CHELSEA’S sale to Todd Boehly WILL go through and has been given approval by the UK government and Premier League.
Secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries said: “We are satisfied the proceeds of the sale will not benefit Roman Abramovich or other sanctioned individuals.”
Abramovich will no longer be associated with Chelsea as a result.
Unquestionably the best owner in the club’s history, the Russian oligarch’s ties to war-mongering Vladimir Putin have tainted his legacy.
LA Dodgers owner Boehly, 48, will take the reins and look to get the Blues’ transfer window on course after months of uncertainty.
Meanwhile, Jorginho could be heading to Juventus but the Italian giants are refusing to ‘spend big’ to land their target.
And Barcelona’s chief has given a clear indication on the future of Ousmane Dembele who is heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
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Keep up to date with all of the latest gossip from the Stamford Bridge…
Chelsea’s summer spending
Thomas Tuchel will be chomping at the bit for Chelsea to spring into life in the transfer market – and he doesn’t have long left to wait writes Giacomo Pisa.
Todd Boehly’s £4.25bn takeover now has Government and Premier League approval, meaning new signings aren’t too far away.
Reports suggest Boehly is eager to back Tuchel in the upcoming window and will give the German around £200m to play with.
Chelsea are even said to have drawn up an EIGHT-MAN centre-back shortlist to cope with the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
It’s expected to be a busy summer of incomings and outgoings at Stamford Bridge, and Tuchel’s line up could be very different come the start of the new season.
Mount of a task
Arsenal ace Nuno Tavares has claimed that Chelsea star Mason Mount is the toughest opponent he has faced while at the Gunners.
Speaking about his most tricky opponent on the Counter Attack YouTube channel, Tavares said: “Mason Mount of Chelsea.
“I think the positions, he knows the place he should be to make people feel uncomfortable and with the ball he has too much quality.
“He has goals, you know, so I think Mason Mount”
Credit: GETTY IMAGES Mount’s new contract
Chelsea star Mason Mount is set to receive a new deal after Todd Boehly’s takeover.
According to i, Mount will be the first player to benefit from the Blues’ new owners.
The forward, who is reportedly on around £80,000-per-week, is expected to have his wages at least doubled under a new agreement that will be permitted once the takeover is officially completed.
This comes after the Premier League and UK government approved Boehly’s £4.25billion takeover
Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Adrien Rabiot race
Chelsea are set to offer £17million for Juventus star Adrien Rabiot ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Blues are eyeing a cut-price fee for Rabiot, according to Tuttosport.
N’Golo Kante and Jorginho only have one-year left on their contracts themselves, meaning midfield reinforcements may be necessary at Stamford Bridge.
But money-bags Newcastle could rival the West Londoners to the signing of the France international.
Juve not so keen
Juventus aren’t planning to “spend big” for Chelsea star Jorginho ahead of the summer transfer window.
That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who reports that Juve are prioritising moves for Angel Di Maria and Paul Pogba over the 30-year-old.
The midfielder’s future at Stamford Bridge has become uncertain amid the ongoing takeover process.
The Italy international’s contract expires next year and rumours suggested he is keen on a return to the Serie A
Arms race for Broja
Chelsea loanee Armando Broja is at the centre of a transfer war between Newcastle and West Ham.
Broja impressed with a series of impressive displays at Southampton and has attracted the attention of other clubs before the summer window.
According to Goal, the Hammers and the Magpies are attempting to sign the forward during the summer.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is believed to be open to the Albania international returning to Stamford Bridge next season.
But the 20-year-old may have options if he wants more first-team football next season
Credit: GETTY IMAGES Tchouameni says goodbye
Chelsea target Aurelien Tchouameni has said goodbye to his Monaco team-mates, according to journalist Julien Maynard.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, claims Tchouameni is “dreaming” of Real Madrid.
Romano tweeeted: “Aurelien Tchouameni has already communicated to his teammates the intention to join Real Madrid, as per @JulienMaynard. He dreams of Real”
Go for it
Ex-Chelsea ace Glen Johnson advised his former club to try and beat Barcelona for Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski.
Johnson told Betting Odds: “In terms of the player himself, then yes. But business-wise, what that might do to [Romelu] Lukaku, if he’s not playing where’s he going to go, how much is he going to be worth.
“They bought him for an awful lot of money. But at the same time, if they give him another six months and he doesn’t perform, then they might miss out on the top four. It’s a tough one.
“While Lewandowski is available on the free, I think you have to try and sign him”
Time to go?
Former Chelsea ace Glen Johnson suggested Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso should be allowed to leave if they wish to.
Johnson told Betting Odds: “Again, I think it all comes down to what the players want.
“I’ve never been a fan of keeping players at clubs that don’t want to be there. It just doesn’t make sense.
“I’m not saying that either of those guys are saying that by the way. They’ve won everything at Chelsea and now they might want to go back home to Spain, closer to their families and let them live their life in the sun for a bit”
What’s next for Chelsea?
The Premier League and UK government have agreed to Chelsea’s £4.25billion takeover by Todd Boehly’s consortium.
However, since outgoing owner Roman Abramovich also has a Portuguese passport the Portuguese government needs assurances and the same goes for the European Union.
The aforementioned need to be convinced that Abramovich will not benefit in any way out of the sale of the club following Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine and his alleged ties with president Vladimir Putin.
Therefore, the takeover is not yet completed and the Blues are thus still not allowed to sell tickets, buy players or issue new contracts.
But they’re very close to completing the procedure
Credit: GETTY IMAGES Premier League’s Fab Five
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has revealed the five teams he believes will be fighting it out for the Premier League title next season – and it includes his own club but not Arsenal.
Tuchel said: “It will be a super tough race. Manchester United will be in the race, Tottenham will be in the race with Antonio Conte for sure, and we want to stay in the race.
“And Liverpool and Man City will do everything to even make their squads bigger. They set the standard so, so high and it will take the same to be competitive next season.
“While like everybody else tries to close the gap to us…the two top teams are what they are, a benchmark of consistency. That’s the situation and from there on we do our very best to be competitive because this is what we want to be”
Mount of a task
Arsenal ace Nuno Tavares has claimed that Chelsea star Mason Mount is the toughest opponent he has faced during his time at the Emirates.
Speaking about his most tricky opponent on the Counter Attack YouTube channel, Tavares said: “Mason Mount of Chelsea.
“I think the positions, he knows the place he should be to make people feel uncomfortable and with the ball he has too much quality.
“He has goals, you know, so I think Mason Mount”
Tuch and go
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has taken a swipe at Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund by revealing his unique bond with the Blues’ supporters.
Tuchel said: “It’s so nice to have this bond with the fans. I was not famous for that in my last clubs. I don’t know why it’s suddenly like this, but I’m very happy about it.
“This game is a different game with fans, we always said it. It’s a different game.
“If the stadium is empty, half empty or full, we need full stadiums, this makes the game exciting, emotional.
“This creates something you can’t find without them. We are doing this for entertainment, for making our fans happy.
“We are responsible for the spark, energy, and we want to provide a level of energy that they can feel it.
“If you go to the stadium you [want to] feel this team giving everything, playing as a group of friends, not only just employees.
“That’s the challenge. Once we do this the fans are happy and they feel it. This is where we want to continue”
Last Gall for Conor?
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira has refused to rule out a transfer for Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher.
Vieira said of Gallagher, who is set to return to Stamford Bridge after the end of the season: “Conor has been fantastic for us.
“He felt like he is at home the way he has been performing for us. He understands the way that we want to play the game, and he brings his energy and his determination.
“We know that he has to go back to Chelsea. Then, what will happen? We don’t know”
Credit: GETTY IMAGES James on Boehly
Chelsea star Reece James has insisted that the club’s levels of ambition will not change under new owner Todd Boehly.
James told the club’s official website: “It’s been a strange moment for the club with the change in owners.
“It’s going to be different moving forward. The ambition is still going to be the same.
“We’re a massive club in the world and our aim is to win every trophy we can”
Declan Rice advice
Former West Ham ace David James has advised Chelsea target Declan Rice to join Manchester City.
James told Genting Casino: “The West Ham fan in me wants Declan Rice to stay there forever, we want to see scenes like Mark Noble leaving West Ham at the London Stadium.
“There’s talk about Manchester United, but the way Declan Rice plays, he could play Fernandinho’s role at Man City. If he had a choice of Man City or Man United, it’s a no-brainer, you go to Man City.
“He’s a fantastic player, he’s young, it looks like he wants to learn, he’s a regular England international, he ticks all the boxes for a team challenging for titles as opposed to one challenging for Europa League spots”
Adrien Rabiot race
Chelsea are set to offer £17million for Juventus star Adrien Rabiot ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Blues are eyeing a cut-price fee for Rabiot, according to Tuttosport.
N’Golo Kante and Jorginho only have one-year left on their contracts themselves, meaning midfield reinforcements may be necessary at Stamford Bridge.
But money-bags Newcastle could rival the West Londoners to the signing of the France international
Chelsea target Bastoni
Chelsea are keeping tabs on Inter Milan ace Alessandro Bastoni ahead of the summer transfer window.
That is according to La Repubblica, who claim Tottenham are also interested in Bastoni, who played under manager Antonio Conte at Inter.
It is believed the Nerazurri’s financial issues are still at large and the club are hoping to sacrifice just one player this time around.
The centre-back is valued at £60m and the Blues are desperate for defensive reinforcement after losing Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid.
Andreas Christensen, Marcos Alonso and captain Cesar Azpilicueta are heading to Barcelona, while Thiago Silva is at the advanced age of 37
Credit: GETTY IMAGES Mount’s new contract
Chelsea star Mason Mount is set to receive a new contract after Todd Boehly’s takeover.
According to i, Mount will be the first player to benefit from the new owners.
The forward, who is reportedly on around £80,000-per-week, is expected to have his salary at least doubled under a new agreement that will be permitted once the takeover is officially completed.
This comes after the Premier League and UK government approved the £4.25billion takeover
Hazard Eden nowhere
Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard has announced he will stay at Real Madrid next season despite enduring a torrid three-year stint at the Santiago Bernabeu so far.
Hazard told VTM Nieuws ahead of the Champions League Final against Liverpool: “Everybody knows that I’ve a contract until 2024.
“My first three seasons have not gone well, so I want to show everybody what I can do.
“It’s always been a dream to play for Real. It still is”
Boehly’s war chest
New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is set to hand manager Thomas Tuchel a bumper £200million transfer war chest this summer.
According to the Telegraph, some of the budget is expected to come from player sales, with the suggestion Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Marcos Alonso and Timo Werner could all be flogged.
It’s claimed the Blues have drawn up an eight-man centre-back shortlist following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Sevilla star Jules Kounde is top of the list, while there is also interest in RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol, Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez, Villarreal’s Pau Torres, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Leicester’s James Justin.
In attack Manchester City star Raheem Sterling could be targeted if Werner, Ziyech or Pulisic leave.
Midfield reinforcements are possible too, with West Ham’s Declan Rice and Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni both targeted.
Xav some of that
Chelsea have been handed a major transfer boost as Barcelona boss Xavi admitted Ousmane Dembele may have played his last game for the club against Villarreal.
According to Get Football News Spain, the Spanish tactician said: “It could be his last game, but it could also be the last game for others.
“I like him and he can help us in the future. It depends on the negotiations.”
The Blues have been linked with the forward ahead of the summer transfer window
Credit: GETTY IMAGES Jules Kounde situation
Chelsea’s approved takeover is a major boost in their longtime bid to sign Sevilla star Jules Kounde.
The Blues are in desperate need of defensive reinforcement after losing Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid.
Marcos Alonso, Andreas Christensen and captain Cesar Azpilicueta are on their way to Barcelona, while Thiago Silva is at the advanced age of 37.
Transfer guru Andreas Korssund tweeted: “Jules Kounde is closing in on a move to Chelsea.
“The Blues will conclude talks with Sevilla as soon as Boehly’s takeover is complete and they are ready to pay the required fee.
“Personal terms have already been agreed and the Frenchman is only waiting for Chelsea”
Nadine Dorries statement
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries stated that the Government is satisfied the proceeds from Chelsea’s sale won’t go to outgoing owner Roman Abramovich.
Dorries tweeted: “Last night the Government issued a licence that permits the sale of [Chelsea].
“Given the sanctions we placed on those linked to [Vladimir] Putin and the bloody invasion of Ukraine, the long-term future of the club can only be secured under a new owner.
“We are satisfied the proceeds of the sale will not benefit Roman Abramovich or other sanctioned individuals.
“I want to thank everyone, especially officials who’ve worked tirelessly to keep the club playing and enable this sale, protecting fans and the wider football community”
Government on Chelsea takeover
The UK Government have issued a statement regarding their decision to approve Chelsea’s takeover by Todd Boehly.
A statement read: “Late last night the UK Government reached a position where we could issue a licence that permits the sale of Chelsea Football Club.
“Following the sanctioning of Roman Abramovich, the Government has worked hard to ensure Chelsea Football Club has been able to continue to play football.
“But we have always been clear that the long-term future of the club could only be secured under a new owner”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
