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      Jurgen Klopp fires subtle dig at Chelsea’s transfer splurge ahead of Liverpool tie and warns Boehly spending can’t go on

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      JURGEN KLOPP has aimed a subtle dig at Chelsea’s spending spree and suggested it can’t go on forever. Liverpool meet the Blues at Anfield tomorrow lunchtime with both teams sitting in mid-table.
      Todd Boehly cannot be accused of not spending money on Chelsea since last year’s takeoverCredit: Getty
      Jurgen Klopp is trying to get Liverpool back on track after a testing start to 2023Credit: Rex
      While Reds fans are set to celebrate Klopp’s 1000th game in management, Chelsea supporters will be keeping one eye on their phone for the announcement of yet another signing.
      The new ownership led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have already bought £152m worth of talent this month following a similarly expensive spree in the summer.
      Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk headlines January’s non-stop recruitment with the Blues beating rivals Arsenal to the £88m signing.
      But Klopp appears less than impressed with the London side’s methods.
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      When told about how much money Chelsea had spent, he said at his pre-match press conference: “Interesting. I can’t explain it, I have no idea. But if the numbers are true then it’s impressive.
      “I can’t see investment stopping in the future, so that means we have to do it as well. 
      “I believe in coaching, developing and team building 100 per cent. But meanwhile the managers out there, they are all good and they believe in that as well. 
      “So, if they start spending then if we don’t spend you will have a problem. I am not sure they can do that for the next 10 years though.”
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      Liverpool have only made one major signing in this window in the form of Dutch star Cody Gakpo for £37m.
      But Klopp said he is not concerned about being outspent.
      He added: “We’re in good hands and we know about responsibility. The moment you build a team doesn’t mean you do it new every year. 
      “It’s not worrying that other teams can spend, it’s a fact so we have to react to that as well.”
      Liverpool are looking for their first Premier League win of the calendar year so far.
      They’ve already been well beaten in trips to Brentford and then Brighton. More

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      Chelsea boost in Moises Caicedo transfer chase as Brighton boss admits he can’t guarantee £65m-rated star will stay

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      CHELSEA have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Moises Caicedo, after Roberto de Zerbi admitted it would be difficult for Brighton to keep a hold of him. Caicedo has been linked to Chelsea in a transfer which could see them shell out between £65-£75million.
      Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has admitted it will be tough to keep hold of Moises CaicedoCredit: Getty
      Chelsea want to sign the Brighton starCredit: Getty
      The 21-year-old has impressed this season
      The 21-year-old Ecuadorian has taken the Premier League by storm since stepping into the Brighton set-up initially under now-Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
      Under current manager De Zerbi, Caicedo’s development has continued at a rapid pace, with Brighton continuing to march up the table.
      However, this success has garnered interest from some major financial powerhouses, namely Chelsea.
      With the Blues already reportedly seeing a £65m bid turned down for the midfielder, De Zerbi has admitted the best he can hope for is for Caicedo to see out the season with them.
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      He said: “He is very important for us, it would be difficult to change with another player now.
      “I hope he finishes the season with us, but you know in the transfer market it is always difficult to give you one answer.
      “When there are some bigger teams and they want one of our players, it is good news for us.
      “The best solution for us is he can finish the season with us.
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      “Next summer, for him, is better to change team.”
      Brighton have become serial recruiters of top talent which is then flipped for a huge profit margin, as evidenced by sales such as Marc Cucurella, Ben White and most recently Leandro Trossard.
      Trossard arrived at the Amex Stadium in 2019 for £18m, but today was announced as a new Arsenal player having been sold for £27m.
      The respective fees they got for Cucurella and White saw Brighton receive more money than what it cost them to build their stadium.
      And Caicedo is set to be the next name on that list of profitable acquisitions by the club after he cost them just £5m.
      Chelsea have already splashed out over £150m on Myhkailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos this window, while also paying £10m for Joao Felix’s loan.
      Overall, their spending under Todd Boehly has seen them spend almost £400m, with a clever football financing tactic to get past Financial Fair Play known as amortisation.
      However, the spending is not set to end there, with the imminent arrival of Noni Madueke from PSV and the interest in Caicedo.
      And while De Zerbi hopes to keep Caicedo this month, he admitted a summer move will hinge on him keeping up his performances.
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      He added: “I don’t know (on summer transfer).
      “But if Caicedo continues to play like this – like the last games – it is possible he can leave for another team.” More

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      Todd Boehly hilariously pokes fun of Arsenal’s Trossard transfer and backs Chelsea decision to poach Mudryk from rivals

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      TODD BOEHLY weighed into the Leandro Trossard versus Mykhailo Mudryk debate by backing the new Chelsea star.The Blues hijacked Arsenal’s move for Mudryk after paying £88million for the Ukrainian after weeks of courting from the Gunners.
      Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard after missing out on Mykhailo MudrykCredit: Getty
      Arsenal had two bids for Mudryk rejected before he joined ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Todd Boehly showed his backing of the Mudryk deal
      Arsenal had two bids for the winger rejected by Shakthar Donetsk before he finalised a move to Stamford Bridge last weekend.
      The Gunners wasted little time in finding a replacement and secured a £27m deal for Brighton star Trossard.
      In response a Chelsea fan on Twitter asked which deal was the better piece of business.
      And Blues chief Boehly got involved by ‘liking’ the tweet, indicating his belief that Chelsea’s acquisition of Mudryk was the better of the two transfers.
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      Arsenal fans were split on the signing of Trossard, 28, with some concerned by his age.
      But many believe he could hit the ground running at the Emirates thanks to his Premier League experience.
      Trossard has been in superb form this season with seven goals in 16 Prem games – including a hat-trick at Liverpool.
      The Belgian will give manager Mikel Arteta options to play down the left wing – potentially against Manchester United.
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      During his time at the Amex, he mostly played on the left forward position and he could do the same at Arsenal.
      Another option Arteta would have with Trossard is to use him as a left-wing-back.
      Although he prefers to be further up the pitch, under former boss Graham Potter he often excelled in the position. More

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      How Chelsea could line up against Liverpool with Mudryk in line for debut and Loftus-Cheek easing injury crisis

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      CHELSEA have some interesting options to spring on Liverpool ahead of their huge clash at Anfield tomorrow. The new ownership led by Todd Boehly have not been shy about spending cash with Mykhailo Mudryk the latest big money signing to join up with the squad.
      Mudryk has impressed Graham Potter in trainingCredit: Getty
      Loftus-Cheek has recovered form his latest injury set-backCredit: Getty
      He is in line to make his debut tomorrow, while Graham Potter has also announced that Ruben Loftus-Cheek has made his way back from Chelsea’s lengthy injury list.
      But the game has come too soon for full-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell who are both back in training but will not be available tomorrow.
      All eyes will be on Mudryk when the line-ups are announced with fans keen to see whether Potter will play his new £89m signing from the start.
      Ahead of the game, Potter said: “He hasn’t played so much football recently but has been training well. There’s a chance [he could make his debut].”
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      Mudryk will be hoping for his first start while Potter may opt for experience elsewhere in the team
      With Chelsea’s post-World Cup performances largely flat, the ex-Brighton boss may turn to the 22-year-old to try and give Jurgen Klopp something to worry about.
      The winger is known for his electric pace which could prove a potential danger for the Reds’ high defensive line.
      With injuries mounting up for Chelsea and Joao Felix suspended, Potter has increasingly turned to young players to fill spots in the line-up.
      Teenager Lewis Hall has impressed at left-back in Chilwell’s absence and could continue tomorrow ahead of the out-of-favour £62m man Marc Cucurella.
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      Conor Gallagher and Carney Chukwuemeka will also hope to retain their starting places from last week’s win over Crystal Palace.
      But it’s possible the experienced Mateo Kovacic will be favoured given the high-stakes of the game, while the Mudryk arrival might see Chukwuemeka squeezed onto the bench.
      Elsewhere, new signing Benoit Badiashile will likely be trusted to slot in alongside Thiago Silva after his solid debut on Sunday.
      Alternatively, Potter could opt for a back three which he has often done as Blues boss.
      Potter may pick a back three for more solidity in the face of Liverpool’s dangerous front line
      Lewis Hall has impressed at full-back in the last few weeksCredit: Alamy
      In this scenario, Azpilicueta could be recruited to join the defence with Trevoh Chalobah pushed to right-wing back for his speed.
      While Mudryk could have to tuck in as he joins a front three of Mount and Havertz.
      The Anfield clash will see two Premier League giants go head to head – but they are both having troubled seasons.
      Chelsea and Liverpool are 10 points off the top four and failure to win for either could signal the end of any hopes of making an unlikely dash for a Champions League space.
      The Blues’ struggles come despite the club’s incredible spending spree with Noni Madueke potentially the latest talent to head for Stamford Bridge. More

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      Hakim Ziyech ‘offers himself to Barcelona’ after fearing Chelsea’s transfer spree will knock him down pecking order

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      HAKIM ZIYECH has reportedly offered himself to Barcelona.That’s because he fears Chelsea’s spending spree will limit his game time even more.
      Hakim Ziyech has offered himself to Barcelona amid fears over his playing time at ChelseaCredit: Rex
      Todd Boehly is set to make his sixth signing of the month with the £30million capture of PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke.
      The left-footer plays in the exact same position as Ziyech.
      And there is already plenty of competition for the spot in Chelsea’s squad, with Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic battling for starts.
      According to Sport, Ziyech now reckons he’s in for even fewer minutes after starting just three games this season.
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      The Moroccan is desperately scouting for a potential new home before the transfer window slams shut.
      And Barcelona has emerged as a possible destination after they sold Memphis Depay to Atletico Madrid.
      The Spaniards are thought to be on the lookout for a new creative forward.
      And Ziyech has now offered his services to Xavi Hernandez, who is hoping to lead Barcelona to the title after opening a three-point lead over Real Madrid.
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      The tactician already has two options for the right wing in Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha.
      But the latter has failed to impress since his £60m move from Leeds over the summer.
      And Dembele’s versatility means he could easily move to the left to accommodate Ziyech in Barca’s XI.
      It remains to be seen whether Xavi is interested in Ziyech, who can also operate through the middle as a No10.
      Yet the report concludes that Ziyech will not be short on options during the next 10 days.
      Chelsea are also open to offers but are likely to demand a permanent exit over a temporary loan. More

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      How Chelsea have splurged £385MILLION on transfers this season without breaking FFP rules – but it’s a VERY risky plan

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      CHELSEA’S stunning January spending has left plenty of rival fans pointing fingers and wondering how it is allowed.The imminent arrival of PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Mondueke will take the club’s winter splurge to around £181m, on TOP of the net £203m spent last summer.
      Noni Mondueke’s arrival at Chelsea will take Todd Boehly’s spending to £385mCredit: Getty
      This month’s eye-popping cash lay out by new Blues owner Todd Boehly appears a significant statement of faith in under-pressure Graham Potter.
      But the complexities – at times bafflingly so – of football finances means Chelsea are still on the right side of Financial Fair Play regulations.
      At least for now.
      For while clubs face more stringent cost control mechanisms now than ever before, the truth is that football economics and REAL economics are not the same thing. Or even close.
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      Premier League rules allow Chelsea to lose £35m per season, while Uefa’s current FFP regulations limit losses to £25m over a three year period.
      But Uefa are transitioning to new regulations linking spending to revenue, with clubs initially allowed to spend 90 per cent of their income, set to reduce to 70 per cent by 2024-25.
      Additionally, the impact of the Covid pandemic on incomes, when clubs played effectively behind closed doors for more than a season, has seen a loosening of the regulations. 
      And while those relaxations are now over, the way club expenditure and income is calculated also allows Chelsea to dig deep.
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      In 2020-21, after a season impacted by their Uefa transfer ban, then-boss Frank Lampard spent around £223m on acquiring players including Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, £72m Kai Havertz and Edouard Mendy.
      Chelsea’s total receipts on players sold was £68.4m, for a nominal “loss” of £154m.
      But football accounting means that incoming transfer fees are spread over the length of the contract – a concept called “amortisation” – while all the money for sales and loans out are booked at full value. 
      Likewise, last season’s transfers of Romelu Lukaku (at a club record £97.5m) and the loan fee for Saul meant an amortised spend of £24m, while sales including those of Fikayo Tomori, Mark Guehi, Tammy Abraham and Kurt Zouma banked £143.5m.
      Of course, those amortised calculations mean that transfer fees are “paid” for the duration of contracts, ensuring a hefty wedge each season.
      But it also means that the money Chelsea spent this summer only added around £40-45m to their official FFP spend, a figure almost exactly balanced by incoming fees.
      And it has been notable that Chelsea have announced contracts of seven-plus years for many of their winter recruits, spreading those transfer fees over the longer-term.
      Chelsea’s latest accounts, for the 2020-21 season, stated a turnover of £434.9m and a loss of £153.4m.
      But last season, despite the restrictions on income after government sanctions against former owner Roman Abramovich, Chelsea still had revenues – according to accountants Deloitte – of £481m.
      Noni Madueke is due to complete his £30m switch from PSVCredit: Getty
      There was even a positive effect from the forced sale to Boehly. 
      By paying off the £1.6bn debt owed to Abramovich, Chelsea’s financial slate was wiped clean.
      And the various legitimate accounting tricks allowed by football regulations mean that even with this year’s spending, Chelsea are likely to stay within the allowable losses.
      Chelsea, though, may be storing up long-term issues. 
      Football finance expert Swiss Ramble calculated their player amortisation costs are likely to be £212m this season.
      In addition, having green lit such huge spending, other clubs now know the Blues have to offload players – they currently have three more senior players than the 25 allowed and must act by the end of the window – and will “low-ball” them with offers.
      Failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League – as seems likely – will also bring a £40-50m black hole in revenues.
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      It might get tougher. Much tougher.
      But, for now, Chelsea fans do not appear to have anything to worry about. And rival supporters can keep pointing their fingers, to no avail. More

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      Chelsea facing HUGE Champions League headache as only THREE of six new signings from £188m transfer binge can play

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      CHELSEA’S January spending splurge has left boss Graham Potter facing TWO major selection dilemmas.And even a major squad clear-out in the final days of the winter window will only solve one of them.
      Graham Potter faces two major selection dilemmasCredit: Getty
      Chelsea have made six January signings including Joao FelixCredit: Getty
      Latest signing Noni Madueke could be left out of Chelsea’s Champions League squadCredit: Getty
      The Blues have landed PSV winger Noni Madueke as their SIXTH signing of the mid-season window.
      With the £35million arrival of the English former Spurs trainee, the Chelsea hierarchy will have sanctioned a remarkable £181m transfer outlay since the turn of the year.
      But Champions League rules mean that only THREE of the new recruits can be registered to play in the competition when Chelsea take on Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 next month.
      While Prem rules are different, allowing wholesale squad changes in the mid-season window, Chelsea have to stick to the required eight “home-grown” players and can only register a maximum of 17 overseas stars.
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      That means Potter must confirm a list of exits or have a host of players who are unable to play first-team football for the remainder of the season.
      And the different regulations deployed by Fifa and the Prem will make things even tricker.
      It certainly means hard decisions that will have to be taken when the dust settles on the exact make-up of the Blues squad on February 1.
      Joao Felix, signed on loan from Atletico Madrid, is a certainty to be the first of the chosen trio for Europe.
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      But that would mean Potter having to then add just two from defender Benoit Badiashile, £62m-plus Ukrainian schemer Mykhailo Mudryk, Ivory Coast striker David Datro Fofana, Madueke and £18m Brazilian recruit Andrey Santos, who is more likely to be loaned out for the remainder of the campaign. 
      And even that is not as “simple” as it appears.
      Joao Felix would normally be a straight swap for the stricken Armando Broja, with the Albania striker ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
      But Slough-born Broja, a Chelsea player since joining the club’s set-up as a schoolboy, is on the “B” list of players who were under-21 at the start of the season and, more pertinently, “locally-trained”.
      It could therefore mean he must replace another player – which suggests sales or loans out from the core squad are inevitable.
      Madueke, as an English player, will count as home-grown for the Prem but not for Uefa, which demands at least eight players who spent three years between the ages of 15 and 21 at a club in the same country. He left Spurs for Holland at 16.
      The assumption is that Badiashile will come in for the injury-plagued Wesley Fofana, at least for the Uefa list, as well as Mudryk.
      But that would leave no place for striker Fofana or Madueke, although they have both been signed for the long-term.
      And in the Prem, while under-21 players do not count, Chelsea’s current homegrown list is made up of third-choice keeper Marcus Bettinelli, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalabah, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling.
      Effectively, none of them can leave the club unless they are replaced by an English-qualified player.
      So far, only three of the new recruits – Joao Felix, Badiashile and Fofana – have made their Chelsea debuts.
      But the new arrivals – and there is continuing talk of a potential seventh signing, possibly Brighton’s Ecuadorean midfielder Moises Caciedo – mean Potter’s squad currently has 28 senior players, three more than the maximum permitted.
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      Prem rules give a hiatus to those regulations during January, allowing them all to be registered and play.
      But that moratorium ends when the window closes, meaning Potter and the Chelsea board have slightly more than a week to get their outgoings sorted and prevent omitted players having the right under Fifa regulations to move for nothing. More

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      Figures show Chelsea have overpaid £86.5m for five January transfers and taken huge risk over Mudryk and Badiashile

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      FIGURES show that Chelsea have overpaid by an astounding £86.5million for their five permanent January signings.Blues owner Todd Boehly has already splurged over £400m on transfers since buying the club last year – with £186.5m splashed out in the last three weeks alone.

      Mykhailo Mudryk was unveiled to the Stamford Bridge crowd last weekCredit: Getty
      Chelsea have bolstered their squad with the permanent additions of five exciting young starlets.
      But leading valuation platform Transfermarkt doesn’t think they got good bang for their megabucks.
      They reckon that the only signing they got decent value on was Molde striker David Datro Fofana.
      The Blues paid £10.5m to the Norwegian side for the forward, exactly what he was valued at.
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      Chelsea’s fee for Benoit Badiashile is certainly no disaster, shelling out £35m to Monaco for a promising young defender valued at £33m.
      But the West Londoners’ other three deals are a totally different story.
      Their most dramatic overpay appears to have been for Ukrainian star Mykhailo Mudryk.
      Arsenal had a £62m offer rejected for the winger, when Chelsea blew their bid out of the water by paying the £88m Shakhtar demanded.
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      Benoit Badiashile has already featured for the BluesCredit: Getty
      David Datro Fofana joined Chelsea from MoldeCredit: Getty
      Mudryk, 22, is an exciting talent… but Transfermarkt only lists him at £35m – a staggering £53m below what the Blues paid.
      Chelsea have today completed the signing of former Tottenham trainee Noni Madueke from PSV Eindhoven.
      The talented 20-year-old comes with plenty of pedigree, and cost a whopping £35m.
      Transfermarkt, however, wouldn’t value him at anything over just £13m.
      The Blues also signed Brazilian teenage wonderkid Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama earlier this month for £18m… despite him being valued at just £8.5m.
      Chelsea’s other January acquisition was the loan signing of Joao Felix.
      Graham Potter’s side have paid £10m merely to borrow him from Atletico Madrid for the rest of the season.
      The deal possesses no option to buy, while Atletico extended his contract to 2027 when sending him out on loan.
      Read More on The Sun
      Should Felix perform well at Stamford Bridge, their may be a bidding war for his signature in the summer.
      But his stint got off a rocky start, when he was red carded on his debut against Fulham last week.
      Wonderkid Andrey Santos has arrived at CobhamCredit: Getty
      Noni Madueke is set to join Chelsea for £35mCredit: Rex More