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      Chelsea set to leave £116.5MILLION worth of talent out of Champions League squad with six stars missing the cut

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      CHELSEA boss Graham Potter is set to leave £116.5MILLION worth of talent out of his Champions League knockout squad.And that includes FOUR new January signings, who need the Blues to make the top four or win this season’s competition to avoid an 18-month wait to play in it.
      Mykhailo Mudryk is expected to be included in Chelsea’s 25-man Champions League squadCredit: Getty
      Graham Potter may need to have a difficult conversation with Hakim ZiyechCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Then to top it off, Potter looks on course to add insult to injury for unwanted winger Hakim Ziyech by telling the Morrocan he is being booted OUT of the 25 who can play against Borussia Dortmund later this month.
      Chelsea spent a British record fee of £107m to capture Argentina ace Enzo Fernandez.
      He arrived at the 11th hour on deadline day to follow Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, French defender Benoit Badiashile, Ivorian striker David Datro Fofana, English winger Noni Madueke and teenage Brazilian Andrey Santos alongside loan capture from Atletico Madrid Joao Felix.
      But Uefa’s Champions League regulations only allow clubs to change THREE of their senior list of players for the knockout stage.
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      And with none of the arrivals meeting the requirements to go on the ‘List B’ of junior players – meaning Charlie Webster, Lewis Hall and injured Armando Broja will remain on that list – Potter faces the unenviable task of having to give the bad news to the unlucky quartet.
      It seems likely that Fernandez, Mudryk and Felix will be the trio given the green light with Chelsea having to hand Uefa the updated squad list by midnight on Thursday.

      The departure of Jorginho to Arsenal means Chelsea have 23 senior players currently registered, but adding the three new names forces one player to be excluded.
      And while his proposed loan move to PSG fell through to mean he will stay at Chelsea for the rest of the season, Ziyech appears the most likely casualty.
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      That means Ziyech will likely join January arrivals Fofana, Madueke, Badiashile and Santos in watching their team-mates in Champions League action from the sidelines.
      The unlucky group is completed by 18-year-old goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina who has now linked up with Chelsea after spending the first half of the season back on loan with Chicago Fire.
      Ziyech is valued at £18m, Fofana cost £10.5m, Santos was £11m and Slonina arrived for £7m.
      On top of that, the Blues shelled out a whopping £35m each on Badiashile and Madueke, totalling the massive £116.5m.
      Chelsea look in serious doubt of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
      They currently sit tenth in the Premier League, ten points off the top four, so either need a dramatic turnaround in domestic form or go on and win the Champions League for the second time in three years to guarantee their place in the 2023-24 competition.
      Winger Noni Madueke may not get another taste of European football until SeptemberCredit: GettyChelsea’s likely updated Champions League 2022-23 squad

      GOALKEEPERS: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Betinelli, Edouard Mendy
      DEFENDERS: Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana
      MIDFIELDERS: N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Denis Zakaria, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Enzo Fernandez
      FORWARDS: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kai Havertz, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk
      LIST B: Charlie Webster, Lewis Hall, Armando Broja More

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      Chelsea set for huge transfer exodus with SEVEN first-team stars on chopping block after £606m spree

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      CHELSEA are set for a summer sales extravaganza – to help balance the books after their unprecedented spending spree.New Blues chief Todd Boehly has overseen deals which could add up to a staggering total £606m this season.
      N’Golo Kante could be among Chelsea players set to leave Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
      Chelsea star Marc Cucurella may also have to leave after the January splurgeCredit: Rex
      While offering long-term contracts to stagger payments – in accounting terms, over up to eight years will offset the official cost of the deals – Chelsea do have to start shifting some excess players to meet Financial Fair Play regulations.
      And the need to sell will be heightened if Chelsea do not get back into the top four and miss out on the minimum £80m income from TV and gate receipts of reaching the knockout round of next season’s Champions League.
      Chelsea’s January splurge of up to £329.9m, capped by the British record £107m capture of Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez, was on top of the huge summer outlay.
      It meant the Blues spent more last month than ALL the clubs in the other Big Five leagues – Spain, Germany, Italy and France – COMBINED.
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      Fernandez’s fee plus salary will add around £19m per year to Chelsea’s outgoings, estimated to bring them to a likely paper “loss” of around £180m in 2022-2023.
      Prem rules limit clubs to losses of £35m per season over three years, with Uefa regulations allowing clubs to lose £26.5m over the same period, set to rise to £90m from next term.

      But accountancy loopholes and “allowable losses” of £30m each year for spending on youth and women’s football and community projects mean Chelsea’s likely figures would still, just, be inside the permitted Prem loss level.
      And while they are on course to bust the Uefa limit by around £22m this season, Euro chiefs only expect around 15 per cent of any fines – PSG had to pay only £8.4m of the £56m punishment levied in September  – to be paid up front if clubs show they are taking steps to address the matter.
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      For Chelsea, that would mean selling the players who do not appear to have a future under Graham Potter – and it was notable that all seven of the players signed on full contracts last month were 22 or under.
      Keeper Edouard Mendy, now second choice, summer defensive flop Kalidou Koulibaly, Hakim Ziyech, potentially N’Golo Kante, Marc Cucurella and home-grown midfielders Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all potential discards.
      Any money raised by the sales of Gallagher or Loftus-Cheek would also see their full fee go straight into the accounts to help balance the “amortised” fees owed for this season’s 15 signed players.
      But without the Champions League income – Chelsea have already banked £82m including gate money this season – the finances will require significant sales.
      It cranks up the pressure on Potter and his new recruits, currently 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United in 10th position, to turn the domestic season round – unless they earn qualification by winning the Champions League.
      Chelsea made two of the biggest transfers ever in January 2023 More

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      Premier League best XI of January transfers revealed including Chelsea pair and three-time Champions League winner

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      AN ASTONISHING £815million was spent by Premier League clubs on transfers in January.Big spenders Chelsea account for a large chunk of that, splashing £326m on eight players.
      Enzo Fernandez has landed in the Premier League for a British transfer record feeCredit: PA
      Three-time Champions League winner Keylor Navas has joined a newly promoted teamCredit: Getty
      While the likes of Bournemouth made more shrewd signings, bringing in some highly rated talent from across Europe.
      League leaders Arsenal, meanwhile, pinched one of Chelsea’s star men, who helped the West London club win the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.
      Players who have won some of football’s biggest prizes also ended up on English shores.
      A World Cup winner joined Todd Boehly’s Blues revolution in a British transfer record.
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      While a three-time Champions League winner joined a newly promoted team hoping to stay up in the top flight at the first time of asking.
      Here’s SunSport’s best January 2023 transfer team…
      SunSport’s January 2023 best transfer XI
      Keylor Navas – Nottingham Forest
      The 36-year-old joined Nottingham Forest on loan from Paris Saint Germain.
      Navas is a three-time Champions League winner and also has three league titles to his name.
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      He will hope to dislodge on-loan star Dean Henderson.
      Pedro Porro – Tottenham
      The Spain international completed a late January transfer, which at one point looked on the brink of collapse.
      Spurs then returned to negotiations with Sporting Lisbon and thrashed out a £42m deal.
      Porro was previously on Manchester City’s books.
      Illia Zabarnyi – Bournemouth
      Bournemouth’s new owners are hoping to beat the drop and splashed the cash on the some talent.
      And 20-year-old Football Manager wonderkid Zabarnyi was snapped up from Dynamo Kyiv for £24m.
      Benoit Badiashile – Chelsea
      The Frenchman was part of Boehly’s New Year spend-up.
      Joining from Monaco for £35m, the 21-year-old has looked like a Rolls Royce of a defender next to veteran Thiago Silva.
      Solid on the ball. Imposing in the air. Lots to like.
      Victor Kristiansen – Leicester City
      Leicester have had a turbulent campaign so far and needed to dip into the transfer market.
      And so they looked into the Danish market and came back with a 20-year-old left-back for £17.5m.
      Kristiansen is an impressive Danish youth star, who already had 73 professional appearances to his name for Copenhagen.
      Jorginho – Arsenal
      Arguably the best deal of the January transfer window for just £12m.
      Arsenal couldn’t find a breakthrough in their pursuit of Moises Caicedo and instead pinched one of their rival’s main stars.
      Ex-Chelsea ace Jorginho is a Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup and Euro 2020 winner, bringing a wealth of experience to Mikel Arteta’s Prem-topping team.
      Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea
      The World Cup-winning Argentine took football by storm with his performances in Qatar last year.
      He was the young player of the tournament, and helped Lionel Messi complete football.
      Just six months on from joining Benfica for a modest fee under £20m from River Plate, 22-year-old Fernandez has completed a £107m transfer to Chelsea.
      It was a club and British transfer record.
      Joao Gomes – Wolves
      Struggling Prem side Wolves were in need of reinforcements under the new leadership of Julen Lopetegui.
      Six players were brought in, but the most impressive is 21-year-old Gomes.
      Joining from Flamengo for £15m, he will look to provide some steely determination alongside an already impressive midfield cohort of Ruben Neves, Matheus Nunes and Joao Moutinho.
      Mykhailo Mudryk – Chelsea
      The first Ukrainian wonderkid to end up in the Prem last month, followed by Zabarnyi.
      Mudryk, 22, joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk for £88m.
      His debut was more than impressive at Anfield, nearly breaking the deadlock after a mazy run.
      Cody Gakpo – Liverpool
      One of the World Cup’s stars, scoring three for Holland in their run to the quarter-finals.
      Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV for £45m, and is seen as one of the bargains of the window.
      Racked up a few appearances for Liverpool since joining, but he is yet to find the back of the net.
      Antoine Semenyo – Bournemouth
      Joined from Championship outfit Bristol City for just £10.5m.
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      Semenyo, 23, featured at the World Cup for Ghana, and has finally made the switch to the top flight.
      Quick and a strong finisher. More

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      Liverpool injury blow as star set to miss Merseyside derby and is even doubt for Real Madrid clash in Champions League

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      LIVERPOOL have dealt a major injury blow with Ibrahima Konate set for a spell on the sidelines.The defender suffered a hamstring injury in the Reds’ FA Cup defeat at Brighton on Sunday and could now miss a crucial part of the season.
      Ibrahima Konate is facing a spell on the sidelinesCredit: Getty
      Konate completed the full 90 minutes on the South Coast, but a scan has since revealed the full extent of the damage.
      And the Daily Mail claim that the France international could now be ruled out for around two to three weeks.
      As a result, he’s expected to sit out the Premier League games against Wolves, Everton and the trip to Newcastle on 18 February.
      And Konate could also be forced to miss the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie with Real Madrid four days later.
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      It continues what’s been a frustrating second year at Anfield for Konate after he was forced to sit out the first six weeks of the season with a knee injury.
      And he’s made just 10 appearances in all competitions.
      It’s another massive setback for Jurgen Klopp, who’s already without Virgil van Dijk after he sustained a knee problem earlier this month and is in a race against time to be fit to face the holders.
      Klopp therefore has just two centre-backs available in Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.
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      While key players like Arthur Melo, Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota are also out injured.
      Liverpool are back in action at Wolves on Saturday. More

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      Where is ex Liverpool star Djibril Cisse now and what happened to his career?

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      DJIBRIL Cisse was a member of the Liverpool side that won the 2005 UEFA Champions League.He also played for Sunderland and QPR, as well as some big European teams. But where is he now and what happened to his career.
      Djibril Cisse won the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup during his time on Merseyside
      Who is Djibril Cisse?
      Djibril Cisse is a French former footballer who played as a striker for three Premier League clubs.
      Cisse signed for Liverpool from Auxerre in 2004, and scored five goals in 24 appearances over the course of the 2004/05 season.
      A freak injury against Blackburn during that season saw him ruled out from October 2004 to April 2005 with a severe broken leg.
      He returned to help Liverpool win the 2005 UEFA Champions League, coming on as a substitute and scoring a penalty in the shootout against AC Milan as the Reds won their fifth European Cup.
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      Eager to make up for lost time, Cisse started the season by scoring two goals against CSKA Moscow as Liverpool beat CSKA Moscow 3-1 to win the UEFA Super Cup in Monaco.
      He scored Liverpool’s first goal in the 2006 FA Cup final with an acrobatic effort from a pass by Steven Gerrard, in a game where they were 2-0 up, but eventually won on penalties.
      He joined Marseille initially on loan in 2006, but the deal was made permanent the following summer.
      Cisse returned to English football with Sunderland on loan for the 2008/09 season, under then-manager Roy Keane.
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      Cisse scored 10 league goals for the Black Cats that season, including in a 2-1 win against arch rivals Newcastle in October 2008.
      Despite this, Sunderland didn’t take up the option to buy him permanently, and he returned to Marseille.
      After spells with Panathinaikos and Lazio, Cisse joined QPR in January 2012.
      The Frenchman scored some vital goals for the club, including a goal in a 3-2 comeback victory against former club Liverpool, and a late winner in a 1-0 home victory over Stoke, as the Hoops stayed up by just one point.
      Cisse called time on his career in 2015 due to injury, however he returned to football in 2017 with Swiss club Yverdon.
      He retired again in 2021 after a spell with American side Panathinaikos Chicago.
      He made 41 appearances for France, scoring nine times and appeared at two FIFA World Cup’s.
      He also helped them win the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.
      What happened to Djibril Cisse?
      Cisse has stated that he wants to return to football to reach the 100 goal mark in Ligue 1.
      He played with Marseille, Auxerre and Bastia in the French top division, and is offering his services in order to reach his target.
      Despite this, in January 2023 he was still without a club.
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      Where is Djibril Cisse now?
      Cisse became a model for German supermarket Lidl’s clothing range in 2022.
      He has also had ventures into the music industry, and has occasionally worked as a DJ and producer. More

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      Tottenham receive huge Champions League boost with Pedro Porro available to play despite featuring for Sporting Lisbon

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      PEDRO PORRO will be able to play in Tottenham’s Champions League last 16 clash against AC Milan next month.That is despite the wing-back already featuring for Sporting Lisbon in the competition this season.
      Tottenham are closing in on a loan deal for Pedro PorroCredit: GETTY
      Porro, 23, is undergoing a medical at Spurs ahead of a loan switch from Sporting.
      Tottenham will then have an obligation to make the move permanent in the summer.
      The Spaniard was excellent against Spurs in the Champions League earlier this season.
      And due to Uefa’s registration rules, he will be eligible to turn out at the San Siro on Valentine’s Day.
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      Article 46.01 of Uefa’s laws states: “As of the round of 16, a club may register a maximum of three new eligible players for the remaining matches in the current competition.
      “Such registration must be completed by 2 February 2023 (24.00CET) at the latest.
      “This deadline cannot be extended.”
      While article 46.02 confirms: “Any or all of the players from the above quota of three may have been fielded for another club in the qualifying phase, play-offs or group stage of the Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League.”
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      Former Manchester City man Porro discussed his imminent move to North London after being stopped by reporters at Lisbon airport.
      The defender said: “I’m grateful to Sporting, I love the club.
      “I didn’t train as I was only focused on the transfer to Spurs but I will always be thankful to the club.”
      Porro leaves Portuguese giants Sporting having made 98 appearances – in which he’s scored 12 goals and racked up 20 assists. More

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      Barcelona launch crackdown on Man Utd fans for Europa League clash with English IP addresses banned and no child tickets

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      BARCELONA have launched a crackdown on ticket sales ahead of their Europa League fixture against Manchester United.The LaLiga giants are hoping to avoid similar scenes to when they faced Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in the competition last season.
      Barcelona have put measures in place to avoid Man Utd fans from buying home ticketsCredit: Getty
      Last season Eintracht Frankfurt’s fans are estimated to have bought 30,000 tickets to the Europa League clash at the Nou CampCredit: AFP
      The German club’s fans managed to get their hands on a reported 30,000 tickets for the fixture at the Nou Camp, way more than their allocation.
      This led to Barcelona’s home leg feeling a lot more like an away fixture due to the atmosphere created by the Frankfurt supporters.
      To stop this from happening for the Europa League tie against the Red Devils, the Spanish club have implemented measures to reduce the risk.
      The fixture has been deemed as high-risk by the Anti-Violence Commission, which has seen the measures come into action.
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      The club has created an internal transversal committee which will block computers with an IP address coming from England from buying tickets.
      It has also reduced the number of tickets an individual can purchase from six to four.
      The fixture will also not have child tickets available.
      Tour operators have also been hit as only 1,000 tickets will be sold to them to pass on to customers.
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      On the day, there will be random checks on fans, and those who have received a seat from a season ticket holder will have to have the correct form to hand.
      Erik ten Hag’s side have been made aware of the measures that affects the club’s supporters.
      The Red Devils are estimated to have a ticket allocation of 4,700 for the fixture at the 99,354-seater Nou Camp stadium. More

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      England boss Gareth Southgate considering handing Man City starlet Rico Lewis, 18, first international call-up

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      RICO LEWIS is reportedly being considered for his first call-up to the England squad.The 18-year-old has been impressive during his breakout season at Manchester City.
      Rico Lewis is reportedly set for a call-up to EnglandCredit: Getty
      Manager Gareth Southgate is said to be considering naming Lewis in his squadCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Lewis has played eight times in the Premier League, four times in the League Cup and FA Cup, as well as twice in the Champions League.
      He scored his first goal in professional football during the Citizen’s group stage win over Sevilla.
      This has caught the attention of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate who is considering calling him up, according to the Evening Standard.
      Lewis could be part of the squad for England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine in March.
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      The right-back position in the England squad is full of quality with players such as Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold among those competing for a spot.
      However, Walker, 32, and Trippier, 32, are unlikely to be involved in the next international tournaments.
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      Earlier this month City manager Pep Guardiola compared Lewis to his former Bayern Munich star Philipp Lahm.
      He said: “Every movement he does, every position he makes is always better, he came on and Kevin [De Bruyne] played better, Riyad [Mahrez] played better.
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      “He has this ability and it’s not easy to find it, so he’s our little Philipp Lahm.” More