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I have it on very good authority that Carrick has the job, it's a matter of finer points of the contract

Makes sense but you'd think Carrick is still the frontrunner for that job.

10AM during a work day for me. I will watch the highlights that evening...if they are worth watching.

Would make sense that he announced his departure well before the season was over if he already had the United job lined up.

Chelsea https://thedailybriefing.io/i/195912213/Chelsea Andoni Iraola has indicated he’d be open to taking the Chelsea manager’s job following reports of contacts between the Blues and his representatives. (Football Insider) How Jose Mourinho’s likely return as Real Madrid manager could impact Chelsea and other clubs in a changing market. (Mark Brus, the Daily Briefing) Liam Delap could leave Chelsea after just one season, with the west London giants open to selling the striker amid interest from Everton. (Football Insider) Chelsea and Liverpool are showing a strong interest in signing Norwegian midfield wonderkid Eirik Granaas this summer. (TEAMtalk) Chelsea are up against Manchester City for an exciting Bundesliga youngster - full story here!

Yesterday, it was reported that Chelsea are interested in signing Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon. Firstly, I don’t…View the full article

💥🗯🔵Xabi Alonso would be interested in the Chelsea job according to (@siphillipssport) 📋Of course, there is one small condition….

Start giving them a 7 month or zero hour contracts

Garnacho will end up abroad, Delap in a skip.

Despite how extremely underwhelming they’ve been, I actually don’t think it’ll be difficult to find interested clubs in the likes of Delap and Garnacho. The problem will be getting back what we paid for them. Delap being English and having proven on a smaller stage that he can score goals in the PL I think finding him a destination will be easy. I can already imagine that the usual bunch of Italian clubs will be after Garnacho with their typical cheap ass offers of a loan. It’s still crazy that everyone and their mother knew that Gittens and Garnacho were bang average players and yet these jokers running our club went PURELY with the “data” and analytics instead of the eye test. We paid double for each of them than what they were actually worth and now it’ll likely be impossible to not take huge losses on them. I can foresee something similar happening with some of our unwanted players that did with Jackson where the price we will demand is WAY higher than any club in Europe will be willing to pay.

Doesn’t matter how it was be it 60m or 89m. Regardless of the price, he is shite. And hes likely to end up spending 5-6 years of his 11 year deal not playing. BlueCo should stick that on their spreadsheet.

Chelsea CONFIDENTIAL: Who's staying and who's going? Every Chelsea player's future from the sulking £70m man who isn't justifying his huge salary to the 'good character' the club need to tie down https://www.dailymail.com/sport/football/article-15775619/Chelsea-squad-summer-transfers.html https://archive.ph/JA6EI Chelsea are approaching yet another summer reset. They will need a new head coach, of course, but the club are also anticipating a busy window of signings, sales and loans. There are big decisions to be made in the build-up, on Enzo Fernandez, Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap and more. So, having been in and around the club all season, having heard whispers and seen relationships blossom and fade, for this week’s Chelsea Confidential, we predict what will happen with every squad member. Anyone who has played a single minute in the Premier League for Chelsea this season is listed below – with a few bonus additions at the bottom – alongside whether the club will sell, loan or keep and our reasoning for each. ENZO FERNANDEZ – KEEP Fernandez wants a new contract out of Chelsea – similar to those handed to Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Cole Palmer and so on – and we understand the club will reopen talks over terms after the end of this season to see if they can come to an agreement. Chelsea sources aren’t commenting too much on Fernandez’s situation right now, however. The response you will receive to such enquiries is that their focus is on their coaching search. But once they have secured Andoni Iraola, Xabi Alonso or Sebastian Hoeness – whoever it winds up being – they will need to address what happens with their £106.8million man this summer. Fernandez was banned for two games by his own club for flirting with Real Madrid in the last international break, and then he was back to wearing the captain’s armband again, including in their FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds at Wembley. That was the box-crashing Fernandez at his motivated best – just the latest example of him scoring an important goal in an important game. If a deal can be struck this summer which satisfies both Chelsea and Fernandez, then everyone wins in my opinion, because the bottom line is they are a better team with him than without him. +12 View gallery Chelsea are a better team with Enzo Fernandez than without him - but the Argentine wants a new and improved contract WESLEY FOFANA – SELL Fofana is fit again after his injury hell, but we expected more from the 25-year-old once healthy at Chelsea. He was hooked at half-time in their 3-0 thumping by Brighton last week, then an unused substitute in the FA Cup semi-final win against Leeds, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah preferred as a centre-back pairing. Confidence in Fofana has clearly dwindled, his sulking not helping during their ridiculous losing run. When Chelsea interim Calum McFarlane was explaining why he selected Tosin for Leeds, he spoke of how sorry he felt for Jorrel Hato, with Fofana practically demoted to an afterthought in his answer. You have to go back to December 13, in a 2-0 win over Everton, to find the last time this defender on more than £200,000 per week started in a Premier League game and kept a clean sheet. Sell if there is a buyer this summer. +12 View gallery You have to go back to December 13, in a 2-0 win over Everton, to find the last time Wesley Fofana started in a league game and kept a clean sheet ROBERT SANCHEZ – KEEP There is a goalkeeper at Chelsea who I would let go, but it would not be Sanchez. Mike Penders is scheduled to arrive from Strasbourg this summer, but there are some reservations over whether he is ready for such a step up, and a temptation to allow him another season away on loan. Regardless of whether Penders stays or goes, I’d keep Sanchez. He's not the greatest goalkeeper with his feet but a hell of a shot-stopper, as evidenced at Wembley. Why Liam Rosenior felt the need to crush his confidence by suddenly dropping him during his doomed 106-day tenure, when he had hardly committed any blunders in goal for Chelsea this season, I’ll never understand. It created a problem where previously there was not one. +12 View gallery Robert Sanchez is not the greatest goalkeeper with his feet but is one hell of a shot-stopper MAMADOU SARR – LOAN I feel for Sarr. There he was, happily playing and performing for Strasbourg, then he was asked to rejoin Rosenior at Chelsea in January. We have seen something similar before. Enzo Maresca comes in, and he gets someone he knows in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Rosenior comes in, and he gets Sarr, whom he once described as ‘my son’. He was impressive in his first start versus Hull in the FA Cup, but struggled somewhat in the odd appearance thereafter, including the 3-0 Champions League last-16 second-leg loss to Paris Saint-Germain. The 20-year-old was hooked at half-time in that defeat, and hasn’t been seen since. Josh Acheampong, 19, replaced him against PSG, and is higher in Chelsea’s thinking, coming on as a substitute a few times while Sarr remained unused. Get the lad a loan this summer so he can progress. TREVOH CHALOBAH – KEEP Chelsea want to sign a central defender this summer. They missed out on Jeremy Jacquet, the 20-year-old of Rennes who is Liverpool-bound, but Jan Paul van Hecke at Brighton and Maxence Lacroix at Crystal Palace are among the more experienced options this summer. In Chalobah, Chelsea have a handy centre-back option. Chelsea filmed their players walking into the Wembley changing room after beating Leeds, and Chalobah was kissing the badge to the camera. He loves the club, is one of their own, and should stay. +12 View gallery Trevoh Chalobah loves the club, is one of their own, and should stay PEDRO NETO – KEEP The 26-year-old isn’t a fan favourite, and he can be inconsistent with sending himself down cul-de-sacs on the flank, but he is an experienced attacker who can still be impactful when the tactical set-up allows. Only Joao Pedro (25) and Fernandez (19) have more goal contributions in all competitions than Neto (18) this season. He has done enough to stay. That doesn’t mean starting him in every single match. Estevao Willian may get more minutes, for example, raw though he is at 19. But Neto can still have a role to play, on the right wing or the left. MOISES CAICEDO – KEEP Obviously. Chelsea have just handed Caicedo an improved contract. It did not add a great deal of years – he’s now tied down until 2033 – but it keeps him happy. JOAO PEDRO – KEEP Obviously, again. Joao Pedro is my nomination for Chelsea's Player of the Year. I get why Fernandez was named man of the match against Leeds at Wembley. He grabbed the game’s only goal as the captain. But I handed my highest player rating to Joao Pedro. He’s scored 19 goals and assisted six in his first season in all competitions – a £60m bargain from Brighton. +12 View gallery Striker Joao Pedro has been a £60million bargain from Brighton - scoring 19 goals and assisting six more LIAM DELAP – SELL I interviewed Delap after he was signed by Chelsea from Ipswich last summer, while we were with the club in the United States, and came out of that conversation sincerely hoping it would work for him. Unfortunately, it hasn’t. He’s had to deal with injuries and managerial changes. He knew Maresca from Manchester City’s academy. He knew Rosenior from Hull. Now he is working with McFarlane, and yet another head coach will arrive this summer. Delap wants to stay, and prove people like me wrong, but this summer Chelsea will have Emmanuel Emegha, 23, coming in from Strasbourg and Nicolas Jackson, 24, returning from Bayern Munich. More on Jackson later. There is also Joao Pedro, and Marc Guiu. Chelsea cannot keep them all, and Delap could be moved on for his own sake, so he can find a new home with game-time and, hopefully, score some goals. He would not be the first forward to be moved on after a single season. He wouldn't even be the first forward at Chelsea. They have a history of signing goalscorers who, for one reason or another, never found their groove. It happened to Chris Sutton in 1999-2000. He scored one goal in 28 Premier League games, then was sold to Celtic, where he thrived. Delap has one in 25, and zero assists. After costing £30m, Chelsea could still get back a good whack of their fee in the next window. +12 View gallery Liam Delap's move to Chelsea has not worked out for him. He’s had to deal with injuries and managerial changes and has just one goal in 25 matches MARC CUCURELLA - KEEP Cucurella will only have two years remaining on his contract as of this summer, which is usually when Chelsea either extend or sell. Jorrel Hato was signed primarily to deputise for Cucurella at left back, though he has impressed while filling in as a central defender. If the 27-year-old Spaniard were willing, and I believe he is, he could be tied down for longer rather than seeking to sell. Good player. Good character. Chelsea need more of those. Not less. MALO GUSTO - KEEP I can understand why Gusto would want a new and improved contract of his own. His contribution is underrated and underappreciated. In the Club World Cup final against PSG, for example, his movements down the right-hand side allowed Cole Palmer to drift inside and do what he did. I'm not saying Gusto suddenly deserves crazy money, but he is a handy utility player to have in the squad. He can play on the right side of the defence, or the left. He can invert, or fly down the flank. He can be used in midfield if necessary. Gusto stays. ALEJANDRO GARNACHO – SELL It just hasn’t worked. The left wing is practically cursed for Chelsea. Mykhailo Mudryk: cost £89m, now suspended from football for failing a doping test, hasn't played since November 28, 2024. Raheem Sterling: cost £50m, sent into the bomb squad, left via an agreement to end his contract early. Jadon Sancho: joined on loan, club paid £5m to not sign him after his one and only season in blue. Jamie Gittens: cost £52m, no goals in the Premier League, two assists, injured since January. Garnacho was signed for £40m from Manchester United, and when the fans at Wembley realised he was being replaced by Palmer for the final 20 minutes against Leeds, there were a fair few cheers. Unfortunately for Garnacho, who seems a nice enough chap despite his reputation, and for Chelsea, they aren’t meant for one another. There is time to recoup a good chunk of his fee this summer. He will still have his buyers. +12 View gallery Unfortunately for Alejandro Garnacho, who seems a nice enough chap despite his reputation, and for Chelsea, they aren’t meant for one another JAMIE GITTENS – KEEP Garnacho has had enough chances to impress, whereas Gittens hasn’t, largely due to his hamstring injury. Surely Chelsea will see if next season goes any better for the 21-year-old. You suspect Chelsea would struggle to recoup anywhere near their £52m spend right now, anyhow. REECE JAMES – KEEP I did find it amusing when James did that press conference at Cobham alongside Rosenior, who told us: ‘I can't stop smiling because we've secured the best player in world football in his position.’ The next day, James started in midfield, rather than as a right back. Anyway, that presser was conducted after Chelsea tied James down to his new deal until 2032, so the club captain is going nowhere, and that is good news. COLE PALMER – KEEP Hasn’t been his season, with injuries holding him back. Despite the constant links with Manchester United, Palmer himself has insisted it’s hogwash and that he isn’t itching to leave. Chelsea need Palmer back to his best. Hopefully he can get fully healthy – we will soon see if Thomas Tuchel takes him to the World Cup with England – and Chelsea’s next manager can inspire a better version than the one we have seen in 2025-26. +12 View gallery Despite the constant links with Manchester United, Cole Palmer himself has insisted it’s hogwash and that he isn’t itching to leave Chelsea JORREL HATO – KEEP Amid Chelsea’s ridiculously awful run – five league losses without scoring for the first time since 1912 – Hato was one of the few who came out of it with any credit. Almost as if he did not get the memo to stop playing for Rosenior. He was unfortunate not to start against Leeds at Wembley and his willingness to step up and show his abilities has been good to see. TOSIN ADARABIOYO – SELL Tosin doesn’t start often for Chelsea but I’ve seen, from my position in the press box behind the bench, how he is prone to standing up and shouting tactical instructions at team-mates. Perhaps that was partly why we saw McFarlane rely on him in their FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds, and why, during that cheeky Sanchez-enforced tactical time-out, it was Tosin who the interim was largely speaking with. However, his ability as a player should be prioritised, first and foremost, and Tosin, while perhaps helpful as a presence around the squad, would have his takers elsewhere in the Premier League. Nathan Ake and John Stones are set to be available this summer if another elder statesman is required, and personally, I don’t think either would be a bad acquisition. Stones less so given his recent injury history. +12 View gallery Tosin Adarabioyo (centre) wouldn't be short of suitors if Chelsea decided to move him on in the summer DARIO ESSUGO – LOAN After missing most of the season through a thigh injury which required surgery, he returned in March, and, in his few appearances, the 21-year-old Essugo has impressed. But he needs game time, and that will not come at Chelsea with their other midfield options. ANDREY SANTOS – KEEP Maresca used him sparingly, then when Rosenior arrived, we saw more of Santos. However, those starts in January and February soon dried up, and he’s now back to playing a supportive role. With Essugo being loaned as above, I’d keep Santos as a midfield option, though we will also need to see if Chelsea are successful in signing one of the midfielders they want this summer. As reported here, they are watching Adam Wharton at Crystal Palace and Elliot Anderson at Nottingham Forest. ESTEVAO WILLIAN – KEEP It's such a shame that a hamstring injury has ended his season for Chelsea, and potentially his World Cup with Brazil. At 19, he brings the excitement, and we’ll all look forward to watching him again in 2026-27. +12 View gallery It's such a shame that a hamstring injury has ended Estevao's season for Chelsea JOSH ACHEAMPONG – LOAN One of Chelsea’s own. We’ve had managers tell us how much they love Acheampong, 19. Maresca said it. Rosenior said it. But two starts since January is not enough. If this truly is an elite defender in waiting, then he needs to play much more than he is. Chelsea have turned down approaches from rivals in the past. He's long been on Bayern Munich's radar. Get him on loan to a Premier League club for next season, and slap a recall clause in there if it isn’t working by January. BENOIT BADIASHILE – SELL Can you remember the last time Badiashile made a Chelsea matchday squad? Well, it was March 14, as an unused substitute in the 1-0 loss to Newcastle. He joined for £35m from Monaco in January 2023, and this summer should see him make his exit. ROMEO LAVIA – KEEP Yes, I know, he’s forever injured. Except, he isn’t right now, and I’m an optimist who hopes he can stay healthy. He returned at the start of March, and is still available today, so he should get one last crack at making something of his Chelsea career. The club are clearly taking it easy after his latest comeback. He’s yet to complete a full 90 and was signed in 2023 for an initial £53m. He's got the talent. He’s only 22 years old still. He can still turn this around. FILIP JORGENSEN – SELL Jorgensen hasn't shown enough to convince that he’s going to be up to the standards of Chelsea. Rosenior gambled by axing Sanchez after a 2-1 loss at Arsenal, and it backfired, big time. They won 4-1 at Aston Villa in their next outing, but then lost 5-2 to PSG, with Jorgensen largely at fault for that implosion, and he hasn’t been seen since because of a groin injury. That has given Teddy Sharman-Lowe some time around the first-team squad, at least. Sanchez is much more trusted between the posts than Jorgensen. +12 View gallery When Chelsea lost 5-2 to PSG, Jorgensen was largely at fault for that implosion and he hasn’t been seen since because of a groin injury MARC GUIU – LOAN Another player I pity. He was recalled from his loan to Sunderland as an emergency because Chelsea were lacking strikers with Delap injured and Jackson having already travelled to Munich to finalise his loan move. Clearly, they initially sent Guiu elsewhere as he needed to gain experience to improve. The 20-year-old isn’t getting that game time at Chelsea, where Joao Pedro has cemented himself as the No 9. Guiu is a bundle of energy when leading the line, but still raw in the extreme. Loan him again this summer and see how he goes. AND A FEW BONUS VERDICTS: LEVI COLWILL – KEEP He hasn’t played a single minute for Chelsea's senior side this season because of the ACL injury he endured on the very first day of pre-season training last summer. But the 23-year-old played a full 90 for the Under 21s on Saturday, completed 60 minutes in a behind-closed-doors match the week before, and is continuing to train fully with the first team. We should see Colwill back in the senior squad soon, even if only to remind him of that matchday experience after so long on the sidelines. McFarlane will update us on that one at his Friday press conference this week. NICOLAS JACKSON – KEEP Bayern Munich are not set to sign Jackson permanently once his season-long loan is up, so he is scheduled to return to Chelsea, and if all parties are willing to let bygones be bygones, that is where I would keep him. Jackson’s relationship with Maresca broke down entirely by the end. I recall once being told by a source close to the striker that he would not play for Chelsea again while he remained head coach. But Maresca is not there now. Maybe the club and player will come to the conclusion that too much has happened for him to remain, but when you already own a striker who could clearly improve your squad, I see more sense in keeping him than selling or loaning. Certainly he would have been a better option than Delap has been. +12 View gallery Nicolas Jackson in action for Bayern Munich. But the German club will not be keeping the Chelsea loanee beyond the summer AXEL DISASI – SELL Since Chelsea last kept a Premier League clean sheet on January 17, Disasi has helped West Ham secure five shutouts in his 10 starts. He’s been a warrior for the Hammers as they fight to retain their status. Yet there is no hope of reconciliation after the way he was banished. The ideal scenario for Chelsea is that West Ham survive and agree to sign him permanently. CALUM McFARLANE – KEEP Whoever agrees to become the next boss of Chelsea, I suspect he will be asked for his permission to allow McFarlane to continue on his coaching staff. While football can be a callous business, we should not see the club hire a new head coach and then say toodleoo to the bloke they appointed as their interim. I’m sure they will find a role somewhere in the first-team set-up.

Sources: Chelsea present Strasbourg to Liam Delap His situation goes a bit up in the air now https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/sources-Chelsea-present-strasbourg It was reported yesterday that Chelsea striker Liam Delap wants to STAY at the club and fight for his place. I’m not sure whether that is just a rally cry from their side, or something more to it, but I believe Delap will be listening to any other offer that comes in due to his lack of playing time at Chelsea and also, the fact that the club are also bringing in another striker in the summer, whether that be Emmanuel Emegha or another name. Chelsea have been looking at options for Delap because they have been unhappy with his progress so far. SPTC Sources understand that one of those options is to send him to Strasbourg, likely on a loan move. Chelsea have ‘presented’ Delap to Strasbourg, but so far the striker has ‘rejected every attempt’ of that proposal. Delap’s agents are taking interest from other clubs, so I certainly would not be confident in saying he is going to be staying at Chelsea this summer. Joao Pedro is going to be starting games still as we see this season out, and Delap has not done anywhere near enough to prove himself to Chelsea. I only see an exit this summer, but it could now be a loan move. A this moment though, unless he is convinced otherwise going forward, that will not be to Strasbourg.

Analysis Mykhailo Mudryk’s four-year ban and appeal explained: What happened? Chelsea future? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7241086/2026/04/29/mykhailo-mudryk-four-year-ban-appeal-explained-Chelsea/ Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk is appealing a four-year ban after being hit with the English Football Association’s maximum penalty for doping. Mudryk, 25, was provisionally suspended by the FA in December 2024 after an adverse finding in a routine urine test. He maintains his innocence and will take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an attempt to reduce or overturn his sanction. The Athletic explains how the case has unfolded, what could come next, and what it means for Mudryk’s Chelsea future. What happened initially? Mudryk’s most recent appearance for Chelsea came in a 2-0 win over Heidenheim in the Conference League on November 28, 2024, and he was an unused substitute against Aston Villa on December 1. The winger’s subsequent omissions from matchday squads were attributed to illness by then-head coach Enzo Maresca. On December 17, the FA provisionally suspended him after an adverse finding in a routine urine sample. The Athletic was told by multiple sources, who wished to remain anonymous as they are not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, that Mudryk tested positive for meldonium following international duty with Ukraine in November 2024. What is meldonium and have others been banned for using it? Meldonium is a heart disease medication used to treat ischemia, which, in simple terms, is a reduced blood flow to parts of the body. According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), meldonium may be used clinically by those suffering from heart conditions, such as angina and low blood flow to the heart. However, in sport, it can help athletes recover from exercise and improve endurance. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) added meldonium to its monitoring program in 2015, and it was added to the list of prohibited substances in 2016. Several athletes in other sports have fallen foul of the ban, with the most high-profile case involving tennis star Maria Sharapova. The Russian failed a test for meldonium shortly after it was banned and said she had been taking it for health reasons. Sharapova was initially banned from tennis for two years, but had that reduced to 15 months by CAS after appeal. Mykhailo Mudryk has not played since November 2024Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images How did Chelsea and Mudryk respond? Chelsea issued a statement on their website on December 17, 2024, announcing that the FA had recently contacted Mudryk “concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test”. The club reiterated that all their players are regularly tested and pledged to “work with the relevant authorities to establish what has caused the adverse finding”. In a statement on his Instagram account, Mudryk protested his innocence. “I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance,” he said. “This has come as a complete shock, as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules. I am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened. “I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful that I will be back on the pitch soon. I cannot say any more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will as soon as I can.” Chelsea immediately withdrew Mudryk from first-team consideration and he has not played professional football for club or country since. Is a lack of intent a defence according to the FA? No. The FA deals with the use of prohibited substances as ‘strict liability’ violations — meaning it is not necessary to show intent, fault, negligence, or knowing use by Mudryk for him to have violated the rules. The FA’s regulations do say that a ban can be eliminated if the person establishes they bear “no fault or negligence”, and can be reduced if they establish “no significant fault or negligence”. When was he formally charged? Mudryk was formally charged in June 2025. An FA statement said: “Mudryk has been charged with anti-doping rule violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of regulations 3 and 4 of the FA’s anti-doping regulations.” What happened on Wednesday? In a statement issued to The Athletic and other media organisations, CAS confirmed that Mudryk lodged an appeal with the court on February 25, 2026, against a four-year ban imposed by the FA, adding that the parties “are exchanging written submissions, and a hearing is yet to be scheduled”. Having not publicly disclosed their punishment of Mudryk before CAS confirming the winger’s appeal, the FA reiterated its policy of not commenting on ongoing cases when contacted by The Athletic on Wednesday. Chelsea also declined to comment, with sources speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the situation indicating that the club want to let the appeal process take its course. How will the CAS appeal work? CAS confirmed that Mudryk’s lawyers and those representing the FA are exchanging written submissions. This is the first stage of the appeals arbitration procedure. During this stage, both parties must agree whether the appeal should be heard by a sole arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators. In the case of a panel, each party gets to nominate one arbitrator from the CAS arbitrators’ list. The president of the panel is selected by CAS. Once the written proceedings are over, a hearing may be scheduled, when both parties can present arguments, oral testimony and expert evidence to the arbitrator or panel of arbitrators, who then deliberate before giving a final decision. CAS has created a specialised anti-doping division to hear and decide anti-doping cases in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code. The entire process can take many months to play out. Have other footballers successfully appealed a ban through CAS? Yes. Paul Pogba, now with Monaco, had a ban reduced from four years to 18 months in 2024, while goalkeeper Andre Onana (currently on loan at Trabzonspor from Manchester United) had his ban reduced from 12 to nine months in 2021. In both cases, the court accepted the players’ argument that their offence was unintentional. Paul Pogba successfully appealed a banValery Hache/AFP via Getty Images Has Mudryk been keeping himself fit? Mudryk has been following a specialised fitness programme during his exile from professional football. Chelsea have been monitoring him, but are not allowed to arrange any organised training for him. Instead, Mudryk has been supplementing his gym work in recent months by renting the 3G pitch at non-League club Uxbridge’s Honeycroft ground to help keep his football skills sharp, with his private team discreetly hiring coaches and goalkeepers to aid with his individual sessions. Judging by the training clips that have circulated on social media and the session observed by The Athletic this month, Mudryk has kept in impressive physical shape, even without competitive match action. He has lost none of his explosive athleticism and holds himself to high standards during drills, maintaining a serious focus despite not knowing when he will play again. Catch Up On The Story Watching Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk train alone at Uxbridge FC Whenever and wherever the Ukrainian can play professional football again, he looks determined to make sure he is ready Could Chelsea sack him if he’s found guilty? As The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon and Philip Buckingham reported in 2025, there is a definition of gross misconduct in the standard Premier League contracts between all players and clubs. Being found to have taken a prohibited substance falls under the definition, as it does in accordance with FA rules. Chelsea would therefore have a strong case to say Mudryk was guilty of gross misconduct and terminate his contract. They would have to give him 14 days’ notice, and pay him for those 14 days, but would not have to pay out the rest of his contract, which is set to run until 2031. They could also opt to keep Mudryk. Even if his appeal is unsuccessful, a four-year ban starting from when he was provisionally suspended in 2024 would only take him up to the end of 2028, leaving multiple years still on his contract. They could try to renegotiate a new deal with lower wages for the duration of the ban, but it would be up to Mudryk whether he wanted to sign it. The FA’s agent transaction lists reveal that there was an update made to Mudryk’s contract with Chelsea between February 4, 2025, and February 2, 2026. Club sources and sources close to Mudryk declined to provide details, but said the change was not significant. Chelsea sources also say the club are fulfilling their contractual obligations to Mudryk during this process. Liam Twomey|Chelsea Correspondent Cerys Jones|Football Writer

he is 25yo turns 26 next February so technically is not too old for BlueCo until the summer 2028 window

How can Chelsea progress under the BlueCo ownership? | Transfer Talk Podcast Sky Sports News On this week's episode of the Transfer Talk Podcast, Kaveh Solhekol and Sam Tighe joins Pete Graves to discuss the latest ongoinbg of Chelsea. With a new manager on the top of the wishlist, how can Chelsea progress under the BlueCo ownership? Intro - 0:00 - 3:29 Downing tools - 3:30 - 10:25 'Unpopular Rosenior' - 10:26 - 12:44 Manager type - 12:45 - 18:04 New manager have control? - 18:05 - 19:43 Who runs Chelsea? - 19:44 - 21:24 BlueCo positives - 21:25 - 23:04 Cost on missing UCL - 23:05 - 25:42 Hit or miss signings - 25:43 - 35:09 Measuring success - 35:10 - 38:26 Chelsea's selling power - 38:27 - 43:45 Enzo's future - 42:46 - 53:14

Ares could foreclose on BlueCo and up for sale we go and possibly into administration if the loses are too high eeeeek it has been closing in on 3 years since I started talking about Ares

WHO REALLY OWNS Chelsea? (ITS NOT WHO YOU THINK) 😱 George Benson Football Chelsea Who is actually in control of Chelsea Football Club? I sit down with Chartered Accountant Bobby Fairview to break down the £4.2 billion ownership structure behind BlueCo — and a recent disclosure from a Pennsylvania public pension fund that has raised serious questions about whether Clearlake's "61.85% ownership" is actually equity at all, or a loan. In this video We cover: The 22 Holdco / Blueco 22 structure Where the £4.2bn came from and where it went £1.4bn of pension money spent on the Chelsea squad £43.5m a month in cash burn Why Chelsea are now officially a sell-to-buy club (per the 2025 accounts) Whether Ares could force a sale of the club (the Lyon / Inter Milan parallel) What it all means for protests, the next manager, and the future of Chelsea FC Bobby is a Chartered Accountant in Ontario and a CPA in New York with 22 years across public accounting and private equity advisory. ➡️ The Athletic Article https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7200540/2026/04/21/blueco-Chelsea-finance-loan-bookkeeper/ https://archive.ph/fG7x1 also see:

No, we will never have to pay out the full bonuses/add-ons that took it to £89m. It could be as low as 60m quid (see below) or even less with settlements etc, etc. On 15 January 2023, Mudryk signed for Premier League club Chelsea on an eight-and-a-half-year contract for an initial transfer fee of €70 million (£62 million, now in April 2026 FOREX that is around £60m and dropping as the pound rises versus the euro), potentially rising to €100 million (£89 million, now £86.5m in April 2026 FOREX) in add-ons. more on the whole sordid thing: (and giving him the full 4 years hard ban for a relatively minor, first offence thing is kind of crazy harsh IMHO, and perhaps helps his CAS appeal) Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk appeals to Cas against reported four-year ban Ukrainian has not played since November 2024 Cas confirms appeal by Mudryk against the FA https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/29/Chelsea-mykhailo-mudryk-appeals-to-cas-against-reported-four-year-ban The Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk has appealed to the court of arbitration for sport after he received a reported four-year playing ban from the Football Association for the use of a banned substance. Mudryk has not played a competitive match since November 2024 after he failed a drug test while on international duty with Ukraine and began a provisional suspension. Under the terms of any four-year ban he would not be eligible for selection again until December 2028, but if an appeal to Cas were successful then the 25-year-old could possibly return next year. It is understood that the appeal was submitted in February of this year and it was confirmed by Cas in a statement released on Wednesday. “Cas confirms it has received an appeal by Mykhailo Mudryk against the FA,” it read. “The parties are currently exchanging written submissions, and a hearing is yet to be scheduled.” Details of the case have been kept away from the public eye, with the FA refusing to comment throughout the disciplinary process. It has been reported, however, that Mudryk has received the maximum possible suspension after traces of the drug meldonium – which can improve an individual’s stamina – were found in his system. Under regulation 77 of the FA’s anti-doping policy, a four-year ban results if the violation relates either to a non-specified substance, unless it can be established that the violation was not intentional, or a specified substance where the FA can establish the violation was intentional. In a statement issued at the time of his suspension, Mudryk said the positive sample had come as “a complete shock” and he had “not done anything wrong”, with Chelsea adding the player had “never knowingly used any banned substances”. Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 in a potential £89m move. He has scored 10 goals in 73 appearances in all competitions but rarely held down a regular place in the team before his provisional suspension. Chelsea would not comment on the news saying they had to let the process take its course. The FA said they would not comment on ongoing proceedings. end total with Chels only: 3611 minutes played all comps 21 total goals produced 10 goals 11 assists plus, in that same period of time in the seasons above above (but this time for Ukraine), he also had 10 more total goals produced (in far less minutes as well) 3 goals 7 assists for country

It would surely be utter malpractice for every club not to have some sort of clause in EVERY player’s contract that allows them to void it if they get popped for PED’s. Especially for ones that cost an absolute fortune in order to protect yourselves from just this sort of situation.

I just hope whoever it is they dont give a 6 year contract to!!! Cause there is no point

It sounds alright actually - prob go for it if i was younger - Sharapova got done for it as well I think ? Remember kids, not all drugs are good.... ......some are fucking brilliant 😅

Didn't he get meldonium positive results after attending Ukrainian national team training? I remember thinking that it was stupid that he was going as there are lots of envious teammates who have access to full spectrum of doping stuff. Putting a couple drops in water or food of his would be easy. Sure enough this did happened - so it didn't surprise me. Is there information regarding his tests prior to the national team trip? P.S. He is also from Kharkov which is ultra pro-Russian city - wonder if it's related.....