ROMAN ABRAMOVICH is conducting an auction for the sale of Chelsea after announcing he is parting company with the club.
American billionaire Todd Boehly is believed to be in pole position to buy the West London club along with Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss.
John Terry has labelled Abramovich as “the best owner in the world” following the confirmation of the Russian billionaire’s imminent departure.
However Premier League, Richard Masters also said that it is “good” Abramovich is cutting ties with Chelsea.
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Chelsea trio out of Tuch?
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is concerned Chelsea’s out-of-contract stars could leave the club in the summer.
Roman Abramovich putting The Blues up for sale has generated a lot of uncertainty around Stamford Bridge.
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and American Todd Boehler are said to be interested but they could restrict spending if they complete a takeover.
And that could mean Chelsea lose defensive trio Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen who are all out of contract in the summer.
Tuchel said: “The bottom line is maybe we can’t help it – it is what it is. You never know maybe it has a positive effect on the negotiations or maybe it has a negative effect.
“We cannot predict and I would like not to predict on scenarios because you just lose focus, but everyone has a different situation and feels different about it (the sale).
“I hope for the best outcome still, I think we have something to offer still. Chelsea are a strong club and will stay a strong club. Our owner decided to sell the club but he sells a strong, solid, organised club at the highest level.”
Howe put to the sword
Eddie Howe was asked his opinion on Russian ownership being moved out of Everton and Chelsea at his press conference today.
But he did not want to be drawn into the conversation regarding football club ownership, as questions are being raised surrounding Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian ownership, and its integrity.
Howe responded with: “I’m a football manager, I’m coaching the team to get results and that’s all I’m going to comment on.”
We could see Saudi owned clubs face similar consequences to that of Roman Abramovich and Chelsea, as moral questions are asked more frequently.
However, Howe took a similar position to Tuchel before Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale, and did not want to comment on politics.
Utd target Rice dreams of Champions League
Declan Rice says his dreams to play in the Champions League are ‘urgent’ in a major transfer warning to West Ham.
The Hammers midfielder, 23, has been valued at £120million by boss David Moyes with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea showing an interest.
Rice’s current deal with the club runs out in June 2024 – with no talks so far to extend.
Credit: Rex And the England international has hinted yet again his future may lie away from the club after admitting he sees himself as one of the best players in the world.
Asked about his desire to win trophies and play in the Champions League, Rice said: “It is as urgent as possible. I feel like, not only for me, that’s for every young player as well.
“I see friends that are close to me, big players winning big trophies. You want to be a part of that. You want to be remembered in this career for what you’ve won.
“I feel like I am one of the established top players around the world. I am only 23. But in terms of my playing ability and the way I’ve performed consistently, I see myself as an established player now who’s got good experience and can play at any level if required.
“We are really close with West Ham at the minute and last season it was gutting to lose out on it but we are pushing.”
Different Nev set for Old Trafford?
Barcelona and Manchester United are both being linked with Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves.
And The Mail claim the La Liga giants have already been in talks with the Portugal playmaker’s representatives.
Credit: Getty Barca and Wolves have already agreed one deal this year after Adama Traore moved to Spain on loan during the January transfer window.
However, United are considered long-term admirers of Neves and would be favourites to land the 24-year-old if he decided to stay in the Premier League.
Neves has little over a year to run on his current deal at Molineux, having joined the club at a teenager in 2017.
Oi Oi Oi Hudson Odoi
Lazio manager and ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri is allegedly interested in bringing Chelsea academy product Callum Hudson-Odoi to Serie A. That is according to Gazzetta dello Sport (Via Lazionews24)
Sarri worked with Hudson-Odoi during his Chelsea tenure, and is apparently keen on bringing the now 21-year-old to Lazio.
Hudson-Odoi celebrates Chelsea’s Club World Cup win.Credit: Getty CHO as he is commonly referred to, is a natural winger, blessed with immense skill and the ability to beat a man, but his lack of end product has seemingly crippled his Chelsea future.
He has plenty of time on his side to work his way into becoming a regular at CFC, but some time abroad may do his career some good, in a similar means to Tammy Abraham or Jadon Sancho.
It is not long ago he was linked with a big money move to Bayern Munich, and it should not be forgotten what a talent Chelsea have on their hands.
Ollie Gunner sold star?
Arsenal have been given the go-ahead to approach Aston Villa’s Englnd striker Ollie Watkins, say Football Insider.
Steven Gerrard is said to be willing to listen to offers for the 26-year-old, who he is doesn’t see as the ideal striker to take the club forward.
But Watkins has been a mainstay of the Villa attack since Dean Smith paid £28million in 2020 for the player he previously worked with at Brentford.
The Gunners require urgent reinforcements in attack following the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang last month, and Mikel Arteta is said to be an admirer of Watkins.
Watkins has only managed six Premier League goals so far this season, having struck 14 last term.
18 Points from 6 games?
Chelsea will be looking to win all the games aforementioned, as they only face one team in the Premier Leagues current top 10 (Southampton).
However, the Premier League is never easy, and fans would not be surprised to see a slip up involved in those games, most likely to come away to Burnley tomorrow, or away to Southampton.
Brentford have also proved tricky opponents at times this season, but have faced a downturn in for recently, as they have failed to win a league game since they beat Aston Villa 2-1 on January 2nd.
Chelsea will look to goal scorers Romelu Lukaku and Kai Havertz who will need to be in good form if they are to win all 6 of these games.
They also face an FA Cup tie away to Middlesbrough and a UCL tie away to Lille this month, which they are leading 2-0 on aggregate.
Chelsea star boy Havertz will need to be in the goals as he was vs Lille.Credit: Getty An easy run of games?
Chelsea’s next 6 Premier League games look like this…
- Burnley (A)
- Newcastle (H)
- Norwich (A)
- Brentford (H)
- Southampton (A)
- Leeds (H)
‘Not good news’- Conte speaks
Antonio Conte has spoken out on Roman Abramovich and his sale of Chelsea Football Club.
The former Chelsea boss was very successful for the blues when he was in charge, winning the Premier League in 2016-17, followed by cup glory in 17-18, but he was sacked due to a fifth place league finish.
His sacking cost Roman £26million in compensation and legal fees, as Conte sued the club in a lengthy legal battle that dragged on for a while.
In a press conference today he spoke out and said: “It is not good news for Chelsea fans.” He seemed complimentary of the work Roman had done with the blues.
Chelsea have beaten Conte’s Tottenham twice in 2022 already, and have not conceded a goal to the lilywhites since August 2021.
Turkish billionaire puts in bid
Turkish billionaire Muhsin Bayrak has made an offer to Roman Abramovich to buy Chelsea FC.
According to Turkish journalist Yeni Safak, he has stated: “We are in the negotiation phase with signatures, we will fly the Turkish flag in London soon.”
Muhsin Bayrak is the Chairman of the AB Grup Holding, and has an alleged net worth of $11 Billion.
He is invested in construction, energy, tourism and cryptocurrency.
It is not yet understood what the bid amount was, or if talks will progress.
‘This will not be rushed’
One of Roman Abramovich’s advisors has stated that the sale of the club will not be rushed.
Joe Ravitch is the co-founder of Raine Group LLC, who have been tasked with helping to find a buyer by the Premier League. The asking price is $3billion.
Reuters report that Ravitch stated that there is a desire to find a balance between someone who can financially support and afford the club, as well as being the “best steward” for the blues and their fans.
“We are not going to rush anything” he stated.
Chelsea have allegedly already turned down an offer of $2.5billion, with Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss looking to take over ownership from Roman.
Roman Abramovich will not look to rush the sale of the club amid possible sanctions.Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Egyptian billionaire says no deal
Chelsea fan and billionaire Loutfy Mansour has pulled out of the race to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich.
The development is a major boost for the American-Swiss billionaire consortium of Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss, who continue to pose as favourites to take over the Blues.
The Egyptian businessman is a Chelsea fan and season ticket holder, and has addressed the idea that he may be taking over as owner from Roman.
A spokesperson told The Guardian: “In light of the recent media speculation, we want to make it clear that we are not pursuing a bid for Chelsea Football Club at this time.”
It would have been somewhat reassuring to the Chelsea fanbase that a fan of the club would be the owner once again, but it looks like that may be a distant dream as the Boehly and Wyss deal moves closer.
Chelsea face Kounde transfer battle
Jules Kounde’s signature is being chased after by a host of Europe’s elite clubs this summer.
Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona are all reportedly keen on the signature of the Sevilla and France defender.
He is a talented, young, central defender, who can also play on the right flank if required, as he has done for France when Benjamin Pavard has been unavailable.
He is just 23-years-old, and would be seen as the perfect replacement by many Chelsea fans for Cesar Azpilicueta, who is set to leave the blues for Barcelona this summer.
Chelsea reportedly had a deal agreed to sign Kounde in the summer, reported by SunSport, but it fell through and left the Frenchman unhappy.
Middlesbrough boss gives Chelsea verdict
Chris Wilder is a manager who has been exceptional throughout the years, and is proving to do the magic with his Middlesbrough side this season.
Boro have already beaten Manchester United and most recently Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup this season. They were rewarded with a draw at home to the world champions Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
Chelsea came back from behind twice to beat fellow Championship side Luton Town 3-2 in the FA Cup fifth round, and would expect to cruise past Middlesbrough on paper.
Boro boss Chris Wilder will be looking to cause yet another upset, and claimed “It’s the home draw we were all after,” via the Northern Echo.
He also stated: “They’re the World champions and the Champions League holders, so to have them at home in the FA Cup in the middle of March is brilliant.”
Xavi prioritises signing Chelsea’s Azpi
Barcelona are keen to bolster their defensive solidity next season, as they look to rebuild, and become feared amongst Europe’s elite once more.
They see Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta as key to achieving this, as Xavi Hernandez has identified the blues legend as the perfect player for the job.
The 32-year-old is out of contract at Stamford Bridge, and whilst it is expected that new owners will not disrupt contract talks, he is expected to leave regardless in the summer.
‘Dave’ as he is known to the Chelsea faithful, is still an exceptional defender, and capable of getting the job done at right back, left back and in the centre of defence.
The Catalan club are reportedly planning to offer Azpi a two-year contract which runs until 2024. They are also keen on Danish blues defender Andreas Christensen, who is a long term option aged 25.
Christensen and Azpilicueta are out of contract in the summer.Credit: Reuters
Two players from fully fit
After welcoming back Reece James in the painful Carabao Cup final last Sunday, Chelsea are looking to get back to business with the team nearing full fitness.
It is well documented that 1st choice left wing back Ben Chilwell will be out for the rest of the season, but he is the only major injury for the blues.
In today’s press conference, Thomas Tuchel confirmed that captain Cesar Azpilicueta will not be fit to face Burnley, as he has a minor knock.
This is great news for Chelsea fans, who had cause for concern after a host of players missed out on the FA Cup clash with Luton Town, including Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva and Andreas Christiansen.
Chelsea could be looking at just one unfit player leading into the final third of the season, which is good news amongst the chaos surrounding the club as they look for FA Cup and Champions League glory.
Ben Chilwell is Chelsea’s ONE long term absentee.Credit: Instagram / @benchilwell ‘No talks’ for summer transfers
Chelsea are a club that have always spent big on new players, and this summer was expected to be no different. Tuchel was expected to be backed with big money to make the club title challengers next season.
With Roman Abramovic’s departure, it has been heavily discussed amongst concerned fans that Chelsea’s spending habits could face a decline.
Speaking in the pre-Burnley press conference today Tuchel stated: “To be very honest there are no talks about summer, not with Marina or Petr.”
“It’s simply too early. There are always ideas and reflections on the subject but the main focus was on the last weeks, even without the noise.“
Chelsea fans will be hoping that plans to sign players such as Declan Rice and Jules Kounde, will not be disrupted with new owners inbound.
Tuchel’s love for ‘perfect’ club
Thomas Tuchel is adamant that he has no plans to leave Chelsea despite the club’s impending sale by Roman Abramovich, and the reported departures of Bruce Buck and Marina Granovskaia.
The Blues boss was asked if he had considered his future following a week of upheaval at Stamford Bridge, but insisted he is more than happy and believes issues at the club will soon settle.
Speaking at his Friday press conference, the German coach said: “I love working in the Premier League. I love to be in England and feel the tradition and love for sport, and for football in particular. It is an amazing place to be.
“For me, Chelsea is the perfect fit. I love to be here, I love everything about the club, and I hope it continues.
“There is now an uncertainty but isn’t it always as a football manager? I’m trained to live with it, although at different levels – and this is quite the level, I have to be honest. But I am positive and I hope things will end well.”
Spurs eyeing double defensive swoop
Tottenham are preparing for a summer rebuild under Antonio Conte, and already have two young defenders in their sights that they envisage being part of the Italian’s revolution.
The Mail report that RB Leipzig’s centre-back Josko Gvardiol is Spurs’ top target, and they hope that a transfer fee of around £50million will be enough to get the deal done.
The 20-year-old Croatian has excelled in Germany since moving from Dinamo Zagreb, and has caught the eye of Europe’s top clubs. His reputation has long been known to those in England with Leeds having an £18million bid rejected in 2020.
Elsewhere, Conte wants Spurs to beat off any rivals for Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence.
The rampaging right-back has won many admirers on loan at Nottingham Forest this season, but Goal believe the north London club are favourites to capture his signature.
Saliba could stay at Marseille
Marseille president Pablo Longoria wants William Saliba at the club next season – either on another loan or following a permanent transfer.
The Ligue 1 outfit’s chief was talking to La Provence (via Tribal Football), and hailed the Arsenal loanee as ‘one of the best young defenders’ he’d ever seen.
Saliba has enjoyed another fine season away from the Emirates, playing all but one game for Marseille as they sit second in the table behind PSG.
A huge number of Arsenal fans are hoping to see Saliba in their side for many years to come, but Longoria’s comments may now cause them some concern.
He said: “Everything depends on the three parties. It’s a matter of market value, but we have extraordinary relations with Arsenal.”
‘World class’ centre-back essential
Manchester United are prepared to spend big to bring in a ‘world class’ centre-back this summer, according to The Mail.
It is understood that strengthening the position is viewed as fundamental by those at the club.
It adds further weight to yesterday’s reports that senior players are said to be unhappy with Harry Maguire’s prominence within the first team.
The Red Devils have been linked with Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger, Borussia Dortmund’s Manuel Akanji and Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo.
Old Lady to release Ramsey
Juventus are preparing to cancel Aaron Ramsey’s contract this summer, leaving the Welsh international without a club.
Calciomercato report (Via the Mirror) that the Serie A giants are ready to take a hit on the injury-prone midfielder despite two years still remaining on his deal.
Ramsey is currently on loan at Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, but has found his time in Glasgow hampered by fitness issues.
And as a result, the Ibrox club have decided against making the deal permanent at the end of the season.
Juve considered releasing Ramsey in January until Rangers came calling.
Credit: @WhoScored Twitter Gunners exploring South American market
Arsenal are monitoring players in South America as a direct result of Brexit, report football.london.
The Gunners made the conscious decision after it became apparent that signing players from second tier European leagues would now be a complicated procedure.
Many South American countries are considered a higher calibre by authorities, meaning work permits for players in those leagues would be easier to obtain than their European counterparts.
One such player on Arsenal’s radar is Peruvian right-back Jhilmar Lora. The 21-year-old is seen as an exciting prospect, and already has six international caps for his country.
Lampard explains Mykolenko withdrawal
Everton manager Frank Lampard has revealed that he substituted Vitalii Mykolenko as a precaution in last night’s FA Cup win over non-league Boreham Wood.
Ukrainian Mykolenko was named as the Toffees captain for the night in a show of solidarity with the player over Russia’s invasion of his home country.
However, the defender was substituted for Seamus Coleman on the hour mark, having picked up a knock.
Lampard explained that the issue wasn’t serious, but the club didn’t want to take any risks: “It’s a dead leg. It’s high-up so hopefully not too bad.”
Everton visit Tottenham in the Premier League on Monday night.
Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea sale ‘unfair’
Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley doesn’t believe that it is ‘particularly fair’ that Roman Abramovich is having to sell Chelsea following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian billionaire made the decision after facing calls to be sanctioned over his alleged links to Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, Staveley said: “We’re always going to have geopolitical issues. I’m really sad that someone is going to have a football club taken away because of a relationship he may have with someone.
“I don’t think that’s particularly fair to be honest – but we do have to hold all of our relationships to account.”
Staveley also responded to reports that she had previously tried to purchase the Blues. She said: “Chelsea is a wonderful club, but there was only one club for us, and will only ever be one club for us.
“We like the challenge of buying a club in 20th position and getting it to the top.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
