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      Rudiger hilariously forced to backtrack after trolling Chelsea admin over Lille post before they’re drawn together AGAIN

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      ANTONIO RUDIGER was hilariously forced to backtrack after trolling Chelsea’s Twitter admin over the calamitous Champions League draw. The reigning champions drew Lille in the first attempt, leaving the Blues Twitter to post the news.
      NINTCHDBPICT000695715295-1Credit: Getty

      But an error in the initial draw meant Uefa had to do it all over again, leaving Rudiger to post a ‘delete’ GIF in response to Chelsea’s tweet.
      In a remarkable coincidence, the Blues drew Lille AGAIN, and the German then backtracked and tweeted: “okok,… sorry admin.”
      Chelsea’s admin got their own back, as they replied to Rudiger with a picture of the centre-back cupping his ears.
      Three hours after red-faced Uefa chiefs conducted a farcical mess of a draw, it left them with little option other than to start all over again.
      Manchester United, who had initially been paired – because of two cock-ups – with PSG, avoided Mauricio Pochettino, Lionel Messi and Co second time round.
      But a tie against Diego Simeone’s rugged Atletico Madrid is hardly an easy option for Ralf Rangnick and his side.

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      Holders Chelsea were all smiles as they drew the French champions Lille all over again.
      Manchester City, who were drawn out alongside Villarreal after neighbours United were erroneously placed in the wrong pot, instead must travel to Sporting Lisbon for the first leg of their tie.
      But Liverpool, who had been handed a seemingly simple tie against Salzburg, the first Austrian side to reach this stage in more than 20 years, found themselves paired with Inter Milan.
      And it left one titanic clash with PSG now facing Real Madrid – which is expected to lead to a public protest from the Spanish giants who had asked for their part of the original draw to stand.
      The redraw was required after United were wrongly put among the options to face Villarreal and then omitted from the pot to face Atletico – which included Liverpool although they were group opponents.
      Andrey Arshavin during the Champions League drawCredit: Reuters More

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      Antonio Rudiger restrained by Chelsea team-mates as Leeds clash descends into brawl after late penalty

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      THOMAS TUCHEL leapt to Antonio Rudiger’s defence for his part in Chelsea and Leeds’ big bust-up.The German had to be dragged away after steaming in to help team-mate Kai Havertz as tempers boiled over at the end of Saturday’s last-gasp 3-2 victory.
      Antonio Rudiger had to be restrained as he stormed into the barging match with Leeds starsCredit: Getty
      Antonio Rudiger was at the centre of a massive meleeCredit: AP

      No players were booked but both clubs may find themselves in bother with the FA for failing to control their players.
      Chelsea have already been fined £25,000 this season after they kicked off at Liverpool following Reece James’ red card.
      Boss Tuchel believes the scenes were triggered by Rudiger winning an injury-time penalty for Chelsea.
      He said: “Toni is an emotional leader and an aggressive leader on the pitch and he cannot not get involved if there are team-mates to protect or are in an argument. This is 100 per cent Rudiger.
      “Hopefully, with how I observed it there was no harm done.
      “I can understand their frustration because we have all been in this situation where you think have a point or you have equalised and then it slips away. You get angry and frustrated.
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      “Leeds are a strong team and they hate to lose like we do and they get heated up. I hope there were no bad things.”
      Chelsea’s dramatic late victory ended a frustrating week in which they twice threw away leads.
      Tuchel added: “I was confident we would get one more chance to turn things around.
      “You always need a bit of luck to get such a late goal but maybe it was our turn.
      “We needed this win desperately for the mood, for the belief, for the atmosphere and I am very happy how we got it.”
      Leeds were unlucky not to come away with at least a point.
      Boss Marco Bielsa said: “We deserved a draw, our performance merited it.
      “The performance helped us think we can recover the version that allows us to compete with the best.
      “Errors are part of the game, unless they are unjustified or impudent. I wouldn’t class either of those penalties as that.
      “The incident at the end was within the margin of what is tolerable.”
      Players from Chelsea and Leeds clashed after their dramatic matchCredit: Reuters More

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      Chelsea 3 Leeds 2: Jorginho’s late winner from the spot puts Blues back on winning ways after coming from behind

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      JORGINHO returned from injury to drag Chelsea out of the doldrums.The midfielder tucked away two second half penalties to cap a rousing fightback and re-ignite his team’s battle for the Premier League title.
      Jorginho scored two penalties for Chelsea in a dramatic gameCredit: Reuters
      Just as well with top two Manchester City and Liverpool winning as well.
      And good news on a personal level too for the Italian as his cool double forced recent costly errors against West Ham and Manchester United out of his system.
      There are still issues for Chelsea to iron out but this was a much-needed win which also showed the spirit within the camp is there to overcome injury and confidence problems.
      For they were trailing after 28 minutes when a clumsy challenge by Marcos Alonso led to Raphinha also scoring from the spot.
      Keeper Edouard Mendy was also painfully slow to react to the cheeky spot kick as he continues to struggle for form having made an awful blunder at West Ham last week.
      Chelsea and Leeds enjoy a particularly spiky rivalry dating back to some bloody scraps in the 1970s on mudbath pitches.
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      Raphinha put Leeds ahead with a penaltyCredit: Reuters
      Leeds celebrate going ahead against ChelseaCredit: Reuters
      Mason Mount converted Marcos Alonso’s cross to equaliseCredit: Reuters
      Mason Mount celebrates levelling in front of Leeds fansCredit: Getty
      This was the 21st century version with cosmopolitan names, VAR and a snooker table surface with technology playing its part in settling a pulsating game.
      But with old-fashioned chanting, an old-fashioned atmosphere in a modern day setting it’s about as close as we can get to a full-blooded clash from yesteryear.
      Left back Alonso responded to constant taunting from the visiting fans by setting up the equaliser for Mount to bury from inside the box three minutes before half time.
      The Spaniard’s animated celebrations in front of the away end a clear signal of his pent up emotion.
      Jorginho, returning after missing the midweek Champions League disappointment with a back and hip problem, then made it 2-1 after Alonso was fouled by Leeds’ Brazilian penalty taker in the 58th minute.
      But as in recent games, Chelsea’s habit of switching off came back to haunt them and sub Joe Gerhardt levelled for the visitors with a cushioned strike when Thiago Silva dropped off in defence.
      Jorginho put Chelsea ahead with a penaltyCredit: Getty
      Jorginho celebrates scoring for ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Joe Gelhardt equalises for LeedsCredit: Reuters
      Joe Gelhardt celebrates his late levellerCredit: AFP
      But a fitting climax to a breathless game came in the form of a second goal for Jorginho after Rudiger went down again, this time to a soft tap on his foot from Mateusz Klich.
      Jorginho slammed home his shot to seal the points for Chelsea. Rudgier then got involved in an ugly spat at the death, wading in to defend team-mate Kai Havertz who has clashed with Junior Firpo on the touchline.
      Chelsea’s fiery German could find himself in bother with the FA for his loss of cool.
      Jorginho converts for a second time from the spotCredit: AFP
      Jorginho leads the celebrations as Chelsea snatch a late winCredit: Getty More

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      Liverpool ‘ready to trigger Barcelona wonderkid Gavi’s £43m buyout clause’ as they join Chelsea in transfer race

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      LIVERPOOL are ready to trigger Barcelona wonderkid Gavi’s £43million buyout clause, reports say. The teen starlet has broken into the first-team set-up at the Nou Camp this season and has made a big impression in 13 LaLiga appearances.
      Liverpool are linked with Barcelona wonderkid GaviCredit: Getty
      His contract expires in 2023 but according to Elnacional, the midfielder is stalling on extending his deal.
      It comes with the club seventh in the league and still struggling even with Barca legend Xavi in charge.
      Gavi is said to have a £43m clause in his contract, which many teams are believed to be interested in paying.
      Liverpool are among them with manager Jurgen Klopp keen to add a central midfielder into his side.
      But Chelsea and Bayern Munich are two others linked with the 17-year-old.
      Barca are also said to be considering increasing Gavi’s clause to a huge sum of £840m – just as they did with Ansu Fati and Pedri.
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      The Catalans are determined to hold on to their prized assets, with Gerard Pique likening Gavi and Pedri to Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
      Pedri is reportedly keen to put pen to paper on a new deal which would extend his stay until 2026.
      But Barca face a fight to convince their current and rising stars to stay put after being dumped out of the Champions League.
      A 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich in Germany saw them fail to progress into the knockout stages for the first time in 21 years, adding further misery to their already disastrous season.
      @font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-stretch:semi-condensed;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:normal;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:condensed;font-display:swap;}.css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-zkaekv{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-zkaekv::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -1px);}.css-zkaekv::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Read More Sun Sport.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}
      Bayern Munich dumped Barcelona out of the Champions LeagueCredit: Reuters More

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      Chelsea player ratings: Mendy has horror show with two huge blunders with Silva one of only players to put in a shift

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      EDOUARD MENDY suffered his first horror show in Chelsea colours as he cost them the game at West Ham. Firstly, the keeper brought down Jarod Bowen on 40 minutes after failing to just clear the ball.
      Mason Mount looks on in defeatCredit: AP
      And then his day went from bad to worse as Arthur Masuaku’s hopeful effort with three minutes to go was palmed into the net.
      Mendy was not the only underperformer on the day, as Jack Figg runs down Chelsea’s ratings.
      Edouard Mendy – 5
      Rare mistake from Mendy after a poor back pass from Jorginho as the keeper brought down Jarod Bowen and failed to save Manuel Lanzini’s penalty.
      Had little chance of stopping Bowen’s equaliser at range but was completely caught of guard for Masuaku’s winner, which he was wrongfooted for.
      Edouard Mendy’s mistake before taking Jarod Bowen downCredit: Rex
      Thiago Silva – 8
      Excellent header to put Chelsea in the lead and just moments later he used all his experience to cover and clear off the line.
      Will feel his team-mates were not up to his high standards.
      Thiago Silva heads Chelsea in the leadCredit: AFP

      Andreas Christensen – 6
      Had a battle throughout with Michail Antonio but was the most quiet of the back line.
      Credit: Rex
      Antonio Rudiger – 5
      Had a tendency to bomb forward much more in this match, joining attackers in the box.
      Did not do much in the way of defending Bowen’s finish to level the game at 2-2 and just watched as the winger fired home.
      Antonio Rudiger battling with Jarod BowenCredit: Alamy
      Reece James – 5
      Constantly a threat whenever he gets on the right flank but had no one on the end of his delivery.
      The wing-back could not get into shooting positions like has been the case in prior matches.
      Reece James during Chelsea’s lossCredit: Alamy
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 7
      Much more impactful in midfield, winning the ball back and being aggressive in possession.
      His interception set up Mount’s wonder strike having laid it off to Ziyech, who got the sublime assist.
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a much more impactful game in midfieldCredit: AP
      Jorginho – 4
      Stitched keeper Mendy up with a needless and weak back pass leading to West Ham’s penalty.
      With N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic still sidelined, and Loftus-Cheek in better form, the Italian will know his place in the squad is far from certain.
      Jorginho’s bad back pass led to West Ham’s equaliserCredit: Reuters
      Marcos Alonso -4
      Chelsea will be counting down the days until Ben Chilwell is fit, with Alonso well off the pace on the left.
      Wasteful in possession and rightfully taken off for winger Christian Pulisic, having offered Chelsea next to nothing.
      Mason Mount – 6
      Stunning volley for Chelsea’s second goal as he beautifully side footed a volley past Lukasz Fabianski.
      Looked the most likely to get Chelsea back in the lead but could not manage it on his own.
      Mason Mount’s incredible volleyCredit: Reuters
      Hakim Ziyech – 6
      Remarkable cross field pass to assist Mount, proving the Moroccan is far more comfortable with the ball at his feet with space to work his magic.
      Far less impactful in the second half and despite his assist, the massive squad depth amongst the Blues ranks means his place in the starting 11 is not guaranteed.
      Hakim Ziyech set up Mason MountCredit: Prime Media
      Kai Havertz – 6
      The German is starting to use his 6ft 2in frame to good use when leading the line, making smart runs in the box and putting himself about.
      Was taken off for Romelu Lukaku at half-time and could be happy with his 45-minute performance.
      Kai Havertz is starting to use his physicality wellCredit: EPA
      SUBS
      Romelu Lukaku (for Kai Havertz, 45 mins) – 5
      Looks off the pace following a sustained period out injured. The striker will be hoping with more minutes, his form will pick up.
      Callum Hudson-Odoi (for Hakim Ziyech, 64 mins) – 6
      Offered some energy on the left in a period the Blues were desperate for it, but never looked like threatening on goal.
      Christian Pulisic (for Marcos Alonso, 72 mins) – 5
      Barely made an impact despite having the pace and finishing ability to turn a game on its head.
      Christian Pulisic came off the bench against West HamCredit: Rex More

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      Saul Niguez’s horror Chelsea loan takes bizarre twist with Thomas Tuchel looking at playing flop star as a wing-back

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      THOMAS TUCHEL revealed struggling Saul Niguez has been used as a wing-back in Chelsea training. The midfielder signed on loan this summer from Atletico Madrid but after seven games he has struggled.
      Thomas Tuchel revealed struggling Saul Niguez has been used as a wing-back in trainingCredit: Getty
      On his debut against Aston Villa in September and in his most recent game at Watford, Niguez was hooked at half-time.
      But with Ben Chilwell, 24, out injured and Marcos Alonso, 30, Chelsea’s only other recognised wing-back, Tuchel said the Spaniard has been tested in defence.
      He said: “I think he could play in a wing-back role.
      “We sometimes do this in training, that’s why we have the impression he could be a good fit. Maybe in the next games, we have to try it.”
      Niguez, 27, has played on the left side of midfield before, but never in the backline.
      He was subbed off for Thiago Silva, 37, at Vicarage Road with centre-back Trevoh Chalobah, 22, moved to midfield as Chelsea eventually won 2-1.

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      But afterwards, his performance came under question by boss Tuchel.
      He said: “I don’t know where he goes from this performance but he was on a yellow card so we had two options.
      “We could have taken Marcos off who also had a yellow card and try Saul as a wing-back.
      “I had this in my mind before the game, if something happened to Marcos.
      “But I thought maybe it was not the right match to try things with new positions so it was [subbing] him to change the shape a little bit and have Thiago on the pitch with his organising.
      “Having Trevoh on the number six who is more physical – unfortunately Trevoh injured himself and we ended up with Ruben on the single six.
      “But it was a tactical decision.”
      Saul Niguez was taken off at half-time against WatfordCredit: Getty More

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      ‘Absolutely disgraceful’ – Ex-Chelsea star Tammy Abraham furious at booking that leaves him banned from Roma’s next game

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      FUMING Tammy Abarahm hit out at the ‘absolutely disgraceful’ booking he received which will leave him banned from Roma’s next game. The striker, who signed from Chelsea in the summer, was carded just before the break against Bologna.
      Tammy Abarahm hit out at the ‘absolutely disgraceful’ booking he receivedCredit: EPA

      But replays revealed it was Abraham who was impeded before making contact with Mattias Svanberg, who had actually opened the lead.
      Svanberg, 22, went to ground after Abraham’s contact and got the England international in the book.
      It was the forward’s fifth booking of the season and will now leave him sidelined against third-placed Inter Milan on Saturday.
      Abraham, 23, tweeted: “Yellow carded for this today and miss the next game… when I was the one blocked and fouled. Absolutely disgraceful.”
      The attacker had been in good form in the Italian capital with eight goals in 21 appearances under ex-Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.
      Roma sit fifth in Serie A and host reigning champions Inter next and despite defeat, manager Mourinho praised his battling squad.

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      He said on DAZN: “Credit to Sinisa [Mihajlovic] and Bologna, they played a great game.
      “But credit to my players too. They gave it their all against everything and everyone.
      “Injuries before the game, injuries during the game, ‘hidden’ injuries to players who played the full 90 minutes.
      “Then there were a few incidents but my players kept fighting. I am proud of these guys, I don’t have negative feelings towards them.”
      Tammy Abraham will be suspended for Inter Milan’s tripCredit: Getty More

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      Five defenders Chelsea could sign to replace Rudiger including Kounde and Szalai as Real Madrid close in on centre-back

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      CHELSEA are still sweating over the future of Antonio Rudiger. The German, 28, is yet to sign a new deal and has attracted attention from Europe’s elite, most notably Real Madrid.
      Chelsea are still sweating over the future of Antonio RudigerCredit: Rex
      Cesar Azpilicueta, 32, Thiago Silva, 37, and Andreas Christensen, 25, are also defenders Chelsea face losing for nothing unless contract extensions are agreed.
      The Blues are said to be prepared to offer all four new deals, but it will not stop them from scouting out alternatives.
      Here, SunSport runs down five centre-back options for Chelsea.
      Jules Kounde
      Frenchman Kounde, 23, looked all set for a move from Sevilla to Stamford Bridge in the summer and is believed to have agreed personal terms.
      But, after Chelsea sold Kurt Zouma, 27, to accommodate the move, Sevilla raised the price tag to £60million at the last minute, opposed to the original £43m.
      That is said to have caused Chelsea to pull out of the deal, which in turn paved the way for 22-year-old Trevoh Chalobah’s emergence in the squad.
      Jules Kounde looked all set for a move to Stamford Bridge in the summerCredit: Getty

      Attila Szalai
      Fenerbahce’s Szalai, 23, has emerged as a cut-price alternative option at the back for the Blues.
      And speculation from Turkey has even claimed Chelsea have agreed a deal of £20m to sign the defender in the winter window.
      Szalai has won 21 caps since making his senior international debut for Hungary in 2019.
      Attila Szalai has won 21 caps since making his senior international debut for Hungary in 2019Credit: PA
      Marquinhos
      Chelsea were last summer linked to the Brazilian, 27, who is the current PSG captain.
      And despite reportedly being prepared to pay up to £86m for Marquinhos, neither the player or PSG appeared interested in the deal.
      But that is not to say Chelsea would not try their luck again, especially as Marquinhos could be deemed the perfect successor to former team-mate Silva.
      Marquinhos is the current PSG captainCredit: Getty
      Niklas Sule
      Earlier in the year, German Sule, 26, was rumoured to be a target Chelsea were considering signing in the summer.
      Since then, he is yet to sign a new Bayern Munich deal, which is set to expire at the end of this season.
      It means Chelsea could be cleared to negotiate a free transfer with Sule as soon as next month, with Newcastle also linked with the defender.

      Niklas Sule is yet to sign a new Bayern Munich dealCredit: Reuters
      Pau Torres
      Villarreal’s Torres, 24, was close to a move to London in the summer, but with Chelsea’s rivals Tottenham.
      And already the defender could be a favourite amongst Blues fans after turning down Spurs.
      He is said to have been a name shortlisted on Chelsea’s defensive targets in the past and is believed to have a £56m release clause in his contract.
      Vllarreal centre-half Pau Torres rejected a move to SpursCredit: Getty More