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    Arsen Zakharyan hints at Chelsea transfer in January before team-mate gatecrashes interview with Blues chant

    CHELSEA transfer target Arsen Zakharyan has not ruled out a move to the club in January. Zakharyan was close to completing a move to Chelsea, but the transfer was blocked by UK sanctions placed on the teenager’s native Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

    Arsen Zakharyan talks about the offer he received from ChelseaCredit: Reddit -https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/x5ofxx/dynamo_moscows_arsen_zakharyan_in_an_interview/
    His team-mate then came up behind him and started chanting Chelsea’s nameCredit:
    Reddit -https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/x5ofxx/dynamo_moscows_arsen_zakharyan_in_an_interview/
    Zakharyan in action for Dynamo MoscowCredit: AFP
    However, despite the £13million transfer from Dynamo Moscow being blocked, the midfielder remains hopeful of sealing a move during the next window.
    Speaking during a post-match interview with Match TV, Zakharyan said: “I knew they were interested, maybe in the winter.”
    But his interview was gatecrashed when team-mate Fyodor Smolov began to chant: “Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea,” as he walked past.
    Zakharyan’s stock has grown exponentially after some strong performances last season.
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    He scored seven goals and contributed eight assists in the league last season.
    During the campaign, he played across a number of positions in attack but mainly occupied a position either as a left winger or more centrally.
    Zakharyan also told journalist Hcraf Khachatryan: “There was an offer, but it was impossible to complete a transfer.
    “How can I reject that? Of course, I accepted.”
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    A theme of Chelsea’s recruitment during the summer was the acquisition of a number of up-and-coming stars.
    This included the club pinching Omari Hutchinson from Arsenal and also signing Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa. More

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    Arthur Melo ‘was only Liverpool’s second choice after missing out to Chelsea in transfer for Denis Zakaria’

    ARTHUR MELO was only Liverpool’s SECOND choice to bolster their midfield on deadline day.And the Reds were forced into making a move after missing out on Juventus teammate Denis Zakaria to Chelsea.
    Arthur Melo was Liverpool’s second choice midfield signing on deadline dayCredit: Getty
    Liverpool wanted to sign Juventus teammate Denis Zakaria but lost out to ChelseaCredit: Getty
    Calciomercato claims Jurgen Klopp was desperate to sign a box-to-box player after being plagued by midfield injuries.
    And the German boss identified Zakaria as his No1 choice to fill the gap left by Thiago Alcantara.
    Liverpool made their move as the hours ticked down towards the end of the market.
    However, they were unable to reach an agreement with either Zakaria or Juventus.
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    At the same time, Chelsea entered the bidding process after missing out on Ajax’s Edson Alvarez.
    Zakaria jumped at the chance to move to Stamford Bridge on loan.
    And Liverpool were then left negotiating with Juventus for playmaker Arthur.
    Once regarded as a top talent, the 26-year-old Brazilian has suffered a sharp decline in recent years.
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    He managed just one goal in two years with the Bianconeri.
    And a dip in form has seen Arthur play for Brazil just once since 2020.
    Liverpool are paying Juventus almost £4m to loan the midfielder for the season.
    And should Arthur come good, there is an option to sign him permanently for just over £32m next summer.
    The former Barcelona star could now make his debut against Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday.
    As well as Thiago, Klopp is also without Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita.
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    Havey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho both struggled in Saturday’s 0-0 Merseyside derby draw at Everton.
    And Arthur could find himself slotting in alongside Jordan Henderson, who came off the bench at the weekend. More

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    How Nice can line up this season with SEVEN ex-Premier League stars after free transfer for former Chelsea ace Barkley

    NICE could field a whopping SEVEN former Premier League players on their starting XI this season. That is after Ross Barkley arrived on a free transfer following his release by Chelsea in the summer.

    Ross Barkley was paraded in front of the Nice fans last nightCredit: https://twitter.com/ogcnice
    The former England man was unveiled to fans ahead of Sunday’s defeat against Monaco – after checking himself out in the mirror in a cringe-worthy announcement video.
    Barkley followed Aaron Ramsey in joining the South France side as a free agent this summer.
    The Welshman, 31, made his switch earlier this summer after he agreed to terminate his Juventus contract.
    He was swiftly followed to the Allianz Riviera Stadium by Leicester stalwart Kasper Schmeichel.
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    Aaron Ramsey has signed for Nice on a free transferCredit: Instagram @AaronRamsey
    Kasper Schmeichel followed Ramsey to the South of FranceCredit: Getty
    Nice then added Arsenal’s £72million flop Nicolas Pepe on a season-long loan.
    And Fulham left-back Joe Bryan also headed to Nice on loan.
    The Ligue 1 side were linked with an ambitious move for Edinson Cavani.
    The Uruguayan, 35, had been a free agent since leaving Manchester United at the end of last season but instead signed for Valencia.
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    But it is possible Nice manager Lucien Favre could still line up with seven former Prem players in his team this season.
    That is because former Southampton midfielders Mario Lemina and Morgan Schneiderlin also play for Nice.
    Fans may be familiar with defender Dante, who spent three years at Bayern Munich earlier in his career.
    While he has partnered ex-Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo so far this season.
    Nice’s team is brimming with young French talent, with Under-21 internationals Khephren Thuram, Amine Gouiri and Melvin Bard all players to watch.
    Algerian right-back Youcef Atal appears to be the first-choice on that flank while Andy Delort and Gaetan Laborde will battle it out up front after the latter was snapped up from Rennes.
    Nicolas Pepe signed on a season-long loan from ArsenalCredit: Getty
    Joe Bryan secured a loan switch from Fulham despite their promotionCredit: AFP More

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    Man Utd overpaid by more than £100m on new transfers while City saved £90m… find out how savvy your club is

    MANCHESTER UNITED overpaid by more than £100million on new transfers – more than any other Premier League side.It is a complete contrast to last summer when the Red Devils were the most savvy operators, saving nearly £60m on their new signings.
    Only three clubs underpaid on transfers in the summer transfer window
    Antony cost Manchester United £54million more than his market valueCredit: PA
    United also overspent on Lisandro Martinez and Erling HaalandCredit: Getty
    Manchester City made huge savings on Erling HaalandCredit: Getty
    But this time around it is rivals Manchester City who have been most shrewd, saving just over £90m despite big buys including Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips.
    Haaland, who has scored 10 goals in six Prem games, is already proving to be one of the best signings of the summer.
    And given he has a value of £135m but cost City just £51m, he is also one of the biggest bargains.
    By contrast, United overpaid by £54m on Antony alone, since the winger has a value of just £31.5m on Transfermarkt yet arrived for £85.5m.
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    According to OLBG using data collected from Transfermarkt, United’s total overspend was an eye-watering £102,620,00, with Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez also arriving for fees beyond their value.
    Ajax proved tough negotiators and managed to wrangle £55m out of United for Martinez, whose true value is closer to £29m, while United overspent by £34m on Casemiro.
    That spend dwarfs Chelsea as the next highest on £69,740,000, and West Ham who are third after ovepaying by £39,610,000.
    The Blues splashed £62m on Marc Cucurella from Brighton but it is claimed the defender is only worth £25m, while Carney Chukwuemeka was also signed for £15m more than he is worth.
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    Only three teams underpaid on transfers this summer – a big change compared to last year when eight teams managed to make savings with their additions.
    Aston Villa’s big underspending came on defender Diego Carlos and Leonardo Dendoncker, who arrived for a combined saving of around £22m.
    Fulham also made a small saving of £4m after signing 11 players in the transfer window. More

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    Kepa explored Chelsea transfer exit in summer after losing No1 spot to Mendy, confirms Tuchel amid Napoli interest

    THOMAS TUCHEL admits Kepa Arrizabalaga explored a move away from Chelsea this summer.But despite interest from Napoli, the goalie decided to stay put at Stamford Bridge.
    Kepa Arrizabalaga looked at leaving Chelsea this summer amid interest from NapoliCredit: Getty
    Kepa, 27, remains the most expensive gloveman in history after joining Chelsea for £71.6million from Athletic Bilbao in 2018.
    But despite being No1 at Stamford Bridge in his first two seasons, Kepa has spent the past 24 months playing second fiddle to Edouard Mendy.
    Reports claimed the 11-time Spain international was giving serious thought to moving on this summer.
    And Napoli made an approach over a loan deal with an option to buy next year.
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    However, a move to Italy failed to materialise.
    And deadline day saw Kepa stay put in London for what’s set to be his fifth season at Chelsea.
    The ace is now ready to make his first appearance of the campaign in tomorrow’s Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb.
    Blues boss Tuchel now admits the stopper did spend time considering his options over the summer.
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    Kepa received several options for a fresh start away from Stamford Bridge.
    But after giving careful thought to all proposals, he eventually decided he was best served staying at Chelsea.
    Tuchel declared: “He tried and checked his options, which we were aware of.
    “They were not satisfying for him or for us, so he stayed and I’m very happy about that.
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    “I was always very clear directly with him that I would love him to stay, and my point of view is that he’s absolutely ready to play.
    “It’s on us if we give him the chance or not but he’s 100 per cent ready with how he behaves and trains.” More

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    Ross Barkley joins Nice on free transfer from Chelsea to join Aaron Ramsey and poses in front of mirror in new kit

    FREE AGENT Ross Barkley has been unveiled by French club Nice in a cringeworthy signing video.The 28-year-old agreed to have his Chelsea contract terminated last month.
    Ross Barkley has joined French club Nice on a free transferCredit: https://twitter.com/ogcnice_eng
    Barkley was paraded in front of the Nice fans this eveningCredit: https://twitter.com/ogcnice

    And he has now penned a deal with the Ligue 1 outfit.
    Confirming Barkley as a Nice player this evening, the club posted a video to Twitter of him wearing their home shirt.
    In the bizarre announcement the midfielder can be seen checking himself out in the mirror dressed in his new colours.
    Barkley was then unveiled to the Nice fans ahead of their Ligue 1 clash against Monaco on Sunday.
    READ MORE FOOTBALL
    The midfielder joins a strong Premier League contingent in the South of France.
    Arsenal record signing Nicolas Pepe is currently on loan at Nice, as well as Brentford’s Mads Bech Sorensen and Fulham’s Joe Bryan.
    Ex-Gunner Aaaron Ramsey also joined the club over the summer after having his Juventus contract terminated.
    Leicester veteran Kasper Schmeichel signed for them recently too.
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    While former Southampton pair Morgan Schneiderlin and Mario Lemina already played at the Allianz Riviera Stadium before this summer’s Prem influx.
    Barkley originally joined Chelsea for £15million in 2018 after leaving boyhood club Everton.
    But the midfielder underwhelmed following his arrival and failed to ever nail down a regular starting spot at Stamford Bridge.
    He played 100 times in total for the Blues, and was shipped out on loan to Aston Villa for the 2020/21 campaign. More

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    Diego Costa set for sensational Premier League return with Wolves after £15m striker Kalajdzic ruled out with ACL injury

    DIEGO COSTA will reportedly undergo a medical with Wolves this week ahead of a stunning Premier League return.New £15million signing Sasa Kalajdzic is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury on his debut yesterday.
    Diego Costa is in line for a stunning Premier League returnCredit: PA
    Costa won the Premier League twice with ChelseaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    And Wolves have identified Costa as the man to replace him.
    The 33-year-old former Chelsea striker is currently a free agent and can be signed outside of the transfer window.
    He is expected to arrive at the club on Tuesday, according to The Athletic.
    From there he will undergo a medical with the Molineux outfit.
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    The forward most recently played for Atletico Mineiro.
    But Costa has been a free agent since terminating his contract with the Brazilian outfit in January.
    He boasts proven Prem experience, having won the league twice in his three seasons with Chelsea.
    Costa scored 52 goals in 120 games for the Blues in all competitions before he left to join Atletico Madrid in 2018.
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    With Raul Jimenez the only senior striker at the club, boss Bruno Lage moved to sign Kalajdzic from Stuttgart late in the transfer window.
    But he picked up an injury less than 45 minutes into his debut for the club
    The 25-year-old Austrian was replaced at half-time before it was confirmed today he had suffered an ACL injury. More

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    West Ham failed with measly £1m late loan transfer bid for Bayer Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou

    WEST HAM made a low bid for Bayer Leverkusen centre half Odilon Kossounou before the transfer window shut.Hammers moved for the Ivory Coast defender who has fallen out of favour a year after a major move to the Bundesliga.
    West Ham failed in a late loan bid for Odilon KossounouCredit: Getty
    However David Moyes’ money men only came up with £1million in a loan fee.
    Leverkusen wanted more from West Ham and would have been more interested in a guaranteed buy at a big price.
    The 21-year-old defender signed for the Bundesliga side for £20m last summer.
    But he has started just one league game this season.
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    Kossounou played 34 times in total last season, and has been capped 15 times by his country.
    Meanwhile, West Ham will try to tie down Harrison Ashby on a deal after blocking moves to Leeds United and Newcastle.
    Ashby was initially being allowed to go after stalling on new terms.
    But that was stopped when Ben Johnson picked up an injury.
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    Leeds fancied Ashby strongly and are expected to return.
    Although the Newcastle interest could die as it was a replacement for Emil Krafth who is out for the season. More