Chelsea transfer news

JIMMY FLOYD HASSELBAINK has slammed Chelsea for their performance at Nottingham Forest – and was left concerned by their lack of creativity.Raheem Sterling’s first Prem goal since August put the Blues on course for a second victory in six days after they beat Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was not happy with what he saw from ChelseaCredit: AFP
The Blues legend was angry with their second half performance at ForestCredit: Getty
But Graham Potter’s side turned in a lacklustre second half display and were pegged back on 63 minutes.
Chelsea failed to deal with a corner and ex-Tottenham man Serge Aurier was given time and space to control and poke past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Incredibly, they mustered up just ONE attempt on goal throughout the whole second half, compared to nine for Forest, who deservedly walked away with a point.
It’s now just four wins in 10 league games under Potter’s guidance and Hasselbaink was worried by what he saw.
read more on football
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “It was far from good enough from Chelsea.
“You know at 1-0 up Forest will do something different, and you need to be able to deal with that. 
“What really worries me is that they don’t create chances.
“You have to come here and win. It doesn’t matter how, you need to come here, bottom of the league, and win. 
Most read in Football
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
Chelsea managed just two shots on target against struggling Nottingham Forest
“And if you draw, the best player on the pitch has to be Dean Henderson, and that wasn’t the case.
“Its bad defending from Chelsea. Everyone’s looking at the ball and forgetting about Aurier.”
The result leaves Chelsea seven points behind the Champions League places.
And the gap could be TEN by the time they return to action against reigning champions Manchester City on Thursday.
Chelsea face back-to-back games against Man City More

GRAEME SOUNESS has slammed Chelsea’s transfer business under new owner Todd Boehly.The Blues have struggled in front of goal this season, netting 12 times in 10 Premier League games under Graham Potter.
Graeme Souness has slammed Chelsea’s transfer business under Todd BoehlyCredit: Alamy
Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner were both allowed to leave in the summerCredit: Getty
And Souness, 69, questioned the decision to sell Timo Werner in the summer and let Romelu Lukaku leave on loan.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was brought in but has struggled in front of goal, with Kai Havertz often leading the line.
Chelsea spent nearly £200million on Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly in the summer to strengthen at the back.
But Souness believes additions are needed up front instead, with Havertz not the right man to lead the line.
Read More In Football
He said on Sky Sports: “No he’s [Havertz] not going to get enough goals. 
“It is madness to sell Timo Werner, [Romelu] Lukaku and then spend £170m on three defenders.
“Surely you must think, football has never changed. The hardest thing to find is goalscorers.”
Boehly prioritised defensive reinforcements in the last transfer window and is set to continue adding at the back with Benoit Badiashile set to join from Monaco.
Most read in Football
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
Souness suggested the “priority” should have been to sign a striker after Werner and Lukaku departed.
He added: “Spending £170m on defenders, if you can afford it go out and do it, but the priority for me is you have sold two strikers, they weren’t the answer not long term or short term, but were better than what they have got right now.
“You can’t tell me they are better off with the firepower they have got now.”
Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling were signed in the summer, but the former has managed just one league goal since his arrival from Barcelona.
Christoper Nkunku is expected to join at the end of the season, although the RB Leipzig man is not an out and out striker. More

GRAHAM POTTER told his struggling Chelsea stars to start ‘running through brick walls’ like their opponents.The Blues took the lead through a bizarre Raheem Sterling strike but Serge Aurier’s tidy finish limited them to a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Graham Potter accused Chelsea of being too slow and admitted a point was the most they deserved from the 1-1 draw away to lowly ForestCredit: AFP
Potter, whose side are seven points adrift of the top four in eighth, said: “Our level wasn’t good enough, we didn’t move fast enough.
“It would have been unfair if we had taken more than a point.
“They make teams suffer and we had to suffer.
“On one hand, you have players asking if they can have the players’ shirts.
READ MORE TOP FOOTBALL
“On the other, they are thinking, ‘I am going to run through a brick wall here to prove I am good enough to beat, or play for, Chelsea’.
“We have to be humble enough to know that is the challenge we face and we have to do better.”
Ivorian striker David Datro Fofana, 20, was at the City Ground to watch his new club after agreeing a £8.7million move to Stamford Bridge from Norwegians Molde.
Monaco’s France international centre-back Benoit Badiashile, 21, is scheduled for a medical ahead of his £35m move.
Most read in Football
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
And Chelsea are also on course to complete the capture of 18-year-old Vasco de Gama midfielder Andrey Santos for £11m.
But Potter’s biggest signing could be Argentina’s World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who will cost around £100m from Benfica.
Forest boss Steve Cooper believes his side deserved better as they made it six games without defeat in all competitions.
He said: “I know we didn’t win but it was a good reference point that we can play against the big teams in the league.
“We were unlucky with their goal, it hits the bar and drops on to Raheem’s right foot.
It would have been unfair if we had taken more than a point.Graham Potter
“They have world-class players all over but we were the better team over the course of the game.
“On that basis a point is the least we deserve.”
Big-spending Forest will also make moves in this month’s transfer window after Cooper revealed his side’s latest injury blow.
Jesse Lingard limped out of Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester United and Cooper confirmed: “Jesse is out for a month. He has a hamstring injury.”
Read More on The Sun
Meanwhile, Forest have condemned homophobic chants aimed at Chelsea fans by a section of the City Ground faithful.
They tweeted: “The club do not condone any discriminatory or offensive behaviour. The matter will be investigated.” More

SERGE AURIER scored his first Premier League goal for over two years in another poor result for Chelsea boss Graham Potter.Forest defender Aurier had not found the net since Spurs battered Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford in October 2020.
Raheem Sterling opened the scoring for ChelseaCredit: Reuters
Sterling now has four Premier League goals this termCredit: AFP
Serge Aurier equalised volleying home past KepaCredit: PA
Forest were full value for their point and were unlucky not to winCredit: Getty
But the Ivorian full-back delivered a striker’s finish in the 63rd minute as Steve Cooper’s team scored for the first time this season after conceding.
It was no more than Forest deserved.
Equally, though, Chelsea, so comfortable at half-time as they led through a goal from Raheem Sterling, will once again wonder how they let another three points slip through their fingers.
It is now just one win in seven League games for Graham Potter, whose side now face Manchester City on Thursday.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
After taking a step forward in the 2-0 Boxing Day win over Bournemouth, this was two steps backwards.
Yet despite only leading at the break with that 16th minute Sterling goal, Chelsea were controlling the game.
Mason Mount wasted the first chance with a shot off target, much to the delight of the home fans who accused him of being a Derby reject.
Brennan Johnson used his pace to get clear of Marc Cucurella but his initial shot, and also the rebound, were saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Most read in Football

HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
Morgan Gibbs-White, who created that chance with a ball over the top, hammered a shot against the legs of Cesar Azpilicueta and there was a sense that Forest were gaining some momentum.
But that all changed when Boly attempted to flick a cross from Mount away to safety.
Trying to prevent Kai Havertz from being presented with a decent chance, Boly sent the ball looping into the air, onto the bar and then out to a shocked but grateful Sterling.
The England international actually did well to keep his composure as he had little time to think about the chance but from six yards out, he took a gentle swing at the ball with his right foot and Renan Lodi, standing on the line, did not have a chance.
Referee Peter Bankes then went on to infuriate the home team by awarding a string of free-kicks to Chelsea 
Yet regardless of the ref, Forest were still poor in the first half. Worryingly, Cooper’s side have failed to score a first half  goal in 12 of their 17 games.
Less than 90 seconds after the break, Taiwo Awonyi got into a good position but drove a shot straight at Kepa.
And  Awonyi was then left furious with team-mate Johnson for failing to square for what could have been a simple tap-in.

Instead, Johnson went for glory and his shot was too near the Chelsea keeper and also at an easy height to push away.
When Kepa was beaten by a decent shot, a stunning first-time effort by Gibbs-White on the edge of the area, Chelsea were saved by the woodwork.
Yet Forest deserved an equaliser and it eventually came when Chelsea failed to clear Gibbs-White’s corner.
Weirdly, Christian Pulisic jumped too early, Boly won an easy header and Aurier controlled the ball with his chest and then swivelled to squeeze a shot past Kepa at the near post.
Read More on The Sun
Potter made a triple substitution with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Conor Gallagher and Hakim Ziyech all introduced but it had no effect.
Chelsea will have to be a hell of a lot better against City on Thursday or else things could start getting really tricky for Potter.
Potter has one win in his last eight and the Blues are at risk of falling out of the Champions League huntCredit: Getty
Chelsea are seven points off fourthCredit: AFP
Chelsea face Man City on Thursday and cannot afford another lossCredit: Reuters More