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      How Chelsea could line up next season with EIGHT new players breaking into team as they eye even more transfers

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      MORE than HALF A BILLION pounds has been spent on players by new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly.The American took over from Roman Abramovich in May last year and has wasted little time making a huge impact on the transfer market.
      Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea for a British record fee on deadline dayCredit: EPA
      Christopher Nkunku has reportedly agreed a deal to join Chelsea in the summerCredit: Getty
      Enzo Fernandez broke the British transfer record by joining the Blues for £107m on deadline day.
      He became Chelsea’s EIGHTH arrival in the January window alone, following the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile and Joao Felix to Stamford Bridge.
      Fernandez, Mudryk and Badiashile will all expect to be mainstays in Graham Potter’s team for the foreseeable future.
      And Felix could well join them in Chelsea’s XI next season if his loan move is made permanent.
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      How Chelsea could line up next season
      If that is to be the case, the club will almost certainly have an entirely new front three come the start of the 2023/24 campaign compared with the one they fielded at the end of 2022.
      That’s because RB Leipzig and France star Christopher Nkunku has reportedly signed to join Chelsea for £53m in the summer.
      He could be tasked with leading the line, flanked by Mudryk and Felix.
      Fernandez will slot in behind them in midfield.
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      And he may be joined by summer targets Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo.
      West Ham skipper Rice, 24, and Brighton star Caicedo, 21, have both been linked with Chelsea and Arsenal.
      But Boehly has shown he is not afraid to splash the cash and could beat the Gunners to the punch.
      That would mean a front SIX consisting entirely of players signed in 2023.

      But in defence there is more chance of stability, with full-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James expected to keep their places.
      Keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is another set to remain first choice, with Thiago Silva providing the team with an experienced head alongside new boy Badiashile.
      Despite all the money they have spent, Chelsea are in danger of failing to qualify for Europe.
      They are 10th in the Premier League table, but do still have a chance of winning the Champions League as they prepare for a last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund.
      Declan Rice is expected to leave West Ham at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
      Moises Caicedo has been linked to both Arsenal and ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Chelsea made two of the biggest transfers ever in January 2023 More

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      Dream Team tips: Which teams have the most favourable fixtures this February?

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      PINCH, punch, first of the month and all that waffle.Any self-respecting Dream Team managers knows that flipping over the calendar means a fresh batch of transfers are imminent.
      Gaffers will be able to make changes from Friday morning ahead of Game Week 21.
      As always, it’s best to consider the schedule for the month ahead when deciding on a strategy so let’s whip through the fixtures that await each of the teams currently in the top half.
      ARSENAL

      Everton (a)
      Brentford (h)
      Man City (h)
      Aston Villa (a)
      Leicester (a)

      A huge game awaits
      It’s worth noting that the Gunners don’t have any European commitment to fulfil until March because they have already qualified for the Europa League round of 16.
      In terms of Premier League fixtures, one match-up sticks out like a sore thumb.
      It could be argued that the visit of Pep Guardiola’s men to the Emirates on the 15th is Arsenal’s biggest game in years – victory would make them huge favourites to claim the league title.
      Elsewhere, the Bees are not as threatening away from their hive and there should be plenty on points on offer against Everton, Villa and Leicester, three sides currently in the bottom half.
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      MANCHESTER CITY

      Spurs (a)
      Aston Villa (h)
      Nottingham Forest (a)
      Arsenal (a)
      RB Leipzig (a)
      Bournemouth (a)

      Four consecutive away days, starting with that trip to north London, will be a test for the defending English champions – Leipzig can be a tricky place to go in the Champions League knockouts.
      Saying that, Erling Haaland (£9.1m) will be confident of adding to his goal tally and may even be earmarking Villa, Forest or Bournemouth for his next hat-trick.
      NEWCASTLE
      Dream Team’s king of defenders

      West Ham (h)
      Bournemouth (a)
      Liverpool (h)
      Man United or Southampton (n)

      It’s highly likely the Magpies will meet Erik ten Hag’s side in the Carabao Cup final at the end of month – that matter will be confirmed this evening.
      Those first two fixtures look ripe for yet more returns from the likes of Kieran Trippier (£6.6m) and Nick Pope (£5.3m) – Jurgen Klopp’s mob are miles off their best right now as well.
      However, Newcastle will not be as busy as several other teams this month so it will be interesting to see if their assets can maintain their dominance at the top of the defensive rankings.
      MANCHESTER UNITED

      Crystal Palace (h)
      Leeds (h)
      Leeds (a)
      Barcelona (a)
      Leicester (h)
      Barcelona (h)
      Brentford (h)

      Be aware that final fixture against Thomas Frank’s side is likely to be replaced by the Carabao Cup final, assuming the Red Devils finish the job in tonight’s semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.
      A two-legged meeting with La Liga’s leaders in the Europa League ensures Man United have a busy schedule in the coming weeks.
      They have an excellent record against Leeds since the Yorkshire club returned to the top flight so backers of Marcus Rashford (£5.7m) and Bruno Fernandes (£5.8m) should expect more points from that double header.
      A healthy allotment of Man United assets could be the way to go for Dream Team gaffers this month
      TOTTENHAM

      Man City (h)
      Leicester (a)
      AC Milan (a)
      West Ham (h)
      Chelsea (h)

      A relatively tough month for Antonio Conte’s men to negotiate here with the visit of City, a European away day, and a brace of London derbies.
      Harry Kane (£7.9m) missed the last game through illness and his owners should certainly keep an eye out for updates but the England skipper is expected to return to the starting line-up this weekend.
      BRIGHTON

      Bournemouth (h)
      Crystal Palace (a)
      Fulham (h)

      The Seagulls’ game against Newcastle has been postponed because of the latter’s appointment at Wembley.
      Kaoru Mitoma (£2.6m) and Solly March (£2.8m) provided superb value for money throughout January but the midfield pair will struggle to maintain their impressive pace this month with so few fixtures to fulfil.
      FULHAM
      A lean spell

      Chelsea (a)
      Sunderland (a)
      Nottingham Forest (h)
      Brighton (a)
      Wolves (h)

      An FA Cup replay against the Black Cats helps bolster the in-form Cottagers’ schedule.
      Aleksandar Mitrovic’s (£4.8m) owners may be concerned that the Serbian target man has mustered just one point across his last five outings – keep an eye on his returns in the coming weeks.
      BRENTFORD

      Southampton (h)
      Arsenal (a)
      Crystal Palace (h)
      Man United (a)

      Generally speaking, the Bees are a force to be reckoned with at home but vulnerable on the road.
      That pattern could well extend this month with difficult trips to the Emirates and Old Trafford offset by two favourable home fixtures.
      LIVERPOOL

      Wolves (a)
      Everton (h)
      Newcastle (a)
      Real Madrid (h)
      Crystal Palace (a)

      What can Liverpool muster from this season?
      Dream Team bosses simply don’t know what to make of the Reds right now.
      It’s been a bitterly underwhelming campaign so far but the potential of their most-popular assets can never be ignored – Mohamed Salah (£8.3m) has 151 points to his name.
      Liverpool enjoyed themselves in the Champions League during the group stage (for the most part) but a meeting with the competition’s specialists will paint a clearer picture of their fortunes.
      CHELSEA

      Fulham (h)
      West Ham (a)
      Borussia Dortmund (a)
      Southampton (h)
      Spurs (a)

      No fewer than three London derbies guarantees a mightily competitive month for the Blues, whose squad has been recently bolstered by yet more expensive arrivals.
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      Truth be told, Thiago Silva (£5.8m) and Kepa Arrizabalaga (£3.4m) are the only two players who have made a positive impact in the realm of Dream Team recently.
      February will be a litmus test of Graham Potter’s side; fans will be desperate for significant improvements. More

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      Furious Everton fans turn up at Finch Farm to protest against board after failure to sign striker in January transfer

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      FURIOUS Everton fans turned up to the club’s Finch Farm training ground to protest against the board after they failed to sign a striker in the January transfer window.Toffees fans have been discontent with owner Farhad Moshiri and Co for a while with the club making very little progress, despite big spending on transfers and a new stadium under construction.
      Everton failed to land a striker in January and so fans continued their protest outside the club’s Finch Farm training groundCredit: PA
      The Merseyside club are currently sat 19th in the Premier League and level on bottoms with 20th Southampton.
      Frank Lampard was sacked, academy graduate Anthony Gordon forced a £45million transfer to Newcastle and Sean Dyche was hired with the task of beating the drop.
      But Everton failed to bolster their squad, despite the influx of cash from the Gordon deal and promising to buy a striker.
      Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher and Hakim Ziyech, Southampton’s Che Adams and Rennes ace Kamaldeen Sulemana were all in the news over potential transfers.
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      However, Everton were unsuccessful in landing any of their targets.
      Olivier Giroud was also offered big money to come and save Everton’s season, but the Frenchman declined in favour of a stay at AC Milan.
      And talks were held over Crystal Palace frontman Jean-Philippe Mateta.
      On deadline day, Everton fans descended on Finch Farm to protest against the ownership.
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      A banner with the faces of Everton chiefs Moshiri, Bill Kenwright and Denise Barrett-Baxendale could be seen with the word “liars” plastered on it.
      Another banner read: “This is our club, not yours. It’s time to go.”
      Everton could bring in a forward after the deadline.
      According to the Daily Mail, Andre Ayew is expected to arrive in England in the next 24 hours after receiving a £2.5million golden handshake freeing him to return to the Prem.
      Ayew left Qatari club Al Sadd.
      The former Swansea and West Ham star is attracting interest from Everton, but the chances of a deal being struck are 50-50. More

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      Enzo Fernandez’s £107m Chelsea deal to land River Plate biggest ever transfer fee as massive sell-on clause is revealed

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      CHELSEA paid a British record transfer fee to land Enzo Fernandez on deadline day. Fernandez finally completed the Stamford Bridge switch after Chelsea coughed up £107million to land the 22-year-old World Cup winner.
      River Plate are set to receive a huge influx of fees from Enzo Fernandez’s Chelsea transferCredit: AFP
      Fernandez has signed for the Blues in a record breaking £107million dealCredit: Reuters
      However, selling club Benfica will not be receiving the full sum of the payment.
      Instead, a quarter of the deal will head back to River Plate in Argentina.
      Fernandez left River only last summer to join Benfica for just £8.8m up front [£16m with add-ons].
      And half a year on, after starring performances for Benfica and for Argentina at the World Cup, the South American’s have received another massive influx of income from his sale.
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      With a 25 per cent sell-on clause inserted into his transfer to Benfica, the massive turnover the Portuguese giants have secured will see River collect a cool £26.5m.
      Added bonuses mean overall River will receive £36.2m (€41m) from the Fernandez sale.

      The club’s previous transfer record stood as the £31m (€35m) they received from Barcelona in 2001 for striker Javier Saviola.
      The fee is also more than double what the club received for Manchester City star Julian Alvarez.
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      Fernandez’s deal to Chelsea obliterated the previous record held by Jack Grealish’s £100m transfer from Aston Villa to Man City.
      It also means Chelsea have two players in the top 10 Premier League transfers of all time from the January window, the other being Mykhailo Mudryk.
      Fernandez is expected to be joined in London by stunning Wag Valentina Cervantes.
      Chelsea made two of the biggest transfers ever in January 2023 More

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      Andre Ayew ‘travelling to UK for Everton talks after receiving £2.5m golden handshake – but transfer is 50/50’

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      ANDRE AYEW is reportedly set to fly to the UK within the next 24 hours ahead of a potential move to Everton.The former Swansea and West Ham forward, 33, was under contract at Qatari club Al Sadd after agreeing a two-year deal in July 2021.
      Andre Ayew could be set for a return to the Premier LeagueCredit: EPA
      And he was five games away from triggering a 12-month extension, but the two parties have now reached a compromise to pay him the remainder of his existing contract.
      That means Ayew will pocket £2.5m in a “golden handshake” agreement and be free to explore a potential return to European football.
      Now a free agent, The Mail are reporting that he will land in the UK within the next day.
      Everton are keen to tie him down on a deal until the end of the season.
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      It comes after a nightmare transfer window saw the Toffees miss out on a host of forward options.
      They included Arnaut Danjuma, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Ismaila Sarr, Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
      They also missed out on Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher after having a £45million offer rejected.
      Everton chiefs are understood to have held preliminary conversations with Ayew over a possible deal as they look to back new manager Sean Dyche.
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      But the Merseyside club are not the only British side being linked with the forward.
      Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper coached Ayew for two years at Swansea and could yet attempt to swoop in and take him to the City Ground.
      Ayew, whose brother Jordan plays for Crystal Palace, scored nine goals in 55 Premier League games during his stints at West Ham and Swansea.

      He has also racked up 113 caps for Ghana, scoring 24 goals including one at the Qatar World Cup.
      A deal with Everton is said to be 50/50 at this moment in time as the Toffees try to bolster their squad ahead of a relegation battle.
      They sit 19th in the league table after just three wins from 20 games.
      Dyche’s first match in charge comes at home to high-flying Arsenal on Sunday. More

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      Leicester chairman wipes £194m club debt in huge statement of intent over ‘long-term stability’

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      LEICESTER CITY’S chairman has wiped out a whopping £194million club debt in a major statement of intent.The Foxes had borrowed from their parent company, King Power International, over the last four years.
      Leicester City chairman and owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has wiped £194m of the club’s debt to the King Power businessCredit: Getty
      That money had been used to help pay for the club’s state-of-the-art new £100m training ground as well as investment into players and the women’s team amid the Covid-19 struggles.
      Plans have also been submitted to expand City’s stadium and build a development featuring a hotel and indoor arena on the complex.
      But the hugely popular owner and chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha – son of the late Khun Vichai – has capitalised the loan and interest owed to the Thai family’s King Power business into equity, effectively relieving the repayments into shares.
      A statement said the conversion into equity will help Leicester’s balance sheet and reduce its interest costs as well as demonstrating King Power International’s commitment to supporting the club’s long-term sustainability.
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      In reality, this move formally acknowledges the club would never have been in a position to repay the debt anyway.
      The Foxes do, though, still have outstanding payments owed elsewhere, with their most recent accounts showing a total of £267m of debt.
      Srivaddhanaprabha – known as Khun Top – said: “Maintaining long-term stability is vital for sustainable growth and a fundamental principle that has always guided our investments in the club’s future.
      “We want to make sure we continue on that path from the strongest, most secure financial footing.
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      “I believe with all my heart in Leicester City and what the club can achieve for our fans, our people and our communities – in Leicester, Thailand and around the world.
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      “The faith they continue to place in us to run their club responsibly with ambition and integrity guides our decision making and remains vital to us building on one of the most successful eras in the club’s history.”
      The debt-to-equity conversion was filed to Companies House on New Year’s Eve.
      The Srivaddhanaprabhas conducted a similar move in 2013 to clear £103m of debt three years after taking over Leicester – again helping to ensure all existing shareholder investment in the club would not be carried forward as debt.
      Khun Top took on the role as chairman when his father Khun Vichai tragically died in the helicopter crash at the King Power Stadium in October 2018.
      Leicester brought in Victor Kristiansen, Tete and Harry Souttar during the January transfer window to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ squad.
      Striker Nathan Opoku also signed for the club and was immediately loaned to sister-club OH Leuven in Belgium, also owned by King Power. More

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      Three formations Man Utd could use to get best out of Marcel Sabitzer after loan transfer and Eriksen injury

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      MANCHESTER UNITED secured the loan signing of Marcel Sabitzer on transfer deadline day.And Erik ten Hag now has a versatile star to call upon for a host of tactical plans.
      Man Utd could potentially line up with new loan signing Marcel Sabitzer in three waysCredit: Getty
      Versatile Sabitzer is most likely to line up in a midfield two with Casemiro
      Sabitzer, 28, was poached from Bayern Munich following the news that Christian Eriksen had been ruled out injured until May.
      Despite reports of interest from Chelsea, United moved quickly to strike terms with the player and his club.
      And despite cutting it close to the deadline, the Red Devils managed to get a deal done for Sabitzer on time.
      A box-to-box midfielder by trade, Sabitzer is most likely set to slot in as Eriksen’s direct replacement alongside Casemiro.
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      That would allow United to keep their most tried-and-trusted shape under Ten Hag.
      But Sabitzer started life as a right winger at RB Leipzig.
      And he could be an option ahead of Antony and Jadon Sancho on the flank if Ten Hag wants more midfield control with Fred or Scott McTominay.
      Sabitzer is equally capable of playing as an attacking No10 behind the striker.
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      Sabitzer could be an option for United on the right wing
      Another option is to play Sabitzer as a No10, allowing Bruno Fernandes to go wide
      That position tends to be occupied by Bruno Fernandes.
      But the Portuguese maestro has also shown he can dictate play from out wide.
      And that could allow a tactical shuffle for Marcus Rashford to go up top, with Tyrell Malacia overlapping Fernandes as a wing-back.

      It now remains to be seen when Sabitzer makes his debut, with a starting spot in tonight’s Carabao Cup semi against Nottingham Forest unlikely.
      But Saturday’s home match against Crystal Palace could provide the perfect opportunity, with United then hosting rivals Leeds next week. More

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      Chelsea to continue transfer splurge with huge push for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo in summer but face Arsenal fight

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      CHELSEA are reportedly set to continue their transfer splurge in the summer with huge pushes for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo but face a fight with rivals Arsenal.New Blues owner Todd Boehly has splashed over £600million since the takeover in May 2022.
      Declan Rice remains a top target for ChelseaCredit: Rex
      The Blues could reignite their interest in Brighton’s Moises CaicedoCredit: PA
      Over £300m of that was spent in the January transfer window just gone with Chelsea setting a club, and British, record deal in signing World Cup-winning Argentine, Enzo Fernandez.
      The 22-year-old midfielder joined on deadline day for £107million, surpassing the record set by Manchester City for the purchase of Jack Grealish for £100m.
      Chelsea will be hoping their transfer splurge will fire them back into Champions League contention, with the West London club sat 10th in the Premier League.
      But regardless of their league finish this term, the spending is set to continue in the summer of 2023.
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      According to Football London, Chelsea would like to sign Brighton midfielder Caicedo and West Ham captain Rice.
      Caicedo has impressed since his low-cost move from Ecuador last season, while Rice has been on Chelsea’s radar for a number of seasons.
      Rice is, of course, an ex-Chelsea academy player, but was released at 14.
      But Chelsea will face a fight for both players with London rivals Arsenal also keen on the midfielders.
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      And Mikel Arteta’s Gunners could have significant pulling power over Chelsea if they hold their nerve and win the Premier League.
      It is also likely that Champions League football will return to the Emirates, whereas Chelsea will need to fight the likes of Newcastle, Manchester United and Tottenham for a spot in Europe’s elite club competition.
      Both players won’t come cheap, with Brighton turning down bids north of £60m from Arsenal last month for 21-year-old Caicedo despite a public plea to be allowed to leave.
      Hammers captain Rice is also unlikely to be snapped up for cheaper than £70m. More