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Tbf, nobody with a brain would choose United. But the money they’ll be offering may be impossible to turn down. Bruno injured, Mbuemo and Amad now at AFCON, their results are sputtering. They’re desperate for an injection of real quality and will pay out their asses if he agrees to go to them.

Gittens is what Semenyo was at his age. I'm sure at 21 you wouldn't have care about him. Just needs time. Have you not learned that by now?

Don't think the player would be keen to leave top level football. Rumor is some of the Portuguese who went like Ruben Neves are looking for a way back Our interest in Semenyo seems to be evaluating a good market opportunity. Clear that Gittens is too raw and Garnacho has a lot to improve in his game too

We may have checked but we me made that stupid idiotic decison to buy that mess Gittens.. There is only one club that Semenyo will choose if he has a brain thatsUnited, the rest are stacked with wide players

⚪️Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Dortmund and Stuttgart are very interested in the Marseille's 18-year-old midfielder Daryl Bakola. (@sebnonda)

Exactly, I think Neto will be gone by summer 2026 at the latest. Simon Phillips also reported today that we definitely want to sign K. Yildiz if an opportunity arises in January, otherwise in summer 2026. That's why Chelsea needs space. Mudryk on loan, Neto, George Sterling, and Gittens on loan could all leave!

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........😞 New English midfielder comes up in internal conversations this week Potential transfer brewing up https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/sources-new-english-midfielder-comes You know when you just hear about a story and it just has that feel of becoming an inevitable transfer? This is one of those that is starting to have that feel. As always, my promise on here is to deliver any inside news I get, whether big or small. And this bit of news, whilst relatively small for now, just has something about it; a sense that it could just be one of those moves that is destined to happen. I’ve reported this interest before, but it seems like it is coming back up again now. SPTC Sources understand Chelsea have held fresh internal conversations around interest and a potential move for James McAtee of Nottingham Forest. Chelsea held previous strong interest in the midfielder when he was at Manchester City right before he made his move to Forest. McAtee hasn’t been playing as much as he would like to be playing at Forest, and there is a potential opportunity there. Chelsea have always admired the 23-year-old, which is obviously driven by Joe Shields having previously worked with McAtee. At this point we don’t know if anything more will come of it, but there is certainly still Chelsea interest in the player and he has been spoken about just this week. January move? Summer move? Any move at all? Who knows. We will deliver more if we get it, of course.

He has been the most consisten player we have. But I noticed a lot of Portuguese players are over there so he might want to go. Such a shame but it is what it is. I guess that's why we got interested in Semenyo all of a sudden?

80M pounds and not euros, please

Yan Diomande: Red Bull's best prospect since Erling Haaland being developed by Jurgen Klopp ahead of Liverpool & Man City transfer battle https://www.goal.com/en/lists/yan-diomande-red-bull-best-prospect-since-erling-haaland-developed-jurgen-klopp-liverpool-man-city-transfer-battle/bltec1b02744af0bdd0 With all the data and all the video footage you could ever hope for, there really shouldn't be many secrets left in the world of youth football. Sure, progress isn't linear and some players' attributes translate better to the adult game than others, but for most teams, picking and finding the best young talent still feels like a bit of a lottery, at least from the outside looking in. There has been plenty of controversy surrounding Red Bull's involvement in football, but you can't knock them for their proven track record of developing teenagers into ready-made stars. Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig are almost guaranteed to be home to tomorrow's generation of household names. Next up off that conveyor belt is Ivorian winger Yan Diomande, who only joined Leipzig from Spanish side Leganes over the summer and only recently turned 19, yet is already lighting up the Bundesliga and being tipped to leave for mega money. So, who is Diomande and what exactly makes him so brilliant? GOAL has the lowdown... Where it all began Diomande's upbringing was far from conventional. He was born in the Ivorian city of Abidjan on November 14, 2006, but moved to the United States during his adolescence. After playing high-school soccer for Yulee Hornets in Florida, Diomande joined the DME Academy down the road in Daytona Beach when he was 14, quickly becoming a hit as he alternated time between the main side and their affiliate team, AS Frenzi. After helping DME Academy to an unbeaten season and winning the United Premier Soccer League Premier Division with AS Frenzi for the first time in the programme's history, Diomande was named the 2023 STARI Player of the Year. "This recognition comes as no surprise to those who have witnessed Diomande's remarkable journey through the beautiful game," DME Academy's statement honouring the winger read. "His performance on the pitch was nothing short of sensational, with crucial goals that propelled his team to victory. It is not just his skills, but his leadership and determination that make him an invaluable asset to any team he represents." Diomande's exploits in the U.S. caught the attention of Scottish side Rangers, who took him on trial towards the end of 2023 before deciding against a more permanent arrangement. However, one year later, Diomande put pen to paper on a contract running to 2028 with Leganes, who at that point were playing in La Liga and were focused on an international recruitment drive of undervalued talent. The big break Following the completion of lengthy administrative processes, Diomande was only cleared to play for Leganes' senior side towards the end of March 2025. However, he was immediately thrown in at the deep end, making his debut off the bench in a 3-2 defeat away at Real Madrid. From there, Diomande featured in Leganes' nine remaining league games before the end of the season and became the club's youngest scorer in La Liga when he netted in a 3-2 victory over Espanyol. Starting on the left, Diomande skipped past his man infield before slotting under the goalkeeper to create history. After celebrating, Diomande burst into tears, but only recently revealed why that was in an interview with Sport BILD. "My little sister died shortly before I signed my contract in Spain," Diomande heartbreakingly revealed. "I promised my mother I would dedicate my next goal to her. I don't usually like to show my emotions, but after scoring, it just poured out. My sister is still on my mind. I play for her." Diomande also grabbed a goal and assist in a final day win versus Real Valladolid, but that was not enough for Leganes to stave off relegation to the Spanish second tier, and the club ultimately decided to cash in on him when Leipzig came forward with a €20 million (£17.6m/$23.4m) offer over the summer, with that sum representing complete profit having not paid a penny to acquire him from DME Academy. He was courted by Jurgen Klopp, now Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer, but actually missed the first call the former Liverpool boss made to him. "I couldn't believe it at first!" Diomande has admitted. "I've admired Klopp since his time in Liverpool. He's a great person, and suddenly on my first day here, he tried to call me. I hope he wasn't upset that I missed answering at first! But luckily, it worked out after that. He said I was still young and should be patient. My time will come." How it's going The rapid rise of Diomande has been incredible. He only ever started six times for Leganes, yet months later he is one of the first names on the teamsheet for RB Leipzig. This is a player who had never played professional football until March 2025, remember. It took only one game for Diomande to let Germany know who he was as he netted on his Leipzig debut, scoring their first of the evening in a 4-2 win at Sandhausen in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. It was harder to come by a Bundesliga goal at first, going his first seven appearances without a contribution, but since breaking that duck, Diomande has only gone from strength to strength. One goal and two assists during Leipzig's 6-0 mauling of Augsburg at the end of October opened the floodgates for the teenager. Another goal and assist followed against Stuttgart the following week, making him one of the five youngest players to ever score in successive Bundesliga games. He also found the net against Hoffenheim days after. The most notable milestone that Diomande has hit so far came when he scored a hat-trick as Leipzig again recorded a 6-0 win, this time against Eintracht Frankfurt, becoming the second-youngest player in Bundesliga history to achieve such a feat, ironically ranking only behind ex-Eintracht star Walter Bechtold all the way back in 1965. "It's a source of pride. Even though I am right-footed, I scored with my left. That shows that I am progressing and that I must not stop. I must keep working, keep improving, and score even more goals," a humble Diomande told the Bundesliga website of his treble. Meanwhile, at international level, Diomande has gone from an almost complete unknown in his native Cote d'Ivoire to a national hero in no time, scoring in their final two World Cup qualifiers to punch their ticket to the 2026 finals in North America. "Hearing it like that is just crazy," he's said of his exploits with the national team. "But on the other hand, it's honestly no coincidence. It's all the result of the team's hard work. I'm extremely happy and very proud. Playing for the national team was my biggest dream. Now I'm one of the players in my country who's made it. Like my role model, Yaya Toure. That feels good." Biggest strengths Naturally, Diomande's standing as a winger ought to make him a fine dribbler, but he is already a standout in that regard. He leads the Bundesliga with 42 dribbles completed this season, while only Lamine Yamal (66), Mohammed Kudus (47) and Kylian Mbappe (45) are ahead of him across Europe's top five leagues. "I played in the streets. I still play when I go home - sometimes with friends. I like to say: I left the streets, but the streets did not leave me. It is still part of me," Diomande has said of his own style. Such is Diomande's blend of eras, combining an old-school desire to go outside his man and get chalk on his boots with the modern obsession of cutting inside to score goals, he is incredibly adept at playing on either flank, more often than not starting on his natural right side. Through 16 games for Leipzig, Diomande has chipped in with seven goals and four assists. It's already conceivable that he could complete his first season as a professional footballer with double figures for both. He's not only easy on the eye, but remarkably effective and efficient. Leipzig head coach Ole Werner has been hugely impressed with his new signing this season, saying of Diomande: "He often gets past his opponents without any tricks, simply because he's so dynamic. But what's even more important to me is that he works for the team and is very good at counter-pressing. It's a matter of attitude, and he demonstrates that." The small sample size of his 2025 has made Diomande a darling of the stats community, too. Per FBRef, he already ranks in the top 98th percentile among wingers for non-penalty goals (0.5 per 90 minutes played), top 92nd percentile for shot-creating actions (5.21 per 90), top 97th percentile for progressive carries (6.22 per 90), top 99th percentile for successful take-ons (4.08 per 90) and top 94th percentile for touches taken in the opposing penalty area (6.91 per 90). On top of that, he also ranks in the top 88th percentiles for tackles (1.7 per 90) and blocks (1.26 per 90), as well as top 97th percentile for interceptions (0.94 per 90). In layman's terms, Diomande is statistically exceptional at both ends of the pitch. There are plenty of reasons as to why he's been touted as the best product of the Red Bull system since a certain Erling Haaland. Room for improvement Though Diomande's assist numbers are currently healthy, the major criticism of his game at the moment is that his passing isn't penetrative enough and he could be doing more to find team-mates inside the penalty area - this plot of his chances created from Opta Analyst best showcases this lack of verticality - while his crossing could also do with some work given how strong he is on both feet. Even despite his nose for goals, Diomande has admitted that is still an area of weakness by his standards. "My style is explosive, fast, and physically strong. Quick, agile, and also a finisher. I know I am not yet a perfect finisher, but I am only 19. With time, it will come - and I will become a killer in front of goal," he said lately. There was also uproar at Leipzig when Diomande was dropped for their crunch match against Borussia Dortmund in October for arriving late to a team meeting at the hotel, and it's an incident which still rankles the youngster to this day. "I'm still annoyed that this happened to me. I immediately apologised to the coach and the team for the mistake. Every player receives a schedule and has to make sure they are on time," he said. The next... Nico Williams? Diomande is the latest in a line of wingers who simply want to get on the ball and their first instinct is to beat their man. Comparisons have been made between Diomande and a younger version of Jeremy Doku before his sudden improvement with Manchester City this season, while Rodrygo has similar underlying stats at Real Madrid. But perhaps the most exciting player in Diomande's mould is Nico Williams. Both wingers are strong on both feet, can go both ways on either flank and can either slow the game down or speed it up depending on how they decide to take their opponent on. They are the protagonists controlling the outcome of attacks when they have possession. Most excitingly, Diomande already appears to be much more of a goal threat than any of these more senior players mentioned. Williams and Doku's highest-scoring league seasons are six, while Rodrygo has only once hit double figures. Prior to playing for Leipzig, Diomande was put in a similar bracket to another Red Bull prodigy in Karim Adeyemi, who is now a Bundesliga rival at Dortmund, with both exceptionally quick and capable of using that pace to get in behind as direct threats. What comes next? A move away from Leipzig is almost inevitable, with the Saxony side reportedly slapping a €100m (£88m/$117m) price tag on the winger. Liverpool, who may be hoping for a helping hand from Klopp, are among the clubs linked with Diomande, as well as Barcelona, Manchester City, Tottenham and Real Madrid. In the meantime, Diomande has joined up with the Cote d'Ivoire squad in Morocco for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he will be hoping to complete a remarkable first year in professional football by becoming a champion of his continent. He is, however, continuing to remain grounded despite this ascent to stardom. "It feels normal to me, because I am surrounded by people who guide me," Diomande has insisted. "This is what we planned for, so I'm not surprised. We knew this would come and we were waiting for it. Thank God things are going well, and we are grateful. “I don't pay attention to rumours. I focus on my work on the pitch. If you perform, rumours will always appear. I stay concentrated, and I have good support from my father and the club staff. So I focus only on football. "[Playing for Cote d'Ivoire] is a dream. We grew up watching our national team - they made us cry, they made us dream. Now we are the ones inspiring children, and it's incredible. I'm proud to represent my country. Our ambition is to go as far as possible and defend the [AFCON] title. We want to win again and keep the trophy. "We [also] want to go as far as possible [at the World Cup]. Ivory Coast has had difficult World Cups in the past. Now we want to push further and achieve something big." Diomande is living proof of how football can change quickly, and he has some advice for fellow young players who are looking to make a splash out of nowhere: "Work hard. Never give up. Fight and push yourself, because hard work is what can take you to the stars. You must not give up - fight until the last breath. That is the message."

Matt Law has kind of played down this move already. Sounds like yes we checked with Semenyo’s camp but that it’ll be a real long shot if we go all out for him. With the 2 Manchester clubs and Liverpool after him hard I don’t see this happening. They can all blow our wage offer out of the water. United especially will be desperate for him and probably offer £250k per week.

I put out that list more as a pretty extensive (20 of them) guide as to what is out there in terms of quality right footers who are or could be remotely available.

😆💪Still supremely funny that with all these top teams chasing Antoine Semenyo, his first priority was to tell Spurs they had no chance.

Don’t think so either but now even Ornstein is reporting it. Surely someone has to go for this to make even a little sense. And there’s no way Garnacho, Neto, or Estevão go of course. Is it even remotely plausible that they’ve given up on Gittens after only a few months? I would’ve thought no chance…

Al Nassr & Al Hilal want Pedro Neto. Al Hilal have contacted Neto’s agent — but no yes from the player yet Chelsea would entertain a sale & don’t see him as untouchable with Quenda coming in Chelsea would demand in excess of €80m. (FrazFletcher)

Chelsea came to the table in an audacious swoop on Monday evening after 25-year-old Antoine Semenyo had spent a day off weighing up his options. The Ghana international was born in west London and has an affiliation with Chelsea. (@kierangill_DM / @Jack_Gaughan) 🗯@SkyKaveh: “Chelsea have now made an enquiry to sign Semenyo. They have asked for information about the conditions of a possible deal. The release clause we are led to believe is around £60million and is valid till the middle of January.”

It’s not happening mate.

Hmm, literally less than 30 minutes after I dismissed the idea it looks like a brief went out that we ARE indeed interested in Semenyo. How that would work numbers wise I have no clue. We’ve already got 4 wingers (5 if you count George) and 2 #10’s.

🔵AS Roma opens loan negotiations with Chelsea for Axel Disasi. [@FabriceHawkins] 🔴Chelsea have made an initial enquiry to the representatives of Antoine Semenyo, despite always playing down an approach. Manchester Clubs are still viewed as front runners. (@JacobsBen) 🟡Chelsea have made an inquiry about signing Antoine Semenyo in January. (@SkySports) 🟣In January 2019 Chelsea have bid £1 million for 19-year old forward Antoine Semenyo but Bristol City are holding out for £2 million (Mail)

I don’t think we’ll be buying another expensive winger for a long, long time. The people above Maresca aren’t going to give up on Gittens after spending so much on him. Especially after the Mudryk thing blew up in their faces already. Garnacho has at least shown something and with Quenda coming in next summer we’ll be set in the wide positions numbers wise.

Enzo Maresca is committed to Chelsea despite Manchester City links – Newcastle draw showed that https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6906395/2025/12/21/enzo-maresca-Chelsea-man-city-newcastle/ At St James’ Park, Enzo Maresca did not give the impression of a head coach losing interest in his work at Chelsea. The Italian is always animated on the touchline, and Saturday was no different. The 2-2 draw with Newcastle United was a tense affair, and Maresca felt every twist and turn keenly. He called out to individual Chelsea players, pointing and directing their positioning, passes and marking throughout. He applauded players in front of him after smart moves or challenges. And, on 66 minutes, when Joao Pedro burst away from Malick Thiaw and scored the goal that secured the visitors a point which seemed unlikely when they were 2-0 down at half-time, his celebrations were typically emphatic. Maresca must have known there would be extra eyes on him. It was only one week earlier, after his side’s 2-0 home win against Everton, that he enigmatically called the preceding 48 hours the worst of his 18-month Chelsea tenure due to a lack of support. There is still no real clarity over who or what he was referring to. Then, on Thursday, The Athletic revealed Maresca is high up on Manchester City’s list to replace Pep Guardiola if the Spaniard leaves this summer — intensifying the scrutiny on the Chelsea coach. In Friday’s press conference, he promised fans he would still be at the west London club next season. What You Should Read Next Chelsea are calm about Enzo Maresca’s situation amid Manchester City interest – they must move on from the drama Enzo Maresca is high on City's list of possible candidates if Pep Guardiola leaves at the end of the season That meant this game was always going to carry extra narrative weight — and that narrative looked fairly grim after the first half. Chelsea lacked intensity, urgency, and quality in that initial period. Newcastle capitalised on poor defending for Nick Woltemade to score twice, and there was no real indication of a possible comeback. After Woltemade’s second on 20 minutes, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez appeared incandescent. Cole Palmer walked quietly over to the dugout to take a drink of water. A handful of players spoke to referee Andy Madley. Pedro Neto stood near the halfway line, nibbling the inside of his cheek and staring into the distance. There were a few disparate conversations, but no team huddle to galvanise the team and discuss how they could turn things around. There is a natural temptation to draw links between the news stories around Maresca and his side’s poor first half yesterday. At that point, it looked as though the story from this match would be one where the noise of St James’ Park, combined with that around their head coach, got the better of Chelsea’s players. Chelsea appeared lost in the first half against NewcastleStu Forster/Getty Images That is an easy way out for anyone looking to explain their first-half struggles, but it misses some important context. It also falls flat in the face of what happened next. Firstly, Chelsea’s performance in the opening 45 minutes at Newcastle was not a one-off. It was reminiscent of their first half at Leeds United at the beginning of December, where they seemed inexplicably surprised by the intensity and hostile atmosphere of Elland Road. They were 2-0 down at the break there too, and went on to lose 3-1. That was long before the current chatter over Maresca’s future. Chelsea have experienced poor first halves away from home this season at Burnley and Nottingham Forest, too. Those sides did not have the quality to punish them; a Newcastle team wounded by derby defeat against Sunderland last Sunday and buoyed by their vocal home support did. It is fair to ask whether Maresca, after those performances, could have better prepared his side to make a stronger start here — it is not fair to say his comments in the past week led to Chelsea’s shortcomings. But if you were studying Saturday’s match for clues about Maresca’s relationship with his squad and his ability to handle scrutiny, then he also deserves credit for what happened next. As the half-time whistle blew, he turned and walked straight down the tunnel. His squad followed, looking downbeat and mostly quiet. There was very little to suggest that Chelsea, who had not come from behind to avoid defeat in the Premier League since the 2-2 draw with Brentford in September, were going to produce a comeback. Maresca’s team were out for the second half much earlier than the hosts. And, less than five minutes after the restart, Reece James gave them hope with a superb free-kick goal. There was no running to the corner to celebrate: Chelsea’s players immediately picked the ball out of the net to restart the game. That was more urgency than they’d shown in the entire first half. Joao Pedro’s equaliser came from a Robert Sanchez long ballOwen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images When asked about his half-time message, Maresca said afterwards: “It is a matter of scoring the first one, and if we are able to do that, we have a chance to win the game.” His players clearly bought into that message. His tweak early in the second half, replacing Malo Gusto with Enzo Fernandez, also markedly improved Chelsea’s midfield. Then came Joao Pedro’s equaliser and Maresca’s wild celebrations — which started with him swivelling back towards Chelsea’s goal to congratulate Sanchez after his long ball up to the Brazil forward. That is testament to how he has been willing to adapt — only last season, he threatened he would substitute his goalkeeper for trying such direct play. After the match, Maresca only truly appeared frustrated when discussing the yellow card he received, which means he will serve a touchline ban for next Saturday’s meeting with Aston Villa. The 45-year-old was clearly keen to put the chatter of the past week behind him and his team. “My last week has not been complicated, it has been good,” Maresca said after the match. “We beat Everton, we beat Cardiff (City, in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals) and we drew (with) Newcastle away, so in terms of results, I’m happy. Again, there are things that for sure we can do better, but I think we are going in the right direction.” This game was chaotic, and it gave Chelsea plenty to mull over: how do they start stronger in difficult away games? With Moises Caicedo, James, Fernandez and Palmer all fit, what is their best midfield? Why did a largely unchanged team produce two drastically different halves? What they should feel assured of, though, is that their manager remains invested in answering those questions. Maresca wears his heart on his sleeve in the dugout. At least for now, it is hard to watch him and not conclude he is focused on Chelsea. By Cerys Jones Football Writer

Alejandro Garnacho is playing his FIFTH season now in the Premier League, at the age of 21. Granted,…View the full article

Very unlikely we go in for either. Based on the article Vesper shared a few weeks back, this club administration doesn't want an experienced (and therefore expensive) CB on their books. Between Colwill, Badiashille and Fofana (all 3 with injury troubles), the club feels they have enough in the tank, and will only go in for another squad level CB player. Basically, either a Tosin or Disasi, or a hopeful youth prospect. Just hope its the latter, because many won't have the patience to watch another disaster from a Tosin or Disasi type.

Sources: Chelsea up scouting on 6ft 2in France U21 international This one could develop... https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/sources-Chelsea-up-scouting-on-6ft Chelsea are scouting many top young players from around the world right now, this is nothing new. We see them get linked with another new teenager on a daily basis pretty much these days. So you will always see these stories come up. However, this one has a sense that something could genuinely develop here. And also, he’s not a teeanger! SPTC Sources have heard that Chelsea are stepping up regular scouting missions of Rennes centre back Jeremy Jacquet. I’ve now had his name mentioned to me from a couple of sources in the last week or so, which usually means that the interest is very serious. And his name is also out there in the media, with Chelsea’s interest being reported by local press in France. So, there is certainly something real there, a genuine Chelsea interest and perhaps a bit more than just scouting. We still don’t expect much to be done in January, so I think if Chelsea do decide to pursue Jacquet then it will be in the summer. But he’s certainly a centre back name to watch. The 20-year-old is 6ft 2in tall and has been capped 2 times for the France U21 national team, having been a regular coming up through the French youth teams. Jacquet I guess is the next biggest thing coming up in terms of sought-after defenders, with Liverpool and Arsenal also being reliably linked with him. Como First Team scout Ben Mattinson described him as a ‘Rolls-Royce’ centre back. “William Saliba isn’t the only Rolls Royce of a CB to come from Bondy… It’s Jérémy Jacquet’s time to shine now. “Jacquet has the tools to be a ‘Top 5 in The World’ CB. “If you don’t already know about him, get to know.” The full thread here is worth a look. Anyway, let’s see if it turns to anything more than just scouting or not. But it looks like if Chelsea want him, they will need to be quick, with all the big guns now tracking him.

right footed wing options Vinicius Junior (I think he leaves Real Madrid soon) Kenan Yıldız Morgan Rogers Bradley Barcola Antoine Semenyo Rafael Leão Nico Williams Rodrygo Dani Olmo Yan Diomande Said El Mala Malick Fofana Jesús Rodríguez Assane Diao Iliman Ndiaye Dan Ndoye Antonio Nusa Jean-Mattéo Bahoya Matías Fernández-Pardo Ibrahim Mbaye