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      Chelsea to ‘start talks with David Alaba’ over free transfer in January with defender set to quit Bayern Munich

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      CHELSEA are reportedly to open talks with Bayern Munich star David Alaba in the New Year.
      The Bundesliga giants have taken the offer of a new contract off the table ahead of his deal expiring in the summer.

      David Alaba remains a first-choice pick for Bayern Munich amid his contract sagaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Alaba, 28, can negotiate a pre-agreement with any club in January, setting up a free transfer at the end of his Bayern stay.
      Chelsea are set to be at the front of the queue in negotiating a deal, according to Bild.
      The involvement of agent Pini Zahavi, who has helped Roman Abramovich’s club seal many transfers in the past, is said to help the Blues’ case.
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      Several rivals have been linked with the Austrian, including Liverpool and Manchester City.
      This report highlights Paris Saint-Germain’s interest but Alaba is thought to not fancy a move to France.
      Real Madrid and Barcelona have also been mentioned in reports yet the LaLiga duo are described as unable to afford the defender.
      Alaba fell out with Bayern after the lack of movement in contract talks was confirmed by the club.

      Club president Herbert Hainer said earlier this month that an offer was ‘no longer’ on the table after a ‘very good’ figure was deemed ‘unsatisfactory’ by the player’s camp.

      Reports have suggested Zahavi wants an £18million fee for cutting a deal, leading to a furious response by one former Bayern chief.
      Ex-president Uli Hoeness declared: “[Alaba] has a greedy piranha for an agent. His father, whom I like a lot, is letting himself be influenced by him very much.”
      Alaba has denied the sort of figures being quoted in talks and continues to be a first-choice pick for coach Hansi Flick.
      He stated: “I cannot say how it will continue from this point. I am glad to be playing for Bayern and to be a part of the team.

      “But what the future will look like after yesterday evening I just cannot say, as no one has talked to me officially.
      “I can completely understand the fans [being hurt]. I wish internal stuff would stay internal.
      “The numbers out there do not correspond to reality and I am a bit disappointed and sad that the club never officially came out to say they are wrong.
      “I have not made any thoughts about my future because Bayern was always the first point of contact. I had no contact with other clubs for that reason.” More

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      How Chelsea could line-up against Tottenham with Christian Pulisic set to return plus Thiago Silva and Havertz starting

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      FRANK LAMPARD has a selection dilemma in attack when welcoming Tottenham to face Chelsea this weekend.
      Christian Pulisic is due to return to the side, providing a fully-fit squad for the Blues boss to pick from.

      Already, Lampard has confirmed the American’s availability following a hamstring injury.
      Kai Havertz is also in line for a first start since October having overcome coronavirus.
      That means some big names are going to have to sit out Sunday’s London derby.
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham have both enjoyed a run in the side since their colleagues’ injuries.
      And Lampard may have to pick between the two if Havertz and Pulisic are to start down the flanks.
      Where Hakim Ziyech fits in is also up for debate with Chelsea having to decide how offensive their approach will be versus Jose Mourinho’s wily Tottenham.
      Matteo Kovacic and Mason Mount are trusted by their boss to work hard at both ends of the pitch and could get the nod this weekend.

      Having started on the bench in the midweek win at Rennes, N’Golo Kante should return to the XI and replace Jorginho.

      Olivier Giroud scored the goal that put Chelsea into the knockout stage

      Callum Hudson-Odoi and Olivier Giroud both scored in the late victory but will likely have to make do with substitute roles against Spurs.
      In defence, Reece James was also taken out of the line-up in France and is fit to re-form Lampard’s preferred back-four alongside Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma and Ben Chilwell.
      Tottenham travel to West London sat top of the table with Chelsea back in third.
      Toby Alderweireld (hamstring) and Erik Lamela (foot) will miss the trip while Matt Doherty (coronavirus) is a doubt.

      Chelsea vs Tottenham – Watch LIVE, channel info and kick-off time More

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      Chelsea outcast Olivier Giroud ‘wanted by rivals Tottenham and West Ham in January transfer’ with striker eyeing move

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      TOTTENHAM and West Ham are among the teams reportedly tracking Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud.
      The French forward scored the late winner in Tuesday’s beating of Rennes as he continues to be used off the bench.

      Olivier Giroud netted his second goal of the season at Rennes in midweekCredit: AFP or licensors

      Frank Lampard heaped praise on Giroud, 34, after the victory but speculation continues to mount over his future.
      According to CalcioMercato, Spurs and West Ham are joined by Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Inter Miami in tracking the striker.
      Giroud was tipped to leave Chelsea in the summer but hit form late on last season, earning a new 12-month contract.
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      Once again, he is reportedly keen on making a January move to ensure his spot in France’s Euro 2020 squad.
      Lampard has spoken of his hopes of keeping the player, accepting before the midweek win that he will ‘cross the January bridge when he comes to it’.
      After the match, he said: “The things behind the scenes, everybody kind of feels from the outside to be fair what a great professional he is and how highly regarded he is by his team-mates and myself.
      “So for him to get a goal, you saw the reaction of his team-mates, he’s so professional in how he trains and looks after himself that age isn’t even a factor for him.

      “He’s getting better with age if anything in terms of how he looks after himself.
      “So he offers a lot for us and I keep saying it but the big schedule coming up and the way we play means I will rely on players.

      “So thankfully for me he’s a player that always keeps the right attitude if he’s not playing regularly, and I know when I call upon him that he comes in as he did today.”
      Tottenham signed Gareth Bale and Carlos Vinicius on loan in the summer to provide competition for Harry Kane.
      Meanwhile, West Ham welcomed Sebastian Haller back to the scoring charts with a stunning winner at Sheffield United last time out.
      And Inter have been linked with Chelsea star N’Golo Kante with former boss Antonio Conte keen to continue his raid on Premier League stars.

      Frank Lampard insists Olivier Giroud is in his plans despite Chelsea striker admitting he is ready for January transfer More

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      Top ten ‘selling clubs’ revealed with Benfica kings of the transfer window with £1BILLION earned from players

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      BENFICA have cashed in a stunning £1billion from selling players over the past decade.
      The transfer market has continually grown ever more bonkers and top clubs’ spending has hardly been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

      This summer saw ludicrous amounts spent on players by several teams, with those happy to part ways making a big profit.
      Leading the way are Benfica with several Serie A, Premier League and LaLiga clubs also doing well in this regard.
      Here, SunSport details the top ten selling clubs since the 2009-10 season began, with data collected from Transfermarkt.
      Surprisingly, only a few teams managed to make a transfer market profit despite their high price tags…

      #1 – Benfica – £1billion
      Not only have the Portuguese giants tipped into ten figures for their transfer income, they have won six league titles in this period.
      This summer saw Ruben Dias depart for Manchester City in a £64million deal following previous years’ deals involving Ederson (£35m) and Joao Felix (£101m).
      Nemanja Matic (£21m), Axel Witsel (£34m) and Victor Lindelof (£32m) have also bid farewell to reach a mega profit of £539m.
      Strangely, this summer saw Benfica spend more than they made with Brazilian prospects Everton, Gilberto and Pedrinho adding to a total £85m outlay.

      Joao Felix and Ruben Dias made Benfica a pretty pennyCredit: Getty – Contributor
      #2 – Atletico Madrid – £953million
      One club said to be worried by the coronavirus pandemic’s financial crisis are Atletico Madrid.
      Alvaro Morata, Santiago Arias and Thomas Partey all left this year amid minimal incomings.
      That helped tip Los Rojiblancos into second place of the selling table – although they have spent £45m than they have made since 2009-10.
      Top sales include Antoine Griezmann (£107m), Diego Costa (£32m) and Radamel Falcao (£51m).

      Antoine Griezmann remains Atletico Madrid’s record saleCredit: AP:Associated Press
      #3 – Juventus – £900m
      No club on this list has sold more players than Juventus.
      A whopping 582 footballers have been moved on by the Italian giants while 591 have arrived, most of which via their massive academy system.
      Paul Pogba broke the transfer world record when moving back to Manchester United for £89m in 2016.
      Leonardo Bonucci (£37m), Arturo Vidal (£35m) and Moise Kean (£24m) have all been big earners for the Bianconeri.

      Paul Pogba cost Juventus virtually nothing before he was sold for £89millionCredit: Getty – Contributor
      #4 – Chelsea – £886m
      A Fifa transfer ban saw Frank Lampard switch Chelsea’s focus to young players last year with a massive sell-off occurring at the same time.
      The summer of 2019 saw £113m banked by the Blues, a record since Roman Abramovich bought the club.
      Eden Hazard remains the most expensive exit from Stamford Bridge at £150m, before Oscar (£52m) and Diego Costa (£50m).
      That has partly funded Chelsea’s huge spending spree in the past decade, totalling £1.45billion.

      Shanghai SIPG splashed considerable cash on Brazilian playmaker OscarCredit: AFP or licensors
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
      #5 – Monaco – £868m
      Dmitry Rybolovlev’s millions made Monaco a major force for a brief period in the 2010s.
      Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar, James Rodriguez and Anthony Martial have all graced the Ligue 1 club, who can now boast one of Europe’s top academies.
      Those four players earned a combined £316m when departing the principality.
      And Monaco are the only non-Portuguese team to make a profit on this list – perhaps explaining their 17th and ninth-placed finishes in recent seasons.

      Kylian Mbappe was just one member of a golden generation coming out of MonacoCredit: AFP or licensors
      #6 – Barcelona – £862m
      Quality over quantity is certainly the mantra of sixth-placed Barcelona and seventh-placed Real Madrid in the selling club leaderboard.
      A staggering £862m was recouped by the Blaugrana from just 148 players in this period, while they won seven LaLiga titles and two Champions League crowns.
      Paris Saint-Germain made Neymar the world’s most expensive player when signing him from Barcelona for £198m in 2017.
      The Catalans have still made an overall loss of £613m since 2009-10, the biggest on this list, and now face a financial meltdown.

      Barcelona had little choice but to sell Neymar after PSG met his release clauseCredit: AFP or licensors
      #7 – Real Madrid – £823m
      Much like their Clasico rivals, Real Madrid pick their market moves very carefully and didn’t even sign anyone in the summer of 2020.
      Achraf Hakimi (£36m), Sergio Reguilon (£27m) and Oscar Rodriguez (£12m) all left though with Los Blancos still not a true ‘selling club’.
      Nevertheless, Cristiano Ronaldo (£89m) and Angel Di Maria (£59.7m) were fairly chunky sales to flesh out the club’s coffers.
      Making up the £823m figure are the departures of only 138 players, compared to Benfica’s 427, with 141 signed by Real.

      Cristiano Ronaldo made a surprise move to Juventus in 2019Credit: AP:Associated Press
      #8 – Roma – £788m
      If you want to see the quality of players who have passed through the Stadio Olimpico in recent years, just look at the reigning Premier League champions.
      Liverpool could not have won the title without Alisson Becker and Mohamed Salah, who cost a combined £92m when signing from Roma.
      Radja Nainggolan (£34m) and Kostas Manolas (£32m) have also made healthy profits for the Serie A club.
      Amazingly, Roma have only two Coppa Italia trophies to show for this period despite actually making an overall market LOSS of £39m.

      Mohamed Salah found his feet at Roma before signing for LiverpoolCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      #9 – Porto – £785m
      Porto are further proof of Portuguese football’s amazing ability to produce stars and pluck talent from South America.
      Eder Militao (£44.5m), that man Rodriguez (£42m), Hulk (£35m) and Eliaquim Mangala (£32m) were all brought in as youngsters and moved on for big margins.
      Second only to Benfica, the Primeira Liga side have snapped up a £393m profit in the past ten seasons.
      And their rivalry has yielded a share of the spoils with Porto taking five league crowns and a Europa League in this period.

      Porto certainly got the better end of the deal to take Eliaquim Mangala to Manchester CityCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

      #10 – Liverpool – £730m
      Jurgen Klopp’s success as Liverpool manager has arrived following the clear end to the Reds’ days as a selling club.
      The German’s side was built with the cash made from Philippe Coutinho (£130m), Luis Suarez (£72m) and Raheem Sterling (£57m).
      Extra money was banked this summer with Rhian Brewster (£18m) and Dejan Lovren (£11m) allowed to leave.
      And the significant investment in Liverpool’s title winning side means a market loss of £294m has been racked up – something Reds fans will agree was very much worth it.

      Raheem Sterling upset many a Liverpool fan when leaving for Man CityCredit: Action Images – Reuters

      Man City plot Lionel Messi transfer pursuit when window opens in January after failed summer swoop More

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      Danny Drinkwater makes first competitive start for Chelsea since 2018 but loses to Bristol Rovers in Papa John’s Trophy

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      CHELSEA outcast Danny Drinkwater made his first competitive start for Chelsea since March 2018 in the Papa John’s Trophy.
      A tumultuous spell at the West London club has seen the midfielder’s career nosedive.

      Danny Drinkwater turned out for Chelsea’s Under-21 team against Bristol Rovers on Wednesday nightCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      But he is hoping to pick up the pieces and regain match fitness in the Blues’ reserve side.
      On Wednesday night, he played 90 minutes against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy.
      It was his first competitive encounter against senior pros for Chelsea since the 2018 Community Shield, and first start since March of that year.
      Unfortunately for Drinkwater, 30, Rovers stole a late win to knock Chelsea out of the competition in a 4-3 thriller.

      Tino Anjorin scored twice in reply to strikes from Brandon Hanlan, Sam Nicholson and Zain Westbrooke for the League One side.
      Marcel Lewis also netted as the Blues kids looked to have taken the game to penalties, before Rovers defender Josh Hare won the game at the death.
      Under Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea, Drinkwater was exiled following the 2018 Community Shield defeat and did not play again that season.
      Last season saw the former Leicester title winner banned from drink driving in May 2019 before being involved in a nightclub brawl that September.

      Personal problems wrecked his loan spells at Burnley and Aston Villa, the latter including a fine of two weeks’ wages for headbutting team-mate Jota in training.
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      Drinkwater told the Telegraph in September: “I know my Chelsea move hasn’t worked out how anybody would have wanted and I’ve made mistakes.
      “But it’s not as simple as me just not playing football or picking up a wage.
      “Money doesn’t solve anything. The pay cheque doesn’t really help at all, you don’t even think about money.
      “There have been things that come above football that have not been as simple as I’d like.”

      Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour lands harsh red card eight minutes after making injury comeback with Scotland Under-21s More

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      Frank Lampard ‘congratulated’ Ross Barkley on Aston Villa form to hand him Chelsea lifeline

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      CHELSEA manager Frank Lampard has called Ross Barkley to congratulate him on his form for Aston Villa, reports say.
      And it could give the midfielder a lifeline in his bid to resurrect his Stamford Bridge career.

      Frank Lampard reportedly congratulated Ross Barkley on his form at Aston VillaCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

      Barkley, 26, joined Villa on loan this summer in pursuit of regular football.
      He has since made eight appearances, scoring three times with one assist, in the Villans’ impressive start to the season.
      And according to Eurosport, that has caught the attention of Blues boss Lampard, who they claim he has been in touch with Barkley.
      It could even pave the way for the playmaker to return to Chelsea next term.

      With the arrival of Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech, as well as the form of Mason Mount, Lampard could not guarantee Barkley game time.
      However, if the Villa loanee can continue his great start to the campaign, the door will be open to return to Chelsea.
      Barkley revealed he left West London to revive his England career, having not received a cap since last year’s 6-0 thrashing against Bulgaria.

      Barkley joined Villa on loan this summer to receive regular footballCredit: Eddie Keogh Telegraph Media Group

      He said: “The last couple of years I’ve been stop-start, performing well and then being out of the team.

      “To come here and have the chance to play  regularly is a big thing for me.
      “The Euros at the end of season is a big target, hopefully I can be there.
      “Dean Smith swayed me with the way he spoke to me,  it looks like it’s going to be an exciting season.”

      Ben Chilwell, Jack Grealish and Ross Barkley celebrate with ‘A’ symbol in honour of fan Andrew Wood who passed away More

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      Chelsea set for £16m transfer boost after ‘agreeing deal in principle’ to sell Tiemoue Bakayoko to Napoli

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      NAPOLI have reportedly reached a gentleman’s agreement to sign Tiemoue Bakayoko on a permanent deal from Chelsea.
      The midfielder joined the Serie A club on loan in October and has quickly become an integral part of their title push.

      ⚠️ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      Tiemoue Bakayoko has impressed since signing for Napoli on loanCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Gennaro Gattuso’s side sit third ahead of a clash with leaders AC Milan.
      Having first played under the Italian at the San Siro, Bakayoko looks set to extend his time under Gattuso.
      According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli did not agree a fee for the 26-year-old when signing from Chelsea.

      But the two clubs are said to have now reached an agreement in principle over a £16million move in the summer.
      The Neapolitans reportedly want to renew coach Gattuso’s contract to 2023 before they complete the Bakayoko deal.
      And the Frenchman is thought to be loving his time in Naples, living by the sea with a similar lifestyle to the one he enjoyed at Monaco earlier in his career.

      Gattuso has played Bakayoko in all four of the Serie A matches since his deadline day move, with two outings in the Europa League.

      After an impressive debut against Atalanta, the ex-midfielder said: “Bakayoko has this technique that is all his own, because he has this first touch and long legs that make him break away from you in the midfield and he’s tough to catch.”
      Chelsea will not make a profit on the player, having signed him for £36m in 2017.
      A single season under Antonio Conte earned poor reviews before loan stays at Milan and Monaco.

      But the Blues will be able to pocket the cash and look towards the transfer market.
      Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng is reportedly a target for a free transfer in the summer.
      Further outgoings are likely to be the order of the day with Antonio Rudiger, Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri touted for moves.

      Chelsea star Thiago Silva shows off his skills in the training ground More

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      Chelsea suffer injury blow as Ben Chilwell limps off in the first-half against Belgium with back injury

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      CHELSEA have been dealt an injury blow after Ben Chilwell limped off in England’s loss to Belgium.
      Chilwell was replaced by Bukayo Saka after 38 minutes of the Nations League clash with a suspected back injury.

      Ben Chilwell was forced off against Belgium with a suspected back injury

      The former Leicester full-back missed the start of Chelsea’s season with a foot injury but has been a mainstay in Frank Lampard’s first XI since his return to fitness.
      Injury and self-isolation kept him out of England’s previous Nations League fixtures.
      The match against Belgium was Chilwell’s first cap in almost a year.
      The news will leave Frank Lampard sweating after Chilwell made an extremely promising start to his Blues career.

      He has played a key part in a Chelsea backline which conceded just one goal in six games before the international break.
      The 23-year-old is now a doubt for Chelsea’s trip to Newcastle next Saturday.
      Chilwell was on the pitch for both of Belgium’s goals against Gareth Southgate’s side, as England fell two goals behind within the first 30 minutes.

      Chilwell’s former Leicester team-mate Youri Tielemans gave Roberto Martinez’s side a 10th minute lead with a deflected effort from outside the box.

      Dries Mertens then doubled Belgium’s advantage from a free-kick.
      The result means England are now unable to qualify for next year’s Nations League finals.

      Gareth Southgate says Chelsea ace Ben Chilwell will join England squad after party ban and illness and could face Denmark More