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      Man City face ALMOST CERTAIN relegation if Premier League charges are proven, former club adviser warns

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      MANCHESTER CITY are being warned they could face their D-day over financial fair play as early as next year — and “all hell will break loose” if they lose.And Chelsea have been told it is “inevitable” they will be in trouble after admitting to rule-breaking during Roman Abramovich’s reign.
      Manchester City will almost certainly be relegated if charges against them are proven a former club advisor has warnedCredit: Getty
      Everton were recently hit with a ten point deduction for an FFP breachCredit: Rex
      Football is still reeling from Everton’s sanction for breaching FFP rules.
      And football finance expert Stefan Borson said: “There are too many things that ‘might’ happen if City are found against. It will be very serious — all hell will break loose.
      “It will turn into an enormous story — not just in respect of football but much wider than that. So many parties will be implicated.
      “It will be an incredibly explosive situation.”
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      Lawyer Borson, who was previously an adviser at the Etihad, insisted that demotion would be on the cards if City and Chelsea are found guilty.
      He added: “From a football perspective, it’s impossible to think City would not be relegated if all of these things were found against them.”
      When City were charged with 115 FFP rule breaches in February, there were claims it could take up to four years for the results of the investigation to be known.
      Borson says it could be sooner, adding: “The hearing is likely to be in 2024 at some point.
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      “The Premier League are bound to be concerned about what they would do if City are found guilty.
      “The fact the League charged City with such serious matters shows you this is a very bold move.”
      Chelsea have admitted they broke rules in the Abramovich era — but hope the fact a new regime is now in place will protect them.
      That is highly unlikely according to Borson, who believes they are also in danger of breaking profit and sustainability rules following new US owner Todd Boehly’s £1billion transfer splurge since he took over.
      Borson said: “They will have to charge Chelsea for off-book payments (under Abramovich) — I don’t see any way round it and it will inevitably be very serious for them.
      “I’m confident they won’t get leniency simply because they’ve admitted it and it happened in the previous ownership.”
      Todd Boehly could be forced to deal with potential charges against Chelsea from the Roman Abramovich eraCredit: GettyQ&A with Stefan BorsonFootball finance expert STEFAN BORSON, a former adviser to City, breaks down what could happen to Everton, Man City and Chelsea in the months ahead.

      EVERTON’S ten-point deduction for breaching financial rules was the biggest sanction ever handed down by the  Premier League.
      But it left two of the competition’s most recent winners — Manchester City and Chelsea — fearing what could be coming their way.
      City have strenuously denied any wrongdoing and are ready to defend themselves against 115 charges levelled at them.
      Meanwhile, Chelsea are also likely to be in the dock but will plead for leniency owing  to the misdemeanours occurring in the Roman Abramovich era.
      HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT EVERTON WILL GET THEIR POINTS BACK?
      They have said they will appeal — and I don’t think it will take long.
      I don’t see many issues they can put to an appeal commission and get a different answer.
      Overall, I can’t see what they can argue to materially change the outcome.
      I think their best case is maybe a two-points reduction. Eight points rather than ten, maybe six.
      Based on the four-season advantage as per the commission, a minimum of two points per season feels reasonable.
      I don’t think they have got much hope of  getting it lower.
      EVERTON WILL BE WATCHING THE OTHER CASES WITH INTEREST, WON’T THEY?
      They will — but it is completely irrelevant. Each case is judged on its merits.
      If City, Chelsea or others get any penalties in the next year or two, it will be irrelevant to Everton by then.
      WHY IS THE CITY CASE TAKING SO LONG?
      The first thing they say in the Everton ruling is that it was a complicated case.
      It also says in the trial bundle there were 28,000 documents — not just pages, documents.
      Even for a relatively simple case like Everton’s.
      City’s is far more complicated — it goes over many more years, many more issues and it just takes a very long time to get it to the trial.
      Essentially, Everton was done quicker as it was a simpler case.
      If it was in the High Court, the trial itself might last six months as it’s that complicated.
      It won’t take that at the independent commission but they are going to have to find a way somehow to get to the nub of these issues in a way that’s fair but deals with all the issues.
      WHEN DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE HEARD?
      I’ve read that it will be 2024 and I think that’s likely to be later in the year.
      It can’t be expedited because it is so complicated.
      The hearing itself will take longer than Everton’s and I’d be surprised if it didn’t take at least three months after the hearing to get the judgement.
      And given the stakes, there is clearly going to be an appeal by City if they were to lose.
      There’s no way City could just sit back and take it.
      THERE’S TALK OF RELEGATION IF CITY LOSE THE CASE, ISN’T THERE?
      There are too many things that ‘might’ happen if City are found against.
      It will be very serious — all hell will break loose.
      It will turn into an enormous story — not just in respect of football but much wider than that.
      So many parties will be implicated.
      It will be an incredibly explosive situation.
      From a football perspective, it’s impossible to think City would not be relegated if all of these things were found against them.
      How do you do that? A 100-point deduction? Just straight relegation?
      If they are found guilty of non co-operation — like at CAS — it is harder to see any points being taken off them.
      There’s no way you could argue non co-operation has given City a sporting advantage, so City will say there should be no sporting sanction.
      HOW LIKELY IS IT THEY  WILL BE FOUND GUILTY?
      To find against City you are going to have to prove dishonesty against a number of people.
      No commission is going to want to do that.
      You saw  they were careful to say Everton were not dishonest, even though they found the club had breached the duty of good faith.
      If the case is proven against City it is  deception, fraudulent accounting, conspiracy — all very serious stuff.
      But the Premier League have to prove it — and they have to prove it in a forum which is absolutely not suited for such a complex case with such serious allegations.
      BUT WHAT IF THE VERDICT COMES OUT MID-SEASON AND IT’S RELEGATION  OR A 100-POINT DEDUCTION?
      Logically, the commission shouldn’t care less about the timing.
      The Premier League are bound to be concerned about what they would do if City are guilty.
      People say it’s all a stitch-up but the fact they charged City with serious matters shows you that it isn’t a stitch-up.
      It’s a very bold move from the Premier League.
      AND WHAT ABOUT CHELSEA — THEY’RE IN BOTHER TOO, RIGHT?
      They will have to charge Chelsea — I don’t see there is any way round it.
      The Chelsea situation is inevitable.
      They have admitted to some or all of these off-book payments.
      It’s very serious despite the admission because they were systematic, they were clearly deliberately concealed, clearly fraudulent and clearly in breach of the rules.
      I’m confident they won’t get leniency just because they have admitted it and it happened in the previous ownership.
      I think it will be a straightforward case with the admission.
      But the mitigation of admission and co-operation will not outweigh the aggravating factors of the severity of what they’ve done so I think it’s going to be very serious for Chelsea.
      IS THAT TOUGH ON THE NEW OWNERS?
      You could say that — but there’s a follow-up Chelsea situation which is that they could also potentially fail profit and sustainability rules either for last year, this year  or both.
      I’ve said for a while that’s coming.
      I’ve had a look at the numbers and I don’t see how they successfully make the numbers add up. More

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      Brentford line up Argentina wonderkid as potential Ivan Toney replacement in transfer boost to Arsenal and Chelsea

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      BRENTFORD hope to land teenage Argentinian star Santiago Castro in an ambitious swoop.The Velez Sarsfield striker, 19, is a major player for his nation’s highly-rated Under-20s side.
      Brentford hope to land teenage star Santiago Castro in an ambitious swoopCredit: Getty
      Bees chiefs were in South America last week and want to do a deal for the  prospect, who has four goals in seven games for Argentina’s young guns.
      It comes as Ivan Toney’s Brentford future remains up in the air – with SunSport revealing the striker is torn over a January move.
      The Brentford star will return to action after Christmas and is widely tipped to leave the West London club.
      Arsenal are thought to be at the front of the queue for his services with Chelsea also interested.
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      But a source close to the player said Toney – banned for gambling offences – feels he has a “debt to repay” to Brenford and to the club’s manager Thomas Frank.
      It means any move could be held off until the summer.
      The source said: “A lot of people assume Ivan will be on his way after Christmas, but no deal has been done – and nothing has been decided.
      “Ivan is torn over his future. Brentford have stood by him and the club have been brilliant.
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      “Part of him wants to help them by hitting the ground running straight away in January and scoring the goals which will ensure they stay in the Premier League.
      “There are a lot of clubs interested in Ivan but his focus, for now, is getting back on the pitch at Brentford and doing the business for his manager Thomas Frank, to whom he feels he has a big debt to repay. The same goes for the fans.
      “He’s determined to get back in the England squad and Ivan fully believes in himself to make the first squad once he’s back playing football.”
      Ivan Toney’s future remains in doubtCredit: PA More

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      Roma boss Jose Mourinho plots transfer swoop for TWO Chelsea outcasts frozen out by Mauricio Pochettino

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      JOSE MOURINHO is reportedly plotting a double transfer swoop on Chelsea as he eyes up a pair of outcasts.The Roma boss has already reunited with Chris Smalling from Manchester United and plucked both Tammy Abraham and Romelu Lukaku from the Blues after taking the Serie A job.
      Trevoh Chalobah is a transfer target for RomaCredit: Getty
      Malang Sarr has been frozen out by Mauricio PochettinoCredit: Getty
      And now Calciomercato report he wants another two men from his former employers at Stamford Bridge.
      It is understood Mourinho has identified both Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr as transfer targets.
      Neither player has even managed to make it into a matchday squad this season under new boss Mauricio Pochettino.
      England Under-21 ace Chalobah, 24, has been sidelined by a thigh injury while fellow centre-back Sarr continues to be overlooked.
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      Chalobah came through the academy but there are suggestions he is being “forced out” of the club – with Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich all monitoring his situation.
      Sarr, 24, does not even have a squad number and was left out of the Premier League squad but did not get sent out on another loan – after heading to Porto and Monaco in recent seasons since his free arrival from Nice in 2020.
      Instead, Poch has preferred the likes of Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill.
      Wesley Fofana also remains unavailable due to injury while Benoit Badiashile and Bashir Humphreys both have one Carabao Cup appearance.
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      But with £100,000-a-week Sarr out of contention and Chalobah facing a huge uphill task to get significant game time at Chelsea, Mourinho is keen to offer them an escape route.
      Roma sit seventh in Serie A – 13 points adrift of leaders Inter – but are well in contention of the Champions League places.
      Mourinho has tended to go with a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Diego Llorente and Evan Ndicka this term.
      Smalling only has three appearances this term but the possible additions of Sarr and Chalobah could suit the out-of-favour Chelsea duo – especially in a three-man defence.
      Jose Mourinho is trying to get Roma back into the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty More

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      The Premier League has shown it is serious about enforcing FFP, all eyes will be on the Chelsea and Man City verdicts

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      NOW we know the Premier League really is serious about enforcing its financial rules.And Manchester City as well as Chelsea in particular may need an industrial scale mop to soak up the sweat pooling at their feet.
      Everton have been slapped with a 10-point deduction from the Premier League
      For all the talk about scrutiny, rules and a determination to ensure clubs lived within their means, nobody really thought Prem chiefs meant it.
      The general view was that it was all a bit of a show. Window dressing. Never actually going to be acted upon.
      Yet, suddenly, with Everton sucker-punched with the biggest penalty in the League’s 30-year history — a ten-point deduction — and facing a likely season-long fight against a relegation that could be the final nail  in the famous old Merseyside club’s coffin,  the entire picture has been altered.
      The Toffees, swinging in all directions, made clear they will push for equal action elsewhere.
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      Attacking the “harshness and severity” of the punishment, Everton’s statement noted: “The club will monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.”
      But a new standard has been set. In their 41-page written reasons, a three-man independent commission, headed by David Phillips KC, made clear that the Premier League — under fire from Westminster and other critics — has an obligation to come down hard on clubs who try to cheat the system.
      They wrote: “The Commission has no doubt that one of the primary purposes of the sanction is to punish the transgressing club.
      “We must not be swayed by sympathy — for example, the fact that the penalty might make the prospect of relegation greater.
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      “The inference of a sporting advantage should properly be drawn from the fact of a breach, and that sporting advantage was enjoyed for four seasons.
      “One of the purposes of a sanction is to provide a deterrent effect. That is a legitimate purpose.”
      Unsurprisingly, Everton supporters have asked why they have been hit so hard, so quickly, when other cases drag on, seemingly endlessly.
      Rival clubs have no expectation that the 115 charges against City will be concluded inside the next 12 months, while the League is still to charge Chelsea — although they were fined £8.6million by Uefa for issues they themselves flagged up.
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      Manchester City are also facing serious Financial Fair Play charges
      Even Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, admittedly a boyhood Blue, wrote: “The ten-point deduction is excessive and not right.
      “They have been working with the Premier League about this for the last couple of years. Would it have been better to be evasive and try and drag it out like other clubs? Until other clubs are sanctioned  Everton will feel they are being used to show there is no need for an independent regulator, and they are right.”
      Last summer, the Premier League clubs voted through new rules that mean  “simple” sustainability rule breaches MUST be dealt with within three months of a charge being laid.
      That did not apply to City’s case while it is understood the Chelsea issue is made more complicated by the non-involvement of any officials currently at the club.
      Everton, though, now face the prospect of a major financial blow as well.
      While Leeds, Leicester, Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Burnley were  prevented from interceding in the case by a commission, they have 28 days to apply for compensation claims to be assessed.
      Fans will expect the Premier League to be as strict with Chelsea and Man CityCredit: Reuters
      In the cases of the teams relegated over the past two seasons that could run into millions of pounds — with Leeds likely to point out they were forced to sell Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha to comply with FFP.
      Everton, in a parlous financial state and now staring at the real prospect of relegation, could not afford to be hit with such a payment demand.
      But what is unquestionable is that the entire financial framework of the Premier League has now been transformed.
      Everybody knows it. And it is why the ultimate outcome for City and Chelsea will be so scrutinised.
      The Charges
      EVERTON were hit with an unprecedented ten-point penalty after being found to have “taken chances” with the Prem’s financial regulations.
      A 41-page  independent  commission report found their bid to improve results led to them acting “irresponsibly” to exceed permitted losses under the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
      Its damning report stated: “This was a serious breach that requires a significant penalty.”
      Despite posting £372million in losses over three seasons, the club were found to have breached the £105m allowed loss by £19.5m, spending £124.5m.
      They persistently denied the charges — until the hearing, when they admitted breaching the regulations.
      The panel confirmed Everton flagged up issues as early as January 2021 with the club wanting to claim £54m in stadium expenditure. That claim was rejected by the League.
      Everton are facing relegation after their Premier League sanction
      The club recognised by early 2022 they would fail to meet Premier League guidelines.
      That saw other clubs take advantage in transfer deals. Spurs bought Richarlison in a £60m deal, some £20m less than Everton had anticipated.
      The Toffees argued the Ukraine war, which saw billionaire owner Farhad Moshiri’s business partner Alisher Usmanov placed on the UK sanctions list, cost £10m per year in lost sponsorship income.
      In their official accounts of 2022, Everton tried to exclude £17.4m in stadium loan interest. The club also claimed £61m of Covid-related losses, dismissed by the League.
      The 2023 accounts claiming a loss of just £87.1m over the three-year period were rejected.
      In 2021, the Premier League warned Everton about signing new players but the  commission stated that for the club to continue its transfer policy was “recklessness that constitutes an aggravating factor”.
      Everton will be looking for the same restrictions to be applied on the bigger clubs
      It added: “It was unwise for Everton not to have curtailed player purchases.
      “It was aware of potential Profitability and Sustainability Rules difficulties but pressed ahead in the hope that it would make sales of players that would enable it to achieve PSR compliance. Events have proved that to be a poor judgment.
      “The position that Everton finds itself in is of its own making — it is Everton’s responsibility to ensure that it complies with the PSR regime. The excess over the threshold is significant.
      “The consequence is that Everton’s culpability is great.
      “Further, Everton was less than frank in its dealings with the Premier League over the stadium interest issue.
      “The reality is that Everton failed to manage its finances so as to operate within the generous threshold of £105m.
      “Its mismanagement led to that threshold being exceeded by £19.5m. A financial penalty for a club that enjoys the support of a wealthy owner is not a sufficient penalty.”
      The Defence
      EVERTON’S failed attempt to escape a record points deduction saw them claim they should be allowed extra wriggle room for NOT suing a player.
      They said that after ‘Player X’  was arrested in July 2021, they sought to protect his “mental welfare” at a financial cost.
      The player — who is not named in the independent commission report —  was sacked the following month but Everton opted not to sue him for breach of contract.
      Yet at the hearing, Everton argued the £10million they could have demanded should have been included in their losses, minimising the breach of League rules.
      According to the written reasons, Everton claimed they were “entitled to credit for not  pursuing an economically viable claim” against the player.
      But the commission branded the argument “speculative”,  adding there was “no evidence that Player X would have been able to meet whatever judgement might have been obtained”.
      Everton were slapped with the heaviest punishment in Premier League historyCredit: Reuters
      Prem chiefs were also underwhelmed by a claim that Everton missed out on the transfer value of another star — ‘Player Y’ — because of Covid.
      Lawyers claimed the “factual reality” was that Everton had made a decision NOT to sell.
      Prem rules allow losses of £105m over a three-year period but Everton’s up to 2021-22 were found to be £124.5m.
      The club put forward various items they felt should be excluded from the calculation, including interest costs related to construction of their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, the portion of the club’s transfer levy related to youth development plus the £10m lost by deciding not to seek damages against ‘Player X’.
      Everton also argued that a depressed summer transfer market in 2020 owing to Covid-19 reduced the revenue they would have earned from player sales.
      They also said they had lost  out on a £200m stadium-naming-rights deal with conglomerate USM as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanctions imposed by the British Government.
      Everton boss Sean Dyche is now dealing with a relegation battle
       USM’s single largest stakeholder is Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
      The club said in a statement: “Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s commission.
      “The club believes that the commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction.
      “The club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League.
      “Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League.
      “The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings.
      “Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the  evidence submitted.” More

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      Chelsea and Man City fear RELEGATION from Premier League as Everton points deduction ‘sends shockwaves’ in boardrooms

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      MANCHESTER CITY and Chelsea fear Premier League RELEGATION after Everton’s record ten-point deduction.The Toffees were yesterday hit with the whopping sanction for breaching strict Financial Fair Play rules.
      Man City boss Pep Guardiola and Chelsea counterpart Mauricio Pochettino face an anxious wait over their clubs’ FFP casesCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Sean Dyche has seen his Everton side dumped joint bottom by the penaltyCredit: PA
      They now face huge compensation claims from Leeds, Leicester, Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Burnley.
      Legal experts have warned Pep Guardiola’s City, who slapped with 115 FFP charges in January, and Chelsea — under investigation over transfers during Roman Abramovich’s reign — could be booted out of the top flight.
      Top sports lawyer Stefan Borson, one-time financial adviser to Treble winners City, claims if the clubs are found guilty any punishment could lead to relegation.
      He said: “Ten points for Everton feels harsh for a straightforward Financial Fair Play breach.
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      “But it reinforces that sanctions against City and now Chelsea will be potentially relegation- inducing.”
      Fellow lawyer Simon Leaf, head of sport at Mishcon de Reya and co-author of the chapter on financial regulation in Football and the Law, added: “This is a landmark moment in the  history of the  League.
      “It will cause shockwaves, particularly in the boardrooms of Chelsea and Manchester City.
      “It’s the first time the Premier League has imposed a points deduction for breach of its FFP rules in its history.”
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      City have vehemently refuted all allegations and engaged top KC Lord Pannick to lead their defence.
      Chelsea, by contrast, flagged up  issues that took place during Abramovich’s time at Stamford Bridge after internal reviews by the club’s new owners.
      An independent commission imposed Everton’s stunning penalty following a five-day hearing behind closed doors.
      The Toffees were found to have misled Prem chiefs and flouted League rules over losses that broke the agreed £105million limit over three years by £19.5m.
      But the punishment for a SINGLE breach will concern chiefs at City and Chelsea, both being probed for alleged offences over multiple years.
      The three-man commission, led by David Phillips KC, said: “Everton’s culpability is great.
      ‘MISMANAGEMENT’
      “This was a serious breach that requires a significant penalty.
      “We cannot ignore the fact that the failure to comply with the regime was the result of Everton irresponsibly taking a chance that things would turn out positively.
      “Further, Everton was less than frank in its dealings with the Premier League over the stadium interest issue.
      “Everton failed to manage its finances so as to operate within the generous threshold.
      “Its mismanagement led to that threshold being exceeded.”
      It will also have an impact on Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri, who has invested £750m.
      New prospective owners 777 Partners  said the prospect of points deductions and relegation had been “priced in” to the final sale figure.
      Goodison Park is under a cloud following the punishment imposed on EvertonCredit: EPA
      The charges against Chelsea date back to the Roman Abramovich eraCredit: Alamy More

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      Chelsea chasing Monaco’s ‘next Kylian Mbappe’ Malamine Efekele despite 19-year-old still yet to make senior debut

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      CHELSEA are reportedly chasing Monaco starlet Malamine Efekele – who has been dubbed the “next Kylian Mbappe.”That’s despite him being yet to make his senior debut for the French giants.
      Chelsea are after Monaco striker Malamine Efekele, who is yet to make his senior debutCredit: Getty
      The 19-year-old has been compared to Kylian MbappeCredit: Alamy
      Efekele, 19, is regarded as one of Ligue 1’s top prospects after starring for Monaco’s youth sides.
      Capable of playing on either wing or through the middle, he has put in top performances in both the Championnat U19 and the Premier League International Cup.
      And according to Foot Mercato, Chelsea are leading the race to sign Efekele next summer.
      The forward is out of contract in 2025 and is being chased by “top level clubs” in Germany, Spain and France.
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      But Chelsea have made it their business to sign football’s brightest kids.
      Todd Boehly has already bankrolled £1BILLION-worth of signings, with most of those arrivals being 23 years old or under.
      The Blues have particularly struggled in attack under Mauricio Pochettino.
      Eight of their 21 goals scored so far in the top flight have come in the last two matches, with Chelsea netting just 13 times in the previous 10 games.
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      Efekele would likely jump at the chance to move to Stamford Bridge.
      And fans are also sure to take a keen interest in a player regarded by many in France as the “new Mbappe.”
      Just like the 2018 World Cup winner, Efekele came through the AS Bondy academy before joining Monaco.
      And he has even been personally trained by Mbappe’s father Wilfrid at the French training base at Clairefontaine.
      Efekele, who has one cap for France’s U20s, is now training with Monaco’s senior squad.
      And a first appearance is sure to be just around the corner as his side sit just three points off Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germian after 12 games. More

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      I spent seven years at Arsenal then quit for controversial Chelsea transfer – I had to find a new path

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      OMARI HUTCHINSON has insisted that the decision to quit Arsenal and join rivals Chelsea was right – despite making just TWO first-team appearances.The 20-year-old winger generated a lot of buzz and excitement when he joined the Blues from the Gunners in the summer of 2022.
      Omari Hutchinson is hoping to fire Ipswich Town to promotion this termCredit: Getty
      He controversially quit Arsenal to join Chelsea in 2022Credit: Getty
      He appeared to be on the verge of making the breakthrough at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta after his inclusion in a number of matchday squads towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
      However, after talks over a new deal broke down, he instead decided to head back across the capital to the club where he was part of their academy until 2012.
      Hutchinson soon hit the headlines when scoring a brilliant solo goal to help the U21s beat Leyton Orient 3-2 and he got two appearances under his belt under Graham Potter.
      However, following his departure from Chelsea and Todd Boehly’s takeover leading to an influx of new signings, he failed to get any more outings last term.
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      Then, this summer, he was sent out on loan to Ipswich Town following their promotion to the Championship from League One.
      The former England youth international, who has since gone on to be capped twice by Jamaica at senior level, has shown glimpses of his potential for Kieran McKenna’s high-flying Tractor Boys.
      And even though he does not appear to be in Mauricio Pochettino’s thoughts at present while at Portman Road, Hutchinson is confident that he can follow in Chelsea captain Reece James’ footsteps, who is now a regular following a previous loan spell at Wigan Athletic.
      The starlet told The Athletic: “I was at Arsenal from 11 to playing for the under-23s.
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      “I have a lot of friends there and obviously the coaching staff, so it was a difficult decision to leave.
      “I always felt loved there. All the fans were waiting for me to push on into the first team. But things didn’t just work out for one reason or another.
      “I just had to get over stuff like that. I spoke to the people at Chelsea, saw the pathway they had for me, knew the staff there and some of the players. I already knew Reece James and he told me to come. Everyone gave Chelsea a positive review. I believe it has worked out so far.”
      He then added: “Reece has been on the journey that I want to go on — from the academy, to a loan in the Championship, to the first team.
      “He told me to go and do my thing at Ipswich, to show what I’m about. Then come back and be ready (for Chelsea).
      “Reece was always on my team whenever I trained with the senior squad last season, so I never got to take him on. I hope to be taking him on soon.”
      Hutchinson only made two first-team appearances for Chelsea last seasonCredit: Getty More

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      Ivan Toney torn over January transfer despite Arsenal and Chelsea interest as he vows to repay Brentford debt

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      ENGLAND hitman Ivan Toney is torn over a January move, SunSport can reveal.The Brentford ace will return to action after Christmas and is widely tipped to leave the West London club.
      Ivan Toney is weighing up his options ahead of the January transfer windowCredit: PA
      Arsenal are thought to be at the front of the queue for his services.
      But a source close to the player said Toney – banned for gambling offences – feels he has a “debt to repay” to Brenford and to the club’s manager Thomas Frank which means any move could be held off until the summer.
      The source said: “A lot of people assume Ivan will be on his way after Christmas, but no deal has been done – and nothing has been decided.
      “Ivan is torn over his future. Brentford have stood by him and the club have been brilliant. Part of him wants to help them by hitting the ground running straight away in January and scoring the goals which will ensure they stay in the Premier League.
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      “There are a lot of clubs interested in Ivan but his focus, for now, is getting back on the pitch at Brentford and doing the business for his manager Thomas Frank, to whom he feels he has a big debt to repay. The same goes for the fans.
      “He’s determined to get back in the England squad and Ivan fully believes in himself to make the first squad once he’s back playing football.”
      The source also said Brentford are under no pressure to sell their ace striker.
      “They don’t need the money,” the source said. “Toney is their player and they will only consider selling him if the offer is right for the club.
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      “As far as the manager is concerned he is planning for his return in January. Ivan will come back in and be a key member of the team.
      “Thomas Frank realises nothing lasts forever and that his star man will probably move on one day.
      “But he hopes to have Ivan until the end of the season at least – then they will reassess.” More