Chelsea transfer news

GRAHAM POTTER might have to stop living beside the seaside after taking the Chelsea job.The 47-year-old married dad-of-three has settled in at a house on the south coast since his appointment at Brighton boss three years ago.
Graham Potter and his assistant Billy Reid have both made the switch from Brighton to ChelseaCredit: Getty
But his new five-year deal with the Blues and growing resentment from Albion fans might lead him to relocate to be closer to London, according to The Athletic.
They report that Potter’s family home near the seafront in Hove is a ‘manageable 75-minute drive’ from Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham, Surrey.
That kind of geography makes it a realistic option for him to stay put and commute.
But the higher levels scrutiny at the five-time Premier League winners could end the ‘relative anonymity’ he has enjoyed since his return to English football in 2018.
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The Athletic also point out that a ‘shift in mood among Brighton supporters’ in the wake of Potter’s exit might influence his thinking.
Seagulls fans were said to be ‘resigned’ to losing Potter, assistant Billy Reid, coach Bjorn Hamberg and recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay when the Prem giants came calling last week.

However, their report adds: “But a wave of anger broke out among fans on social media when it was announced that long-serving pair Bruno Saltor (assistant coach) and Ben Roberts (goalkeeping coach) have gone with Potter, too.”
Former Ostersund and Swansea chief Potter looks set to make his bow as Blues boss in Wednesday’s Champions League clash with RB Salzburg.
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He then has a testing nine-game run of European and domestic fixtures taking him up to an October 29 return to the Amex Stadium with his new superstar squad.
Whether his journey to work for that Prem clash is from nearby Hove or a new home closer to the capital remains to be seen. More

CHELSEA have offered N’Golo Kante a new three-year contract, according to reports… but the Frenchman wants four.The midfielder, 31, has entered the final season of his current deal at Stamford Bridge.
N’Golo Kante has missed five of Chelsea’s seven matches this seasonCredit: Getty
Concerns exist surrounding his injury record, but the Blues remain keen to keep the Frenchman.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea’s former owners had proposed a three-year extension with the option of a fourth.
Talks paused as the club were taken over by Todd Boehly, before a new verbal offer was made last month.
The fresh terms, however, only included two years plus the option of a third.
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As it stands Kante is not willing to accept such a deal as he wants the security of a longer contract.
The highly-rated star is happy at Stamford Bridge and would be willing to play there for the rest of his career.

But as it stands, Kante could walk away as a free agent next summer – and even negotiate with clubs overseas in January.
Chelsea chiefs are taking his troublesome injury record into consideration, with the star having already missed five of his side’s seven matches so far this campaign.
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Should he fail to agree terms with the Blues, Kante is claimed to have two interested suitors in the Premier League – as well as others in Spain, Germany and France.
Kalidou Koulibaly, also 31, was awarded the four-year contract that Kante covets following his summer transfer from Napoli.
Kante has made 262 appearances for Chelsea since joining from Leicester in 2016 – winning a Premier League title, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup during his time in West London. More

CHELSEA could bring a handful of global superstars to Stamford Bridge if Luis Campos joins as sporting director.Owner Todd Boehly is keen on the Portuguese chief and the club have reportedly made contact with the Paris Saint-Germain chief.
Chelsea could welcome a handful of superstars to the squad in January
Cristiano Ronaldo could try and leave Manchester United again in JanuaryCredit: Alamy
Neymar is a long-term transfer target of ChelseaCredit: Getty
Chelsea plan to spend big once again in January so are determined to have a sporting director in place before the transfer window re-opens.
Boehly was responsible for conducting Chelsea’s transfer activity in the summer and was keen to add star quality to the squad in Cristiano Ronaldo.
And the American could appoint Campos to help bring Ronaldo to West London, having clashed with Thomas Tuchel after the former boss rejected the chance to sign the Manchester United forward.
CR7 was keen to leave Manchester United in the summer and his team-mates believe the striker is angling for a January move, SunSport have revealed.
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Ronaldo was also said to be keen on joining Chelsea and could lead the line for Graham Potter’s side if he signs in January.
He could be joined in attack by Neymar – a long-term Blues target.
Paris Saint-Germain reportedly offered the Brazilian to Chelsea on deadline day and Campos could make signing the winger a priority if he joins the Blues.
With Campos at the helm Chelsea would see an increased likelihood of landing PSG captain Marquinhos too, having previously been rejected by the defender.
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Adding the PSG pair to the squad would likely mean another huge outlay for Boehly – but he has shown he is prepared to spend big.
Last month Gary Neville accused the Chelsea owner of treating the club like he is playing football manager.
Boehly had a scattergun approach in the window and was forced into spending heavily on the likes of Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana after missing out on other transfer targets, such as Jules Kounde. More

CHELSEA want to set up a network of feeder clubs to rival Premier League titans Manchester City.The club’s new owners are looking into revamping the whole structure at Stamford Bridge and that includes the development of young players.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly would like to invest in feeder clubsCredit: Rex
Manchester City’s owners are into the double digits with clubs around the worldCredit: PA
Chairman Todd Boehly and his board of directors have been studying business models of other teams.
One area where they can see an opportunity to improve is by spreading Chelsea’s scouting and development tentacles across Europe and eventually beyond.
The medium to long term plan is for Chelsea to buy stakes in continental teams with a view to them becoming ‘feeder’ clubs for the Blues.
From then Chelsea will cherry pick the best young talent from abroad or those emerging through the academy and pack them off to their subsidiary to put their skills to the test.
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Premier League champions City have led the way on this and the City Football Group has invested in various clubs globally.
In Europe there are links with Troyes in France, Lommel SK in Belgium, Girona in Spain and Italy’s Palermo.
Elsewhere they have interests with Melbourne FC in Australia, Montevideo City in Uruguay, Yokohama Marinos in Japan’s J-League and New York City FC.
Boehly is keen to copy that and improve upon it as part of his long-range vision to make Chelsea a huge global brand.
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They have already been linked with a move for former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards.
Boehly wants a new person to assist in signings and developing the club’s scouting system and is hoping to make an appointment before the start of the World Cup in November.
New head coach Graham Potter will be fully assisting in the process. More