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    Chelsea all but confirm £97m Mykhailo Mudryk transfer with bizarre Instagram hint after gazumping Arsenal

    CHELSEA can’t contain their glee over beating Arsenal to £97million Mykhail Mudryko – judging by their odd behaviour on Instagram.The Blues are already following the Shakhtar Donetsk winger and urged fans to “show him some love” – even though his arrival is not yet official.
    Chelsea’s Instagram post about Mudryk appeared brazen
    Chelsea gave a massive nod to suggest they’ve won the race for Mykhailo Mudryk by adding his handle to their bio
    Arsenal thought they had the Ukraine international in the bag but were hoping his club would reduce their sky-high demands.
    Mudryk, 22, had even regularly teased a moved to the Emirates himself on social media.
    But Chelsea gazumped them at the last minute with a stunning £97million offer to take their jaw-dropping January spending past £150m.
    And they were quick to rub it in to their London rivals, by adding the winger’s Instagram handle to their official page’s bio – even though the deal is not yet official.
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    They then urged fans to get involved as they posted a picture of their incoming star roaring with delight, alongside the words: “Drop @mmudryk10 a message to show some love!”
    That plea, though, sparked a hostile reaction from many followers.
    One replied: “Chelsea is embarrassing right now, We all know he wants to go to Arsenal we’re even putting him on our bio trying to get him to sign w/us is absolutely low.
    “If you don’t want to join us we must not sign you no matter the talent. this is not the Chelsea I know.”
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    Another said: “This club ruins young talent like no other.”
    A third fan was even more brutal: “Feel bad for him. He deserves better than coming here and lose every week.”
    And how about this for pessimism? “I wish you the best of luck with no European football next season. Yet another career ruined. Come on you Blues.”
    But of course some supporters did rally round as they anticipate soon watching one of Europe’s most exciting talents.
    One wrote: “Admin on fire tonight . We are Chelsea Football Club.”
    Mudryk is said to have accepted a seven-and-a-half year contract at Stamford Bridge, despite previously stating his preference was Arsenal.
    The Gunners agreed personal terms but are understood to have bowed out of the bidding war after having two offers rejected.
    It means Mudryk will follow in £35m centre-back Benoit Badiashile, £10m striker David Datro Fofana and wideman Joao Felix, whose half-season loan from Atletico Madrid is also costing the Blues £10m. More

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    Crystal Palace to launch new transfer bid for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher as England midfielder drops down pecking order

    CRYSTAL PALACE will make one final bid for Conor Gallagher before January’s window shuts.Eagles boss Patrick Vieira wants his former loan star back.
    Crystal Palace are pushing to sign GallagherCredit: Getty
    And Palace’s money men would find the funds to sign the fan favourite from Chelsea.
    The England midfielder, 22, has been shunted round the Blues side in different positions since he went back to Stamford Bridge last summer.
    And he may go further down the pecking order soon as Graham Potter searches for more reinforcements.
    Gallagher is still committed to making it at his boyhood club and that may be the biggest obstacle to progress for Palace.
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    Vieira wants an extra midfielder and if Gallagher says no then he may have to go elsewhere and that door closes.
    Palace are also sweating on their chances of re-signing long-term target Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
    Manchester United can now ask for a fee after the right-back’s recent run in the side raised his profile.
    The Eagles were counting on a loan move until that development but it would be a stretch to buy him now and match his Old Trafford wages.
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    And another Palace target Danny Ings is ready to tough it out at Aston Villa until the end of the season.
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    The striker, 30, is also wanted by Everton but a loan request has been rebuffed with a sale a possibility.
    And the experienced star is happy to give it a go at Villa Park under still relatively new boss Unai Emery and then see what happens in the summer.
    Villa could move other players out for the right price, with left-back Lucas Digne’s place now under threat by the signing of Real Betis’ Alex Moreno. More

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    Chelsea fans FUME as club agrees £89m Mykhailo Mudryk transfer after failing in Enzo Fernandez bid

    CHELSEA fans have lashed out after the club reached a megamoney deal to sign Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhailo Mudryk after giving up on their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez.The Blues have hijacked Arsenal’s bid for Mudryk, 22, as they reached a staggering £97million deal with Shakhtar.
    Chelsea have agreed a megamoney deal to sign Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhailo MudrykCredit: Kenny Ramsay
    Chelsea fans are fuming as they insist the money could have been used for Enzo FernandezCredit: Getty
    The winger is expected to put pen to paper on a seven-year deal with the West Londoners and fly to the UK to undergo a medical.
    However, a section of Chelsea fans are not at all happy with that development as they insist that money should have been invested on Benfica star Fernandez, 21.
    Graham Potter’s side was at loggerheads with the Portuguese giants as they refused to pay the midfielder’s £105m release clause and failed in their bid to negotiate.
    That was after the Argentina international’s stunning 2022 World Cup campaign that saw him win the title and being awarded as the tournament’s best young player.
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    One fan tweeted: “Mudryk’s worth €100m but apparently Enzo Fernandez isn’t worth €120m. Todd Boehly. Genius.”
    Another posted: “Chelsea would rather pay £85m to hijack Mudryk from Arsenal than bring in Enzo Fernandez. Misplaced priority.”
    A third commented: “Banter aside, add a little extra and go get Fernandez man. Let Mudryk go to Arsenal.”
    That supporter said: “We are going to pay 100M for a player who prefers Arsenal (Mudryk) and we are not going to pay 120M for one of the best players in the world cup (Enzo Fernandez) who WANTED TO GET TO CHELSEA.
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    “It’s a shame, this club is going to s**t if we don’t change our president and coach.”
    And that one tweeted: “Why are we spending €100m on Mudryk when the Midfield needs more attention?This should be spent on Enzo Fernandez.”
    Mudryk has long teased a move to Arsenal having openly discussed his desire to join as well as posting pictures watching the Gunners’ games on social media.
    But it now appears the Ukraine international is on his way to Chelsea. More

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    Chelsea AGREE stunning £97m Mudryk transfer after hijacking Arsenal move as he jets in to London for medical

    CHELSEA have agreed a deal worth nearly £100million to sign Ukraine star Mykhailo Mudryk.The Blues have blown Arsenal out of the water by agreeing a mega-fee with Shakhtar Donetsk.
    Chelsea have hijacked Arsenal’s bid to sign Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhailo MudrykCredit: Getty
    Chelsea reached a megamoney deal to sign Mykhailo MudrykCredit: Rex
    It is understood Chelsea will pay £62m up front, with up to £35m in performance-related add-ons, taking the potential total to an eye-watering £97m.
    Mudryk, 22, has agreed a seven-and-a-half year contract at Stamford Bridge – despite previously hinting that he wanted to join Arsenal.
    The Gunners agreed personal terms with the winger but pulled out of negotiations when Shakhtar started driving the price higher amid interest from Chelsea.
    Blues officials, including director of global talent and transfers Ben Winstanley, are reported to have travelled to Turkey, where Shakhtar are holding a training camp, to thrash out a deal.
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    The arrival of Mudryk will take Chelsea’s spending so far in January to well over £100m.
    Defender Benoit Badiashile arrived from Monaco for £35m, while David Datro Fofana came from Molde for about £10m.
    The Blues have splashed another £10m on a loan fee for Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, who was sent off on his debut against Fulham in midweek.
    The new Chelsea regime’s latest splurge on players follows the record-breaking £273m they spent last summer.
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    Mudryk is one of the hottest properties in world football after his impressive form for Shakhtar, particularly in the Champions League where he scored three goals and made two assists in six games.
    Chelsea boss Graham Potter is said to have personally driven the deal as he seeks to arrest a slump that has left the team in mid-table and facing a real battle to qualify for the Champions League. More

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    ‘It’s not working out’ – Ian Wright blasts ‘f***ing nervy’ Koulibaly and slams Kepa as he blames Chelsea flops for form

    IAN WRIGHT has hammered underperforming Chelsea stars Kalidou Koulibaly and Kepa Arrizabalaga.The former Arsenal striker has blamed the duo for the Blues’ current run of bad form.
    Ian Wright has blamed Kalidou Koulibay and Kepa Arrizabalaga for Chelsea’s poor formCredit: Rex
    The retired striker believes Koulibaly looks ‘f***ing nervy’ at the backCredit: Rex
    While he also insisted Arrizabalaga is making too many mistakesCredit: Getty
    Chelsea are currently on a horrid run of form that has seen them win just once in their last nine games in all competitions.
    The West London club’s last victory came against Bournemouth in the Premier League back in December.
    The Blues are currently dealing with an injury crisis and even manager Graham Potter has admitted that everyone at the club is “suffering”.
    Wright however has hit out at Koulibaly by suggesting that he look “f***ing nervy” against Fulham and that Spanish goalkeeper Arrizabalaga is too prone to mistakes.
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    He said on his Wrighty’s House podcast: “I’m looking at Kepa and I’m sorry man but it’s not working out.
    “The man makes too many mistakes. He looks very nervy.
    “When you look at Fulham’s goals and the Manchester City goal, I think Kepa has to do better.
    “The way the ball came in [for Vinicius’ goal for Fulham], it’s a good cross, it’s a tempting cross.
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    “But if the goalkeeper is in the right position, it shouldn’t give you a problem.
    “You either stay on your line or you go and palm it away, it was in the air long enough. 
    “We’re looking at a Chelsea side where even if they’re playing well, I cannot look at the goalkeeper and think he’s going to help them win a game. I can’t see it.”
    Arrizabalaga is the club’s first-choice stopper after the injury to Eduoard Mendy and is likely to keep his spot in the starting eleven.
    However Koulibaly was signed by the Blues in the summer for £34million, but he is yet to consistently show the form that he displayed regularly at Serie A side Napoli. More

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    Man Utd and Chelsea transfer target Victor Osimhen stars as Napoli demolish Juventus in huge Serie A title clash

    MANCHESTER UNITED and Chelsea transfer target Victor Osimhen scored twice as Napoli thrashed Juventus 5-1.The top-of-the-table clash was dominated by Napoli who are now ten points clear at the top of Serie A.
    Victor Osimhen was in fine form as Napoli thrased JuventusCredit: Reuters
    The striker powered home two headers in the top-of-the-table clashCredit: Getty
    Osimhen opened the scoring in the 14th minute and added a second after half-time to take his tally for the season to 13.
    Wonderkid Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has interested Manchester City, also got on the scoresheet along with Amir Rrahmani and Elif Elmas.
    Osimhen struck twice using his head – with his first a display of brilliant poaching instinct as he put in the rebound after Kvaratskhelia’s bicycle kick was saved.
    It is the first time Juventus have conceded five goals in a game in 30 years – dating back to their 5-1 defeat to Pescara in 1993.
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    Osimhen has been key for Napoli this season, scoring winning goals against Roma, Sassuolo and Bologna.
    United and Chelsea have been linked with a move for the Nigerian over the last few weeks but on this basis it will take a lot for Napoli to sell.
    The Red Devils could be plotting a summer move however, with the club said to be targeting a big-name striker following the loan arrival of Wout Weghorst this month.
    Osimhen fits that mould, and it is rumoured Napoli could let him leave for £60million.
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    Real Madrid are also reportedly plotting a move for the goalscorer to complement Karim Benzema in attack.
    Tottenham are also weighing up a move for Osimhen in case Harry Kane leaves the club. More

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    Chelsea ready to axe under-performing first team stars and ‘end player power’ to throw support behind Graham Potter

    CHELSEA’S big-name flops could be booted out as co-owner Todd Boehly wants to end “player power” and support boss Graham Potter.That’s the claim after Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Fulham left the Blues tenth with just one win in nine Prem games. 
    ManangerGraham Potter’s future is reportedly safe as Chelsea chiefs focus on whether the club’s failing players should be keptCredit: Getty
    The Telegraph say club chiefs have not even discussed the possibility of sacking Potter but WOULD consider a squad clear-out
    Chelsea chiefs want a reversal of the culture under previous owner Roman Abramovich, who was thought to favour superstar players over managers when it came to the crunch.
    CBS suggest Potter has been “informally assured” by the club board that he’ll be backed to make changes during the transfer window.
    And the former Saints boss has pleaded for unity amid Chelsea’s worst run for 12 years
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    After Fulham landed their first win over the Blues for 16 years, Potter said: “It’s important to stick together and try to get through this tough period.
     “It’s really frustrating, incredibly challenging. I feel for the supporters.”
    The future of  erratic attackers Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz could come under the fiercest spotlight.
    And although Joao Felix’s red card on his debut proved costly against the Cottagers, Chelsea are prepared to spend big to sign him permanently.
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    That’s if the loan winger from Atletico Madrid continues to impress as he did for the first 58 minutes.
    The Blues are also eyeing £35million-rated PSV wideman Noni Madueke.
    Potter reportedly also trailed the 20-year-old Londoner, an ex-Spurs youngster, when he managed Brighton. More

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    Chelsea eye £35m transfer for Madueke with club ‘in talks with PSV’ and his boss Van Nistelrooy ‘worried’ about exit

    CHELSEA are eyeing a move for PSV Eindhoven star Noni Madueke, SunSport understands.The former Tottenham youngster has impressed in the Eredivisie since joining PSV in 2018.
    PSV are reluctant to let Noni Madueke leaveCredit: Getty
    Graham Potter is believed to be a big fan of the winger and first registered an interest in the wonderkid while he was at Brighton.
    Chelsea technical director Christopher Vivell also tried to sign Madueke while he was at RB Leipzig.
    PSV are reluctant to let the 20-year-old leave but the Blues are interested in a £35million deal
    The Daily Mail report that they’ve already started talks.
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    The Dutch club sold Cody Gakpo to Liverpool earlier this month in a deal which could rise to £45m.
    So manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is hopeful the club will hold onto Madueke, who has just recovered from a long-term ankle injury he picked up in October.
    Van Nistelrooy told De Telegraaf: “I know there is interest.
    “This is due to its qualities and performance. It’s worrisome.
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    “We need to see if we can keep him. I very much hope for that. We must do everything we can to do that. You also know that things can take off, if the purse is pulled hard.
    “Then you have to be ready with several options, because then you would lose the second player in the winter.
    “But as a coach you would rather keep your best players.” More