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      Inside Chelsea’s plan to create super 100-point team as Boehly and Eghbali target Sporting Lisbon as second feeder club

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      CHELSEA are plotting to create a super 100-point team.And Todd Boehly could yet move to make Portuguese giant Sporting Lisbon his second feeder club.
      Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly plan on transforming Chelsea into a 100-point teamCredit: Getty
      There are plans afoot to make Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon a new feeder clubCredit: AFP
      The Blues are into their second season under the American and fellow co-owner Behdad Eghbali, who took charge last year in a £4.25bn takeover from Roman Abramovich.
      Their first term was an unmitigated disaster by any club’s books, with Chelsea working their way through FOUR pitch-side managers before settling on Mauricio Pochettino.
      The Blues won just 11 league games as they finished 12th.
      But Boehly and Eghbali won’t be too concerned for now as they continue following their blueprint to build a squad capable of reaching 100 points per season.
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      The duo are determined to turn Chelsea into the league’s dominant force.
      They believe that by signing the best young talent now, they can foster and nurture a winning culture that will eventually result in a record-breaking side.
      Only Manchester City have ever reached 100 points, achieving that feat in the 2017/18 season with 32 wins and just two defeats.
      Chelsea are certainly showing they’re investing for the future, spending well over £1billion in just three windows to create a squad with an average age of just 23.
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      Chelsea’s signings under the new regime
      A source told the Telegraph: “[The owners are] continuously thinking about what that 100 point team looks like.
      “And putting together the right players who will make that 100 point team.”
      It now remains to be seen if Boehly and Eghbali have invested in the right stars, with players like Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Moises Caicedo not going anywhere soon with eight-year contracts.
      In the meantime, Chelsea will continue to develop youngsters outside the first-team squad by potentially moving for another feeder team.
      The Blues’ owners have already taken control of French side Strasbourg, loaning them Brazilian winger Angelo.
      Chelsea went through four managers last season, including Graham PotterCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Mauricio Pochettino has been tasked with getting things rightCredit: Getty
      And they now have European giants Sporting Lisbon in their sights, with the 19-time Portuguese league winners providing a bigger platform for youngsters to develop.
      Chelsea also plan to match their growth on and off the pitch by upgrading Stamford Bridge.
      The process has so far proved difficult due to its location and site size.
      Should it prove untenable to expand Chelsea’s home since 1905, Boehly and Eghbali are not afraid to look elsewhere for a ground move.
      The duo feel they “have an asset unlike any other in sport”, and plan to “maximise” all commercial aspects of the Chelsea brand.
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      For now, fans are hoping for an upturn in results ahead of Sunday’s clash with Bournemouth.
      But considering the sizeable investment that’s already been made, it may take a while for the seeds to bear fruit.
      Chelsea have spent big on players like Moises Caicedo, handing them long-term contractsCredit: Alamy
      The Blues hope to upgrade Stamford Bridge but are willing to look for a new siteCredit: Getty More

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      Arsenal ‘face competition from FOUR clubs to sign £70m-rated wonderkid Ousmane Diomande, 19, after summer bid rejected’

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      ARSENAL are reportedly up against fierce competition from four clubs to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande in January. The Gunners had a £30million approach for the 19-year-old defender turned down during the summer transfer window.
      Arsenal are aiming to sign Ousmane Diomande in JanuaryCredit: Getty
      But despite being turned away, Mikel Arteta is said to be really keen on returning for Diomande in January.
      The Ivory Coast international joined Sporting last January from FC Midtjylland for just £6.1m, but has already caught the attention of big clubs across Europe.
      He played 13 matches in the Portuguese top flight last term and managed to help Sporting finish fourth in the league.
      But unfortunately for Arsenal his impressive campaign seems to have had a pretty big impact on his price tag.
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      Sporting will only be willing to sell Diomande if a club was to activate his £70m release clause.
      Arsenal are alone in the race for his signature with “three or four clubs” also keeping their eye out for Diomande, according to Fabrizio Romano.
      Romano adds that Arsenal would have struggled to sign the teenager last summer as he wasn’t up for sale and his Sporting contract runs until 2027.
      Juventus, Manchester City and Monaco have all previously been linked with the Ivorian and could consider a move.
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      Arteta already has a depth of high-quality centre-backs in his squad but is considering signing defensive cover after new recruit Jurrain Timber’s ACL injury.
      The Dutch ace is set to be sidelined for several months meaning a new addition may be of interest at the Emirates.
      Arsenal will travel to Everton on Sunday for their next Premier League match before beginning their Champions League campaign against PSV Eindhoven next Wednesday.  More

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      Ex-LaLiga ace could be killed ‘very quickly’ after swapping football for drug trafficking where he earned 6 TIMES wages

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      FORMER La Liga star Koke has admitted he could be killed at any time after being jailed for drug trafficking.The ex-Malaga, Marseille and Sporting Lisbon striker received a six-year prison term from a Spanish court in May.
      Former Marseille and Malaga striker Koke has said he could be killed ‘very quickly’ after he was jailed for drug traffickingCredit: AFP
      The former pro has been sentenced to prison until 2027Credit: AFP
      Koke was found guilty of heading a 30-strong gang that smuggled mainly cannabis, but also cocaine.
      The 40-year old, whose real name is Sergio Contreras, has already spent some time in prison.
      However he is currently being allowed to stay at his home in Marbella.
      The much-travelled striker also played for Greek side Aris and clubs in the US, Azerbaijan, Germany, Bolivia and India.
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      Koke turned to crime after retiring from football in 2016 following a second spell with Aris.
      He told Canal Plus: “As a footballer I had the chance to earn a lot of money.  I was on around £800,000 a year.
      “But in the ‘other’ business I would make in two months what I earned in a year playing football.
      “However, you put your life at risk.
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      “In France you can get killed very quickly in the world of trafficking drugs.
      “Here in Spain I could get killed as well, although I am not scared.
      Koke finished his career at Greek outfit ArisCredit: Rex
      “I have contacts everywhere, but don’t get me wrong – I am no Pablo Escobar!
      “This was not a way that I chose, but something that I found in my life.
      “When people hear me described as an ‘international trafficker’ they think: ‘F****** hell, what has he done?’
      “Life is complicated for me right now.  I am awaiting to go back into prison.
      “I have to pay for the stupid things I have done, and to be finished with all of this as soon as possible.
      “There is an open prison system in Spain for people who have been playing silly b*****s.
      “I will go back to jail.  I don’t know for how long, but I have a sentence until 2027.
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      “There were lots of French people in the prison, including some from Marseilles.
      “I saw lots of Marseille football shirts in the jail!”
      Koke has seen Marseille shirts in prison – he played for the club between 2004 and 2006Credit: AFP More

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      Sporting Lisbon youngster’s debut goes ‘from heaven to hell in four minutes’ as team-mates rush to console him

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      A SPORTING youngster saw himself go from “heaven to hell” after enduring a nightmare debut for the Lisbon side.Leonardo Barroso, 18, is a product of the Sporting academy and made his debut in the 81st minute in a pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad.
      The 18-year-old lasted just four minutes on his debutCredit: Twitter @FR_SportingCP
      The defender then received a straight-red card for a reckless tackle just four minutes later in the 85th minute.
      The crestfallen youngster had to be consoled by his more senior team-mates after receiving the red and looked visibly emotional.
      Despite the horror nature of the tackle, which looked as though it could have broken Barroso’s opponents leg, his team-mates pleaded with the ref not to send off the youngster.
      Centre-back Luis Neto, 35, stood up for Barroso after the game, saying: “We’ve all been Barroso in our career.
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      “This is an excess of will, it’s not an evil at all.
      “He’s a kid that sometimes trains with us, who ends up making his debut and in the first move is sent off.
      “I, from the outside, would say that VAR wouldn’t be upset if he wasn’t sent off.”
      Meanwhile, new boy Viktor Gyokeres got off to a scoring start for Sporting after signing from Coventry.
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      The Swede scored in the 19th minute after making his £20million move from the Midlands to Sporting this month.
      Gyokeres attracted Premier League interest from the likes of West Ham, Fulham, Wolves and Brentford after scoring 21 goals in the Championship last season and finishing second top scorer.
      Sporting will play Everton at Goodison Park in a friendly on August 5. More