Sport Live Blogs

ROMELU LUKAKU has reportedly said goodbye to his Chelsea team-mates as he steps up his bid to return to Inter after just one season.But in better news for Blues fans, the club will be allowed to sell tickets for away games and the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
However, tickets for games at Stamford Bridge will only be available to season ticket holders and away fans.
Meanwhile Nick Candy has “significantly increased” his Chelsea bid from £2bn to over £2.5bn, according to reports.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Follow ALL of the latest updates and transfer gossip from Stamford Bridge right here…
Clarke’s Scotland vs Ukraine doubts
Scotland boss Steve Clarke reckons his side won’t face Ukraine for a spot at the World Cup until SEPTEMBER.
The Scots were meant to take on Ukraine this week but the match was delayed until June following Russia’s invasion of their Eastern European neighbours.
But Clarke doubts the match will take place this summer as the war rages on.
He said: “It’s difficult to see how we’ll be playing them in June. It’s not just about the fixture.
“It’s the fact they need to get together, have a training camp and get players on the pitch with a proper period to prepare for such an important game.”
Muntari stuns fans with display
Former Portsmouth star Sulley Muntari has proved class is permanent with a man-of-the-match display for Ghanian side Hearts of Oak.
The ex-Inter Milan and AC Milan midfielder came out of retirement earlier this year aged 37 to play for the Accra-based team.
Prior to the stunning return in his native Ghana, former Pompey star Muntari had not played professionally since a two-game spell with Spanish third-tier side Albacete way back in 2019.
But in a 2-1 win over Obuasi Ashantigold in the Ghana Premier League on Sunday, Muntari was star man after a midfield masterclass.
According to Ghanaweb, Muntari was at his “scintillating” best in the victory.
The performance only added to Muntari’s fairytale return to football, with the midfielder helping Hearts of Oak lift the President’s Cup earlier this month.

Christophe Dugarry looks unrecognisable
Former France international Christophe Dugarry looks unrecognisable 17 years after hanging up his boots.
The ex-AC Milan and Barcelona forward was a part of the French World Cup winning squad from 1998.
But these days he looks vastly different – mainly due to the absence of his trademark long hair.
Dugarry has shaved off his locks and it has transformed his appearance no end.

Alonso aims dig at Lampard
Marcos Alonso has weighed into the debate on Frank Lampard with a sly comment regarding the Everton manager’s tactical nous.
Lampard has had his managerial ability questioned lately after his new side were smashed 4-0 at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup, shortly after a 5-0 defeat at Tottenham.
And now his former player has put the boot in with the suggestion that he is unable to set up a side to defend.
In an interview with AS (via The Daily Mail), Alonso said: “Since [Thomas Tuchel] arrived, the team took a leap tactically and when it came to defending. We are very happy with it.”
Alonso was ostracised from the Chelsea first team during Lampard’s reign, making just three appearances in the manager’s final season.
Jorginho could join Chelsea exodus
Jorginho is the latest player who looks set to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer with a return to Serie A on the cards.
The 30-year-old still has 15 months to run on his contract, but The Blues are considering cashing in on the wantaway midfielder.
The Italian’s agent, Joao Santos, has sparked the transfer talk after comments made to Tuttomercatoweb (via Football Italia).
Speaking about Jorginho’s future, he said: “Playing in Serie A is a dream for him and his heart remains here. As things stand today, he could play for four or five clubs: Milan, Inter, Juve, Roma or Napoli.
“There are many clubs interested in him. In the past I spoke to PSG, Barcelona and also Milan’s Ricky Massara.”
Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, and Romelu Lukaku are all considering departing Chelsea at the end of this season.

Rudiger waiting on new United boss
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger wants to speak to the new Manchester United manager before deciding on his future.
BILD journalist Christian Falk believes the German international would be open to a move to Old Trafford, but first wants to hear from the club’s new coach on their vision for the coming seasons.
Rudiger is out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of this season, and unlikely to sign a new deal while the club remains sanctioned and in the process of a takeover.
The news is likely to force United to speed up their decision on their incoming boss.
Tuchel nominated for Manager of the Month
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is in contention to be named the Premier League’s Manager of the Month for March.
The Blues won all three of their league games in what was a tumultuous month off the pitch, and also qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals.

Burnley 0-4 Chelsea (Mar 5)
Norwich 1-3 Chelsea (Mar 10)
Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle (Mar 13)

Other candidates include Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers and Tottenham’s Antonio Conte.
Tuchel has previously won the award on one occasion this season, having led his side to four wins from four in October.
Even Stephens? New names in Chelsea running
Stephen Pagliuca, the co-owner of basketball’s Boston Celtics and Serie A’s Atalanta, has emerged as the latest businessman who has submitted a bid to buy Chelsea Football Club.
Sky News’ Mark Kleinman reports that the private equity executive made his offer to the Raine Group ahead of Friday’s deadline.
However, with his wealth estimated to be in the hundreds of millions rather than billions, experts believe that it is unlikely that Pagliuca has acted alone.
Meanwhile, Sky News also reveal that Empowerment IP, a rights monetisation firm headed by the sports financier Stephen Duval, have revised their offer to the region of £3.1billion
Empowerment is said to have included ‘a fan bond in its offer that would commit to Chelsea supporters owning no less than 25% of the shares’.
Abraham will cost clubs £100m
Roma have slapped a £100million asking price on star striker Tammy Abraham.
The England international has been a hit at the Stadio Olimpico since moving to Italy in the summer, and scored two more in Sunday’s derby with Lazio to take his tally to 23 for the season.
And now the Serie A club are attempting to ward off interested parties by placing a huge price tag on the forward.
The Mail suggest that Chelsea have a buy-back option of £67million – but that doesn’t come into effect until next year.
Abraham has four years to run on his current deal with Roma.

Azpi unwilling to discuss future
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta says it is not the right time to discuss his future with the club in the middle of a complicated takeover.
The 32-year-old defender is out of contract at Stamford Bridge this summer, and is widely expected to join Barcelona on a free transfer.
Speaking to reporters while on international duty with Spain, Azpilicueta said: “This is not the place or the time. What we have learned with the pandemic is to live day to day and in the moment.”
However, the Blues skipper did admit that the current issues at London club were having an effect on the squad.
“We are living in moments of uncertainty at Chelsea, that is the reality.
“The uncertainty isn’t great, but what we players have to do is work. We are entering a decisive phase of the season and the situation is out of our hands.”
Rice would prefer Chelsea move
England star Declan Rice would favour a move to Chelsea if he was to leave West Ham this summer, report the Evening Standard.
The Hammers midfielder has been repeatedly linked with the Premier League’s so-called ‘Big Six’ with The Blues and Manchester United considered to be leading the chase.
However, it is now understood that Rice would prefer a return to Stamford Bridge and the club he was released from as a child despite their current restrictions in the transfer market.
With three years still remaining on his contract, West Ham have slapped a £150million asking price on the 23-year-old, who David Moyes hopes to build future sides around.
Rice is said to have an ‘urgent’ desire to play Champions League football, and has every chance of qualifying to do so with the Hammers, either through the Premier League or by winning the Europa League.

Good morning Chelsea fans
Ian Wright says it’s unfair Conor Gallagher will not be allowed to play for Crystal Palace in their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea and admitted he’d have been ‘devastated’ if it had ever happened to him during his playing days.
The pundit said on his Wrighty’s House podcast: “If you’ve let a player go from the start of the season then yes he’s your player.
“For Conor Gallagher to go to Palace and take them to the levels. He’s one of the main reasons they’re doing what they’re doing.
“He’s helped get them to a semi-final at Wembley which is what we all dream of as professionals and he can’t play because his parent club is there. There’s something not fair about that. I’d be devastated if I was in his position.”
Meanwhile, Man City are monitoring the progress of England newbie Tyrick Mitchell.
City are in the market for a new left-back and are keeping track of the youngster’s progress, as are Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham.
Elsewhere, potential new Chelsea owner Nick Candy is reportedly receiving backing from AC Milan’s American owners.
Sky News claims Candy has now added American hedge fund group Elliot Management to his team.
The New York-based investor, a global leader in finance and boardroom activism which has £39bn in assets, owns Serie A table toppers AC Milan.
Another Blues bidder Tom Ricketts’ controversial bid to buy Chelsea has surprise backing — from a leading US Muslim.
The Chicago Cubs baseball outfit’s owner has lodged a formal offer for Roman Abramovich’s Blues.
But political fallout from his father’s views on race are dogging the campaign.
Ricketts’ Christian dad Joe claimed Muslims are ‘my natural enemy’ in emails which surfaced in 2019 and now some Chelsea fans do not want the family gaining control of their club.
But in a shock move, the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago has come out in support of the Ricketts camp.
And finally, Chelsea can sell tickets again after having their special license altered by the UK government.
The Blues had been banned from flogging tickets to fans since Roman Abramovich had his assets frozen earlier this month.
This resulted in just 600 away season ticket holders being able to attend their FA Cup clash at Middlesbrough last weekend.
But that situation has now been rectified – meaning that the Blues will not have to play their Champions League quarter-final home leg against Real Madrid behind closed doors.
They will now also be able to have Chelsea fans in attendance at the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley – as well as for their remaining Premier League games.
Money generated from ticket sales will go directly to the Premier League, who will decide where to pass the revenue on.
Ricketts’ Chelsea bid surprise backing
Tom Rickett’s controversial bid to buy Chelsea has surprise backing — from a leading US Muslim.
The Chicago Cubs baseball outfit’s owner has lodged a formal offer for Roman Abramovich’s Blues.
But political fallout from his father’s views on race are dogging the campaign.
Ricketts’ Christian dad Joe claimed Muslims are ‘my natural enemy’ in emails which surfaced in 2019 and now some Chelsea fans do not want the family gaining control of their club.
But in a shock move, the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago has come out in support of the Ricketts camp.
Russia make Euro 2028 bid
Spineless world football bosses have been left shame-faced after Russia was disgracefully allowed to bid for Euro 2028.
In a move that left disbelieving FA chiefs stunned into silence, Russia announced a deadline-busting bid to host either the 2028 or 2032 tournament.
That move also prompted Turkey to bid, hoping to take advantage of the Russian muck-raking and a split field to gain a shock victory.
Wembley’s high command now face a £10million bill to ensure their bid wins and they host the tournament across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
A decision is set to be made by Uefa’s ruling executive committee in September 2023.
Johnstone withdraws from England squad
Sam Johnstone has withdrawn from the England squad after being struck with an illness.
The West Brom stopper was brought in to replace the crocked Aaron Ramsdale on Monday.
But Johnstone’s joy was short-lived when it was revealed that he also wasn’t well enough for England duty.
And now, he’s been swapped with Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster who received his first England call-up.
David Alba fears Bale
Gareth Bale’s got enough individual ability to put Wales past Austria in the World Cup play-offs tomorrow.
That’s the opinion of his Real Madrid team-mate and Austrian star David Alba who fears Bale can ruin his country’s chances singlehandedly.
Alba said: “Gareth is a really super-cool person outside the pitch, and great on the pitch as well,” Alaba said.
“We have a very good relationship, we talk a lot and we’ve joked about this game.
“Gareth can decide games himself and he’s not always easy to be stopped, but we want to focus on ourselves and our own game.”
Haaland’s transfer enquiries
Erling Haaland has asked Arsenal ace Martin Odegaard about life at Real Madrid amid mounting transfer speculation.
Real are among those keeping tabs on Haaland as they have entered an intense bidding war with Manchester City, Manchester United and Barcelona.
The attacking midfielder knows a lot about life at the Santiago Bernabeu and confirmed that him and his fellow Norwegian spoke about it but it was “not anything special”.
Odegaard said while on international duty with Norway: “We are good friends so we talk about lots of things, like when I was there.
“So yeah we talked about it but it’s not anything special.”
Jorginho eyes Chelsea exit
Chelsea star Jorginho’s future at Stamford Bridge has been plunged into doubt as his agent admits he’d be up for a “dream” Serie A return.
The midfielder’s representative Joao Santos specified his client could go to “AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma or Napoli” and admitted he also held talks with Paris Saint-Germain as well as Barcelona.
Santos told Tuttomercatoweb, as per Football Italia: “Playing in Serie A is a dream for him and his heart remains here.
“As things stand today, he could play for four or five clubs: Milan, Inter, Juve, Roma or Napoli.”
Chelsea ticket ban lifted
Chelsea can sell tickets again after having their special license altered by the UK government.
The Blues had been banned from flogging tickets to fans since Roman Abramovich had his assets frozen earlier this month.
This resulted in just 600 away season ticket holders being able to attend their FA Cup clash at Middlesbrough last weekend.
But that situation has now been rectified – meaning that the Blues will not have to play their Champions League quarter-final home leg against Real Madrid behind closed doors.
They will now also be able to have Chelsea fans in attendance at the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley – as well as for their remaining Premier League games.
Money generated from ticket sales will go directly to the Premier League, who will decide where to pass the revenue on.
Kepa relaxes with girlfriend
Kepa is currently enjoying a romantic Bahamas getaway with Miss Universe girlfriend Andrea Martinez.
The Chelsea stopper hasn’t joined up with the Spain national team after he and David de Gea were left out in favour of Brighton’s Robert Sanchez and Brentford’s David Raya.
It appears Kepa’s back-up plan, however, isn’t too shabby.
The 27-year-old has jetted off to the Bahamas for a fun mid-season getaway with girlfriend Andrea.
Kepa can be seen beaming from ear to ear in a sun hat while sunbathing in a recent Instagram post.
The goalkeeper is pictured clutching a glass of fizz alongside his bikini-clad other half, who is also wearing a big smile.

Pogba’s open to PSG transfer
Paul Pogba has opened the door to a transfer to PSG after expressing his frustration with Man United’s success over the past five years.
Pogba said to Le Figaro about a possible move to Paris: “Why not? It’s always nice to play with your team-mates in the national team and club.
“This year it is dead, we won’t win anything. Whether it is with Manchester United or at another club, I want to win trophies.”
Man City owners buy eleventh club
Man City’s owners City Football Group have agreed a deal to buy their eleventh club.
The football powerhouses have agreed to buy Dutch club NAC Breda edging out building contractor Karel Vrolijk following a shareholders investigation.
An official club statement read: “We presented the results of our investigation to the shareholders. 
“On that basis, they have chosen to sell their shares to City Football Group. 
“All other parties that have applied since the start of the sales process have now been informed and thanked for their efforts.
“With City Football Group, which already has a long-term collaboration with NAC, an agreement was reached this week subject to approval by the Supervisory Board, NOAD Foundation, the KNVB and the municipality of Breda. 
“With this, the sales process is entering the final phase and the shareholders and City Football Group assume that preparations for the new season can be started in the short term.”
Candy’s backed by AC Milan owners
Potential new Chelsea owner Nick Candy is reportedly receiving backing from AC Milan’s American owners.
The British businessman is one of many hoping to replace Roman Abramovich at the top of the CFC Group.
And he exclusively told SunSport last week that he intends to continue Chelsea’s transfer model which has brought unprecedented success to Stamford Bridge.
Candy, who originally bid £2billion, returned with an improved offer for Chelsea earlier this week after getting a new Korean backer to join his consortium.
And Sky News claims Candy has now added American hedge fund group Elliot Management to his team.
The New York-based investor, a global leader in finance and boardroom activism which has £39bn in assets, owns Serie A table toppers AC Milan.
Bale’s raring to go
Gareth Bale has declared himself fit to play in Wales’ World Cup play-off against Austria.
He said ahead of the game: “It’s normal to have some niggles.
“I’ve been training for the last two and a half months.
“I’m in a lot better shape than I was in the last camp where I’d been out for about three months. I’m ready to play whatever is necessary tomorrow.”
Kane pays tribute to Paul Jiggins
England captain Harry Kane has paid tribute to SunSport’s Spurs correspondent Paul Jiggins, whose passing last week shocked the football world.
The Spurs superstar announced: “Before we start today, I’d just like to pay my respects to Paul Jiggins and his family.
“Obviously Paul followed me at Millwall, with the England Under-21s and at Tottenham.
“A lot of people in this room would have known him and from me and all the team we send our condolences to his friends and family.”

Load more entries… More

NICK CANDY has “significantly increased” his Chelsea bid from £2bn to over £2.5bn, according to reports.Meanwhile the Blues’ home shirt for the 2022/23 season has been leaked (with the Three logo still on it).
And Eden Hazard is said to be unhappy at Real Madrid and is being linked with a return to Stamford Bridge.
There also looks set to be some good news for Chelsea fans looking to attend their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
The Blues have been drawn against Patrick Vieira’s side in the last four and are set to face them on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of April.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Follow ALL of the latest updates and transfer gossip from Stamford Bridge right here…
Bukayo Saka misses England training
Bukayo Saka missed England training on Wednesday through illness with the Arsenal star staying in his St George’s Park hotel room.
The 20-year-old tested negative for Covid upon arrival at England’s base camp on Tuesday.
FA doctors will be keeping an eye on Saka and he’s expected to be tested again in the next 24 hours.
England will be hopeful the winger can recover in time for their friendly against Switzerland on Saturday.

Klopp in line for England job
Jurgen Klopp is more likely to take charge of England rather than Germany when his contract expires in 2024.
According to German outlet Bild, he is more likely to become England manager rather than Germany boss due to the connections he has made over the years with English players.
He has struck up a close bond with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold during his time at Liverpool.
Fans across the country have also grown to love him.
Tyrick Mitchell’s a wanted man
Man City are monitoring the progress of England newbie Tyrick Mitchell.
The left-back, 22, has had a stellar season at Crystal Palace and was rewarded by a late call-up to Gareth Southgate’s senior side on Monday as a replacement for the injured Reece James.
He has missed just EIGHT minutes of Premier League action since May 1, 2021 and is second only to Brentford’s Christian Norgaard for most top-flight tackles this term.
City are in the market for a new left-back and are keeping track of the youngster’s progress, as are Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham.
Not fair on Conor Gallagher
Ian Wright says it’s unfair Conor Gallagher will not be allowed to play for Crystal Palace in their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea and admitted he’d have been ‘devastated’ if it had ever happened to him during his playing days.
The pundit said on his Wrighty’s House podcast: “If you’ve let a player go from the start of the season then yes he’s your player.
“For Conor Gallagher to go to Palace and take them to the levels. He’s one of the main reasons they’re doing what they’re doing.
“He’s helped get them to a semi-final at Wembley which is what we all dream of as professionals and he can’t play because his parent club is there. There’s something not fair about that. I’d be devastated if I was in his position.”
Xavi in contact with Azpilicueta
Barcelona manager Xavi is reportedly in discussions with Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
According to Sport, Xavi has been having regular conversations with the 32-year-old Blues defender.
With Azpilicueta’s contract at Stamford Bridge expiring at the end of the season, he’s free to negotiate a new deal with a foreign club. In addition, there is the complication that Chelsea are currently banned from discussing contract extensions with current players due to government sanctions.
Barcelona have reportedly already lined up a summer move for Azpilicueta by offering him a three-year deal at Camp Nou. Chelsea have a clause in the Spaniard’s current contract to extend it, but it’s unclear on if they can activate that during ongoing restrictions.
Jorginho was touted to Milan
Joao Santos, the agent of Jorginho, has confirmed that talks had previously been held with Milan surrounding his client, as well as other sides throughout Europe.
He said: “In the past I spoke with PSG, Barcelona and also with Massara of Milan. I don’t know if they want it [a deal for Jorginho] now.”
Reaffirming the realities of the current situation at Chelsea, however, Santos confirmed that nothing can be done involving Jorginho, be it renewing his contract, selling him or buying someone else.
Jorginho is contracted to Chelsea until 2023 and cannot move under the current circumstances, but returning to Serie A should he leave the west London side in future feels a realistic prospect.
The Ron for Thomas Tuchel
Chelsea are reportedly keen on acquiring the services of Barcelona’s Ronaldo Araujo in the summer window, according to Xavi Campos at Catalunya Radio.
With the centre-back’s contract expiring in 2023 Araujo is also attracting the attention of Liverpool.
The Blues are at risk of losing Antonio Ruidger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta this summer, so Thomas Tuchel is on the look out for centre-backs.
Ricketts family to meet fans
The Ricketts family has agreed to meet Chelsea fans amid a social media backlash to their bid to buy the Premier League club due to comments made by Joe Ricketts in a leaked email exchange several years ago that “Muslims are naturally our enemy.”
#NotoRicketts has been trneding on Twitter as Chelsea fans voice their opposition to the family’s offer while Paul Canoville, the first Black footballer to play for the club and an anti-racism campaigner, stated on Twitter that he is saying “a big fat anti racism NO to the Rickets bid.”
Head of the Chelsea Chicago Supporters Club, Brian Wolff, who is also a Cubs fan, claimed the Ricketts family bid was met with “universal disdain” by supporters and urged Raine Group to reject their offer.
According to ESPN sources, Joe Ricketts is not part of the bid, which is being conducted by the family investment group, led by his three children: Tom, Todd and Laura.
The source added that fan engagement has been a consistent and prominent part of the Ricketts’ family’s ownership of the Cubs.
Armando Broja catching the eye
AC Milan may make a second attempt to sign Chelsea youngster Armando Broja in the summer, having already shown an interest in him in the past, according to journalist Carlo Pelegatti.
He said: “The hypothesis was that of a loan. In Albania, they are very passionate about Italian football. For Broja, the Milan hypothesis would have been important.
“I’m told the player is valued at £58million. I don’t exclude that Milan could have taken him on loan. As of today, however, Milan is very cautious on the subject: the situation has become complicated.
“The Rossoneri management cannot wait for Chelsea’s corporate evolution: if a new ownership and new managers arrive, Milan could return for Broja.”
Rice prefers Chelsea over United
Declan Rice would still prefer a move to Chelsea over Manchester United, despite the uncertainty over what life after Roman Abramovich will be like at Stamford Bridge.
West Ham remain adamant the England midfielder is not for sale and have slapped a £150million valuation on him to fend off interest.
Rice remains committed to West Ham and has never agitated for a move, but top clubs have long tracked his progress and United are among the leading suitors for the 23-year-old.
Chelsea have also had interest in Rice but are unable to buy players after the Government sanctioned Russian owner Abramovich. Even once a sale of Chelsea is completed, it is unclear what their transfer plans will be or the level the new owner will be willing to spend on new players.
Silva still has years left
Thiago Silva has revealed that he hopes to emulate Paolo Maldini and play beyond the age of 40.
The Brazilian defender, 37, recently extended his Chelsea contract by a further season until the summer of 2023.
Silva told Chelsea’s media team: “I hope I can do the same thing that [Paolo] Maldini did at Milan, playing until he was 40 or 41 years old.
“That’s my plan for the immediate future and I have prepared myself for that.
“When you’re young, you think you’re a superhero. I’d play one game a day so in terms of recovery it was a lot quicker, whereas now 24 hours seems like no time at all in which to recover.
“You’ve always got to be active and up to speed with the new recovery methods out there. I’ve got lots of things I do at home like physio work, and nowadays I’ve got a better diet than before. You need to fuel yourself well, not with the bad stuff.”
Man Utd eye Tammy Abraham
Manchester United have ‘set their sights’ on signing Tammy Abraham this summer according to Il Messaggero.
The Red Devils are interested in bringing Abraham back to England in the summer, despite Chelsea having a buy-back clause in his contract.
The newspaper adds United are ‘monitoring’ Abraham as a potential ‘replacement’ for Cristiano Ronaldo, especially now the latter is 37.
Prospective Chelsea buyer denies claims
Catalina Kim has almost overnight become the centre of attention for many Chelsea supporters.
On Monday, it was announced that Nick Candy had improved his bid to buy the Blues thanks to backing from Kim’s company, C&P Sports.
Kim recently set up a Twitter account and has used her newly found platform to dismiss rumours about her.
She shared her love for Thomas Tuchel and denied accusations she is a Tottenham season ticket holder, saying she lives in Chelsea.
Roman building a new empire
Roman Abramovich is in negotiations to take over Turkish club Goztepe, report Fanatik.
Current owner Mehmet Sepil announced that he left the presidency in Göztepe , but that he would fulfill his obligations to the team until the end of the season.
Abramovich and his representives will meet with Sepil in the next few days, according to the report.
Nick Candy receives bid boost
The American hedge fund which owns AC Milan is among the minority backers of the property developer Nick Candy’s takeover bid for Chelsea Football Club.
According to Sky News an affiliate of Elliott Management, the New York-based investor, has agreed to inject a multimillion-pound sum into the London side as part of Mr Candy’s offer.
The disclosure comes as bidders for Chelsea anticipate being notified on Wednesday or Thursday whether they have been shortlisted to replace Roman Abramovich as the club’s owner.
Elliott is one of the most prominent names in global finance, having earned a fearsome reputation as an activist investor which lobbies for change in the boards of some of the world’s biggest companies.
The fund has controlled AC Milan since 2018, although recent reports in Italy have suggested that it may seek to sell the club in the next couple of years, having seen it re-emerge as a powerhouse of European football.
Rudiger demanding huge signing fee
Antonio Rudiger will demand a massive signing-on fee to join Manchester United from Chelsea as a free agent this summer, according to transfer guru Duncan Castles.
He said: “The price that his representatives are asking for is £25million signing-on fee and a basic wage of at least £5m after tax each year.”
United are one of the clubs hoping to snatch Rudiger from Chelsea’s grasp. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also in the mix.
Rudiger tops Prem speed charts
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has been named the fastest player in the Premier League this season.
According to speeds recorded by stats service Opta, Rudiger clocked the fastest speed of any player in the top tier of English football in a match against Brighton earlier this season.
Rudiger reached a speed of 36.7 kmph (22.8 mph), putting him top of the pile in the Premier League – narrowly ahead of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and former Wolves winger Adama Traore.
Wright wants Abraham at Arsenal
Ian Wright regrets Arsenal not signing Tammy Abraham from Chelsea last summer.
The England striker instead made the switch to Roma and has since scored 23 goals in all competitions.
Wright said: “Tammy Abraham. The king of Rome.
“The way Tammy has gone over there, he’s lit it up. I couldn’t see Mourinho taking Tammy there and it working like it’s worked.
“We tried to get him Arsenal and when you look at how Arsenal play now, how Tammy is playing, you say to yourself, ‘Mikel, you see the vision!’
“When it was happening you think, ‘Yeah, I could see it happening,’ because he ripped us to shreds (when he played for Chelsea).”
Man Utd lose Tuchel interest
Manchester United have now given up on their efforts to persuade Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to join them in the summer, according to The Mail.
There is ‘a growing acceptance at United that too many stars would have to align for Thomas Tuchel to leave Chelsea while the crisis-hit club are still looking for new owners’.
The report adds: ‘It may take some time for Tuchel’s future to become clear and United want to have the new man in place as soon after the end of this season as possible.’
Chelsea battle for Brazilian star
Former Chelsea star Deco, who is the agent of Leeds United ace Raphinha, is reportedly dealing with offers for his client from Chelsea and Liverpool.
That’s according to SPort, who add the representative has informed Barca that his client will not sign a new deal at Leeds and would look to leave Elland Road after this season.
Chelsea have made an approach for Raphinha, but their first focus will be on to sort out the situation at the club
The Ricketts family publish statement
The Ricketts family hoping to buy Chelsea have been forced to release a statement denying they are racist.
Chelsea fans reacted furiously when leaked emails from 2019 appeared to reveal prospective new owner Joe Ricketts saying “Muslims are my enemy”.
They said: “Our family rejects any form of hate in the strongest possible terms. Racism and Islamophobia have no place whatsoever in our society.
“We have developed deep and abiding partnerships with the Muslim community in Chicago, as well as with all communities of colour.
“Respect for diversity and inclusion are central to our family’s values.
“If we prevail in our bid for Chelsea, we commit to the Club and to the fans that we will actively promote these values.”
Hazard to make Chelsea move?
Real Madrid are reportedly keen to offload flop Eden Hazard at the end of the season.
The 31-year-old is linked with an emotional return to Chelsea after spending the last five games in a row as an unused substitute.
Hazard is “confused and frustrated” by his continued omission from the team, including Sunday’s 4-0 El Clasico defeat, according to Goal.
The report adds sources close to Hazard vented: “He really wanted to play the game. He’s sad. He has never been as fit as he is today in his entire career.”
But despite being available for selection, the £103million signing isn’t in boss Carlo Ancelotti’s plans.
New Chelsea home shirt leaked
Chelsea’s new home shirt for the 2022/23 season appears to have been leaked online and it certainly appears like one that could be divisive.
@semihkececioglu seems to have uploaded the first pictures of Chelsea’s 2022/23 home kit to Twitter, which will be predominantly one tone of blue, with a henley colour that is just a bit different.
The neckline will be white and turquoise, with the latter colour displaying a pattern across the collar.
The leak is just the latest information to emerge about Chelsea’s apparel for next term. The Blues’ pre-match shirt has also made its way to the internet. The pattern that covers the shirt appears not too dissimilar to what is hinted at on the home shirt’s collar.

Hammers set huge asking price
West Ham are allegedly demanding £150million for star Declan Rice.
The England international midfielder is yet to agree a new contract.
Now the Daily Mail states that “privately” they do “accept they will have to cash in” this summer.
But the Hammers are determined not to sell the 23-year-old for anything less than a mega £150m – which is £50m more than Manchester City’s British record signing Jack Grealish.
With Paul Pogba looking certain to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires in June, Manchester United are leading the chase for Rice.
Chelsea have also held a long-term interest, but they are currently unable to buy players due to the Government sanctioning of owner Roman Abramovich.
Arsenal could sign Chelsea icon
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are confident of beating Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United to the signing of Real Madrid attacking midfielder Eden Hazard in the summer transfer window, according to Defensa Central.
The report in the Spanish news outlet has claimed that both Arsenal and Newcastle want to sign the former Chelsea star, who can also operate as a winger.
Arsenal reportedly believe that Martin Odegaard’s strong relationship with Hazard will convince the 31-year-old Belgium international to move to the Emirates Stadium.
Hazard also enjoyed his time in London when he was playing for Chelsea, and that, according to the report, could sway him towards Arsenal.
Load more entries… More

NICK CANDY has “significantly increased” his Chelsea bid from £2bn to over £2.5bn, according to reports.Meanwhile former captain John Terry is backing a bid from the True Blues consortium.
And there looks set to be some good news for Chelsea fans looking to attend their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
The Blues have been drawn against Patrick Vieira’s side in the last four and are set to face them on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of April.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Follow ALL of the latest updates and transfer gossip from Stamford Bridge right here…
Blue York
Chelsea stars had the best seats in the house in New York to watch some high-flying NBA action.
Hakim Ziyech, Romelu Lukaku and Trevor Chalobah all hit the Big Apple for a welcome getaway during the international break.
All three were spotted courtside in New York City, but at two different arenas.

Ziyech and Lukaku were in the front row for a Brooklyn Nets game at the Barclays Center. While Chalobah was in Manhattan 24 hours earlier to watch the New York Knicks at the world famous Madison Square Garden.
Ziyech and Lukaku were treated to another Kevin Durant masterclass as he scored 37 points in a 114-106 win over Utah Jazz.
The Jazz were also the Knicks’ opponents the day before, where they ran out 108-93 winners.
Chelsea players are feeling the strain from their club’s current situation with government sanctions limiting their operations. The squad didn’t even know if they could fly to Middlesbrough for their FA Cup quarter-final win at the weekend. But the Blues ran out 2-0 winners to set up a semi-final showdown with Crystal Palace.
Centricus vow ‘continued success’ for Chelsea
Latest bidders Centricus are pledging ‘continued success’ for Chelsea if they win the race to buy out sanction-hit Roman Abramovich
The global investment firm’s co-founder Nizar Al-Bassam and chief executive Garth Ritchie lead the bid, assisted by hedge fund manager Jonathan Lourie of Cheyne Capital and Bob Finch of Talis Capital.
The group is ‘committed to supporting [Chelsea] and its key stakeholders to ensure its continued success’.
The statement added: “Our financing for the deal includes funding for the completion of the transaction and funding for working capital required for the day-to-day operations of the CFC Group, funds required to maintain an elite global brand, investment in grassroots and in-community football initiatives such as the Chelsea Academy, the women’s team, the youth development programme and the Chelsea Foundation and strategic real estate investment.
“The intention is to maintain and support existing management on both the business and sporting operations of the CFC Group. We intend to maintain the existing strategy direction.
“Clearly, the CFC Group has been operating in challenging conditions and we appreciate the importance for the CFC Group, the fans and other key stakeholders of ensuring a smooth and stable ownership transition.”
Red Devils dominate top Prem earners
Manchester United boast four of the top five earners in the Premier League, according to a study.
The Red Devils may be struggling off the pitch but their financial power is still strong.

Research from respected French publication L’Equipe shows that they dominate the list of highest-paid players.
The French newspaper released their list of the top five earners in the Premier League on Tuesday.
And four of them currently ply their trade at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo takes home £2.2million a month – or £26.4m per year – making him the best-paid player in England.
That figure is still someway off the £3.4million that his rival Lionel Messi earns at Paris Saint-Germain every month.
Man City playmaker Kevin de Bruyne is the second highest earner with a wage of £1.7m per month (£20.4m a year).
Blues pay £600k a week on loan exiles
Chelsea are forking out £600k-per-week for players currently out on loan at other clubs, according to the latest data.
A report from BettingOdds (via The Star) indicates that the Blues are currently paying more than half-a-million pounds in wages each week for a long list of young stars playing their football away from Stamford Bridge.
The Blues’ habit of overloading their squad with the best young players in the country, and then sending them out on loan for their formative years has long been criticised by supporters of other clubs.
The likes of Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Armando Broja, Ethan Ampadu, Levi Colwill and Dujon Sterling are currently among 24 players that have been loaned out for the season by The Blues.
It recently emerged that Chelsea’s daily expenditure was around the £1million mark, and this development is likely to be of further concern for any would-be buyers.
Tammy still star-struck by Jose
Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has revealed his love for two-time Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
The pair have again linked up at Roma, where Abraham has been busy making himself a cult hero with the Stadio Olimpico crowd.
The England international scored twice in Sunday’s 3-0 win over city rivals Lazio, and now has 23 goals in 40 appearances since joining the Giallorossi.
In an interview with CBS Sports (via Football Italia), Abraham explained why he eventually moved to Serie A despite initial concerns. He said: “At first, when they initially contacted me, I thought to myself, ‘This isn’t for me’.
“But then, when people explain to your their ambitions, and show that they have faith you and make you feel valuable, that’s when you want to give them everything you can. As soon as I arrived here, I fell in love with this place.
“I still look up to [Jose] as an idol. And I never told him this, but every time I see him I’m still star-struck even though I see him every day.
“When he was at Chelsea, I was there, but I was still a young kid. I trained with him a couple of times so I knew what he was like a little bit and since coming here, I call him my uncle of Rome.”

Candy consortium set for sweet FA
Nick Candy and his consortium have supposedly been unsuccessful in their attempts to purchase Chelsea.
That’s the view of eagled-eyed social media sleuths, who translated a now-deleted instagram post from Catalina Kim, one of Candy’s backers.
The post in Korean apparently reveals that the consortium ‘are disappointed as [the] South Korea embassy didn’t support them.’
Kim goes on to apologise ‘to the fans who supported.’
There has been no official word from either Nick Candy nor the Raine Group.
New owners must protect club’s heritage
The new owners of Chelsea Football Club must ‘protect the club’s heritage by issuing a golden share for supporters.’
That’s the belief of the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, who last night issued a statement imploring the Government to safeguard the Blues’ future.
The fans group believe it is essential that supporters are given a stake and subsequent say in the club, and any bid that doesn’t support such an initiative should be immediately discounted.
The shortlist of potential purchasers is expected to be narrowed to three or four parties imminently.
Credit: Chelsea Supporters’ Trust
Chelsea in loan stars state
Chelsea are forking out £600k-per-week for players currently out on loan at other clubs, according to the latest data.
A report from BettingOdds (via The Star) indicates that the Blues are currently paying more than half-a-million pounds in wages each week for a long list of young stars playing their football away from Stamford Bridge.
The Blues’ habit of overloading their squad with the best young players in the country, and then sending them out on loan for their formative years has long been criticised by supporters of other clubs.
The likes of Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Armando Broja, Ethan Ampadu, Levi Colwill and Dujon Sterling are currently among 24 players that have been loaned out for the season by The Blues.
It recently emerged that Chelsea’s daily expenditure was around the £1million mark, and this development is likely to be of further concern for any would-be buyers.
Emerson heading back to Bridge
Emerson Palmieri is set to quit Lyon and return to Chelsea, according to reports in France.
Football journalist Sebastien Denis states that the Italian is unhappy at the Groupama Stadium, and could cut short his loan spell with the Ligue 1 club.
Initially, it looked as though the move would be made permanent after Emerson made an impressive start to his time with the French club.
However, it soon became apparent that Lyon would be unlikely to finance the left-back’s wages.
Emerson is out of contract at Chelsea this summer, but may pen an extension with concerns over Ben Chilwell’s fitness and question marks over Marcos Alonso’s ability to play regularly at the top level.
Reds to hijack Blues’ Tchou coup
Liverpool hope to take advantage of Chelsea’s troubles by hijacking their move for Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni.
Thomas Tuchel has been an admirer of the midfielder for some time, and had identified the 22-year-old as the perfect long-term replacement for N’Golo Kante.
A bid from The Bridge was supposedly imminent, but the club are currently unable to do business while outgoing owner Roman Abramovich sanctioned.
The Express now report Jurgen Klopp as being ‘very interested’ in the player with the Anfield club preparing a £42million bid with The Blues out of action in the transfer market.
Shortlist could be finalised today
The Raine Group are expected to narrow the field of Chelsea’s potential purchasers today, according to Sky Sports News.
The merchant bank appointed by Roman Abramovich to oversee the sale of the club will present a shortlist of three or four parties imminently to both Chelsea and the UK Government.
A joint decision will then be made on the most suitable offer, which will then be disclosed to the Premier League.
Takeovers have previously been completed in around ten days, but due to the complexities of this case, a deal is likely to take around a month.
Morning Chelsea news
Nick Candy’s Chelsea takeover bid has been bolstered by a new financial backer.
Candy, 49, submitted a £2billion bid for his boyhood club to The Raine Group last Friday.
Following the addition of a new backer to his Blue Football Consortium, however, he has now upped his offer.
The bid now has the backing of South Korea’s Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group.
In other news, The FA is in talks with the government to find a way to sell tickets to Chelsea fans for next month’s FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace.
The Blues are currently barred from selling tickets due to sanctions placed on club owner Roman Abramovich in the wake of his country Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are not chasing Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to be their new manager, according to reports.
The German has been linked with the position at the Red Devils, which will become vacant in the summer when interim boss Ralf Rangnick moves into a consultancy role.
But Sky Sports are now reporting United are ‘not considering’ Tuchel and describe him being linked to the Old Trafford hot-seat as ‘media talk and not reality’.
Though Chelsea are plotting a move for Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni at the end of the season.
Foot Mercato state that the Premier League club have been tracking the midfielder ‘for months’ ahead of a possible summer move to Stamford Bridge.
And finally, Chelsea have been put on red alert with Paulo Dybala to depart Juventus at the end of the season.
The Argentine ace will be available on a free transfer having failed to agree terms on a new deal in Turin.
Ricketts confident of making shortlist
The Ricketts family are confident they will be shortlisted in the race to buy Chelsea, according to an Evening Standard report.
The owners of American baseball club Chicago Cubs are set to jet into the UK to meet Blues fans and the Chelsea Pitch Owners PLC to outline their vision for the club.
Chicago Cubs chairman Thomas Ricketts is co founder of investment bank Incapital LLC.
Chelsea fans’ FA Cup hope
The FA is in talks with the government to find a way to sell tickets to Chelsea fans for next month’s FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace.
The Blues are currently barred from selling tickets due to sanctions placed on club owner Roman Abramovich in the wake of his country Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But an FA spokesperson said: “We hope to have sell-out crowds at both of our Emirates FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium.
“This includes tickets for Chelsea supporters for their match against Crystal Palace.
“And we are working with the government on a method to achieve this while respecting the sanctions that are currently in place on Chelsea.”
Candy makes improved Chelsea offer
Nick Candy’s bid to buy Chelsea has been bolstered by a new financial backing from South Korea’s Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group.
Candy, 49, submitted a £2billion bid for his boyhood club last Friday but his Blue Football Consortium has now upped its offer.
Women’s FA Cup London derby
Women’s FA Cup holders Chelsea will go to Arsenal in the semi-finals of this season’s competition.
The Blues beat the Gunners in last year’s final.
The other last-four tie sees West Ham hosting Manchester City.
Both games will be played on Sunday, April 17, with the final at Wembley on May 15.
Manchester United ‘not after’ Tuchel
Manchester United are not chasing Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to be their new manager, according to reports.
The German has been linked with the position at the Red Devils, which will become vacant in the summer when interim boss Ralf Rangnick moves into a consultancy role.
Sky Sports are now reporting United are ‘not considering’ Tuchel and describe him being linked to the Old Trafford hot-seat as ‘media talk and not reality’.
Shevchenko on ‘changed’ Abramovich relationship
Andriy Shevchenko says his relationship with Roman Abramovich has been changed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s legendary striker was signed by Russian oligarch Abramovic’s club Chelsea in 2006.
Now Sheva is trying to help those in his war-torn homeland while Abramovich has been hit by sanctions by the UK government due to his alleged ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Shevcnehko told the Daily Mail: “We had a long relationship and I don’t think it will ever be the same.
“But I also know there are a lot of Russian people who want to stop the war.”
Lampard labeled ‘salty’ by fans
Crystal Palace fans felt Everton manager Frank Lampard was a sore loser after Sunday’s FA Cup humiliation at Selhurst Park.
After a 4-0 quarter-final win for the Eagles, Chelsea legend Lamps described two of the goals as ‘average’ and one as ‘a fluke’.
One Palace fan tweeted: “Sooo salty Lampard.”
Another said: “Why’s Lampard so f***ing salty. Get over it, we battered you and you were s***!”
Ex-Chelsea keeper’s MMA win
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Ricardo Prasel has made a winning start to his new MMA career in Poland.
The Brazilian, 31, was a Blues squad player over a decade ago who never made a first-team appearance for Jose Mourinho’s star-studded side.
On Saturday night he recovered from a first-round battering at the hands of fellow heavyweight Michal Kita in a KSW MMA event to win by TKO in round two with a ground and pound finish.
Blues fancy summer Tchou coup
Chelsea are plotting a move for Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni at the end of the season, according to French Media.
Foot Mercato state that the Premier League club have been tracking the midfielder ‘for months’ ahead of a possible summer move to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Blues face stiff competition for the 22-year-old from several clubs including that of rivals Liverpool.
Thomas Tuchel is understood to be an admirer of the French international, and is already considering long-term replacements for Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
Dybala exit to fuel transfer frenzy
Premier League clubs have been placed on red alert after it was announced that contract talks between Paulo Dybala and Juventus had broken down.
After two hours of negotiations this morning, the striker’s agent revealed that the striker would not be signing a new deal in Turin, and would leave the club this summer on a free transfer.
A number of English clubs had been linked with the 28-year-old in recent months including Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, but the expectation was that the forward was about to commit his future to Juve.
This afternoon’s revelation is now likely to start a bidding war as clubs prepare attractive packages for the Argentine.
Dybala has scored 113 goals in 283 appearances for the Old Lady, and has 32 international caps for his country.

Progressive talks just the ticket
Chelsea fans could yet be in attendance at their FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley after it was revealed that government officials are in discussion with the club and the Football Association.
The Times report that plans regarding a commercial ticket agency being brought in to sell tickets to supporters is being considered with the proceeds to be held in a frozen account.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have been prohibited from selling new tickets to games following the sanctioning of owner Roman Abramovich.
If agreed, the process could also be used to sell tickets for Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-finals with Real Madrid, and their remaining Premier League matches.
Jose wants big-time Charly
Roma boss Jose Mourinho wants Charly Musonda to become the latest Chelsea player to join him at the Stadio Olimpico.
The forgotten Blues star is finally set to depart Stamford Bridge after a decade with the London club when his contract comes to an end in the summer.
Goal report that former boss Mourinho hopes the 25-year-old will make the same journey as Tammy Abraham before him by heading to the Italian capital.
The Belgian midfielder broke into the Chelseas first team in 2016, but has had to deal with a host of injuries and loan spells away since.

Centricus reveal bid for Blues
Global investment firm Centricus has confirmed that it made an offer to buy Chelsea on Friday, and revealed four key areas it intends to fund should their bid be successful.
The London-based firm is headed by Nizar Al-Bassam and Garth Ritchie, who have also teamed up with Cheyne Capital’s Jonathan Lourie and Talis Capital’s Bob Finch. All four are season ticket holders at Stamford Bridge.
Centricus oversees global assets worth a staggering £40 billion, and vowed to pour money into the club, allowing for normal day-to-day operations while also building for the future.
A statement confirmed the bid, and proposed the four areas which they wish to finance:

Working capital required for the day-to-day operations of the CFC Group.
Funds required to maintain an elite global brand.
Investment in grassroots and in-community football initiatives such as the Chelsea Academy, the Women’s Team, the Youth Development Program and the Chelsea Foundation.
Strategic real estate investment.

Load more entries… More

CHELSEA are waiting to find out whether or not the club will be allowed to sell tickets for their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium.The Blues have been drawn against Patrick Vieira’s side in the last four and are set to face them on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of April.
The FA are in talks with the Government to make sure Chelsea fans can attend the Wembley clash.
The Blues are currently banned from selling tickets under the sanctions imposed on owner Roman Abramovich.
And Chelsea fans will now be waiting to see who their new owner will be, following final bids from prospective buyers last week.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Follow ALL of the latest updates and transfer gossip from Stamford Bridge right here…
Ricketts confident of making shortlist
The Ricketts family are confident they will be shortlisted in the race to buy Chelsea, according to an Evening Standard report.
The owners of American baseball club Chicago Cubs are set to jet into the UK to meet Blues fans and the Chelsea Pitch Owners PLC to outline their vision for the club.
Chicago Cubs chairman Thomas Ricketts is co founder of investment bank Incapital LLC.
Chelsea fans’ FA Cup hope
The FA is in talks with the government to find a way to sell tickets to Chelsea fans for next month’s FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace.
The Blues are currently barred from selling tickets due to sanctions placed on club owner Roman Abramovich in the wake of his country Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But an FA spokesperson said: “We hope to have sell-out crowds at both of our Emirates FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium.
“This includes tickets for Chelsea supporters for their match against Crystal Palace.
“And we are working with the government on a method to achieve this while respecting the sanctions that are currently in place on Chelsea.”
Candy makes improved Chelsea offer
Nick Candy’s bid to buy Chelsea has been bolstered by a new financial backing from South Korea’s Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group.
Candy, 49, submitted a £2billion bid for his boyhood club last Friday but his Blue Football Consortium has now upped its offer.
Women’s FA Cup London derby
Women’s FA Cup holders Chelsea will go to Arsenal in the semi-finals of this season’s competition.
The Blues beat the Gunners in last year’s final.
The other last-four tie sees West Ham hosting Manchester City.
Both games will be played on Sunday, April 17, with the final at Wembley on May 15.
Manchester United ‘not after’ Tuchel
Manchester United are not chasing Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to be their new manager, according to reports.
The German has been linked with the position at the Red Devils, which will become vacant in the summer when interim boss Ralf Rangnick moves into a consultancy role.
Sky Sports are now reporting United are ‘not considering’ Tuchel and describe him being linked to the Old Trafford hot-seat as ‘media talk and not reality’.
Shevchenko on ‘changed’ Abramovich relationship
Andriy Shevchenko says his relationship with Roman Abramovich has been changed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s legendary striker was signed by Russian oligarch Abramovic’s club Chelsea in 2006.
Now Sheva is trying to help those in his war-torn homeland while Abramovich has been hit by sanctions by the UK government due to his alleged ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Shevcnehko told the Daily Mail: “We had a long relationship and I don’t think it will ever be the same.
“But I also know there are a lot of Russian people who want to stop the war.”
Lampard labeled ‘salty’ by fans
Crystal Palace fans felt Everton manager Frank Lampard was a sore loser after Sunday’s FA Cup humiliation at Selhurst Park.
After a 4-0 quarter-final win for the Eagles, Chelsea legend Lamps described two of the goals as ‘average’ and one as ‘a fluke’.
One Palace fan tweeted: “Sooo salty Lampard.”
Another said: “Why’s Lampard so f***ing salty. Get over it, we battered you and you were s***!”
Ex-Chelsea keeper’s MMA win
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Ricardo Prasel has made a winning start to his new MMA career in Poland.
The Brazilian, 31, was a Blues squad player over a decade ago who never made a first-team appearance for Jose Mourinho’s star-studded side.
On Saturday night he recovered from a first-round battering at the hands of fellow heavyweight Michal Kita in a KSW MMA event to win by TKO in round two with a ground and pound finish.
Blues fancy summer Tchou coup
Chelsea are plotting a move for Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni at the end of the season, according to French Media.
Foot Mercato state that the Premier League club have been tracking the midfielder ‘for months’ ahead of a possible summer move to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Blues face stiff competition for the 22-year-old from several clubs including that of rivals Liverpool.
Thomas Tuchel is understood to be an admirer of the French international, and is already considering long-term replacements for Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
Dybala exit to fuel transfer frenzy
Premier League clubs have been placed on red alert after it was announced that contract talks between Paulo Dybala and Juventus had broken down.
After two hours of negotiations this morning, the striker’s agent revealed that the striker would not be signing a new deal in Turin, and would leave the club this summer on a free transfer.
A number of English clubs had been linked with the 28-year-old in recent months including Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, but the expectation was that the forward was about to commit his future to Juve.
This afternoon’s revelation is now likely to start a bidding war as clubs prepare attractive packages for the Argentine.
Dybala has scored 113 goals in 283 appearances for the Old Lady, and has 32 international caps for his country.

Progressive talks just the ticket
Chelsea fans could yet be in attendance at their FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley after it was revealed that government officials are in discussion with the club and the Football Association.
The Times report that plans regarding a commercial ticket agency being brought in to sell tickets to supporters is being considered with the proceeds to be held in a frozen account.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have been prohibited from selling new tickets to games following the sanctioning of owner Roman Abramovich.
If agreed, the process could also be used to sell tickets for Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-finals with Real Madrid, and their remaining Premier League matches.
Jose wants big-time Charly
Roma boss Jose Mourinho wants Charly Musonda to become the latest Chelsea player to join him at the Stadio Olimpico.
The forgotten Blues star is finally set to depart Stamford Bridge after a decade with the London club when his contract comes to an end in the summer.
Goal report that former boss Mourinho hopes the 25-year-old will make the same journey as Tammy Abraham before him by heading to the Italian capital.
The Belgian midfielder broke into the Chelseas first team in 2016, but has had to deal with a host of injuries and loan spells away since.

Centricus reveal bid for Blues
Global investment firm Centricus has confirmed that it made an offer to buy Chelsea on Friday, and revealed four key areas it intends to fund should their bid be successful.
The London-based firm is headed by Nizar Al-Bassam and Garth Ritchie, who have also teamed up with Cheyne Capital’s Jonathan Lourie and Talis Capital’s Bob Finch. All four are season ticket holders at Stamford Bridge.
Centricus oversees global assets worth a staggering £40 billion, and vowed to pour money into the club, allowing for normal day-to-day operations while also building for the future.
A statement confirmed the bid, and proposed the four areas which they wish to finance:

Working capital required for the day-to-day operations of the CFC Group.
Funds required to maintain an elite global brand.
Investment in grassroots and in-community football initiatives such as the Chelsea Academy, the Women’s Team, the Youth Development Program and the Chelsea Foundation.
Strategic real estate investment.

Blues facing frantic April schedule
Chelsea have 12 days in which to begin resolving their off field issues before the April action comes at them thick and fast.
Thomas Tuchel’s team face five key games in the space of a fortnight that could make or break their season.
First up is a west London derby with Brentford at Stamford Bridge, four days before they welcome Real Madrid to the capital for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Then Blues then go to Southampton ahead of the return fixture in Spain, and then there’s the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley.

Consortiums to learn purchase failure
A number of consortiums are expected to discover this morning if their bids to buy Chelsea have been unsuccessful.
That’s the understanding of The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, who reports that the Raine Group view some of the offers received on Friday as being ‘less serious’ than others.
The bank intend to narrow the field with a shortlist of around four potential purchasers in the coming days.
American businessman Todd Boehly is currently seen as the favourite to take over ownership at Stamford Bridge.
Nice one, Ma-son: Mount praises players
Mason Mount put in another top class performance as Chelsea saw off Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, and then afterwards praised the mentality of his teammates.
Despite the trials and tribulations off the pitch, The Blues reached their fifth FA Cup semi-final in six seasons as two Mount assists took his total goal involvements for the club to 50 (25 goals, 25 assists) in just 147 appearances.
Speaking at full time, the England midfielder maintained that Thomas Tuchel’s squad were fully focused despite all the issues, and that they were confident they could maintain their impressive form. He said: “We have that winning mentality in the group.
“Any game, any competition, we want to win. Cup or league, we give it everything. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but we are focused and ready to play.”

FA demand assurances over agent payments
The Athletic report that the Football Association have written to agents to ensure that any money from Chelsea will not be going to those currently under government sanctions.
Agents and agencies connected to the club will receive their latest round of payments after the cash was released to the FA just days before restrictions were put in place.
In normal circumstances, the governing body would quickly distribute money to player representatives, but on this occasion they have contacted recipients for documented proof as to the finances’ final destination.
Broughton’s Blues bid in doubt
Sir Martin Broughton’s attempt to buy Chelsea could be scuppered if it emerges that Joshua Harris and David Blitzer are behind the bid, report The Telegraph.
The pair are currently shareholders in Crystal Palace, and, under Premier League rules, would not be able to hold stakes in both clubs due to a conflict of interest.
The identity of investors within Broughton’s consortium are currently unknown, but Harris and Blitzer are understood to have close ties to the businessman.
Official offers for the football club were submitted to the Raine Group on Friday with bidders now expected to hear back in due course.
Good morning footy fans
Lionel Messi reportedly looks set to stay at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season despite talk he could return to Barcelona.
Messi has struggled for goals and was knocked out in the second round of the Champions League by Real Madrid.
However, according to Marca, Messi will stay at PSG beyond the end of this disappointing season.
After emotionally leaving Barca last year, he signed a two-year contract with Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
And he is expected to see out his deal with the club, although there is currently no option of an additional year.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are set to pull Reece James out of the England squad due to injury – leaving Luke Shaw as the only specialist full-back.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel revealed the news after his side secured a place in the FA Cup semi-final by beating Middlesbrough 2-0 on Saturday.
He said: “The recommendation is that he does not go.
“He is still in individual training, otherwise we would have brought him to Lille and we would have brought him here for sure.
“There is no doubt about it. He needs one more week of rehabilitation and I think we can provide this much better.
“It is not the job of the national team to do this.”
Crystal Palace star Tyrick Mitchell is expected to be called up as his replacement.
In transfer news, Aston Villa are in pole position to snag Kalvin Philips from Leeds, reports suggest.
Villa are willing to pay the Whites £60m for the England and ace, according to the Times.
And Steven Gerrard’s side plan to lure Philips with a huge salary, The Times claim.
Crazy scenes at Amsterdam Arena
A fire broke out at the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday afternoon prior to Ajax’s game against Feyenoord.
The hugely anticipated Dutch clash saw scary scenes before kick-off when flares were set off at one end of the ground.
When they went out a blaze then ensued, with reports saying that flares caught a banner which fed the flames.
Thick black smoke engulfed a large portion of the fans behind the goal, before the fire was eventually put out.
It is unclear whether or not anybody was injured.

Piers Morgan slams Aubameyang exit
Piers Morgan took aim at Mikel Arteta over the manager’s decision to let Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave the club, after the Gabonese forward scored twice in his first Clasico for Barcelona.
He tweeted: “A free transfer. WE GAVE HIM AWAY”.
“Another brilliant goal by Aubameyang – this time in El Clasico.
“He’s been the world’s most lethal goal machine since joining Barcelona… and with every goal he scores, he makes Arteta look more absurd for giving him away.”
Forest rue bad cup luck
Nottingham Forest were left fuming after being denied a late penalty in their FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.
Ryan Yates burst through on goal in the 85th minute looking to net a dramatic equaliser.
He tried to knock the ball around Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, who stretched wide in vain after rushing out from his station.
And a full-throttle charge from both men saw Yates go down in the box.
The Forest star and his teammates wildly protested to the referee that it should be a penalty.
However, VAR entered the chat as Stockley Park officials reviewed the footage.
And replays suggested that although Alisson’s decision had been rash, there was minimal contact between him and Yates, who also appeared to drag his leg out.
United receive midfielder transfer boost
Manchester United and Liverpool are on alert after Monaco reportedly dropped their asking price for midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
Previously, reports have put Tchouameni’s price tag at £50million.
Goal, who cite reports in France, provide an update on the star’s future – and it is good news for the potential suitors.
The report claims Monaco will now accept bids worth £42m. The reason for the price drop is not given though.
Fans fume over El Clasico
Football fans were left fuming after tuning into El Clasico to discover BOTH sides had opted for strange kit choices.
Usually, regardless of whether the match is played at the Bernabeu or Nou Camp, traditionally teams would wear their home jerseys.
However, rather than wear their traditional white kit – Los Blancos opted to debut a black ensemble designed by Yohji Yamamoto that’s celebrating the 20th anniversary of Adidas x Y-3 and 120 years of Real Madrid.
While Barcelona went with their yellow away kit with three red stripes across the chest.
Those choices did not sit well with the football purists, who slammed their chosen outfits on Twitter.
One viewer wrote: “Just turned on Real Madrid v Barca – neither team wearing their home kit, game is well and truly gone.”
Beckham shows support for Ukraine
David Beckham’s Instagram account has today been taken over by a doctor in Ukraine in a bid to show the reality of their struggling medical facilities.
The Man United legend issued a heartfelt plea to his followers to support the “incredible people” working in “appalling conditions”.
He praised the head of the regional perinatal centre and child anesthesiologist Iryna before handing over his social media account to her on Sunday.
The dedicated doc detailed her plight caring for newborn babies and their mothers in Kharkiv as the war in Ukraine rages on.
Iryna told how on the first day of the devastating conflict, pregnant women and mothers had to be “evacuated to the basement”.
Load more entries… More

CHELSEA beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in their FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday in what was a comfortable game throughout for the Blues. The Blues board were condemned, following an attempt to make the case the game should be played in front of no fans, but Thomas Tuchel backed a U-turn.
The German said: “I think the proposal was withdrawn and it was absolutely the right thing to do, because that was from our side and hopefully it was not meant like this.”
Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech scores Chelsea’s goals in the clash.
Blues fans will now be waiting to see who their new owner will be, following final bids from prospective buyers on Friday.
Follow ALL of the latest updates and transfer gossip from Stamford Bridge right here…
Ex-Chelsea keeper’s MMA win
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Ricardo Prasel has made a winning start to his new MMA career in Poland.
The Brazilian, 31, was a Blues squad player over a decade ago who never made a first-team appearance for Jose Mourinho’s star-studded side.
On Saturday night he recovered from a first-round battering at the hands of fellow heavyweight Michal Kita in a KSW MMA event to win by TKO in round two with a ground and pound finish.
Blues fancy summer Tchou coup
Chelsea are plotting a move for Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni at the end of the season, according to French Media.
Foot Mercato state that the Premier League club have been tracking the midfielder ‘for months’ ahead of a possible summer move to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Blues face stiff competition for the 22-year-old from several clubs including that of rivals Liverpool.
Thomas Tuchel is understood to be an admirer of the French international, and is already considering long-term replacements for Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
Dybala exit to fuel transfer frenzy
Premier League clubs have been placed on red alert after it was announced that contract talks between Paulo Dybala and Juventus had broken down.
After two hours of negotiations this morning, the striker’s agent revealed that the striker would not be signing a new deal in Turin, and would leave the club this summer on a free transfer.
A number of English clubs had been linked with the 28-year-old in recent months including Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, but the expectation was that the forward was about to commit his future to Juve.
This afternoon’s revelation is now likely to start a bidding war as clubs prepare attractive packages for the Argentine.
Dybala has scored 113 goals in 283 appearances for the Old Lady, and has 32 international caps for his country.

Progressive talks just the ticket
Chelsea fans could yet be in attendance at their FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley after it was revealed that government officials are in discussion with the club and the Football Association.
The Times report that plans regarding a commercial ticket agency being brought in to sell tickets to supporters is being considered with the proceeds to be held in a frozen account.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have been prohibited from selling new tickets to games following the sanctioning of owner Roman Abramovich.
If agreed, the process could also be used to sell tickets for Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-finals with Real Madrid, and their remaining Premier League matches.
Jose wants big-time Charly
Roma boss Jose Mourinho wants Charly Musonda to become the latest Chelsea player to join him at the Stadio Olimpico.
The forgotten Blues star is finally set to depart Stamford Bridge after a decade with the London club when his contract comes to an end in the summer.
Goal report that former boss Mourinho hopes the 25-year-old will make the same journey as Tammy Abraham before him by heading to the Italian capital.
The Belgian midfielder broke into the Chelseas first team in 2016, but has had to deal with a host of injuries and loan spells away since.

Centricus reveal bid for Blues
Global investment firm Centricus has confirmed that it made an offer to buy Chelsea on Friday, and revealed four key areas it intends to fund should their bid be successful.
The London-based firm is headed by Nizar Al-Bassam and Garth Ritchie, who have also teamed up with Cheyne Capital’s Jonathan Lourie and Talis Capital’s Bob Finch. All four are season ticket holders at Stamford Bridge.
Centricus oversees global assets worth a staggering £40 billion, and vowed to pour money into the club, allowing for normal day-to-day operations while also building for the future.
A statement confirmed the bid, and proposed the four areas which they wish to finance:

Working capital required for the day-to-day operations of the CFC Group.
Funds required to maintain an elite global brand.
Investment in grassroots and in-community football initiatives such as the Chelsea Academy, the Women’s Team, the Youth Development Program and the Chelsea Foundation.
Strategic real estate investment.

Blues facing frantic April schedule
Chelsea have 12 days in which to begin resolving their off field issues before the April action comes at them thick and fast.
Thomas Tuchel’s team face five key games in the space of a fortnight that could make or break their season.
First up is a west London derby with Brentford at Stamford Bridge, four days before they welcome Real Madrid to the capital for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Then Blues then go to Southampton ahead of the return fixture in Spain, and then there’s the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley.

Consortiums to learn purchase failure
A number of consortiums are expected to discover this morning if their bids to buy Chelsea have been unsuccessful.
That’s the understanding of The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, who reports that the Raine Group view some of the offers received on Friday as being ‘less serious’ than others.
The bank intend to narrow the field with a shortlist of around four potential purchasers in the coming days.
American businessman Todd Boehly is currently seen as the favourite to take over ownership at Stamford Bridge.
Nice one, Ma-son: Mount praises players
Mason Mount put in another top class performance as Chelsea saw off Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, and then afterwards praised the mentality of his teammates.
Despite the trials and tribulations off the pitch, The Blues reached their fifth FA Cup semi-final in six seasons as two Mount assists took his total goal involvements for the club to 50 (25 goals, 25 assists) in just 147 appearances.
Speaking at full time, the England midfielder maintained that Thomas Tuchel’s squad were fully focused despite all the issues, and that they were confident they could maintain their impressive form. He said: “We have that winning mentality in the group.
“Any game, any competition, we want to win. Cup or league, we give it everything. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but we are focused and ready to play.”

FA demand assurances over agent payments
The Athletic report that the Football Association have written to agents to ensure that any money from Chelsea will not be going to those currently under government sanctions.
Agents and agencies connected to the club will receive their latest round of payments after the cash was released to the FA just days before restrictions were put in place.
In normal circumstances, the governing body would quickly distribute money to player representatives, but on this occasion they have contacted recipients for documented proof as to the finances’ final destination.
Broughton’s Blues bid in doubt
Sir Martin Broughton’s attempt to buy Chelsea could be scuppered if it emerges that Joshua Harris and David Blitzer are behind the bid, report The Telegraph.
The pair are currently shareholders in Crystal Palace, and, under Premier League rules, would not be able to hold stakes in both clubs due to a conflict of interest.
The identity of investors within Broughton’s consortium are currently unknown, but Harris and Blitzer are understood to have close ties to the businessman.
Official offers for the football club were submitted to the Raine Group on Friday with bidders now expected to hear back in due course.
Good morning footy fans
Lionel Messi reportedly looks set to stay at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season despite talk he could return to Barcelona.
Messi has struggled for goals and was knocked out in the second round of the Champions League by Real Madrid.
However, according to Marca, Messi will stay at PSG beyond the end of this disappointing season.
After emotionally leaving Barca last year, he signed a two-year contract with Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
And he is expected to see out his deal with the club, although there is currently no option of an additional year.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are set to pull Reece James out of the England squad due to injury – leaving Luke Shaw as the only specialist full-back.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel revealed the news after his side secured a place in the FA Cup semi-final by beating Middlesbrough 2-0 on Saturday.
He said: “The recommendation is that he does not go.
“He is still in individual training, otherwise we would have brought him to Lille and we would have brought him here for sure.
“There is no doubt about it. He needs one more week of rehabilitation and I think we can provide this much better.
“It is not the job of the national team to do this.”
Crystal Palace star Tyrick Mitchell is expected to be called up as his replacement.
In transfer news, Aston Villa are in pole position to snag Kalvin Philips from Leeds, reports suggest.
Villa are willing to pay the Whites £60m for the England and ace, according to the Times.
And Steven Gerrard’s side plan to lure Philips with a huge salary, The Times claim.
Crazy scenes at Amsterdam Arena
A fire broke out at the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday afternoon prior to Ajax’s game against Feyenoord.
The hugely anticipated Dutch clash saw scary scenes before kick-off when flares were set off at one end of the ground.
When they went out a blaze then ensued, with reports saying that flares caught a banner which fed the flames.
Thick black smoke engulfed a large portion of the fans behind the goal, before the fire was eventually put out.
It is unclear whether or not anybody was injured.

Piers Morgan slams Aubameyang exit
Piers Morgan took aim at Mikel Arteta over the manager’s decision to let Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave the club, after the Gabonese forward scored twice in his first Clasico for Barcelona.
He tweeted: “A free transfer. WE GAVE HIM AWAY”.
“Another brilliant goal by Aubameyang – this time in El Clasico.
“He’s been the world’s most lethal goal machine since joining Barcelona… and with every goal he scores, he makes Arteta look more absurd for giving him away.”
Forest rue bad cup luck
Nottingham Forest were left fuming after being denied a late penalty in their FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.
Ryan Yates burst through on goal in the 85th minute looking to net a dramatic equaliser.
He tried to knock the ball around Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, who stretched wide in vain after rushing out from his station.
And a full-throttle charge from both men saw Yates go down in the box.
The Forest star and his teammates wildly protested to the referee that it should be a penalty.
However, VAR entered the chat as Stockley Park officials reviewed the footage.
And replays suggested that although Alisson’s decision had been rash, there was minimal contact between him and Yates, who also appeared to drag his leg out.
United receive midfielder transfer boost
Manchester United and Liverpool are on alert after Monaco reportedly dropped their asking price for midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
Previously, reports have put Tchouameni’s price tag at £50million.
Goal, who cite reports in France, provide an update on the star’s future – and it is good news for the potential suitors.
The report claims Monaco will now accept bids worth £42m. The reason for the price drop is not given though.
Fans fume over El Clasico
Football fans were left fuming after tuning into El Clasico to discover BOTH sides had opted for strange kit choices.
Usually, regardless of whether the match is played at the Bernabeu or Nou Camp, traditionally teams would wear their home jerseys.
However, rather than wear their traditional white kit – Los Blancos opted to debut a black ensemble designed by Yohji Yamamoto that’s celebrating the 20th anniversary of Adidas x Y-3 and 120 years of Real Madrid.
While Barcelona went with their yellow away kit with three red stripes across the chest.
Those choices did not sit well with the football purists, who slammed their chosen outfits on Twitter.
One viewer wrote: “Just turned on Real Madrid v Barca – neither team wearing their home kit, game is well and truly gone.”
Beckham shows support for Ukraine
David Beckham’s Instagram account has today been taken over by a doctor in Ukraine in a bid to show the reality of their struggling medical facilities.
The Man United legend issued a heartfelt plea to his followers to support the “incredible people” working in “appalling conditions”.
He praised the head of the regional perinatal centre and child anesthesiologist Iryna before handing over his social media account to her on Sunday.
The dedicated doc detailed her plight caring for newborn babies and their mothers in Kharkiv as the war in Ukraine rages on.
Iryna told how on the first day of the devastating conflict, pregnant women and mothers had to be “evacuated to the basement”.
Frank Lampard fumes at performance
Everton boss Frank Lampard has slammed his stars after they were humiliated by Crystal Palace.
The Toffees were thrashed 4-0 at Selhurst Park on Sunday and missed out on a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Afterwards, the irate manager laid into his flops – asking if they had the “b* to play.”
Lampard said after the final whistle: “There is only so much you can keep trying to butter someone up to get confidence.
“You’re playing at the cut-throat end of football; this is the FA Cup quarter-finals. If you haven’t got the confidence to play, you can flip it and say: ‘Have you got the bollocks to play?’ Apologies but that’s the football term.
“We didn’t play that badly today, Palace didn’t play that well. It was a lack of confidence, and a lack of what I just said. It wasn’t tactics. Palace couldn’t get out of their half in the first 20 minutes.”
Tuchel still eyeing Prem title
Thomas Tuchel is refusing to rule Chelsea out of the Premier League title race – despite admitting that it’s almost Mission Impossible.
Chelsea, with a game in hand on both, currently sit 11 points behind leaders Manchester City, but even though he knows it is a long shot, 48-year-old Tuchel is refusing to throw in the towel.
He said: “The problem is they are both also on a run for what feels like a long time. It feels like it’s been three years that they’ve both been on a run. And it feels like our 13 games is not enough.
“We have to be honest, but we will never admit anything before it’s decided. We’ll always push ourselves to the limit.
“We cannot do anything else and we should not get carried away. Two teams took advantage of our problems.
“Full credit to them and they deserve where they are. We need to make sure we catch as many points as possible.”
Abraham creates history in Rome
Tammy Abraham smashed a record set by Gabriel Batistuta as he helped Roma thrash bitter rivals Lazio 3-0.
He has further cemented his status as a fan favourite as his early double helped claim the bragging rights in the Rome derby.
And, incredibly, those two strikes were enough for him to surpass a tally set by the club’s legendary former Argentinian hitman Batistuta.
The icon and Vicenzo Montella both previously held the record for the most goals scored in a debut season for Roma, each registering 21.
Now the 24-year-old has surpassed that tally as he moved on to 23 for the campaign.

Son Heung-min hurt by ball
Spurs forward Son Heung-min was hilariously mocked for going down after a ball was kicked against him by West Ham’s Kurt Zouma.
Having already found the net in the 24th minute, Son was already a thorn in the Hammers side.
However, later on he was ridiculed for feigning injury during a heated incident at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
When Spurs won a corner and the players were getting ready in the box, West Ham defender Kurt Zouma innocuously kicked the ball towards the corner flag.
The ball struck Son, who for some reason decided to collapse to the ground writhing in agony.

Chelsea fans face nervous wait
Chelsea fans are waiting to find out whether or not the club will be allowed to sell tickets for their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium.
The Blues have been drawn against Patrick Vieira’s side in the last four and are set to face them on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of April.
SunSport understands a decision on Chelsea’s ticket allocation will be made during the international break.
But the decision will be made by the government and not the FA as the sanctions imposed on Chelsea are from Downing Street.
Only 600 Chelsea fans were present for their quarter-final tie away at Middlesbrough on Saturday after the sanctions were placed upon them
Bad week for Kurt Zouma
West Ham defender Kurt Zouma scored an unfortunate own goal against Spurs in their clash on Sunday.
The former Chelsea defender, 27, deflected the ball into his own net from a Harry Kane cross after sliding in the box to stop Son Heung-min from scoring in the London derby.
Zouma’s bad luck came just days after he was charged by the RSPCA for a video showing him kicking his cat across a kitchen floor.
The clip has caused a public outcry since it was revealed by The Sun last month.
Last week, the RSPCA announced they had charged Zouma, who is now set to appear in court on a date that’s yet to be set.
Zouma’s brother Yoan, 23, has also been charged for allegedly filming the incident.

Gareth Southgate makes Eagles swoop
Crystal Palace star Tyrick Mitchell is set to be confirmed as part of England’s squad for the very first time.
The 22-year-old left-back is due to get the call-up from Gareth Southgate within the next 24 hours.
Mitchell has shone for the Eagles this term, and after helping them to reach the FA Cup semi-final by thrashing Everton, his displays will be rewarded on the international level, claims the Mail.
It comes after Chelsea confirmed they are set to pull Reece James out of the England squad due to injury – leaving Luke Shaw as the only specialist full-back.
Mitchell is one of three Palace players to be called up along with Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher, who is on loan from Chelsea.
Load more entries… More

CHELSEA beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in their FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday in what was a comfortable game throughout for the Blues. The Blues board were condemned, following an attempt to make the case the game should be played in front of no fans, but Thomas Tuchel backed a U-turn.
The German said: “I think the proposal was withdrawn and it was absolutely the right thing to do, because that was from our side and hopefully it was not meant like this.”
Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech scores Chelsea’s goals in the clash.
Blues fans will now be waiting to see who their new owner will be, following final bids from prospective buyers on Friday.
Follow ALL of the latest updates and transfer gossip from Stamford Bridge right here…
Crazy scenes at Amsterdam Arena
A fire broke out at the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday afternoon prior to Ajax’s game against Feyenoord.
The hugely anticipated Dutch clash saw scary scenes before kick-off when flares were set off at one end of the ground.
When they went out a blaze then ensued, with reports saying that flares caught a banner which fed the flames.
Thick black smoke engulfed a large portion of the fans behind the goal, before the fire was eventually put out.
It is unclear whether or not anybody was injured.

Piers Morgan slams Aubameyang exit
Piers Morgan took aim at Mikel Arteta over the manager’s decision to let Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave the club, after the Gabonese forward scored twice in his first Clasico for Barcelona.
He tweeted: “A free transfer. WE GAVE HIM AWAY”.
“Another brilliant goal by Aubameyang – this time in El Clasico.
“He’s been the world’s most lethal goal machine since joining Barcelona… and with every goal he scores, he makes Arteta look more absurd for giving him away.”
Forest rue bad cup luck
Nottingham Forest were left fuming after being denied a late penalty in their FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.
Ryan Yates burst through on goal in the 85th minute looking to net a dramatic equaliser.
He tried to knock the ball around Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, who stretched wide in vain after rushing out from his station.
And a full-throttle charge from both men saw Yates go down in the box.
The Forest star and his teammates wildly protested to the referee that it should be a penalty.
However, VAR entered the chat as Stockley Park officials reviewed the footage.
And replays suggested that although Alisson’s decision had been rash, there was minimal contact between him and Yates, who also appeared to drag his leg out.
United receive midfielder transfer boost
Manchester United and Liverpool are on alert after Monaco reportedly dropped their asking price for midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
Previously, reports have put Tchouameni’s price tag at £50million.
Goal, who cite reports in France, provide an update on the star’s future – and it is good news for the potential suitors.
The report claims Monaco will now accept bids worth £42m. The reason for the price drop is not given though.
Fans fume over El Clasico
Football fans were left fuming after tuning into El Clasico to discover BOTH sides had opted for strange kit choices.
Usually, regardless of whether the match is played at the Bernabeu or Nou Camp, traditionally teams would wear their home jerseys.
However, rather than wear their traditional white kit – Los Blancos opted to debut a black ensemble designed by Yohji Yamamoto that’s celebrating the 20th anniversary of Adidas x Y-3 and 120 years of Real Madrid.
While Barcelona went with their yellow away kit with three red stripes across the chest.
Those choices did not sit well with the football purists, who slammed their chosen outfits on Twitter.
One viewer wrote: “Just turned on Real Madrid v Barca – neither team wearing their home kit, game is well and truly gone.”
Beckham shows support for Ukraine
David Beckham’s Instagram account has today been taken over by a doctor in Ukraine in a bid to show the reality of their struggling medical facilities.
The Man United legend issued a heartfelt plea to his followers to support the “incredible people” working in “appalling conditions”.
He praised the head of the regional perinatal centre and child anesthesiologist Iryna before handing over his social media account to her on Sunday.
The dedicated doc detailed her plight caring for newborn babies and their mothers in Kharkiv as the war in Ukraine rages on.
Iryna told how on the first day of the devastating conflict, pregnant women and mothers had to be “evacuated to the basement”.
Frank Lampard fumes at performance
Everton boss Frank Lampard has slammed his stars after they were humiliated by Crystal Palace.
The Toffees were thrashed 4-0 at Selhurst Park on Sunday and missed out on a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Afterwards, the irate manager laid into his flops – asking if they had the “b* to play.”
Lampard said after the final whistle: “There is only so much you can keep trying to butter someone up to get confidence.
“You’re playing at the cut-throat end of football; this is the FA Cup quarter-finals. If you haven’t got the confidence to play, you can flip it and say: ‘Have you got the bollocks to play?’ Apologies but that’s the football term.
“We didn’t play that badly today, Palace didn’t play that well. It was a lack of confidence, and a lack of what I just said. It wasn’t tactics. Palace couldn’t get out of their half in the first 20 minutes.”
Tuchel still eyeing Prem title
Thomas Tuchel is refusing to rule Chelsea out of the Premier League title race – despite admitting that it’s almost Mission Impossible.
Chelsea, with a game in hand on both, currently sit 11 points behind leaders Manchester City, but even though he knows it is a long shot, 48-year-old Tuchel is refusing to throw in the towel.
He said: “The problem is they are both also on a run for what feels like a long time. It feels like it’s been three years that they’ve both been on a run. And it feels like our 13 games is not enough.
“We have to be honest, but we will never admit anything before it’s decided. We’ll always push ourselves to the limit.
“We cannot do anything else and we should not get carried away. Two teams took advantage of our problems.
“Full credit to them and they deserve where they are. We need to make sure we catch as many points as possible.”
Abraham creates history in Rome
Tammy Abraham smashed a record set by Gabriel Batistuta as he helped Roma thrash bitter rivals Lazio 3-0.
He has further cemented his status as a fan favourite as his early double helped claim the bragging rights in the Rome derby.
And, incredibly, those two strikes were enough for him to surpass a tally set by the club’s legendary former Argentinian hitman Batistuta.
The icon and Vicenzo Montella both previously held the record for the most goals scored in a debut season for Roma, each registering 21.
Now the 24-year-old has surpassed that tally as he moved on to 23 for the campaign.

Son Heung-min hurt by ball
Spurs forward Son Heung-min was hilariously mocked for going down after a ball was kicked against him by West Ham’s Kurt Zouma.
Having already found the net in the 24th minute, Son was already a thorn in the Hammers side.
However, later on he was ridiculed for feigning injury during a heated incident at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
When Spurs won a corner and the players were getting ready in the box, West Ham defender Kurt Zouma innocuously kicked the ball towards the corner flag.
The ball struck Son, who for some reason decided to collapse to the ground writhing in agony.

Chelsea fans face nervous wait
Chelsea fans are waiting to find out whether or not the club will be allowed to sell tickets for their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium.
The Blues have been drawn against Patrick Vieira’s side in the last four and are set to face them on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of April.
SunSport understands a decision on Chelsea’s ticket allocation will be made during the international break.
But the decision will be made by the government and not the FA as the sanctions imposed on Chelsea are from Downing Street.
Only 600 Chelsea fans were present for their quarter-final tie away at Middlesbrough on Saturday after the sanctions were placed upon them
Bad week for Kurt Zouma
West Ham defender Kurt Zouma scored an unfortunate own goal against Spurs in their clash on Sunday.
The former Chelsea defender, 27, deflected the ball into his own net from a Harry Kane cross after sliding in the box to stop Son Heung-min from scoring in the London derby.
Zouma’s bad luck came just days after he was charged by the RSPCA for a video showing him kicking his cat across a kitchen floor.
The clip has caused a public outcry since it was revealed by The Sun last month.
Last week, the RSPCA announced they had charged Zouma, who is now set to appear in court on a date that’s yet to be set.
Zouma’s brother Yoan, 23, has also been charged for allegedly filming the incident.

Gareth Southgate makes Eagles swoop
Crystal Palace star Tyrick Mitchell is set to be confirmed as part of England’s squad for the very first time.
The 22-year-old left-back is due to get the call-up from Gareth Southgate within the next 24 hours.
Mitchell has shone for the Eagles this term, and after helping them to reach the FA Cup semi-final by thrashing Everton, his displays will be rewarded on the international level, claims the Mail.
It comes after Chelsea confirmed they are set to pull Reece James out of the England squad due to injury – leaving Luke Shaw as the only specialist full-back.
Mitchell is one of three Palace players to be called up along with Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher, who is on loan from Chelsea.
Steven Gerrard eyes Kalvin Phillips
Aston Villa have reportedly emerged as favourites to sign Kalvin Phillips and are willing to pay an ‘enormous’ salary to get him.
The Leeds United and England midfielder, 26, has won a host of admirers over the past two seasons in the Premier League.
Phillips is under contract at Elland Road until 2024.
But that has not stopped Steven Gerrard from identifying him as a ‘key target’ for this summer’s transfer window.
And The Times claims that the Villa are ‘ready to pay £60million’ to get him plus give him huge wages.
West Ham and Newcastle have also been linked with moves for Phillips but Villa are now frontrunners for his signature.
FA Cup semi final draw
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest or Liverpool
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
Pogba set for Nou Camp?
Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Paul Pogba from Manchester United.
The midfielder, 29, is set to leave Old Trafford for free at the end of this season when his contract expires.
He was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in October last year, but they were unable to meet his high wage demands at the time.
However, last week the club landed a huge sponsorship deal with Spotify worth around £237million.
The agreement means that their famous home will be renamed to Spotify Camp Nou.
It also revives the fortunes of the Spanish giants – who almost went bankrupt last year due to overspending.
Messi set for PSG stay
Lionel Messi reportedly looks set to stay at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season despite talk he could return to Barcelona.
Messi has struggled for goals and was knocked out in the second round of the Champions League by Real Madrid.
However, according to Marca, Messi will stay at PSG beyond the end of this disappointing season.
After emotionally leaving Barca last year, he signed a two-year contract with Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
And he is expected to see out his deal with the club, although there is currently no option of an additional year.
Scouse pride for Wayne Rooney
UFC London stars Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann were congratulated by Wayne Rooney after their stunning wins at the O2 Arena.
The proud Liverpudlians beat Kazula Vargas and Luana Carolina on the main card of the MMA promotion’s long-awaited return to the UK.
And they were congratulated backstage by the Derby County manager, who hugged the pair and said: “Well done.”
The Manchester United legend then revealed he immediately planned on attending the show after finding out they’d feature on the card.
He said: “I went when Crocop got fought years ago. [The] first time I went to a [UFC event].
“The last time I went to a UFC, I obviously saw what you were [both] doing and I thought, ‘I need to come.'”

Tone it down
Ivan Toney appears to have disrespected Brentford again in a viral TikTok video that has sparked outrage.
The striker, 26, took part in a viral series hosted by TikTok star @callmetoksy, who finds people driving expensive cars and asks them their occupation – former Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has previously featured in a video.
Toney and the TikTokker begin by talking about cryptocurrency with Toney suggesting Ethereum is the best coin on the market.
@callmetoksy then asks the Bees star what he does for a job with Toney replying he is a professional footballer.
But when asked who he plays for Toney answered: “Nowhere exciting.”
He then breaks out in laughter as the video ends.
Man United’s stadium plans
Man United’s plans to rebuild Old Trafford could cost £1.5billion – making it the most expensive stadium in England.
Last week it was announced that club chiefs were considering a complete revamp of Old Trafford.
Due to the rising cost of essential materials, the new build will become the most expensive stadium in England – surpassing the £1.1billion home of Tottenham.
It is understood that the Red Devils will cover the extreme costs with loans and bonds.
Poch set for PSG stay
Mauricio Pochettino is set to reject a move to Manchester United and stay at PSG, according to reports.
Man Utd have been considering him as a potential replacement for Ralf Rangnick when he leaves his post as manager at the end of the season.
However, L’Equipe have reported that he is willing to stay in Paris, but only under certain conditions.
Pochettino wants the club to be in the best position to go on and win the Champions League in future.
And for this to happen, he wants more of an input on certain decisions regarding the club’s strategy.
Chelsea show interest in Musonda
Roma are interested in giving Chelsea outcast Charly Musonda a new home at the end of the season, reports claim.
The 25-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season and the Blues don’t plan on offering him a new deal despite him spending a decade at Stamford Bridge.
And according to Goal, ex-Blues boss Jose Mourinho is willing to give the Belgian a shot in Italy with Roma.
Football fans injured at stadium
Five people have been seriously injured after a stand collapsed at a football match in India.
Over 200 people are claimed to have sustained injuries in the shocking incident just before the match kicked off on Saturday evening, according to local Police.
Footage from the scene in the Malappuram district of Kerala shows spectators thrown to the ground as the structure suddenly gives way.
The floodlight also toppled over in the incident, which caused sparks to fly as it hit the floor.
Onlookers in the opposite stand hold their hands to their head in disbelief before rushing to offer help to the injured.
Others who had been in the stand that collapsed ran away from the scene after being caught up in the terrifying ordeal.

Micah Richards on United captaincy
Marcus Rashford has said that Cristiano Ronaldo should become Manchester United captain to give Harry Maguire a break.
 Richards has suggested that he needs help in his role as Man Utd captain.
“It’s not my role to defend people, but the reason I feel so passionately about why the captaincy should be moved on to Ronaldo — for the time being — is based on everything Harry is experiencing on a personal level.”
Owen’s FA Cup prediction
Michael Owen thinks Liverpool will be too strong for Nottingham Forest when they meet in the FA Cup today.
He said on BetVictor: “It’s great to see Forest in the latter stages, it’s been a great run for them.
“They’ve given teams problems at the City Ground, but Liverpool are looking too strong at the moment.
“I can’t think of a more form team in Europe than Liverpool.”
Load more entries… More