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      Chelsea make shock £40m Anthony Gordon transfer bid but Everton will demand at least £50m for 21-year-old striker

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      CHELSEA have made a shock £40million bid for Everton forward Anthony Gordon.The Blues have already spent nearly £170million on new players this window and have been linked with even more to bolster Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
      Anthony Gordon is one of Everton’s main starsCredit: Getty
      The latest of these is the Toffers star Gordon.
      He has drawn widespread praise following his bright performances for Everton last season.
      He has also played well in The Toffees opening games this yeear, despite both ending in defeats.
      And now Sky Sports are reporting The Blues have made a £40m offer for him.
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      However, Everton will demand at least £50m to allow one of their most valuable assets to leave.
      According to The Times, Chelsea’s pursuit comes down to a long-term strategy to invest in the future, and 21-year-old Gordon would suit that.
      Everton remain interested in Chelsea forwards Armando Broja and Michy Batshuayi, though whether a player-plus-cash offer would be submitted remains to be seen.
      Newcastle are also monitoring the situation around the England Under-21 forward.
      Gordon has played as a false nine in both of Everton’s games this season but naturally prefers to operate in a wider position.
      That was the case when Frank Lampard introduced Salomon Rondon against Aston Villa.
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      Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports: “It’s a lot of money for a very young player who’s just coming on to the scene, but I don’t see how Everton could accept that.
      “The position they find themselves in now; lacking attacking players, he’s the one big hope at the club even the supporters aren’t deaf at Everton.
      “They’ve lost the first two games and they know it’s going to be a difficult season.
      “They need an attacking player coming in so there’s no way they can let him go as he’s a local lad and he’s the one they’re all hanging their hats on.
      “I think it would need to be a lot higher than that if Everton were to sanction that.”

      Carney Chukwuemeka represents a similar profile to Gordon in terms of being a prodigy for the future.
      Chelsea have added Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling to their squad too.
      Cucurella and Koulibaly were both heavily involved as they made their home debuts against Tottenham Hotspur.
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      The game ended with a HEATED BUST-UP that saw Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel both sent off after the game finished.
      Two controversial goals were scored by Spurs as Rodrigo Bentancur and Christian Romero were lucky not to give away fouls just before Pierre Emile Hojbjerg’s and Harry Kane’s respective equalisers. More

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      Chelsea verdict: Tuchel will want Aubameyang even more now as Blues’ lack of killer instinct sees Spurs steal late point

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      THOMAS TUCHEL will want Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang even more after seeing his Chelsea side fail to kill off Tottenham on a dramatic afternoon at Stamford Bridge.The German saw red after the final whistle for his role in a furious encounter with Antonio Conte on the touchline.
      Thomas Tuchel came away from his side’s draw completely incensedCredit: AP
      Kai Havertz failed to put Chelsea out of sightCredit: Reuters
      An incensed Tuchel, 48, refused to let go of Conte’s hand as the Italian attempted a brief shake – leading to the pair engaging in their second angry clash of the afternoon.
      Even when the dust settles, the Chelsea boss will not believe his side threw two points away in such a profligate manner.
      For, on the balance of play, the Blues should have been out of sight by the time Harry Kane nodded his side level.
      Chelsea played Spurs off the park for the majority of the match, strangling the Lilywhites largely thanks to Tuchel’s brilliant game plan.
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      Kane and Son Heung-min were nullified by a combination of the Blues’ proactive front three and N’Golo Kante’s sensational screening.
      But in the periods of the match that Chelsea could have put Tottenham away, they didn’t.
      Kai Havertz was particularly guilty, seeing an effort saved by Hugo Lloris in the first half, before somehow volleying wide with the goal at his mercy in the second.
      Raheem Sterling also put a presentable opportunity over the bar at 1-0, when he could have put the Blues out of sight.
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      Tuchel publicly flirted with the idea of signing Aubameyang this week, admitting that it was a “pleasure” to work with him during his two years at Borussia Dortmund.
      The former Arsenal striker left the Emirates under a cloud, but bagged 79 goals in his two seasons working for Tuchel in Germany.
      And the Blues boss surely must feel that the 33-year-old could have had him out of sight today.
      Doubts were raised during Aubameyang’s time at Arsenal over whether he could contribute enough to be part of a coherent pressing side.
      But it seems logical that Tuchel would at least like the option to try.
      He waited until the 89th minute to introduce burly back-up striker Armando Broja this afternoon.
      And while the snarling former Southampton loanee impressed at St Mary’s – it’s likely that Tuchel would have been thrilled to possess the goal threat of Aubameyang instead.
      Tottenham’s point today could prove vital in the top four, or even title, race this season.
      And Chelsea’s boss will be determined not to gift any more points away by being unable to turn dominance into victory.
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      There are just over two weeks remaining in the transfer market.
      For Chelsea, the clock is ticking.
      Tuchel, 48, enjoyed great success with the former Arsenal captainCredit: Reuters More

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      Watch £34m Chelsea signing Kalidou Koulibaly score stunning volley from a corner to give his side lead against Tottenham

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      KALIDOU KOULIBALY volleyED a sensational opener on his home Chelsea debut against Tottenham.And the thumping early goal was direct from a corner by another new Blue, Marc Cucurella.

      Kalidou Koulibaly was the surprise scorer of a stunning 19th minute goal for Chelsea against big London rivals Tottenham on SundayCredit: Getty
      Central defender Koulibaly wheeled away with his tongue out to celebrate what fans on social media dubbed a “thunder” goal.
      Left-back Cucurella was making his first start since his £62million summer arrival form Brighton
      And in fact BOTH the Spaniard’s Premier League assists have come at Stamford Bridge – following one last December for the Seagulls.
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      Thomas Tuchel loves Amazon’s All or Nothing docs and is ‘open’ to Chelsea following Arsenal, Spurs and Man City

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      THOMAS TUCHEL loves fly-on-the wall football documentaries — but is in no particular hurry to star in one himself.After Spurs and Manchester City, Arsenal are the latest Premier League club to let Amazon Prime cameras follow them for a season.
      Tuchel loves the Amazon All or Nothing documentaries so much he’s open to letting Chelsea do oneCredit: Getty
      Arsenal are the latest side to take part in the series that documents life behind the scenes at football clubsCredit: Getty
      When it was put to Tuchel that a behind-the-scenes series about Chelsea’s turbulent 2021-22 campaign would have been TV gold, the Blues boss said with a rueful laugh: “Yes, it would have been.
      “We had these discussions many times. They started even in Dortmund and, as you can imagine, in Paris Saint-Germain we had these discussions pretty often.
      “Here, as you know, I enjoy it so much that it’s purely about football in this building and in this club. It is still one of the biggest joys and why I love it so much to be here.
      “To be honest, I watch the football documentaries also because I am curious and I want to see it.
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      “I 100 per cent would have watched it as a kid over and over again. But at the same time, I’m not so sure you see everything.
      “Maybe it’s new times and maybe at some point we will have to be open to it. I’m quite happy I was not asked the question so far — but let’s see, we are always open to new ideas.”
      When Tuchel WAS asked the killer question about whether Chelsea could be contenders for the Premier League title without further signings, he was not exactly talking up his club’s credentials.
      Ahead of hosting rivals Tottenham this afternoon, the Blues boss said: “I don’t want to limit our ambitions artificially at the beginning of August.
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      “And I don’t want to put pressure on us by putting out any number that we want to reach.
      “If you ask me if I feel confident enough that we can win the next match then, yes, I believe we can.
      “So we’ll prepare to beat Tottenham, which is a big ask at the moment, and which is a big match for us and a tough opponent.
      “And then we must go step by step, and this is a luxury that we deserve at the moment. We are in a bit of a delay. This is nobody’s fault. It’s the reality.”
      Chelsea’s new regime, fronted by chairman Todd Boehly has already spent some £165million on new players this summer.
      But it may not be enough to close the gap on champions Manchester City and Liverpool.
      Tuchel said: “I gave him a list and it would have been possible to fight straight for the title — but that was a pretty unrealistic list.
      “We can play fantasy football! But in the end we need to pay for it, we need to convince players and other clubs to give us their very best players — it’s simply not happening.
      “But I’m super happy with what we have succeeded with so far.
      “Maybe it is finished and we don’t do anything else and we fight with this squad.
      “If it’s not finished, we try to implement further quality and with this further quality, of course, the ambition level rises.” More

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      Watch Romelu Lukaku net just 81 seconds into Inter Milan return at Lecce as Chelsea loanee gets back onto scoresheet

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      ROMELU LUKAKU took just 81 seconds of his Inter Milan return to ease ten months of his Chelsea woe – with a Serie A goal.The loan striker headed a simple opener in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Lecce.
      Romelu Lukaku kept his goal celebrations modest, perhaps as it was so easy, but he must have been delighted with his second Inter debutCredit: AP

      But Inter’s ultimate hero was rumoured Chelsea target Denzel Dumfries.
      The Holland right-back, who has also been linked with Manchester United and Bayern, nicked Inter’s clincher five minutes into stoppage time.
      The former PSV Eindhoven star pounced on a corner – after Assan Ceesay had equalised for minnows Lecce early in the second period.
      Over the season, though, Lukaku’s contribution might be the difference.
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      And his goal came on the day another ‘flop’ Chelsea hitman in Timo Werner also made a scoring comeback with the club where he was most at home.
      The Germany ace swerved a long-distance opener in RB Leipzig’s 2-2 Bundesliga draw against Cologne.
      But that goal description is deceptive – because it was a soft effort that visiting keeper Marvin Schwabe somehow let squirm in.
      in contrast, Lukaku has failed to land a permanent return to his cherished Inter.
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      But his impact could be crucial – IF he can emulate his last Inter season of 24 goals when they won the title in 2020-21.
      The Belgian managed only eight last term during an in-and-mainly-out term with Thomas Tuchel’s Blues.
      But if he reignites his San Siro peak form then it could enable Inter to regain the top-flight crown from big rivals AC Milan.
      Many fans on social media backed Lukaku after his bright start.
      One took a jab at Chelsea by saying: “Him and Werner both scored today. Chelsea and Tuchel a laughing stock.”
      And another claimed: “Standard stuff He scores goals Chelsea didn’t provide him the platform to perform Definitely a player that needs faith in him love and attention.” More

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      Chelsea star Conor Gallagher made Newcastle’s No1 transfer target with £40m-rated ace seen as James Maddison alternative

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      NEWCASTLE have made Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher their prime target in the final weeks of the transfer window.Toon bosses would also like to sign James Maddison from Leicester – but their hopes of landing the Foxes playmaker are understood to be slim.
      Chelsea star Conor Gallagher is wanted by Newcastle this summerCredit: Getty Images
      So Newcastle will now step up their efforts to persuade Chelsea to sell their £40m-rated midfielder.
      Blues boss Thomas Tuchel insists he remains a “huge fan” of the young England star.
      But he acknowledges the challenge Gallagher faces to gain a place in his starting eleven, and admits every player has his price.
      The Chelsea head coach said: “In general, nobody is for sale, and everybody is for sale.
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      “It depends on what the player wants, how bad the player wants it, what we think, who is ready to pay a certain amount of money.
      “Then maybe everybody is for sale.
      “Conor fights in central midfield. To be very honest, it’s a tough fight for him because at the moment, as it seems, we only have two places in central midfield, which is a bit unfair given the number of players we have for central midfield.
      “It’s not ideal,I agree. But we have to do what’s best for the squad, not what’s best for every individual player.
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      “I’m a huge fan of Conor. He is first of all a fantastic guy.
      “In the first weeks of training, he showed how much of a step he made by having so much playing time and how much of a personality on the pitch he became.
      “It’s a very very normal situation in development that, after some really fantastic training sessions in the beginning, there’s a little dip in form, a dip in freshness at the moment, from which he suffers.
      “On top he has huge competition with N’Golo [Kante], Jorgi [Jorginho] and Kova [Mateo Kovacic], who are used to playing with each other.
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      “But this is life in a big club and a competitive club like Chelsea.
      “Everything is in its right place. We are happy with him and he keeps on fighting, because this is what he does.
      “I think he has everything to become a very important player over the next years at Chelsea.” More

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      Watch Wesley Fofana appear to say goodbye to Leicester fans after Arsenal defeat amid Chelsea transfer links

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      CHELSEA target Wesley Fofana appears to have waved goodbye to Leicester.The French defender has been strongly linked with an £80million move to Chelsea.
      I’ll leave others to speculate on what this might mean but – whilst all the other players are chatting, swapping shirts and embracing – Wesley Fofana has gone over to the Leicester fans on his own. pic.twitter.com/DZOMgekGkn— James Benge (@jamesbenge) August 13, 2022

      Leicester City’s French defender Wesley Fofana in action against ArsenalCredit: AFP
      The Foxes went down 4-2 at the Emirates after a dazzling double from Gabriel Jesus.
      There was little Fofana, 21, could do about the Brazilian’s brilliance as he banged home two in the first half.
      Or goals from Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli in the second half.
      James Maddison scored for Leicester, adding to a William Saliba own goal but Arsenal were just too much on the day.
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      Brendan Rodgers has been adamant that Fofana will not leave on the cheap after admitting the club have KO’d bids from Chelsea already.
      But Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is widely expected to get his man if they come back with a fee in the region of £80m.
      They have reportedly agreed terms with the player himself but the clubs are still thrashing out an agreement.
      Chelsea have already signed Kalidou Koulibaly for £35m this summer but have lost the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
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      Tuchel has been known to play with three at the back, so he needs to be better stocked at centre-half.
      Fofana joined the Foxes from Saint-Etienne in October 2020 but last August suffered a broken leg. More

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      “The starting point was zero. It was terrifying and exciting”, says Blues boss Hayes as she reflects on Chelsea reign

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      EMMA HAYES reckons ‘brain fog’ may have dimmed recollections of some of her earliest moments at the helm of Chelsea.But the Blues boss, 45, who marks her tenth year in charge of the WSL champs tomorrow has vivid memories of her first week and having no staff or office.
      Emma Hayes has led Chelsea to 12 major trophy wins since taking charge of the club ten years agoCredit: Getty
      The Camden-born head coach, who helped revolutionise the women’s game in England, recalls the initial sparse set-up when she took the job.
      A far cry from the investment that came eight years later, when the club broke the world transfer record for a women’s player, signing Pernille Harder from Wolfsburg for a fee reportedly in excess of £250,000.
      A decade ago, Hayes’s role was part-time.
      The Kingsmeadow gaffer juggled her managerial career with a job in her family’s currency exchange business Covent Garden FX.
      And Chelsea’s players were part-time too with their boss the only female manager in the league at the time.
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      Hayes, who previously worked as Arsenal assistant coach and then manager of US club Chicago Red Stars, said: “The starting point was zero, and that was both terrifying and exciting all at once. 
      “My brain fog means that everything gets a little bit harder to remember.
      “But my overwhelming (memory) is getting off a train at Cobham walking in a gate that led me straight onto to the training ground.
      “I was then walking down the path all the way down to this building that I’d been to once before when I was the academy director and coach at Arsenal and brought my academy team here.
      “I remember looking at it and thought ‘oh my goodness, what potential.’
      “And then the realisation of ‘what do you mean we don’t have an office? What do you mean there are no full-time players or staff?’
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      “There wasn’t a single member of staff that worked for the women’s section, let alone had an office, let alone had a desk or a filing cabinet.
      “They are my overriding memories and then watching the team play and thinking ‘oh my God, this is a million miles from what I’ve just come from.
      “The gulf was so big from coming from Women’s Professional Soccer in the USA to here.”
      In Hayes’s first year Chelsea were a different outfit to the trophy-winning juggernauts they are today, finishing second from bottom in the top tier in 2013.
      A league finish light years away from the serial-winning force the club has become under their gaffer.
      Under Hayes, the team have since won 12 major trophies – including five WSL titles – and reached their first Champions League final last May.  
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      The first of their silverware wins under Hayes was an FA Cup in 2015 followed by the league crown later.
      Among the figures who have played a key role in Chelsea’s evolution under Hayes is Paul Green.
      The former Rotherham United player became the Blues’ general manager in February 2013 following a seven-year stint at Doncaster Rovers Belles.
      In 2018 before Chelsea’s 3-1 FA Cup triumph against Arsenal Hayes said her general manager “had been a part of putting this team together as much as” she had.
      Reflecting on the meeting that would lead to the Blues hiring Green, Hayes said: “I remember I went to an end-of-season awards do at a hotel in Covent Garden that I wasn’t going to go to.
      Blues general manager Paul Green has played a key role in Chelsea’s evolution under Hayes
      “I happened to be at work in the currency business and I walked past there.
      “My assistant at the time said pop in and have a drink and I thought I don’t know
      “And as I walked in, I remember seeing some players and I thought recruitment!
      “If I’m honest, recruitment’s my thing, and I remember making a beeline from Rachel Williams and as I did this man walked across her, his name was Paul Green.
      “And he said ‘Hi, I want to introduce myself, I’m Paul Green, here’s my number, I would like to come and work for you at Chelsea.
      “And at that point I was like, you’re in the way, and that was it. Then Paul came on board two months later.”
      Chelsea’s squad now includes four European Championship-winning players in Fran Kirby, Jess Carter, Beth England and vice-captain Millie Bright who this week sealed a three-year contract extension.
      Emma Hayes’ tenth anniversary in charge of the WSL champions comes in a week in which Millie Bright signed a new three-year contract with the clubCredit: Getty
      Hayes added: “I’m super proud of them. What an amazing experience they had. I’m just happy for them to experience more winning.
      “And I would say those four players are used to winning so it’s not unusual for them.”
      England’s Euros final defeat of Germany in front of an 87,192-strong Wembley crowd – the largest of any Euros match men’s or women’s – has been described as a turning point for women’s football on these shores.
      A moment that Hayes, among the influential figures who have fought hard for the sport’s professionalisation, has dreamt of seeing.
      It was a victory that brought tears to the Chelsea chief’s eyes.
      I think we’ve now entered that phase of women’s football becoming a business. Emma Hayes
      And she hopes the legacy of England’s triumph will be the women’s professional game becoming a business.
      Hayes said: “That (Euros) win if it didn’t open the eyes of the Premier League, it will do now.
      “I’m a big advocate of that because if 86,000 people are paying for tickets for that and it could have sold out two or three times over, the appetite is there.
      “And I think we’ve now entered that phase of women’s football becoming a business. 
      “In 2019 there was no broadcasting deal (for the WSL).
      “There certainly weren’t regular appearances in your men’s side’s stadium or regular slots on TV plus some of the best players in the world.
      “The growth of the domestic game – that is the legacy.
      “The next step is the league leaving the FA and going to the Premier League or an independent body and that there is a vision around the women’s game, so we don’t just have single big moments once every two years or once a year.”
      A fourth consecutive league crown is among the prizes Chelsea will be chasing during their boss’s tenth year in charge.
      The team open their WSL campaign on Sunday 11 September with a lunchtime Stamford Bridge clash with West Ham.
      Their opponents will play their first league game with Paul Konchesky at the helm.
      Chelsea will take on West Ham at Stamford Bridge in their first WSL game of the 2022-23 seasonCredit: Getty
      With the Irons among the WSL sides who have strengthened their ranks with quality signings this summer, competition in the top tier this term will be fierce.
      Hayes said: “I’ve always said I think it’s harder to have back-to-back (title) wins let alone three years in a row.
      “We know it’s going to be tougher than ever, but I’m more prepared than ever.” More