford Bridge following the expiration of his loan spell at Crystal Palace.
But regular first-team football looks unlikely given the competition from international trio Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, and Mateo Kovacic.
Chelsea could therefore decide to cash in, with some reporting that his price tag could be upwards of £60million.
Cup for it
The FA has announced that replays will return to the FA Cup up to the fourth round.
Replays were scrapped from the third round onwards in last season’s competition due to worries over fixture congestion.
Several matches were postponed around the new year period when the third round was scheduled to take place.
So to prevent fixture congestion the FA removed replays in both the third and fourth rounds.
Replays were also scrapped for the 2020-21 campaign to relieve similar fears after the start of the season was delayed due to the pandemic.
But now replays will be reintroduced to ties including qualifiers and all the way up to the fourth round.
Luk who is here
Romelu Lukaku was mobbed by fans as he completed his medical on Wednesday.
Speaking after his move was confirmed, he said: “My family and I were so happy here thanks to the people, the fans and my team-mates.
“From the first day I arrived here, everyone helped me settle in. I’m very happy.
“I kept my home here when I went to England, so that means something. I’m pleased to be back and now I can’t wait to get out there with my team-mates.
“It’s an amazing feeling. What we achieved here a year ago was fantastic. That goes for the team, the fans and also me personally.
“Inter have given me so much and I hope to do even better than last time. It’s now time to work hard as a squad and hopefully do even better than before.”
Credit: AP Hak off
AC Milan are reportedly in talks with Chelsea about snapping up Hakim Ziyech on a season-long loan deal.
The 29-year-old, who still has three years left on his contract, will be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge after being deemed surplus to requirements.
Despite chipping in with eight goals and six assists in 44 games last campaign, the Morocco international started just 14 times in the Premier League.
His role in West London would be even more limited next term should the Blues wrap up the £60million signing of Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling.
And the ex-Ajax star, who can play as a winger or attacking midfielder, is now keen to leave Chelsea in search of regular first team football.
It was claimed last week Ziyech had handed in a transfer request in his bid to link up with Milan.
Do no Ron
Cristiano Ronaldo should ignore transfer interest to stay at Manchester United this summer, claims former striker Louis Saha.
When speaking to BonusCodeBets, he said: “It could go both ways, no one can guarantee anything apart from Cristiano. He’s the only one to answer that.
“It wouldn’t be the right move for Man United to let him go because he’s such a big asset.
“I can definitely see him continuing to keep doing what he’s doing best, which is scoring goals and helping his club get back to where it belongs.
“He can still play a part under Ten Hag, not only by scoring goals, but with his stature.
“I’m sure the new manager will want to implement some new rules and new standards that fit with Ronaldo. Maybe not so much on the pressing side, but his work ethic and his desire to always be accountable.
“Performance-wise, Ronaldo is up there with the best, he’ll drive the players that need confidence, like Rashford.
“It’s a new manager, new rules, new atmosphere and I’m very excited.”
Chelsea starlet signs extension
Chelsea youngster Ethan Wady signed a one-year extension with the club before being offloaded to Woking on loan.
Wady, 20, has joined the non-league side but first put pen to paper on a new contract with the Blues until 2023.
This marks the goalkeeper’s fifth loan stint ever since his move to the club’s esteemed academy in 2018.
Credit: Getty Nantes confirm Sissoko transfer
Moussa Sissoko has joined Nantes following Watford’s Premier League relegation.
Sissoko has signed a two-year contract with the Ligue 1 outfit who have paid £1.8million to the Hornets.
The French club shared a video on their personal website of the midfielder’s journey back to France, which ends with him wearing the team’s official kit.
Nantes released the following statement: “FC Nantes and Watford Football Club (England, EFL Championship) have reached an agreement for the transfer of Moussa Sissoko (32).
“The midfielder has signed up for two seasons in favor of the Yellow and Green, thus linking him to the Club des Bords de l’Erdre until 2024.”
AC Milan hold Ziyech talks
AC Milan are reportedly in talks with Chelsea as they look to snap up Hakim Ziyech on a season-long loan deal.
The 29-year-old, who still has three years left on his contract, will be allowed to depart Stamford Bridge after being deemed as surplus to requirements.
espite chipping in with eight goals and six assists in 44 games last campaign, the Morocco international started just 14 times in the Premier League.
His role in West London would be even more limited next term should the Blues wrap up the £60million signing of Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling.
And the ex-Ajax star, who can play as a winger or attacking midfielder, is now keen to leave Chelsea in search of regular first team football.
Chelsea ‘fail to land Kounde’
Chelsea representatives’ trip to Sevilla to land Jules Kounde has failed, reports claim.
The Blues sent three negotiators to the Spanish city to has out a deal for the defender.
But the trio have returned to London empty handed after failing to meet Sevilla’s demands, according to El Chiringuito journalist Marcos Benito.
He claims Sevilla wanted 60million euros for Kounde, plus 10m in variables.
However, the talks concluded as the Blues contingent couldn’t agree on the figure, it was added.
Raphinha tells agent ‘block Chelsea’
Leeds ace Raphinha has delivered Chelsea a huge blow by telling his agent to block any further contact from the club amid interest from Barcelona, reports claim.
The Blues were in pole position to land Raphinha after they seemingly stole him from Arsenal’s clutches.
But the winger has done a u-turn by demanding he representatives shut down Chelsea’s advances as he prefers a move to Barca, according to Sport.
And he’s prepared to wait patiently until the Catalan giants show their hand, it was added.
Why Chelsea flogged Lukaku
Chelsea were keen to offload Romelu Lukaku to avoid squad disharmony – even if their pockets took a hit.
Lukaku caused problems at Man United when he tried to force a move away in 2019.
His actions earned him a two weeks wage fine, and training away from the first team.
And the Blues didn’t want a repeat scenario ahead of their pre-season trip to the US, according to ESPN.
Which is why they chose to flog the striker, the report added.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
