All Activity

Flop

Guessand AFCON Mings and Pau Torres injured. And most importantly Sir Barkley in unavailable.

ther is any villa important player that they are missing to tomorrow game?

Emery assesses Chelsea challenge https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2025/december/26/prematch-emery-assesses-Chelsea-challenge/ Unai Emery spoke to the media from his pre-match press conference on Boxing Day. The Aston Villa manager previewed his side's trip to face Chelsea and the challenge they'll face at Stamford Bridge. He also gave an update on team news, which you can read here. Here are the key lines from Emery... On playing Chelsea… “We respect a lot the difficulties of the Premier League and of playing against Chelsea. They are favourites to be in the top four and favourites to fight for the Premier League trophy because they have very good players, a very good coach and they are getting better. “They’re the champions of the Club World Cup, and it means a lot. Now they are behind us, but they’re feeling strong and playing with confidence. They’re competing very well against the better teams. “They beat Liverpool at home, they competed fantastically against Arsenal, drawing, and they beat Barcelona as well in the Champions League, and the last match at home against Everton. “They are feeling strong at home. How we are feeling now is very important with our momentum. Tomorrow is a very huge test for us. It’s a huge test at Chelsea, a huge test away, a huge test of how we are going to respond away against one team like Chelsea. “We are very motivated and excited about how we are going to face them tomorrow. We are focussing this match strongly to try and get our best.” On the Blues’ threats… “Tactically and individually, they are so, so strong. Their structure tactically with the ball is really fantastic, and how we can stop them, recover the ball and get the transitions will be difficult. “This is the challenge we have tomorrow. Offensively, hopefully we can dominate and have our time with the ball in combination, stopping their press. “Hopefully we can have our moments to show our qualities and our structure tactically. In 90 minutes, mentally, it’s going to be very important how we will show our resilience when we need to be defending or getting good positions. “And then we will try to play with our skills, try to get duels and play with confidence.” On a busy schedule… “Each match we try to recover players with good rest, good food, and focus on each match with the players we have. Maybe we will need some rotation to try to reduce the risk of injured players. “We will try to use fresh legs. We’re focused on the first match tomorrow with the players we have available. They are ready and I think our motivation is high. “With our supporters we can feel together and transmit the energy we have. We will play football and try to get our best.” On his reflections on 2025… “In the process we have, being demanding and being consistent, my analysis depends on each moment. The season we did in the Champions League and getting to the quarter-finals was fantastic. “In the league as well, how we again got sixth position was fantastic. My idea is try to improve everything and get new challenges, collectively and individually with the players. “How we can create and build here a strong structure in our mentality, with the players, tactically and individually, trying to improve them and get their individual challenges, helping us as a team. “We want to create and build emotions with our supporters, enjoy different moments. We want to enjoy how we shared with them a semi-final of the FA Cup last year, a quarter-final of the Champions League, two years ago a semi-final of the Conference League. “They are moments that can help us to connect with our supporters and feel something together and have experiences like we did.”

🔵Kendry Paez may not finish the season at Strasbourg. Paez cannot get in the rhythm of Ligue 1 matches and his lifestyle is not optimal. (@lequipe)

It’s the season of festive games in the Premier League, one of the best times all year to…View the full article

Chelsea’s January Transfer DealSheet: Raheem Sterling latest, could Tyrique George be tempted away? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6905153/2025/12/26/Chelsea-transfer-dealsheet-january-latest/ Another transfer window is nearly upon us, so naturally, there will be a lot of interest in Chelsea’s business. In January 2023, Chelsea spent well over £250million ($332m at current exchange rates) on six players, including signing Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. They have been pretty quiet in the two January windows since then, so what do they have in mind this time? The information found within this article has been gathered according to The Athletic’s sourcing guidelines. Sources with knowledge of transfer dealings, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect relationships, have been spoken to before offering the clubs involved the opportunity to comment. Here’s The Athletic’s guide on what to expect. What is the manager’s priority? It does not really work that way at Chelsea. Head coach Enzo Maresca is consulted on transfer plans, but the strategy is led by the sporting leadership team — although last summer’s recruitment drive was carried out in consultation and close coordination with the Italian. Chelsea’s hierarchy have been happy with Maresca’s input and engagement in the market, so should they make any moves, the 45-year-old will be involved. Asking for specific targets, however, is a different matter. An example of this came in the summer window, after centre-back Levi Colwill was ruled out for most, if not all, of the campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Maresca requested that a new central defender be signed, but was told he had enough defenders to choose from to fill the void. Enzo Maresca does not have a huge say in Chelsea’s transfer plansCarl Recine/Getty Images What positions will they be looking at in January? Chelsea do not intend to be busy, and additions to the first-team squad are not expected. The club are instead working with the summer in mind. They could still purchase a young player for the future and keep them at their current club in order to continue their development, or loan them elsewhere. This has been a regular practice for the west London club over the last few years. Which players do they want? Chelsea are scouting a number of players in a variety of positions, although some of the names being looked at are with sister Ligue 1 club Strasbourg, who are owned by the same parent company, BlueCo, in mind. Among the many young talents being monitored are Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet and Saint-Etienne forward Djylian N’Guessan, but that is as far as interest in those players has gone. Jeremy Jacquet is one of the young talents being monitoredJean Catuffe/Getty Images Fans can forget about any reunion with veteran centre-back Thiago Silva following his departure from Fluminense — Porto announced his signing on a free transfer at the weekend. In any case, Chelsea have enough centre-backs, and he was never under consideration. In terms of the positions they are concentrating on for the first team in the summer, central midfield has become a priority due to Romeo Lavia’s injury issues. The Belgium international has made just 30 appearances since joining from Southampton for £50million in August 2023. Chelsea made an initial enquiry over Antoine Semenyo, but decided against pursuing a move. Who will they be looking to sell? The biggest priorities are trying to resolve the futures of Axel Disasi and Raheem Sterling, who have been left out of the senior squad all season. A Ligue 1 club have enquired about a loan for Disasi, but Chelsea prefer a domestic loan or a permanent sale. Sterling’s situation requires greater consideration, as he is on a contract worth more than £300,000-a-week, which still has 18 months left to run. The 82-cap England international rejected a loan abroad in the summer, preferring the stability and security of a permanent move. The 31-year-old’s family live in London, and that remains a key consideration regarding any loan offers in particular. The 19-year-old winger Tyrique George is subject to a lot of interest from Premier League clubs and Champions League teams in Europe. He came close to joining Fulham on deadline day last time out and could be lured away by a club offering more game time. Sources speaking under the condition of anonymity to The Athletic to protect relationships say goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen wants a move to get more first-team football, but Chelsea do not want to change their options in that position. Will anyone move out on loan? Chelsea have already used up their allocation of six international loan spots on Mike Penders, Mamadou Sarr, Kendry Paez (all at Strasbourg), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Aaron Anselmino (Borussia Dortmund) and David Datro Fofana (Fatih Karagumruk). One of those loans will have to be cancelled for another player to go abroad instead. This is why Disasi being loaned out has been ruled out. Chelsea are exploring options domestically for Brazil Under-20 international Deivid Washington. He has not played a senior game since being recalled from a loan at Santos in late August. The forward has made just three appearances for Chelsea since joining from Santos for €16million plus €4m in add-ons in August 2023. Marc Guiu’s situation — he played three games on loan for Sunderland in August before being recalled prematurely — means the only club he could technically go on loan to is the north east side. However, Chelsea want to keep the 19-year-old striker for the rest of the campaign, despite the Spaniard remaining a fringe member under Maresca. Chelsea want to keep Marc Guiu for the rest of the seasonEd Sykes/Getty Images There could be movement for players in the Under-21s. Midfielder Sam Rak-Sakyi, who made his senior debut under Maresca last season, saw a move to a Ligue 2 side break down in the summer. Another loan will be explored in the new year. Do they need to sell to buy? They do not, but given their large squad, any signings will be offset with sales — to fit another player in, one has to go. This was effectively demonstrated in the summer when they became the first Premier League club to make more than £300million from transfers in a window. Chelsea are also relaxed about adhering to the UEFA punishment handed to them in July. UEFA issued a €31m fine for the club breaking their football earnings rule and squad cost rule. It could go up by another €60m if they fail to comply over the next four years. UEFA’s squad cost ratio (the percentage of a club’s income spent on the first-team squad) is 70 per cent this season. For this season and next, Chelsea must maintain a positive transfer balance (the cost of players added must not exceed those being removed) for any new players to be registered for their squads in European competition. What is their PSR position? There are no concerns over complying with profit and sustainability regulations in what is the final season of its use. What sort of budget do they have? The majority of transfer funds and business are being saved for the summer, so do not expect Chelsea to be leading the spending charts next month. There will continue to be outgoings as well as incomings, so Chelsea’s net spend will remain in a good place. If they don’t make any signings, will they be able to achieve their goals this season? They should do. Maresca still has a fine squad to work with, even if there may be the odd gap here and there. Colwill’s absence and Lavia’s persistent injury issues do not help. Chelsea will also be under strain from January onwards as they will be competing on four fronts — the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. The aim is to qualify for the Champions League again via a top four/five finish (depending on how many spots England secures), plus compete in the three cup competitions. Chelsea have shown they can do that so far with what they have. By Simon Johnson Chelsea Correspondent

He may be only 14 but as Argentinian players go he looks fully grown sliding into that ball pit...

he is a good player but dont make any sense with quenda arrive next year

To be fair, they're good and have been chronically under appreciated/under valued by Man City. They have an excellent academy/talent pool like we do (both producing serious international tier players regularly).

Hard pass. We do not need yet ANOTHER left footed winger.

Merry Christmas all!

Pre/Post Match Discussion, Live Chat & Analysis Saturday Dec 27th, 2025 Stamford Bridge 5:30 PM UK

Link?

🗯Chelsea are preparing to raid Manchester City for a top talent once again, with Oscar Bobb being considered for transfer. Joe Shields is understood to be a big fan of Oscar Bobb from Manchester City.

gitts buy was a abysmal decision

I been a big fan of Joe Shields but it seems like all he does is goes after ex city players. I wonder if he is really any good at spotting anything else? Because that is worrying, sure the academy of City has been good but that is not the only place players come from....

Chelsea fans unhappy with latest news from David Ornstein Chelsea fans are unhappy with the latest news regarding the Blues from David Ornstein, one of the most reliable journalists in football. https://theprideoflondon.com/Chelsea-fans-unhappy-latest-news-david-ornstein Chelsea's transfer policy under the new ownership has always been a topic of debate among the fanbase. Many will point towards how things seem to be moving in the right direction. While the Blues are not challenging for the biggest prizes yet, they have already proven that they are capable of competing with the very best. Just over the past six months, they have wins over PSG, Barcelona and Liverpool. That being said, the shortcomings are quite clear to see as well. Despite spending over a billion on the team since the change in ownership, they are worse off than where they were, when the takeover happened. That simply does not make sense. One of the key reasons behind that might be the unwillingness to go out and sign proven players, instead relying on youngsters. Now, that can work from time to time. But the inexperience and inconsistency come with it, which has prevented them from being one of the top teams in the world. Recently, it had looked like Chelsea could change up things a bit and try to sign Antoine Semenyo. But there is an update on that, and it is not one that will make the fans happy. Chelsea fans unhappy with latest news from David Ornstein As reported by David Ornstein on The Athletic, Chelsea have decided against pursuing a move for Semenyo after making an initial enquiry. They have confidence in the depth and quality of their existing options. If the club had indeed been happy with their depth, then why would they make an enquiry at all? That just does not make sense. It is much more likely that they found out what it would take to sign Semenyo and were not ready to go forward with the move. To be honest, that is fine. But some of the briefs that come out of the club these days don't do much convince the fans that they are in the right hands. As one fan wrote: "Chelsea fans want stars, but the ownership won’t pay proper wages — so we’re stuck with mediocre players like Gittens, Garnacho, and Delap." At this time, it is worth bringing up the wage structure that has been put in place at the club as well. The club have strictly adhered to it and do not seem interested in moving away. It does prevent them from signing world-class players, though and that has become a point of frustration for the supporters who feel that they are in a brilliant position to take the next step only if the ownership would show that ambition instead of staying inside self-imposed boundaries.

Merry Christmas from Chelsea FC! https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/merry-christmas-from-Chelsea-fc-2025 On behalf of everyone at Chelsea Football Club, we would like to wish our supporters and partners across the world a very merry Christmas. This year, in partnership with the Chelsea Foundation, we released a powerful Christmas film, The Magic of Blue, to help highlight the growing epidemic of loneliness in London and beyond. At its heart, The Magic of Blue, which can be viewed below, is a story about community, imagination and the unexpected bonds that can form between strangers. Those who wish to support our campaign with an online donation can do so via this Magic of Blue donation link.

https://football-observatory.com/WeeklyPost527 The last Weekly Post of 2025, the 527th in a series that began in 2012, presents the 100 players worldwide born in 2006 or later who are not yet playing for a big-5 league club having performed best this year. The rankings were established using a method developed exclusively by the CIES Football Observatory and the data meticulously collected by our partner Impect. The highest score overall was recorded for Dutchman Givairo Read of Feyenoord (85 out of 100). Although currently injured, he should soon be able to celebrate his first cap for Netherlands. This 'well-rounded' wide back is ahead of Portugal's Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP, but already signed by Chelsea) and Ghana international Caleb Yirenkyi, from the veritable talent factory that is Danish side FC Nordsjælland. France's Joane Gadou (RB Salzburg) ranks first among centre backs and Sweden's Simon Eriksson (IF Elfsborg) among goalkeepers. This Scouting Report presents the top ten U20 players outside the big-5 for fifteen categories established by combining players’ level of activity in six areas (aerial play, recovery, distribution, take on, chance creation and finishing) as per Impect data and their main position (method also here). >>> Full Scouting report (including estimated transfer values for all players)

Contract runs out in the summer. He has said no to their offers too. Surely nothing silly will be asked in Jan. Well worth an attempt to get him

More realistic target for Clearlake. No chance we will make a move for an established CB with Colwill, Fofana, and Badiashile still on the books.

his first six months were good

You have fetish for strikers with zero goals?