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      Chelsea make Ivan Toney No1 transfer target as Brentford hold out on club-record fee for striker

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      CHELSEA are planning a massive summer bid for Ivan Toney.SunSport understands the Brentford striker is seen as the “number one target” for their West London rivals.
      Chelsea are planning a summer move for Ivan ToneyCredit: Rex
      Mauricio Pochettino believes the Brentford forward can take his side ‘to the next level’Credit: Getty
      It is thought the Bees are holding out for a fee of over £80m for the striker, who has made a goalscoring return to the side following his gambling ban.
      To land Toney at such a price, Chelsea would need to offload a number of players in order to satisfy financial fair play requirements.
      But the side’s manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has told Blues owners Toney is a player who he thinks can take the side “to the next level”.
      Our source said: “Chelsea want Ivan Toney. Everyone knows Chelsea need a striker and, right now, he’s the best available striker in the Premier League.
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      “Pochettino has made it clear that if he is available, and that the club can make the deal happen, then they should move heaven and earth to get him. He believes Toney can transform his team, and can help deliver the goals to make them genuine title contenders again.”
      Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Toney as they look to bolster their attacking options.
      Details of the latest twist come just weeks after we exclusively revealed how Toney was “torn” over a January move.
      A source close to the player said Toney – previously banned for gambling offences – feels he has a “debt to repay” to Brentford and to the club’s manager Thomas Frank which means any move could be held off until the Summer.
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      The source said: “A lot of people assume Ivan will be on his way after Christmas, but no deal has been done – and nothing has been decided.
      “Ivan is torn over his future. Brentford have stood by him and the club have been brilliant. Part of him wants to help them by hitting the ground running straight away in January and scoring the goals which will ensure they stay in the Premier League.
      Mauricio Pochettino reacts to beating Crystal Palace 1-3
      “There are a lot of clubs interested in Ivan but his focus, for now, is getting back on the pitch at Brentford and doing the business for his manager Thomas Frank, to whom he feels he has a big debt to repay. The same goes for the fans.
      “He’s determined to get back in the England squad and Ivan fully believes in himself to make the first squad once he’s back playing football.”
      The source also said Brentford are under no pressure to sell their ace striker.
      “They don’t need the money,” the source said. “Toney is their player and they will only consider selling him if the offer is right for the club.” More

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      Raheem Sterling snubbed ‘eye-watering’ Saudi transfer offer that would have TREBLED Chelsea star’s £300k-a-week salary

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      RAHEEM STERLING reportedly snubbed an eye-watering transfer offer from Saudi Arabia last summer.The Chelsea winger could have become one of the three highest-paid players in the Saudi Pro League.
      Raheem Sterling turned down an eye-watering offer from Saudi Arabia last summerCredit: Rex
      However, he instead opted to remain at Stamford Bridge for another season.
      According to the Telegraph, Sterling received an offer from the Middle East that would have trebled his Chelsea wages.
      The 29-year-old reportedly earns £300,000-per-week at the West London club.
      He would have become one of the highest earners in the league behind Cristiano Ronaldo, the report adds.
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      Sterling opted to reject the approach, though, having had no intention of leaving Chelsea after just one season.
      The former England international joined the Blues from Manchester City in 2022 on a five-year deal.
      He went on to score nine goals across all competitions in his debut campaign.
      However, those goals were not enough to prevent a 14th placed finish, the club’s lowest since 1994.
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      Sterling has already racked up five goals and six assists in the league this term, though, with only Cole Palmer providing more goal contributions for Chelsea in the Premier League.
      He will be hoping to add to that tally against his old club on Saturday evening as Manchester City welcome Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium.
      How Chelsea lined up against Liverpool in 2022 Carabao Cup final with just TWO of starting XI still at club
      A win for Mauricio Pochettino’s side could see them jump from 10th to seventh in the table as they look to remain in European contention.
      Chelsea then have a chance to win their first trophy under Pochettino in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool next weekend.
      Sterling won the competition five times with City, including four triumphs in a row between 2018 and 2021. More

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      Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Willian announces plans for career change

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      FULHAM star Willian has revealed he wants to become a football agent when he eventually retires, not a coach. Willian, 35, has been around the block having spent seven succesful seasons with Chelsea before making the shock decision to move to Arsenal in 2020.
      Willian has created no less than 30 chances this seasonCredit: Getty
      Willian said he wanted to ‘put something back’ to footballCredit: Getty
      When things were not working out as planned he returned to boyhood club Corinthians in Brazil, only to do a U turn a year later.
      Back in his old stomping ground of South West London Willian has become a vital cog in Marco Silva’s game and very much a fan favourite amongst the Cottagers.
      The Fulham star told The Telegraph his plans to become a football agent in the future were mainly driven by a desire to help and ‘put something back’ to football.
      But first, he reckons there is more football to be played and wants to remain at Fulham next season.
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      Contrary to reports, the Brazilian disclosed his current deal ‘is just one year’ and does not have the option for another season – but he is happy to wait until summer to find out what the future holds.
      Modestly, he said: “I don’t know if they want me to stay!”
      “We are going to decide at the end of the season.
      “Now, I just want to be focused on playing well and training well and giving my best to the club.
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      “Then we will see what we can do, what we are going to do.”
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      It seems likely Fulham will want him to stay given his talent but even if they don’t, Willian revealed the last things he wants is to retire.
      He said: “Yes, I am coming to the end of my career. I think I maybe have four, five years to play.”
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      “Everyone says to me ‘how’s it possible that you are 35? You can’t be!’ It’s good to hear that.”
      Going on to reveal the secret to his longevity he jokingly said: “The most important thing is sleep!”
      Willian has been integral to Fulham this season
      Fulham are currently sitting 12th in the table and are set to play fifth place Aston Villa at Craven Cottage on Saturday. More

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      I was Chelsea wonderkid who won three major youth titles.. now I’m rebuilding career at sixth-tier club

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      FORMER Chelsea academy star Jared Thompson has joined National League North side Gloucester City.Thompson, 24, joined the Blues from Swindon’s academy in 2012 and climbed the ranks before making his Under-18s debut in 2015.
      Jared Thompson played for Chelsea’s academyCredit: Getty
      The goalkeeper made 12 appearances in total for Chelsea’s U18s and kept five clean sheets.
      He also won the English Youth League with the club.
      Thompson appeared for the Blues in the UEFA Youth League and went on to win the prestigious competition twice.
      After failing to establish his spot at Under-23s level, he was loaned out to non-league sides Chippenham Town and Warrenpoint Town.
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      Thompson was eventually released by Chelsea in July 2019 and spent seven months without a club before joining Exeter City.
      The 24-year-old has since played for Brentford B, FC Midtjylland, Vendsyssel FF and Weymouth.
      Gloucester City announced his arrival on social media this afternoon.
      A statement read: “We’re pleased to announce the signing of Jared Thompson!
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      “Most recently at Weymouth, the 24 year old goalkeeper has also been on the books of Chelsea & FC Midtjylland. Welcome, Jared.”
      Gloucester City currently sit 22nd in the National League North.
      Raging Chelsea fans fume ‘Todd Boehly just doesn’t get it’ after ‘cringeworthy’ and ‘embarrassing’ Stamford Bridge stunt More

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      Former Chelsea flop Ruben Loftus-Cheek records feat not seen in 17 years as he scores twice for AC Milan

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      RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK matched a record for AC Milan on Thursday that has been unbroken since 2007.The midfielder has made a strong impression on Milan fans since moving from Chelsea last summer, and looks to have finally put his injury struggles behind him.
      Rufus Loftus-Cheek scored a brace for Milan last nightCredit: Getty
      Kaka scored a memorable double against United in 2007Credit: Reuters
      The midfielder has made 26 appearances in all competitions for the Rossoneri this season, scoring seven goals and making two assists.
      He added another two to his tally last night as Milan swept Rennes aside 3-0 in the Europa League.
      In scoring his brace, he became the first player to score two or more goals in a European knockout game for the club since Kaka in 2007.
      Kaka’s double came against Manchester United in the 2006-07 edition of the Champions League when he scored two remarkable individual goals at Old Trafford.
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      Loftus-Cheek’s brace took his tally to five goals in his last five appearances as Milan enter the business end of the season.
      Speaking after the victory, Loftus-Cheek said: “Tonight was incredible at home.
      “I’ve been working on this, getting to the right position to score and it’s going well now.”
      Manager Stefano Pioli has been on the brink of the sack twice this season, with Antonio Conte favourite to replace him as recently as last month.
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      But Milan are now well-placed to qualify for the Champions League in the Serie A and are in pole position to make the last 16 of the Europa League.
      Loftus-Cheek, 28, left Chelsea this summer after his contract expired.
      Former Chelsea star Ruben Loftus-Cheek roasts Micah Richards live on TV with hilarious quip about his haircut
      The midfielder was regarded as one of the finest talents to ever emerge from Chelsea’s Cobham academy but struggled with injury ever since breaking into Chelsea’s first team in 2015.
      His loan move to Crystal Palace in the 2017-18 season earned him a place in England’s 2018 World Cup squad – where he became a key part of Gareth Southgate’s side.
      Loftus-Cheek made a total of 155 appearances for the Blues before leaving for Milan at the beginning of this season. More

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      Incredible timelapse video shows Premier League clubs’ £27.5BN player sales since 1993 with Chelsea biggest selling club

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      AN incredible timelapse video shows which English teams have made the most money through selling players since the Premier League’s inception.And the results in recent years are perhaps the most surprising.
      Chelsea top the charts for spending in recent years, with Todd Boehly going through a high turnover of playersCredit: Reuters
      The club’s sale of Eden Hazard in 2019 helps them top the chartsCredit: Getty – Contributor
      As well as selling Abramovich-era players to rivalsCredit: AFP
      The graph showing player sales was generated by football finance expert Kieran Maguire, and posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
      Chelsea have topped the charts for most money made through player sales since 2016, and have only extended their “lead” at the top since Todd Boehly took over the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.
      That’s seen Boehly put his own stamp on the side by spending £1billion in transfer fees during his year-and-a-half in charge so far but also led to a culling of players from the previous regime.
      Mason Mount was sold for £60million to Manchester United and Kai Havertz sold to London rivals Arsenal for £65m as Boehly brought in the likes of Moises Caicedo for a British record £115m.
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      The Blues also shot up the chart in 2019 when they sold Eden Hazard for £130m to Real Madrid – despite him only having a year remaining on his contract.
      Chelsea have generated over £1.4bn in player sales which dwarfs the second highest sellers Liverpool, who have made £915.6m from selling players.
      Liverpool were handed a huge bump in their player sales in 2018 with the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for £105m, the then second most expensive transfer of all time.
      It allowed the Reds to reinvest and build a dynasty for Jurgen Klopp which has them sitting top of the table today, with the bulk of the Coutinho money being used to sign Virgil van Dijk.
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      The sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona was transformative for Liverpool, and helps them to second on this listCredit: AFP or licensors
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      Another team that have consistently generated income through player sales down the years are Arsenal.
      Arsene Wenger admitted that top stars would have to be sold to help finance the Emirates Stadium, which was built in 2006, and this led to a period of lean years where the club lost the likes of Ashley Cole, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, and Samir Nasri to either Premier League or Champions League rivals.
      The club topped the list for money generated through player sales in 2008, having sold £184.8m worth of players.
      Interestingly though, Arsenal have dropped to fifth in player sales in recent years, suggesting not only is their Emirates move now paid off and generating income, but the club have stopped selling their biggest players.
      The Gunners spent big on the likes of Declan Rice and David Raya this summer, which left them limited in January due to FFP regulations – suggesting that selling good players to generate revenue is no longer part of the plan.
      They now sit fifth on the list with £779.4m in player sales.
      Their North London rivals Spurs featured consistently since 1993 as being one of the club’s that have made the most money through selling players.
      Arsenal’s signature of Declan Rice might indicate a change in tactic at the EmiratesCredit: Getty
      Spurs’ sale of Gareth Bale among other superstars sees them rank highly on the listCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      The club topped the chart at the beginning of the graph and have largely stayed in the top six of selling clubs since then.
      The club’s MO until recently was to develop players and sell them for big profits with players like Dimitar Berbatov, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale all examples of that.
      Harry Kane aside, that seems to have changed in recent years, with Spurs still signing young players with high potential, but now fighting tooth and nail to keep them at the club.
      They now sit fourth in the table on £896.4m, being overtaken by Manchester City – indicating a change in approach from Spurs.
      City shot up on the table from 14th when Sheikh Mansour took over the club in 2008 with £55.3m in player sales to third in 2024 with £880m revenue generated.
      The club have never sold a star during the Sheikh’s reign so their appearance near the top is a little surprising – but their ranking on the list is largely down to selling academy products.
      The financial capital invested in the academy by the club’s UAE owners means City’s academy products pop up all over world football, Pedro Porro’s £42m transfer to Spurs last year saw City benefit from a sell-on clause for example.
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      The club have also done well in selling the likes of Jeremie Frimpong to Bayer Leverkusen, who looks set for a mega money transfer at the end of the season – and the £42.5m sale of Cole Palmer to Chelsea also benefitting the club’s bottom line.
      The sales have aided their ability to splash the cash within the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules and sign the likes of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for £100m – but the club remain under investigation by the Premier League for their spending.
      City selling Cole Palmer led to a bump in revenue for the Manchester clubCredit: Getty More

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      Man Utd and Chelsea transfer boost as ‘Barcelona OPEN to offers for star man as relationship with chiefs deteriorates’

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      BARCELONA are open to offers for defender Jules Kounde this summer as they continue in their struggle to balance the books, according to reports. Last year’s LaLiga champions are not having a good season as they flounder in third place, 10 points behind leaders Real Madrid.
      Jules Kounde is not the only player heading out the Nou Camp door this summerCredit: Rex
      Kounde previously been linked to Manchester United and ChelseaCredit: Rex
      Things escalated when manager Xavi Hernandez announced he would quit Barcathis summer, declaring the club had gone past “the point of no return.”.
      Another allegedly joining the mass exodus from Nou Camp this summer is Frankie de Jong, whose potential exit has sent Chelsea and Manchester United into a transfer war.
      According to Deportivo Mundo, Kounde, 25, is not happy with the way things are going at Barca.
      The centre-back is repeatedly forced to play at right-back, a position he has privately and publicly stated he does not like.
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      Kounde has not been at his usual standard on the right and has to compete with Ronald Araujo, Inigo Martinez, Pau Cubarsi and Andreas Christensen for his desired position.
      Despite assurances that he would return to centre back with the arrival of Joao Cancelo last summer, Kounde continues to find himself in the full-back role.
      But Hernandez’s ‘overbooking’ of centre-backs means they are in a good position to release one at the end of the season.
      The Frenchman, who only joined Sevilla in 2022, allegedly will be the first to go.
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      Manchester United and Chelsea are both in the running to take advantage of Barca’s predicament.
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      The Red Devils were linked with the defender when he was at Sevilla and apparently their interest has been re-ignited as Ten Hag looks to revamp his defensive ranks.
      The Blues have also shown interest in Kounde over the years, but lost out in 2022 when the defender chose Camp Nou over Stamford Bridge.
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      Kounde was even on the cusp of a deal with Chelsea the previous year, with the London team harbouring a strong belief that the move was inevitable once the Todd Boehly takeover was complete.
      Chelsea have also renewed their interest in Nou Camp teammate Pau Cubarsi, 17.
      With his staggeringly low release clause, the wonderkid has also attracted the interest of Premier League giants Manchester City. More

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      Nicolas Jackson faces rollicking from Chelsea boss after ninth yellow card – with only ONE booking from a foul

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      NICOLAS JACKSON  faces a rollicking from Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino over his lack of discipline.The Senegal striker, 22, collected his ninth booking of the season on Monday for leaving the BENCH to run across the pitch and celebrate  Blues’ final goal in the 3-1 win at Crystal Palace.
      Nicolas Jackson is facing a rollicking from Chelsea boss Mauricio PochettinoCredit: Rex
      Chelsea ace Jackson picked up his ninth yellow card of the seasonCredit: Getty
      Despite having  been subbed 15 minutes earlier, Jackson dashed to join his team-mates who were celebrating an Enzo Fernandez strike in injury time.
      Jackson now has as many yellow cards as goals this term — and is one caution away from a two-match ban.
      But only one of his nine bookings has been for a foul, with the others for dissent (4), arguing (2), not retreating and now entering the pitch.
      Boss Poch warned Jackson and his young stars about their number of bookings back in September after the frontman picked up five in his first six Prem outings and served a suspension.
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      At the time, Pochettino said: “Players like Nico who are so young and feeling the Premier League and  learning, they need time.
      “Players when they are young without experience make mistakes.
      “This is why we feel disappointed because we are seeing too many situations like this.
      “We need to change as soon as possible. We need to grow up like a team.”
      Most read in FootballNicolas Jackson’s yellow cardsDates and reasons why Jackson was booked

      August 13, 2023 vs Liverpool – Dissent
      August 20, 2023 vs West Ham – Argument
      September 2, 2023 vs Nottingham Forest – Dissent
      September 17, 2023 vs Bournemouth – Dissent
      September 24, 2023 vs Aston Villa – Not retreating
      November 6, 2023 vs Tottenham – Foul (Tactical Foul)
      November 12, 2023 vs Manchester City – Argument
      December 24, 2023 vs Wolves – Dissent
      February 12, 2024 vs Crystal Palace – Entering Field

      But Chelsea have clearly not learned, with Pochettino’s side collecting the most yellow cards (75) in the league this season, more than double Arsenal’s 37.
      Jackson’s latest disciplinary issue comes in the wake of the idea of  sin-bins being introduced in pro football.
      Chelsea fans come up with ‘the chant we need’ during bizarre delay as Crystal Palace decision backfires horribly
      A blue card could lead to a ten-minute spell off the field.
      Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has said it would “destroy” football, while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp slammed the idea, saying, “We should keep it as simple as possible.” More