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      Chelsea and Tottenham in Jonas Hofmann transfer fight as 28-year-old continues to star at Borussia Monchengladbach

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      JONAS HOFMANN could become the latest transfer target fought over between Chelsea and Tottenham.The Premier League clubs are both linked with the Borussia Monchengladbach winger ahead of the summer transfer market opening.

      According to German outlet Kicker, the 28-year-old is interesting LaLiga clubs as well as Tottenham and Chelsea.
      The Blues were reportedly growing their interest in Hofmann in the spring, with rumours pointing towards a £14million price tag.
      Thomas Tuchel coached the player at Borussia Dortmund but sold him to Gladbach midway through the 2015-16 season.
      Since then, he has continued to impress in the Bundesliga and has reportedly been scouted several times by Spurs in recent months.
      Hofmann has bagged eight goals and 13 assists this season despite Borussia’s inconsistent form.
      Despite making it out of a tough Champions League group, knocking out Inter Milan in the process, the side finished eighth in the domestic table to miss out on European qualification.
      Therefore a sale is said to be on the cards with the English duo tipped to outbid any Spanish rivals for his signature.
      Hofmann’s contract runs to 2023 with no release clause to fall back on.
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      Earlier this year, the German insisted any interest in his services was a compliment to his form.
      He told Ruhr Nachrichten in March: “I think it’s clear that other clubs will notice you if you perform well. Therefore, it is possible that one or the other has already asked.”
      Chelsea and Spurs have gone head to head for a number of transfer targets in the past, most notably over Brazilian winger Willian, who even underwent a medical in North London before signing for the Blues.
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      Ethan Ampadu out to impress Thomas Tuchel at Euro 2020 for Wales and prove he can become first-team Chelsea star

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      ETHAN AMPADU is out to impress Thomas Tuchel at Euro 2020.The Chelsea and Wales midfielder, 20, is due to return to Stamford Bridge next term following a season-long loan at Sheffield United.
      Chelsea ace Ethan Ampadu spent the season on loan at Sheffield UnitedCredit: Getty
      During Ampadu’s stint at the relegated Premier League outfit, the Blues brought in Tuchel as their new boss to replace Frank Lampard.
      Ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League final showdown with Manchester City in Porto this weekend, Ampadu says he has not spoken to Tuchel yet with his Bramall Lane progress monitored by loan player technical coach Carlo Cudicini.
      Ampadu said: “Hopefully this can be a big summer for me. I’ve been speaking to Carlo this year but I haven’t spoken to Tuchel because they are concentrating on the Champions League final and I wish them all the best for that.
      “My future is not a distraction. I haven’t been thinking about what could happen next year. If you perform to a good level that might change things. I just have to concentrate on Wales for now. I will have discussions with Chelsea after the summer.”
      Ampadu, currently in Portugal on Wales’ five-day pre-Euro training camp, will watch Chelsea’s European final with his Welsh team-mates following their return to Cardiff on Saturday.

      Gareth Bale joined the squad in the Algarve on Wednesday after spending a couple of days with his family in Madrid and Ampadu hopes the Dragons captain does not retire after this summer’s finals following further speculation on his future in Spain.
      Ampadu said: “He’s had a fantastic career and everyone in the Welsh squad hopes not. Nothing has been said.”
      Asked if Real Madrid’s Bale, who had a season on loan at Tottenham, will continue for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Ampadu replied: “I hope that can happen. Going on form, he scored a couple of goals in the last game of the season and I hope he can bring them here. He’s a world-class player.”
      Ampadu has been on the sidelines since April 17 with a pelvic issue but he is fighting fit to be named in Robert Page’s 26-man squad on Sunday for the finals where Wales face Switzerland, Turkey and Italy in Group A.
      He added: “Towards the end of the season I had a little pelvic problem but I’m preparing to be an option if selected.
      “Every footballer has niggles. It’s not too serious and it is progressing well. I’m feeling good and ready to go.”
      Ampadu was a teenager doing his GCSE’s when Chris Coleman’s Wales reached the semi-finals at Euro 2016.
      He said: “It was unreal and a proud moment for me to train with the senior squad before they went to the last Euros.
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      “My exams went well and my parents were pleased, which is the main thing.  But I have great memories of that tournament. They did so well last time. It pushes everyone on to want to do the same again. It whets your appetite. If you get the taste of something you just want a bit more.
      “It was disappointing to get relegated with Sheffield United. It was a difficult season but I got so much experience. I have learnt the demands of playing week in, week out in the Premier League and how ruthless it is.
      “Any mistake or half an inch given and they score. I was fortunate to play so much and I will try to learn from the hard times and use it as a positive.”
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      Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel focused on Champions League final despite ‘huge mix of feelings’ at end of Premier League season More

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      Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy was on the dole at 22 and almost quit football after snub by a League One club

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      CHELSEA goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is winning his fitness battle ahead of the Champions League final.The giant Senegalese, who stands at 6ft 6in tall, returned to first-team training on Wednesday to give his side a welcome boost before they face Manchester City on Saturday.
      Edouard Mendy is winning his fitness battle ahead of the Champions League final and is back in trainingCredit: Getty
      Mendy has enjoyed a remarkable career turn-aroundCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The £22million signing was a doubt after injuring his rib in the 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa on the final weekend of the Premier League season.
      But now it appears he’s ready to feature between the sticks in Porto.
      This season, Mendy has been in sensational form since his move from Rennes – in what has been a remarkable turn-around in the life of the 29-year-old stopper.
      It was only seven years ago that Mendy, the cousin of Real Madrid star Ferland Mendy, was unemployed after his contract expired with French fourth tier side Cherbourg.
      And after a deal with a League One club collapsed, it appeared his days as a professional footballer were over as he signed on the dole.

      ON THE SCRAP HEAP
      Mendy was just 22 when his deal with Cherbourg expired.
      Wanting to take on a new challenge, he was offered contracts by other clubs.
      But it was the temptation of moving across the Channel to an unknown League One side that seemed the most attractive.
      The player’s former agent gave him assurances a deal was done, however Mendy soon discovered the job offer didn’t work out.
      Mendy was unemployed at 22 after being released by a fourth division French clubCredit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow
      With his future up in the air, Mendy contemplated quitting the game
      It left the promising talent club-less, unemployed and queuing at the job centre.
      Away from the game for the year, Mendy was forced to consider quitting football to do something else.
      He collected the dole – just to make ends meet.
      “For a football player or anybody else, being unemployed is like getting slapped across the face,” Mendy told So Foot magazine.
      “Repeated failures leave marks on you, and you start thinking that maybe you are not made for it.”
      REDEMPTION
      With his confidence severely dented, Mendy returned to the club where it all began for him as a youth player, Le Havre.
      He trained religiously for a year, unpaid, until a former team-mate told him that Marseille were looking for a goalkeeper to replace reserves Julien Fabri and Brice Samba, who were sent out on loan.
      Mendy scored a trial with the 1993 European Cup winners and was signed as a fourth choice keeper.
      There, he worked with French international Steve Mandanda and played in the B side.
      Mendy has blossomed into a Senegal international
      Standing at 6ft 6in tall, Mendy is a commanding presence in his own boxCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “I reached a new level in Marseille,” he revealed.
      “I trained with the pros throughout the year, which you normally would not expect as a No. 4 keeper.
      “It was proof that I performed well and made all the efforts required. It was a rewarding year.
      “Training alongside players like Lassana Diarra, Abou Diaby… and winning duels against Steven Fletcher or Michy Batshuayi brought a lot to me.”
      MAKING OF THE MAN
      In search of regular playing time, Mendy moved to Ligue 2 outfit Reims in 2016.
      It was time for him to finally make his breakthrough in the game.
      When first-choice keeper Johann Carrasso was sent off, Mendy got his opportunity.
      Seven games and three clean sheets later, a star was born.
      Mendy became first-choice in 2017-18, and helped the club gain promotion to Ligue 1.
      RENNES TO CHELSEA
      It was only in summer 2019 that Mendy signed for Rennes for a fee of £3.5million.
      Mendy signed for Chelsea for £22millionCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Chelsea legend Petr Cech reportedly recommended Mendy to the BluesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      This season in England Mendy has established himself as Chelsea’s No1Credit: Getty
      And his rise has been rapid.
      He helped his new club finish in the top three in France’s Ligue Un last season.
      More importantly, Rennes qualified for the Champions League thanks to his exploits.

      Commanding between the sticks, late-developer Mendy has continued to blosoom at Chelsea.
      In his 31 games in the Premier League, he kept 16 clean sheets in a promising debut season.
      His presence will be (literally) enormous for the Blues in Porto this weekend. More

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      Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel ‘very interested’ in Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule with Blues set for summer splurge 

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      CHELSEA are reportedly interested in signing Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule this summer.The 25-year-old has been in and out of the German champions’ side over the last two campaigns.
      Sule could be set for a move to England this summerCredit: Getty
      The defender has made his name with German giants Bayern MunichCredit: Reuters
      He has played 133 times for Bayern but could well be on the move at the end of the season, according to Abendzeitung.
      This is because his contract expires in 2022, so the club may feel they need to cash in on him this summer.
      When talking about contract negotiations with Sule, Bayern board member Oliver Kahn said: “You have to see what package we can offer a player.
      “FC Bayern has an excellent squad that can win all titles. And this wonderful city! What more do you want as a player?”
      Since arriving four years ago, Sule has won a host of trophies with Bayern.
      These include four Bundesliga titles in a row, the Champions League, two DFB-Pokals and the FIFA Club World Cup.
      But it was reported in Germany earlier this season that he was being left out of the side by manager Hans-Dieter Flick because he was overweight, something he vehemently disputed.
      The defender told Suddeutchse Zeitung: “Some chatterbox spread it [the rumour about his weight] and the people take it over.
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      “I moved to Bayern in 2017 for 20 million. People said: What does he want there? He’s not playing a game! And I worked my way into it and made a lot of games. But I don’t talk about it all the time.”
      Meanwhile, Chelsea will be looking to freshen up their back line ready for the 2021-22 campaign.
      Although they have looked incredibly solid since Tuchel arrived in January, he will undoubtedly be eyeing up a long-term replacement for 36-year-old Thiago Silva.

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      Hakim Ziyech ‘would have run’ to join Roma and only completed Chelsea transfer after Serie A club refused to pay up

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      CHELSEA star Hakim Ziyech was keen to move to Roma before sealing his Stamford Bridge switch last summer, it has been revealed.Morocco team-mate Medhi Benatia claimed that the attacker ‘would have run’ to the Italian capital when a move was discussed in 2019.
      Hakim Ziyech may never have ended up at Chelsea if Roma had coughed up the cash for himCredit: AFP
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      At the time, Ziyech was off the back of a stunning run to the Champions League semi-finals with an Ajax team being poached by Europe’s biggest clubs.
      He ended up remaining in Amsterdam for another 12 months before a £36.5million move to Chelsea.
      The 28-year-old star has made 38 appearances this term for the West London side, finding the net six times, and is currently looking forward to next week’s Champions League final against Manchester City.
      Although things could have worked out very different had then-Roma president James Pallotta agreed to fork out for the playmaker, according to Benatia.
      The former Roma defender, now with Al-Duhail, told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “I had tried to get him to come to Roma, and he would have run to join this club.
      “I spoke to Francesco Totti and Edin Dzeko, telling them that this is the man they want.
      “As a director, Francesco did everything he could to get the deal concluded, but Pallotta said it would be ‘an excessive expense’ and nothing ever came of it.”
      Club legend Totti would famously quit the Stadio Olimpico later in the same summer, citing a lack of influence on transfers.
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      He famously complained upon leaving: “They knew of my desire to offer a lot to this squad but they never wanted it.
      “They kept me out of everything. It’s a day that I hoped never would have come.”
      Unpopular owner Pallotta eventually sold up to fellow American businessman Dan Friedkin last year after almost a decade in charge of Roma.
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      Ex-Roma defender Medhi Benatia says he recommended his international colleague to the GiallorossiCredit: Getty
      New Chelsea signing Hakim Ziyech says he idolised current manager Frank Lampard growing up in first interview since transfer from Ajax More

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      Chelsea ‘willing to offer Tammy Abraham and Kepa in ambitious swap transfer for Harry Kane’ as Man Utd and City circle

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      TOTTENHAM could be offered Kepa Arrizabalaga or Tammy Abraham in Chelsea’s bid to sign Harry Kane.The Blues are in the mix to snap up the striker, 27, after he told Spurs of his desire to leave at the end of the season.
      Tammy Abraham could be allowed to leave Chelsea this summerCredit: Getty
      Kepa Arrizabalaga is another reportedly up for a Harry Kane swap dealCredit: Getty
      Manchester clubs United and City were revealed by SunSport this week to be preparing an £80million, five-year contract offer for the player.
      But a huge transfer fee will also be required, potentially up to £150m, as Spurs seek to hold onto their star forward.
      Therefore several reports of part-exchange deals have emerged with United said to be willing to let Anthony Martial or Jesse Lingard sign for Tottenham to reduce the cash payment.
      According to ESPN, Chelsea are also considering this route with a number of fringe players eyed for a swap.
      Record signing Kepa is one such player having failed to cement his place as the Blues’ goalkeeper – while Spurs have been tipped to let Hugo Lloris go.
      Callum Hudson-Odoi and Abraham are reportedly part of the discussion as Stamford Bridge bosses weigh up their summer plans.
      Thomas Tuchel is set to be given £150m to turn Chelsea back into a Premier League title winning force.
      Erling Haaland had been linked with the attack and central defence eyed for improvement.
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      But the opportunity to send academy graduate Abraham, 23, to North London in the Kane deal is reportedly tempting.
      The striker has not scored a league goal in 2021 and was hauled off at half-time of both his league starts since Tuchel’s arrival.
      However, Tottenham are described as reluctant to sell anyone to their London rivals given the standoffish relationship between the clubs.
      Roman Abramovich has refused to let Chelsea players sign for their London rivals, with Carlton Cole revealing he once blocked him from making the switch.
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      Chelsea keen on Monaco midfield ‘monster’ Aurelien Tchouameni but could have to fork out £34m for transfer

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      CHELSEA are thought to be interested in signing Monaco’s midfield ‘monster’ Aurelien Tchouameni, according to reports.Blues boss Thomas Tuchel will be looking to improve his squad in the summer as he hopes to build on an impressive start at Stamford Bridge.
      Tchouameni could be on his way to Stamford BridgeCredit: Rex
      The youngster has impressed for the Ligue 1 side this seasonCredit: Getty

      And according to Goal, 21-year-old Tchouameni is on Chelsea’s radar as someone they would like to acquire.
      The Frenchman has broken through as a first team regular for Monaco this season, playing 36 times and scoring two goals.
      His importance to the Ligue 1 side means a move for Tchouameni’s services could set Tuchel’s men back a hefty £34million.
      This is a great deal more than what he arrived for in January 2020 when he joined from Bordeaux for £15.5m.
      Praising Tchouameni’s impact on the team, Monaco boss Niko Kovac said: “For me, he’s a symbol of our team.
      “He’s the player who’s improved the most. He works hard and does whatever it takes.
      “If he continues like this, he’ll have a great career. He understands what’s expected of him and respects what he has to do.”
      And Tchouameni is extremely thankful that he has been coached by Kovac.
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      “It’s in large part to him that we’re here today,” the midfielder said.
      “If I had to sum him up in one word, it would be ‘rigour’. He never lets us rest on our laurels. It’s concentration in training and a lot of effort.”
      Meanwhile, France Under-21 boss Sylvain Ripoll heaped praise on Tchouameni.
      “He’s taken on another dimension this season, especially in his use of the ball. All his levels are up, but there has been a big change there,” he said.
      “In addition to the athletic work he does, he’s a monster that hurts the opponent and springs forward when required.”
      Monaco are heading into the final weekend of the domestic season with an outside chance of lifting a first Ligue 1 title since 2017.
      Kovac’s side sit third in the table, three points behind table toppers Lille and two adrift of Paris Saint-Germain.
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      Chelsea launch £80MILLION bid for Man Utd target Jadon Sancho with Thomas Tuchel huge admirer of Borussia Dortmund star

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      CHELSEA plan to step up their pursuit of Jadon Sancho by launching an £80million bid.The Blues are huge admirers of the England winger but face a battle with Manchester United for his signature.
      Chelsea plan to step up their pursuit of Jadon Sancho by launching an £80m bidCredit: EPA
      The 21-year-old is set to quit Borussia Dortmund this summer and has his heart set on a return to the Premier League.
      Sancho was eyed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side last year but his £117m price tag proved too high.
      SunSport understands Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is a huge fan of the Three Lions wideman.
      The German wants to focus on having a strong finish to the season before eyeing transfers.
      But Stamford Bridge chiefs are then expected to make a serious move for the former Manchester City academy kid.
      Sancho is a boyhood Blues fan and it is believed he wants a return to the UK to be closer to family and friends.
      The London-born ace hopes to be in England’s Euros squad.
      Dortmund are banking on him having a good tournament to push his transfer fee up to around the £100m mark.

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      Sancho had a slow start to the season but has turned his fortunes around since the New Year.
      His run of form saw him score eight goals with 13 assists as part of a deadly duo with Erlind Haaland.
      Haaland, 20, is also the subject of heavy transfer interest with a host of Europe’s elite monitoring his situation.
      Jadon Sancho scores some narrow goals in training with Borussia Dortmund More