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    Worst 10 clubs in net transfer spending revealed with Chelsea top and English clubs unsurprisingly dominating list

    THE worst clubs in terms of net spending have been revealed.And the list is unsurprisingly dominated by English sides, who make up NINE of the top 10.
    Chelsea have the worst net spent in the last five seasons
    Chelsea have spent big on the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo FernandezCredit: Getty
    Boffins at the CIES Football Observatory have been crunching stats to find the worst net spend offenders since the 2018/19 season.
    They looked at the amount spent on incomings and the amount received for outgoings across the 100 most active teams of the last five years.
    Incredibly, a quarter of those sides are made up from English clubs – and just two of those, Watford and Norwich, boast a positive net spend.
    Chelsea are by far the worst offenders after Todd Boehly’s incredible splurge in the last two windows.
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    They boast a total net spend of -£665million, despite having positive net spends in two of the past five years.
    Man Utd aren’t far behind in second place with -£595m, having never recorded a positive net spend in the same time period.
    And Arsenal, who are in the same boat, are third with -£483m.
    The list continues with more English clubs including Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle.
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    Aston Villa and Wolves then precede the one non-English side in the top 10, Juventus – who are currently in financial dire straights.
    And the group is rounded off by struggling Liverpool.
    Down the other end of the table, it is a different story.
    Watford are the only English side to sneak into the 20 clubs with the most positive net spends, taking 17th place.
    But top of the pile are Benfica, who boast an incredible profit of £329m after selling stars including Enzo Fernandez, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Dias to Premier League sides.
    In second place are Lille on £274m, and Ajax are third with £259m. More

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    Man Utd interested in shock swoop for ex-Chelsea star Tammy Abraham as striker alternative to Victor Osimhen

    MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly placed Tammy Abraham on their transfer wishlist.The Red Devils lost Cristiano Ronaldo in December but brought in Wout Weghorst on-loan to bolster their forward line.
    Tammy Abraham is among the names on Man Utd’s transfer wishlistCredit: Rex
    However, boss Erik ten Hag is looking to bring in a new striker this summer and has identified Napoli’s Victor Osimhen as his No1 target.
    They have also been linked with a swoop for Harry Kane, who became Tottenham’s record-goalscorer last weekend.
    Now a report in the Telegraph have claimed that United have also drawn up a list of potential back-up options.
    And one of those is Roma’s former Chelsea star Abraham, who is under contract until 2026.
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    The England international, 25, has proven himself to be a more than capable goalscorer in Italy since he joined Jose Mourinho’s side in 2021.
    He grabbed 17 Serie A goals and 27 in all competitions last season to help the club claim the inaugural Europa Conference League.

    But this term he has not been quite as prolific with just seven from his 27 appearances.
    Arsenal and Aston Villa have both been linked with moves to bring back the star back to the Premier League previously.
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    The switch to Roma ended Abraham’s 17-year affiliation with Chelsea.
    He joined the academy at Under-8s level and became a first-team regular after loans with Bristol City, Swansea and Aston Villa. 
    In 82 first-team appearances for the Blues, he managed 30 goals – including 12 in the 2020/21 season to make him the joint-top scorer. 
    The London-born ace also has three goals in 11 caps for England but was not selected as part of Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad. More

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    Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf SLAMS Marc Cucurella and says defender ‘is not good enough’ to play for Blues

    MARC CUCURELLA is “not good enough” to play for Chelsea, according to Blues legend Frank Leboeuf.Spaniard Cucurella, 26, arrived from Brighton in the summer for £62million.
    Frank Leboeuf says Marc Cucurella is ‘not good enough’ to play for ChelseaCredit: Getty
    Boss Graham Potter admitted the Spaniard has been suffering ‘family issues’Credit: Getty
    Since then the left-back has found good form difficult to come by amid Chelsea’s struggles.
    And that has led to him being dropped from the starting XI in recent games in favour of Cobham graduate Lewis Hall.
    Boss Graham Potter, who previously worked with the ex-Barcelona and Getafe ace at Brighton, has revealed that Cucurella has had family issues while going through his “difficult” transition to life at Stamford Bridge.
    But Chelsea legend Leboeuf, who won two FA Cups, a League Cup and the Uefa Cup and Super Cup during his five years at the club, is having none of it.
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    He told ESPN: “Hopefully Reece James and Ben Chilwell will go back into fitness as soon as possible because we need them.
    “We don’t want to see Cucurella anymore. With all due respect to a man that I don’t know, the player is not good enough for Chelsea. It’s as simple as that. 
    “It’s crazy that they signed him for £60m or £70m, but we can see that he doesn’t belong to this level.”
    Cucurella has been deployed at both full-back and centre-half in a back three this term.
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    He has started 16 of Chelsea’s 21 Premier League matches.
    Chelsea are currently languishing ninth in the top-flight and are 10 points off the top four and potentially looking at missing out on European football altogether next season.
    However, they are still in the Champions League and are preparing to face Borussia Dortmund in the last-16. More

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    Meet £6m England wonderkid Jimmy-Jay Morgan, 17, who Chelsea beat Man City and Arsenal to sign

    GARETH BALE, Luke Shaw, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and more have made their name away from Southampton, after coming through the club’s famed academy.The latest youngster who is expected to wow Premier League fans in years to come is Jimmy-Jay Morgan.
    Jimmy-Jay Morgan is expected to take the Premier League by stormCredit: Getty
    Morgan, who was at Southampton, has joined Chelsea for £6m
    But, the fleet-footed forward, 17, won’t be showcasing his skills on the south coast.
    Instead, he could turn out for Chelsea – after joining the Blues in a £6million deal on the last day of the January transfer window.
    Todd Boehly’s team reportedly beat Man City and Arsenal to the signing of the teenager.
    So, what kind of player are they getting?
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    Last year, Morgan scored 27 goals for the U16s – frightening defences with his pace, power and lethal finishing.
    He was promoted to the U18s, where he scored 13 more.
    This campaign, the wonderkid has added hold-up play to his game.
    It hasn’t stopped him from scoring goals for fun, including six in 13 starts. But he has added five assists too that show he’s become a better team player.
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    Saints coach Louis Carey purred about the England U17 star after Morgan scored a hat-trick in the Premier League Cup – a competition for U21s.
    ““I know Jimmy gets the headlines and the match ball, he can finish and the range of finishes is at the level we probably haven’t seen coming through the system for many years,” Carey said after Southampton brushed aside Birmingham 4-0.
    “That’s a huge positive, but when you look at the goals it’s a set-play that’s worked on, him pressing or Dom Ballard making incredible runs to take away defenders, and then the quality from the boys to find the pass, effort that allows his goals to come.
    “But at the end of it you need someone like Jimmy to finish, and as I said I think he’s one of the best I’ve seen in my time here.”
    Last year, Morgan scored 27 goals for the Saints in the U16s
    Morgan has been capped by England at youth level
    With just 18 months left on his contract Southampton had to cash in on MorganCredit: Getty
    Contract rebel
    Morgan had just 18-months left of his contract, before Chelsea swooped.
    After he turned down a deal the week before the Blues came in for him, manager Nathan Jones hoped he would make the “right choices” in his career.
    Ahead of the FA Cup tie against Blackpool, Jones said: “Jimmy is a fantastic player with a bright future if he picks the right choices and the people that are working with him handle him well and if we work him in training and develop him into the right level.”
    However, he was snubbed from the match day squad, which Jones had explained the reasons for before.
    “If it’s right for us tomorrow to put a youngster in, we’ll do it. What we won’t do is put anyone in gratuitously,” he said.
    Morgan left Southampton without making a first team appearance
    Big things are expected from Morgan
    “They have to earn it, they have to be ready. When they do and they get their opportunities, we’d like them to take it, so we’ll see.”
    Sadly for Southampton fans, they didn’t get the chance to see Morgan in action.
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    He leaves without making a first team appearance. Time will tell if he made the “right choice” in joining Chelsea and will get the opportunities to impress. More

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    Chelsea ‘to end £40m-a-year sponsorship deal with Three as Todd Boehly aims to boost revenue after transfer splurge’

    CHELSEA are planning to end their big money sponsorship deal with Three as Todd Boehly pursues a more lucrative deal, according to reports. The American owner has overseen a huge transfer splurge in January as the Blues recruited some of the most promising talent from around Europe.
    Three have had their logo on the front of Chelsea shirts since 2020Credit: Reuters
    The spending has left rival clubs scratching their heads with financial fair play rules meant to restrain the richer clubs.
    With the window closed, Boehly now appears to have turned his attention to boosting the club’s revenue to help comply with transfer rules.
    The Telegraph report that the consortium led by Boehly are looking to move on from the deal with Three.
    The phone company’s logo has featured prominently on the Chelsea kit since 2020 in a deal worth £40m-a-year.
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    But reports say the new ownership believe they can strike a far more lucrative deal than that with Three.
    The club are said to have no plans to extend the contract beyond this season.
    Three angered some Chelsea fans last season after publicly asking for their logo to be removed from the football shirt.
    Their request came amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when Roman Abramovich came under heavy scrutiny for his relationship with the Kremlin.
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    The issue would eventually lead to Abramovich selling up to the Clearlake group led by Boehly.
    They have overseen a dramatic first season at Stamford Bridge which has included heavy spending during both the summer and winter windows and the sacking of Thomas Tuchel early in the season. More

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    Chelsea look blunt up front but Kepa Arrizabalaga and Thiago Silva continue to provide impressive Dream Team returns

    CHELSEA’S transfer dealings may have excited their fans recently but the Stamford Bridge faithful have been struggling to stay awake on match days.The Blues have won just twice since the turn of the year, scoring only three goals in their last seven fixtures.
    After two 0-0 draws in a row, a lack of potency and cohesiveness in the final third is Graham Potter’s primary concern but three consecutive clean sheets reflect positively on the defensive unit.
    Clean sheets are coming far easier than goals for Chelsea right nowCredit: getty
    This contrast is reflected starkly by the Dream Team rankings.
    Mason Mount (£3.6m), Hakim Ziyech (£2.6m) and the like have barely produced two points to rub together in the last few Game Weeks whereas Kepa Arrizabalaga (£3.4m) and Thiago Silva (£5.8m) are thriving.
    The latter has been among the top ten defenders pretty much since the get-go.
    An absolute class act, the veteran centre-back’s overall tally of 107 points puts him fourth in his position – only the Newcastle trio of Kieran Trippier (£6.6m), Fabian Schar (£4.8m) and Dan Burn (£4.8m) are above him.
    After a lean run of ten points in eight outings between Game Weeks 12 and 17, Silva has responded superbly with 29 in his last three appearances.
    The Brazilian defender was deservedly named Star Man against Liverpool and he narrowly missed out on making it two from two following his side’s stalemate with west London rivals Fulham on Friday night.
    Fine wines and all thatCredit: getty
    Silva is in a league of his own among team-mates, 29 points ahead of Chelsea’s next-best player, and 44 points ahead of the club’s second-best defender, Marc Cucurella (£3.3m).
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    The aforementioned Arrizabalaga is that man 29 points short of Silva but it’s worth noting that Edouard Mendy (£3.2m) was first-choice goalkeeper for the first two months of the campaign.
    In fact, among keepers to have played at least five games this season, only Nick Pope (£5.3m) averages more points-per-game (4.8) than the Chelsea’s Spaniard (4.1).
    Arrizabalaga has worked his way up to third in the rankings among assets in his position and yet he features in just 2% of teams, making him significantly less popular than the likes of Alisson (£3.9m), Aaron Ramsdale (£4.2m) and Ederson (£4.5m), who all have fewer points at the time of writing.
    Overlooked by Dream Team managersCredit: getty
    In fact, even Silva’s ownership is a modest 5.4% and he’s been consistently brilliant for months on end now.
    It’s likely that many Dream Team gaffers are assuming that Chelsea’s inability to score goals means there’s no points to be had but in Kepa and Silva, Stamford Bridge is home to two of the very best defensive assets in the game this season. More

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    Chelsea ‘are keeping tabs on former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique’ as pressure mounts on Graham Potter

    CHELSEA are reportedly keeping tabs on former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique. The Blues are having one of their poorest seasons for years but spent heavily in the January window to try and rectify their fortunes.
    Luis Enrique has enjoyed great success as a manager at club levelCredit: Getty
    Goalless draws against Liverpool and Fulham are all Chelsea have to show for so far despite their lavish window.
    Graham Potter is under growing pressure to turn things around at Stamford Bridge, and Fichajes report the club are eyeing another manager.
    Luis Enrique is believed to be someone the club are following closely – but the report does not suggest Potter’s job is under immediate threat.
    Enrique has been out of work since leaving his role as Spain boss following the country’s underwhelming World Cup showing.
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    La Furia Roja crashed out in the last-16 to surprise package Morocco after failing to score any of their penalties following a goalless 120 minutes.
    He had been in charge of the national team since 2018 but failed to bring home silverware, with the Euros in 2021 also ending with a penalty shootout loss.
    The lack of success nationally was in sharp contrast to his achievements at club level.
    The 52-year-old secured an extraordinary treble in his first season in charge of Barcelona as he bought home La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League trophies in 2015.
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    He would win La Liga again and the Copa del Rey twice more before departing the Nou Camp when his contract expired.
    With a difficult trip to West Ham up next for Chelsea, Potter is desperate to drag the Blues up the table from their lowly 9th position.
    Mykhailo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez and Benoit Badiashile were among those recruited last month during a spending spree which neared £300m. More

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    Chelsea could land Denzel Dumfries in swap transfer with Inter Milan as they target Trevoh Chalobah

    CHELSEA could land Denzel Dumfries as part of a swap transfer with Trevoh Chalobah, according to reports.Inter Milan are desperate to bring in a new centre-back at the end of the season.
    Denzel Dumfries could be on his way to Chelsea as part of a swap transferCredit: Getty
    Trevoh Chalobah is on the list of Inter Milan centre-back targetsCredit: Getty
    Milan Skriniar, who has been stripped of the captaincy, has agreed a pre-contract arrangement to join Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
    And so Simone Inzaghi is scouting for a defender to replace the departing Slovakian.
    According to Juve News’ Niccolo Ceccarini, Chalobah is on their list of possible options.
    The Blues ace, 23, has progressed through the academy to become a first-team regular.
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    He has made 18 appearances this term, starting 11 Premier League matches.
    However, the arrivals of Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana this season may have hindered Chalobah’s long-term opportunities at Stamford Bridge.
    So Inter may try and scoop to bring in the former England Under-21 international, whose pal Fikayo Tomori made a similar switch from Chelsea to Milan.
    And to sweeten the deal, the Nerazzurri could use Dumfries in the exchange.
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    Holland ace Dumfries, 26, has been linked with Chelsea in the last two transfer windows.
    But the Blues may be less keen for the wing-back after securing Malo Gusto in January for £35million before sending him straight back to Lyon on loan.
    Another player being considered by Inter is Chris Smalling.
    The former Manchester United man’s contract at Roma expires this summer and he is stalling over accepting the two-year offer on the table.
    So Inter, who missed out on Harry Maguire on loan last month, would be keen to pounce and land him on a free transfer should he decide against extending his stay at the Stadio Olimpico.
    It is understood Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini and Merih Demiral remain Inter’s preferred targets.
    The San Siro giants are also interested in Rodrigo Becao, whose Udinese deal runs out in 2024, and Fiorentina ace Nikola Milenkovic. More