Vesper

Chelsea yet to decide whether to recall Lesley Ugochukwu from Southampton loan, says Enzo Maresca https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5965587/2024/12/03/lesley-ugochukwu-southampton-Chelsea-transfer/ Enzo Maresca says Chelsea have yet to make a decision over whether to recall midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from his loan spell at Southampton next month. Ugochuku joined Southampton, who Chelsea play at St Mary’s Stadium on Wednesday night, on a season-long loan in August. But the 20-year-old has started just two Premier League games since then and played just 425 minutes in all competitions overall. Southampton coach Russell Martin left him out of the squad altogether for their last game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday and Ugochukwu responded by deleting mentions of Southampton from his social media accounts (although they seem to have been restored now). But when asked if Chelsea will trigger a break clause in the loan agreement when the window opens next month, Maresca said: “I have no idea at the moment, no idea about loans or transfers. Before January we have seven Premier League games, there are too many matches to be thinking about that.” Chelsea agreed to send Ugochukwu, who has made 15 appearances for them since joining from Rennes for around £23.5m last year, to Southampton in order for him to get more first-team football this season. Chelsea will be without Reece James and Wesley Fofana (both hamstring) for the Southampton game on Wednesday night. Southampton will be missing Tyler Dibling, Flynn Downes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis due to suspension, while Aaron Ramsdale, Will Smallbone, Adam Lallana, Jan Bednarek and Ross Stewart are injured. GO DEEPER How Southampton have conceded eight, yes eight, goals from their errors in 12 games

Julen Lopetegui will be sacked very soon

Chelsea unveil their blueprint to weaponise Enzo Fernandez https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5960392/2024/12/02/enzo-fernandez-Chelsea-maresca-caicedo/ It was hard to tell which moment Enzo Fernandez preferred: trapping Cole Palmer’s sharp pass and expertly lacing a low shot beyond Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to double Chelsea’s lead in the 36th minute at Stamford Bridge, or standing in his own half ready for the restart around 60 seconds later, raising the arm that bore the captain’s armband to acknowledge the resounding chants of his name emanating from the Matthew Harding Stand. For most footballers, nothing beats the feeling of scoring a goal. But that sensation is usually intertwined with the adulation that flows down from the stands in the aftermath. Fernandez had precious little taste of either in a Chelsea shirt for the best part of 10 months before pouncing on Mads Hermansen’s parry with a composed header to wrap up a 2-1 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium last weekend. Now it is two goals in two Premier League starts to follow an assist for Pedro Neto’s equaliser against Arsenal last month, the kind of emphatic response that suggests he took head coach Enzo Maresca’s recent decision to bench him personally in the best possible way. He was also in the right place to set up Nicolas Jackson’s opener against the Foxes. Signs of an individual revival went beyond the goal. Fernandez’s performance bristled with the kind of energy and positive aggression that Chelsea collectively harnessed in their pressing and passing to overpower and overwhelm Villa. “Chelsea showed that this year is different,” visiting coach Unai Emery admitted afterwards. “They are feeling stronger. They have power and (their) capacity, it is higher.” Maresca has found a way to exploit Fernandez’s talents (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images) This is more like the player Chelsea believed they were signing from Benfica in January 2023 when they agreed to meet his £106million ($135m) buyout clause as the transfer deadline loomed. Much like the £115million paid to Brighton for Moises Caicedo the following summer, that fee is and likely always will be ludicrous; a millstone hung around his neck as he has tried and failed to live up to expectations inflated to an unreasonable level. For much of 2024 he has looked lost, derailed more by the consequences of his own decisions — banned from driving after two speeding offences in Wales; forced to apologise to his own Chelsea team-mates after live streaming an offensive chant on the Argentina team bus following their Copa America triumph in July — than by any opponent. Even the public revelations about his separation from his wife in October contributed to a sense of overwhelming negative noise. Maresca’s controversial move to make him captain on the pitch only served to intensify the debate about his suitability, turning every appearance into a referendum of sorts. Elevating the fit-again Romeo Lavia above him for the trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool in October felt like a potentially defining moment, the first serious exploration of what a Chelsea midfield might look like absent of one of Clearlake Capital’s marquee signings. But without Fernandez on the pitch, life became more difficult for Chelsea in the final third. Malo Gusto is simply not respected by Premier League opponents as a scorer or creator in Maresca’s right pocket, meaning Manchester United and Arsenal could focus the bulk of their defensive resources on stopping Palmer. They largely succeeded in shutting him down. Fernandez scores Chelsea’s second against Villa (Julian Finney/Getty Images) Maresca’s experimental 3-1-5-1 alignment in possession against Leicester, with Fernandez and Joao Felix operating either side of Palmer in the creative line, alleviated that problem while reintroducing the broader challenge of balancing Chelsea’s defensive structure. It never seemed viable against more dangerous opposition, but the tweaks made for Villa’s visit to Stamford Bridge absolutely do. What do you call picking a central midfielder at full-back, then asking him to invert into central midfield? It might be more a question for Tenet director Christopher Nolan than Maresca, but Chelsea’s structure against Villa allowed the Italian to maintain the “physicality” he feels is offered by the Caicedo-Lavia axis while also enjoying the fruits of Fernandez’s goal threat and creation at the top-left corner of his midfield box. It also allows Palmer to operate in the right pocket, the area in which his own spectacular talents are maximised. Fernandez’s best attribute is his ball progression from deeper midfield areas, but it is easy to forget what first introduced him to the wider football public at the 2022 World Cup: darting into the penalty area from a short Argentina corner kick against Mexico, faking out an opponent with a deft stepover and curling a brilliant shot into the far corner. He has a real eye for goal, and all the technique he needs to find it on a relatively regular basis. After the Villa win, Maresca confirmed he wants to weaponise that particular skill as often as he can. “More times he was in the right positions, inside the box, and we didn’t contact with him,” he said of Fernandez in his post-match press conference. “In the action that we scored, we contacted with him. “It is very difficult to see goals from outside the box. Almost all of the goals come from inside the box, so we need the two wingers, the two attacking midfielders and the No 9 inside the box.” The shot from Fernandez that doubled Chelsea’s lead was unleashed from just inside the Villa penalty area, and Maresca’s point was well made. Chelsea have not had a consistent goal threat from central midfield for several years (though Conor Gallagher made strides in that direction in the second half of last season) and they will need goals from a wide range of positions and personnel if this attack is truly to take off. It has not always been easy to determine Fernandez’s role in Maresca’s system. But with the level of focus, fitness and form he has showcased in recent weeks, he is too valuable not to include in Chelsea’s strongest side. GO DEEPER The Briefing: Chelsea 3 Aston Villa 0 - the Palmer press, Fofana concern... and are Chelsea contenders?

Barcelona would be willing to offload star midfielder Frenkie de Jong for an offer worth €20 million (£16.5m) https://sports.yahoo.com/barcelona-willing-offload-star-midfielder-062000314.html According to a recent report from SPORT, Barcelona would reportedly be open to accepting an offer of €20 million for Frenkie de Jong. This revelation highlights the uncertainty surrounding the Dutch midfielder’s future at the club. De Jong, once considered a cornerstone of Barcelona’s midfield, has seen his role diminish under manager Hansi Flick. He has lost his starting position and, to make matters worse, sections of the club’s fanbase have begun to express their dissatisfaction by booing him. Barcelona have done their best Barcelona initially attempted to resolve De Jong’s situation by offering him a contract renewal. Deco viewed him as a crucial part of the team’s plans before he suffered a significant ankle sprain in April. However, the renewal proposal eventually expired, and the club now believes that negotiations would need to start afresh. The current priority for Barcelona is to avoid a scenario where De Jong enters the final year of his contract, which ends in 2026, without signing an extension. Given the complexities involved, the club is prepared to put him on the transfer market. Barcelona have now given up In fact, Barcelona are reportedly willing to consider not only a low transfer fee but even a free transfer to resolve the situation. In that regard, the club would be content with a €20 million offer for the Dutchman. A major obstacle in De Jong’s case is his high cost to the club. While his exact salary remains undisclosed, his gross annual expense to Barcelona is estimated at €35 million, a significant financial burden that has persisted for years. This high cost, combined with stiff competition in the midfield, has relegated De Jong to a secondary role in the squad, reducing his importance compared to previous seasons. Barcelona are now actively exploring solutions to address De Jong’s situation, as his diminished role and financial implications make his future at the club increasingly uncertain.

If PSG want him, they will get him. They beat us out every time. I am still fuming over Bradley Barcola. Leading scorer now in Ligue 1. Should have bought him instead of Mudryk. He would have cost £51m LESS. Now is worth more than double what Mudryk is. Also we could have bought Barcola instead of fucking Sterling.

https://www.vipleague.pm/football-sports-stream

€8m signing proves his worth with latest dominant showing as Chelsea’s South American scouts come up trumps again https://Chelsea.news/2024/11/aaron-anselmino-lanus/ There were a few eyebrows raised when Chelsea swooped in the summer to make Aaron Anselmino the latest addition to their roster of South American talents. Not because he wasn’t highly rated, but because he hadn’t played much. Signed for €8m and loaned straight back to Boca Juniors, it was seen as quite the risk given how few games the 19 year old had played at that point. Unlike someone like Estevao Willian, Anselmino was not yet a regular for his club, so Chelsea’s move was somewhat surprising. However since then his progress has continued, and we’re delighted to see he’s now first choice for the Argentine giants. He’s played 10 of 20 possible games for Boca, and has only missed one start since the start of October. Those minutes are serving him well – he’s making great progress, and despite a 1-0 defeat to Lanus on Sunday night, the centre back looked really solid. You can see his highlights from the game in the clip embedded here. A full 5 minutes of action gives you some idea of how much of the ball he saw. What we love to see from developing talent There are a few really pleasing things to note from the highlights here. Firstly what is obvious is his comfort on the ball. We’re spoiled given we’ve got Levi Colwill in the team right now, but Anselmino looks exceptionally comfortable and composed, especially given he’s pretty tall. That height helps him in the air, but he’s got a decent turn of pace too, and given how open Boca’s formation often is, he needs to use it. The decision to leave him in South America on loan always seemed like a smart one, and we wouldn’t be at all against him having another 12 months if he keeps developing and keeps playing.

Chelsea https://thedailybriefing.io/i/152372399/Chelsea Geovany Quenda to Chelsea? Sources suggest they’re preparing a bid for the Sporting Lisbon wonderkid! Could Christopher Nkunku leave Chelsea? Surprise new details emerge about a possible swap deal… (my add: hell no! It would be a swap for PSG reject Kolo Muani) Levi Colwill: “I would be scared to play Chelsea. The way we break teams down and create so many chances is amazing. Maresca has come in and given us that confidence. We’re going into games and, it’s fair to say, we're battering most teams.” also Exclusive: This Chelsea star is set to LEAVE this January - big decision by Enzo Maresca! Full story here.

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/152401278/Chelsea Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Wesley Fofana has sustained a hamstring injury and his 2024 could be already over. “Early indication suggest 4-5 weeks out.” Wesley Fofana downplays his injury. “A slight muscle warning, as often happens after long injuries, nothing serious, the body is adjusting. We’ll come back stronger, as always. Trust your guy!” Maresca: “I think we are not ready to compete with Arsenal, Liverpool and City for many reasons. Just because we win today then I won't change my idea.”

delete

I am glad we bought him. Same for Felix.

Omar Marmoush on another hat trick 28 total goals produced in 1500 minutes

fucking Manure only 4 points off top 4

ony the 2nd time ever in EPL history that the gap between first and second has been this big at this stage and only the 4th time ever in English topflight history

2 nil

pen for Pool

ffs we probably miss out on another great young keeper

has to be Tosin I will loose my mind if Maresca trots out Disasi or Badi tbh, I would rather play Veiga as a CB than thsoe two clowns insane that we have dropped £1.3 billion and are so shit/lack depth at CB and GKer

fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk this why we need to buy 2 fucking solid AF class CBs and ship the dregs Badi and Disasi OUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT plus but a fucking class GKer we do that I am good

Rayan Aït-Nouri IF Maresca is convinced he can play the inverted role Jorrel Hato Miguel Gutiérrez Milos Kerkez my top 4 targets (realistic ones who are remotely available) no real order

we all do, but he is not leaving PSG even if he did, they will want closing in on 90m to 100m euros or so

with Rodri out Citeh are fucked in MF

Citeh collapse without him proves Rodri was the correct choice for the Ballon d'Or