Vesper

No, not if we accept the Conference League, as then we are under the more strict UEFA FFP regime

ffs Man United and Liverpool eyeing the same centre-back, plus striker will leave Old Trafford We’re still waiting for Manchester United’s final decision on Erik ten Hag, with new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe likely to be crucial on this. But what I can also say is that even in just the last few days, Man United had meetings with the agents of other managers. Thomas Tuchel is one manager who’d be keen on the job, but there are other candidates as well, with United keen to make sure they have other options in case they decide to sack Ten Hag. This week is crucial, a decision is coming on whether to keep Ten Hag or make a change, but what is certain is that United are keeping contacts active for a potential replacement. United are also working on a right footed centre-back as a priority this summer - Jean-Clair Todibo, Jarrad Branthwaite and Gleison Bremer are on the list, but they also want one more centre-back - a left footed one. It’s not decided yet but it’s a possibility they are considering internally, and one player they have been scouting is Goncalo Inacio from Sporting Lisbon. Inacio is being scouted and monitored by United, but also by Liverpool, and he has a €60m release clause in his contract with Sporting. These clubs are showing an interest in Inacio, so let’s see if they decide to start a proper negotiation. This could be an interesting situation to follow as many clubs around Europe are looking for left footed centre-backs, and United and Liverpool could be in the race for Inacio so keep an eye on this one.

PLEASE let this happen! He is so non productive. Liverpool and Spurs are keen on signing Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki. https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/06/03/liverpool-make-enquiry-tottenham-target-rayan-cherki/ The 20-year-old has had an impressive season with the French outfit and he has contributed to 12 goals across all competitions. According to SportsZone, Liverpool and Tottenham have now made enquiries for the 20-year-old attacking midfielder, and it will be interesting to see if they follow it up with an offer in the coming weeks. Cherki is versatile enough to operate in the attacking midfield role as well as a winger. He will add goals and creativity to the Liverpool and Tottenham attack. Liverpool need more depth in the wide areas and the Frenchman could prove to be a quality long-term addition. The report from SportsZone claims that Cherki wants to leave the French outfit and the opportunity to move to Liverpool could be an attractive option for him. It would be a major step up in his career and he would get to compete for major trophies with the Reds.

Kai Havertz: “The change from Chelsea to Arsenal was worth it. Chelsea fans were angry that I left, the Arsenal fans weren’t so enthusiastic either, because it didn’t go so well at start...Then there is strength when the coach, teammates and the people in your close environment stand by you and support you.”

Potential Arsenal boost as Chelsea cool transfer interest in 21-year-old winger Nico Williams https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/06/03/williams-transfer-arsenal-boost-over-Chelsea/ Arsenal may have been handed a boost in their rumoured pursuit of the transfer of Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. The 21-year-old is an exciting young talent and Charles Watts recently told CaughtOffside that the Gunners have him high on their list of summer targets in the attacking midfield department. It may be that Arsenal are now in an even better position as Chelsea seem to have cooled their interest in Williams due to his wage demands, according to Ben Jacobs in his column for Si Phillips Talks Chelsea. Williams looks like he could surely be a hit in the Premier League for the present and future, giving clubs a player who could make an immediate impact but also an exciting option for the long-term as his best years are surely still ahead of him. Williams transfer: Arsenal now more likely than Chelsea? Of course, just because Chelsea aren’t ready to pay up for Williams, doesn’t mean that Arsenal will automatically move into pole position for the Spain international. But it’s useful for AFC if they do decide to step up their interest in Williams, as it always helps if there isn’t a major competitor to potentially drive up the price of the transfer fee or wages. Williams is a pacey wide-player with an eye for goal and it would surely be good business by Arsenal if they could bring the youngster in to provide Mikel Arteta with a bit more depth in his front three. The north London giants have been overly reliant on Bukayo Saka in the last few years, and they won’t want to burn him out, while Gabriel Martinelli’s form suffered a bit last season, leaving the team without much of an alternative in that role. With Reiss Nelson struggling for playing time, he perhaps doesn’t have Arteta’s trust, so fans will no doubt be hoping Williams or someone similar can come in and provide a better option.

Jose Mourinho on links with Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala: “Let me be clear: I have ZERO interest in any player from AS Roma.” lolol

What next for Trevoh Chalobah as Chelsea close in on Tosin Adarabioyo? https://thedailybriefing.io/i/145283424/what-next-for-trevoh-chalobah-as-Chelsea-close-in-on-tosin-adarabioyo It was Enzo Maresca day for Chelsea yesterday as they officially announced the arrival of their new manager on a five-year contract until 2029, with the option to extend that for a further year until 2030. What we can also say about Chelsea is that two important decisions have been made - the first one is on the goalkeeper, as I’m now hearing that Robert Sanchez is expected to stay at Chelsea this summer. Despite not having a lot of space under Mauricio Pochettino, and also having some injury problems, the feeling now is clear for him to continue at Chelsea. Maresca and Sanchez see a future together, so there is a very good chance to see Sanchez as the first-choice goalkeeper for Chelsea, even though they’ve been exploring the goalkeeper market in recent weeks. It seems Maresca may have been influential here, as when they discussed goalkeepers the name of Sanchez came up and it’s clear he’s highly regarded by the new manager. Let’s see if they will still decide to bring in a new goalkeeper to compete with him, or if they will continue to trust Sanchez and Djorde Petrovic, but for now Sanchez is expected to stay at the club as Maresca made it very clear that he’s happy to continue with him. Another big story involving Chelsea is an update on Omari Hutchinson. Maresca knows the player as they were both competing in the Championship last season, but now the position of the club is to sell Hutchinson this summer on a permanent transfer. Chelsea’s idea is to make profit on Hutchinson, and they’re open to proposals, for example from the Eredivisie, with Ajax and Feyenoord showing an interest, but also in the Bundesliga we have Stuttgart showing an interest and really pushing for him. Let’s see about clubs in England too, and what Ipswich Town will decide to do after having him on loan, and with Kieran McKenna now staying at the club. But for sure Hutchinson will be one to watch in the next weeks because Chelsea are preparing to sell, and the fee they have in mind for him is around £25-30m. Stuttgart really like the player and are the favourites at this stage as it looks difficult for Ajax and Feyenoord to do this as a permanent transfer. There is Premier League interest as well, and overall it looks difficult for Hutchinson to stay at Chelsea, the expectation is that he will leave. Chelsea’s first signing of the summer is also nearly done, with everything verbally agreed for Tosin Adarabioyo to join as a free agent after deciding to leave Fulham. We’re just waiting now for medical tests and for contracts to be signed, and then Adarabioyo will be a new centre-back signing for Maresca at Chelsea. Chelsea could also still look for another centre-back, and it could depend on the future of Trevoh Chalobah. Although Chalobah has been linked by some outlets with Manchester United, I don’t have updates on specific clubs yet. Chalobah will be one to watch, but things might happen a bit later, with Chelsea wanting to complete the formal steps on the Adarabioyo deal first. Also for Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku is 100% expected to leave the club - £38m is the clause, and he’s a priority target for Napoli. However, as I’ve already said, there is no negotiation over a swap deal for Victor Osimhen as Chelsea’s priority is to sign a young striker. Still, although there no discussions over Osimhen, Chelsea and Napoli could soon discuss a possible deal for Lukaku. He’s on Napoli’s list, though he’s not the only one, but Antonio Conte would love to be reunited with Lukaku this summer, so keep an eye on this one, and let’s see if Napoli decide to go strong on this one or if they decide on one of their other targets, but the expectation remains for Chelsea and Lukaku to part ways. It’s important to say, however, that the links between Lukaku and Fenerbahce are wide of the mark. Jose Mourinho has just been unveiled as manager there, but he’s publicly ruled out signing his former players from Roma. We’ll see what happens with Mourinho and new signings for Fenerbahce, there are 100 links already, but the truth is that Mourinho hasn’t discussed players with the board yet. It will be in the next days, and it will be clear who are the real targets, but links with Karim Benzema or Robert Lewandowski or Lukaku are wide of mark.

Chelsea https://thedailybriefing.io/i/145256282/Chelsea Enzo Maresca to Chelsea has been made official! He’ll officially start work on July 1st and his first game in charge will be a friendly against Wrexham on July 24th. Maresca: “To join Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a dream for any coach. I look forward to working with a very talented group of players and staff to develop a team that continues the club’s tradition of success and makes our fans proud.” Chelsea ownership group on Enzo Maresca: “We look forward to supporting him and the rest of the sporting team in fulfilling their potential and our expectations over the years to come. He is a highly gifted coach and leader that we are confident can help fulfil our vision and competitive goals for the Club.” Tosin Adarabioyo to Chelsea is nearly done, but what does it mean for Trevoh Chalobah? Fabrizio Romano has the answers in his column. Omari Hutchinson transfer decision has been made - Chelsea want to sell him permanently and Stuttgart are the favourites, according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive column. Robert Sanchez now looks set to stay at Chelsea after discussions with Enzo Maresca - more info in Fabrizio Romano’s column. Benjamin Sesko to Chelsea transfer looks to be under serious consideration, according to Ben Jacobs.

They can go FUCK themselves Italo cunts

Maatsen made the CL Team of the Season starting XI

Enzo Maresca’s backroom staff: The six moving with him from Leicester to Chelsea https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5529405/2024/06/04/maresca-backroom-caballero-walker/ The compensation of around £10million ($12.7m) Chelsea are paying Leicester City will secure them much more than simply new head coach Enzo Maresca. Six of the Italian’s backroom team will also be swapping the King Power Stadium for Stamford Bridge, allowing Maresca to settle into new surroundings alongside some familiar faces. Back in Leicester, their next head coach will need a hefty rebuild of his own coaching staff. Assistant manager Willy Caballero, first-team coach Danny Walker, goalkeeping coach Michele De Bernardin, fitness coach Marcos Alvarez and analyst Javier Molina Caballero will form part of Chelsea’s latest new dawn. Roberto Vitiello has also been hired to help transition Chelsea’s young players and prepare them for life in the first-team setup. All six had arrived at Leicester with Maresca 12 months ago. Chelsea had already secured the arrival of Bernardo Cueva, a set-piece coach who has joined from Brentford. Ben Roberts, the club’s global head of goalkeeping, and Hilario retain their positions in an expanded goalkeeping department. Maresca’s six trusted staff members boast different backgrounds and skill sets, but they all have one thing in common: they are completely wedded to Maresca’s football philosophy. Willy Caballero, assistant He will need no introduction to Chelsea fans. Caballero is the most high profile of Maresca’s backroom team, and not just because of his glittering playing career that saw him lift trophies with Boca Juniors in his native Argentina, Manchester City and Chelsea. While Maresca largely patrols the technical area alone, the only member of his staff who occasionally joins him is Caballero. As well as being Maresca’s sounding board, the 42-year-old was also the set-piece coach at Leicester and would come forward to offer instructions when Leicester took or faced a free kick. Cueva will take on those set-piece duties at Stamford Bridge, but Caballero will remain Maresca’s right-hand man. He had to step up when the Italian, whom Caballero met when they were team-mates at Malaga in Spain, served a one-game touchline ban against Ipswich Town after picking up three bookings. Like Maresca, Caballero was influenced to become a coach by Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola, having played under both managers during his 20-year career. “We started together at Malaga (for a season and a half in 2011 and 2012) and we have stayed in touch since,” Maresca said of his No 2 in January before the Ipswich game. “We both worked with Pep and see the game in the same way in terms of how we want to play. That is why he is here.” Danny Walker, first-team coach Walker met Maresca when they were coaches in the youth ranks at Manchester City, where he coached from under-nines upwards between 2014 and 2020 before stepping up to assist Maresca with the development squad, helping them win the Premier League 2 title. In 2022, he joined Peterborough United as a senior professional development phase lead coach, responsible for overseeing the club’s under-21s along with Ryan Semple, before joining Maresca at Leicester last summer. Walker worked closely with many of the Leicester players on a one-on-one basis, particularly in attacking areas. Michele De Bernardin, goalkeeping coach De Bernardin replaced long-serving goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell at Leicester and, while still aged only 46, the Italian has been coaching since he was 20, working his way up the ranks from lower divisions before joining Parma. He was the goalkeeping coach when Maresca was appointed at Parma in his first managerial role and they remained friends even after his dismissal after only 14 games. After one year with Sampdoria, he was reunited with Leicester last summer. He had a crucial role in Maresca’s approach through his close work with young ‘keepers Mads Hermansen and Jakub Stolarczyk as they had to learn how to play as an 11th outfield player to fit in with Maresca’s playing philosophy. De Bernardin’s jovial personality endeared him to the rest of the Leicester staff at their Seagrave HQ and he is seen as an innovative coach, bringing fresh, original ideas to his sessions. Marcos Alvarez, fitness coach A vastly experienced fitness and performance coach, Alvarez worked at Sevilla, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, Dnipro, Real Betis, and Parma — where he met Maresca — before joining Leicester. The Spaniard worked closely with Matt Reeves, Leicester’s head of fitness and conditioning since 2011. After a season blighted by injuries, Chelsea fans will be hoping Alvarez can ensure more of their talent will be available to Maresca next season. Javier Molina Caballero, first-team analyst Another vastly experienced member of Maresca’s staff whom he met at Parma. The 51-year-old Spaniard is a key analyst who has worked with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Maresca places a huge emphasis on pre- and post-match analysis. During pre-season, his players can expect double sessions on the pitch, which are recorded and then debriefed in the video analysis room. Caballero plays a key role in this work and preparing the side for their upcoming opponents. Roberto Vitiello, development coach Vitiello’s playing career took in stints at seven clubs in his native Italy, with his relationship forged with Maresca during their time as team-mates at Palermo from 2014-16. While at Siena he was banned initially for four years for his part in the match-fixing scandal of 2011-12, with the sanction reduced to nine months on appeal. After his playing days concluded, Vitiello joined Maresca’s staff at Parma and was assistant manager during his brief spell in charge there. He took up a role as a development coach at Leicester when Maresca went there last summer and he has followed him to Stamford Bridge, where he’ll have a similar brief — to help transition Chelsea’s young players and prepare them for life in the first-team setup.

Chelsea to bank up to £14m from clauses in transfer, loan deals https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5537794/2024/06/03/Chelsea-finances-kepa-hazard-maatsen/ Chelsea will bank between £11million and £14m ($14.1m-$12.8m) from add-ons in clauses of loan and transfer deals this season. Kepa Arrizabalaga’s mixed loan spell at Real Madrid and Eden Hazard’s initial £89m move to the Spanish club in 2019 contributed just under £10m to this figure, after Carlo Ancelotti’s side reached the Champions League final this season. Chelsea have benefited from Hazard’s sale despite the Belgian retiring from football last October. Borussia Dortmund also making the Champions League final saw Chelsea benefit due to a clause in Ian Maatsen’s loan deal to the German club, which came about in January after the Dutchman had only started three times under Mauricio Pochettino. Dortmund lost the final 2-0 to Madrid at Wembley, with Maatsen gifting Jude Bellingham the ball ahead of Vinicius Junior’s goal which sealed the match in the 83rd minute. Maatsen, though, has earned plaudits for his six-month spell in the Bundesliga and he has a £35m release clause in the new Chelsea contract he signed just before heading out on loan. Armando Broja’s unsuccessful loan to Fulham also generated an additional £4million due to his lack of game time. The 22-year-old made only eight substitute appearances for Fulham after leaving Chelsea in January. The injection of additional funds will be most welcome at Chelsea, particularly in light of the club’s latest set of accounts, which were released in April. Those showed Chelsea had the Premier League’s highest operating loss (-£249m) and second-highest wage bill (£404m) for the reporting period taking in the 2022-23 season. The accounts also indicated that Chelsea only narrowly remained compliant with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) by banking £76.5m profit from the sale of the two hotels at Stamford Bridge to a sister company owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Benjamin Sesko: Why Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Newcastle and more want striker https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5539634/2024/06/05/benjamin-sesko-arsenal-manchester-united-transfer/ Benjamin Sesko was considered among Europe’s top prospects before he had barely become a teenager. Born in the small Slovenian town of Radece, an hour’s drive east from the capital Ljubljana, Sesko, now 21, was expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, Ales, and become a goalkeeper. However, his towering 6ft 5in (195cm) frame and insatiable hunger for goals quickly steered him towards a different path that would later see him lead the line for his country and RB Leipzig. After scoring over 50 goals in one season for his local club as a boy, Sesko was offered a space in the academy at first-division side NK Domzale. From that moment, his stock has increased year-on-year. Within 12 months, he had offers from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax, among other top clubs. Instead, he opted to go to Red Bull Salzburg in Austria in 2022. Sesko signed at 16 after Salzburg prepared a long-term plan for his development within the Red Bull football group. The first step on this path saw him loaned to Austrian second-division side Liefering, Salzburg’s reserve team. He would then play for Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga before moving to RB Leipzig in Germany (if he desired). And his career has panned out exactly as Red Bull outlined. Now, after a stellar first season with Leipzig — in which he scored seven goals in his final seven games on his way to 14 league goals — he’s firmly back on the radar of the elite. (That’s if he ever left.) GO DEEPER Benjamin Sesko, the next big thing coming through the Red Bull network As outlined in The Athletic’s Transfer DealSheet, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Newcastle United are among the Premier League clubs interested in securing his signature. Newcastle even had an offer rejected for him two summers ago when he was still at Salzburg. Given the player’s age, physical attributes and impressive goalscoring record, it would not be surprising to see other clubs from England and the continent register their interest in the coming weeks. The forward has a release clause in his contract, believed to be for a fee in the region of €65million (£55.3m, $70.8m). If he is to move, Arsenal appear best-placed to sign him despite Manchester United holding direct talks in the summer of 2022. United eventually decided against seriously pursuing the then-19-year-old. They had question marks over whether he was ready to step up from Salzburg. GO DEEPER 50 to watch - Benjamin Sesko: Red Bull's prodigious goalscorer is back on the right track Leipzig, however, are still working to persuade Sesko to remain in Saxony. After all, it took Sesko a while to get going after signing from Salzburg last summer for €24million. After scoring a brace from a 16-minute appearance off the bench in a 3-0 away win over Union Berlin in his second appearance for the club, Sesko would go on to only score one league goal until the end of January (13 games). He struggled to find consistent game time and adjust to the Bundesliga. But that goal in January, away to Stuttgart in a 5-2 defeat for Leipzig, saw Sesko’s form in front of goal improve considerably. Between that goal and the end of the season, Sesko scored 11 in 15 league games and added two assists. Only Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart, who scored 28 goals, overperformed against his expected-goals (xG) tally more than Sesko across all players in the Bundesliga. But what’s more impressive is the variance in how he found the back of the net. While Sesko prefers to dribble with his right foot, he’s as adept at finishing with either. Three of his 14 Bundesliga goals came with his left, as did a goal against Young Boys in the Champions League and an excellent whipped effort from the edge of the box for Slovenia against Finland in October. Elite clubs will be encouraged by his ability to score from all areas around the box, too; with an average goalscoring distance of 13 yards, he is more than just a poacher. Sesko may have space to improve as a finisher — particularly in ensuring good contact in instinctive moments — but he has the ball-striking quality with both feet and is a willing enough shooter to suggest there is another level or two for him to reach. At this stage of his career, his most complete goalscoring attribute is his heading ability. With his stature and athleticism, it is no surprise that Sesko is such an aerial threat, but he combines power with finesse in the air. In Leipzig’s 2-2 draw with Augsburg in February, he demonstrated his aerial quality with a headed goal from a Dani Olmo cross. Olmo received the ball on the edge of the right corner of the 18-yard box and shaped a cross towards Sesko, who was positioned between the penalty spot and the far post. The Slovenian leapt highest and delicately guided the ball towards the far corner, beating the outstretched goalkeeper with a mix of placement and power. For Arsenal, who have excellent wide delivery through Bukayo Saka, having another option at the point of attack to profit from crosses makes sense as they attempt to close the gap on Manchester City in the Premier League. But in the modern game, centre-forwards for elite sides must offer more than just goals — and Sesko is becoming a more rounded No 9. The smarterscout pizza chart (below), which gives players a rating (from 0 to 99) to assess how often a player performs an action or how effective they are at it compared with players in their position, draws attention to Sesko’s defensive work. He ranks highly among European strikers in ball recoveries and interceptions (80), suggesting he has good defensive timing and eats up loose-ball opportunities. He also ranks above average in link-up play volume (58), a key attribute for top clubs aiming to retain possession in the final third. He combined well with attackers Lois Openda and Xavi Simons in a Leipzig shirt this campaign. Still, Sesko is very new to elite football. Top clubs will note the time it took for him to adjust to the Bundesliga last season and will be wary that there is still only a small sample size in which he scored consistently. While each player should be assessed on their merits, it’s worth remembering that former Leipzig striker Timo Werner moved to the Premier League after a 28-goal Bundesliga season in 2019-20 and has failed to live up to those expectations in English football with Chelsea and now Tottenham Hotspur. However, on the same note, Erling Haaland — a player Sesko is reluctant to be compared to despite Haaland playing for Salzburg before moving to Germany — took little time to start his record-breaking scoring rout after joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. With an affordable release clause providing an element of clarity that does not exist with other leading strikers, Sesko’s suitors will remain on high alert this summer. And with a match against England at the Euros on the horizon, an impressive performance could further increase the hype from Premier League fans for their club to sign one of Europe’s most in-demand young talents. GO DEEPER Sesko and Zubimendi in? What to expect from Arsenal in the transfer market

Chelsea Transfer DealSheet: Centre-half and striker targeted amid need for sales https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5531899/2024/06/04/Chelsea-transfer-window-latest/ Few clubs will come under more scrutiny over what they will do during the summer transfer window than Chelsea, especially now another new head coach in Enzo Maresca has arrived. Strengthening the men’s squad is not the only issue at stake here. Complying with profit and sustainability rules (PSR) has become part of the football conversation across the Premier League but, by qualifying for the UEFA Conference League, Chelsea’s finances come under the European governing body’s watch, too. Their rules dictate clubs can only spend 80 per cent of their income on wages, transfers and agents’ fees in 2024-25. So what do Chelsea have in mind? Here is The Athletic’s guide to what to expect. What positions are they looking at this summer? Chelsea seem to look for a new forward on an annual basis, so this is deja vu. Nicolas Jackson showed a lot of potential but clearly needs help, especially with the club competing on five fronts, including the Club World Cup in June 2025. Naturally, there is hope Christopher Nkunku will be fit for the whole campaign, but he plays off someone rather than leading the line. With veteran Thiago Silva gone, Chelsea require another centre-back. These two positions are the main priorities, although they would also like a winger. What else happens depends on the amount raised by outgoings. Strengthening at full-back is another area that has been highlighted, while the goalkeeping department could also come under consideration, although Maresca may be keen to get more out of Robert Sanchez. Chelsea have made a point of waiting for Maresca’s appointment to be completed because they want to discuss targets for the senior squad with him. And, as per usual, the development squad will be on the lookout for more young talent from across the globe. Which players are they looking at? Chelsea have been admirers of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko for some time, but they face stiff competition from Arsenal. There are a lot of other names on the list, but Chelsea have ruled out making a move for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen for a number of reasons. His release clause is in excess of £100million at Napoli, his style of play does not suit Maresca’s system, and there are concerns over the 25-year-old’s injury history. Brentford’s Ivan Toney does not fit what they are looking for, either. The club distanced themselves from links with Sporting Lisbon frontman Viktor Gyokeres in January and that remains the case. There is long-lasting admiration for Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, however Brighton will demand a large fee and the 19-year-old’s form has dropped off. His last goal came in November. As for defenders, Chelsea are growing in confidence they will beat Newcastle to the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer, with his contract at Fulham expiring. Barring any late surprise developments, the centre-back is on course to be the first arrival of the Maresca era. One of the young full-backs they are pursuing is 17-year-old Pedro Lima, who plays for Brazilian club Sport Recife. Chelsea continue to like Crystal Palace duo Michael Olise, whom they came close to buying last year, and Eberechi Eze. Nico Williams has a release clause of €50million (£42.6m; $54.2m) at Athletic Bilbao. Even though Maresca is keen to work with Sanchez, he is obviously a big fan of Mads Hermansen having worked with the Leicester goalkeeper last season. Chelsea are also keen on Burnley’s James Trafford. What moves have they made already? An indication of just how Chelsea have been planning ahead is the moves already agreed for Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez. Chelsea finalised a deal worth an initial €34million plus €23m in add-ons with Palmeiras last month for Willian, but he will join up next summer. The same goes for Paez, who actually agreed a €20million switch from Independiente del Valle 12 months ago. Chelsea consider them to be the best under-18 players from South America. Whose contracts are expiring? And who is expected to renew? Silva has already gone and there are no other senior players out of contract this summer. Conor Gallagher’s situation has been and will continue to be one of the main talking points because he has just a year remaining on his deal. In what feels like a similar scenario to Mason Mount’s before his £55million (plus £5m in add-ons) move to Manchester United last year, the midfielder is being considered for sale to raise revenue. As a homegrown player, his departure will generate pure profit. When the season came to an end, there had been no developments in terms of negotiating an extension. Who will make the key decisions this summer? Chelsea’s recruitment policy is led by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. Joe Shields is a trusted member of the team as co-director of recruitment and talent, while Sam Jewell has just begun a role as director of global recruitment. The club’s co-owners will give the green light to any decisions. Who will they be looking to sell? Chelsea are prepared to listen to offers for a fair number of their squad. Gallagher is one of them, but other academy graduates are expected to make way. Defender Trevoh Chalobah and striker Armando Broja could raise in excess of £50million between them. Suggestions Chelsea will settle for £20m-£25m for Broja, who is wanted by Monaco, AC Milan and three Premier League clubs, are premature. They still value him at a minimum of £35million, a figure that could increase if the 22-year-old impresses with Albania at Euro 2024. Ian Maatsen, who joined Borussia Dortmund on loan in January, has a £35million release clause which the club and the player will look to see triggered this summer. There is interest, too, in youngsters Omari Hutchinson and Alex Matos, who impressed on loan at Ipswich Town and Huddersfield Town respectively. Chelsea have triggered an option to extend Hutchinson’s contract until 2026 but he will either be part of the first-team squad next season or sold. They do not see the point in loaning him out again but Maresca will take a look at him this summer and he could be part of the squad. The club are keen to get some high earners from the previous regime off the books, too. Galatasaray’s obligation to buy Hakim Ziyech after his loan has been triggered. Romelu Lukaku still has two years left on a contract earning him around £340,000 a week, the highest at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea value the 31-year-old at £38million. Kepa Arrizabalaga and Malang Sarr have just one year left on their deals and are also available for transfer. Chelsea are already guaranteed to raise £28million when Lewis Hall completes a permanent move to Newcastle United. What is their PSR position? Chelsea are confident they will comply for 2023-24 and are not feeling the pressure to raise significant revenue before June 30 to meet the requirements. While most outsiders concentrate on an overall expenditure on players of £1.2billion since the Clearlake Capital-Todd Boehly consortium took over in 2022, the net spend for last year (including amortising signings over the length of contract and player sales) is viewed at around £150m-£180m in-house. They still intend to be busy before that date, but that is because they want a settled squad in place for the start of pre-season so the head coach knows what he is working with and can plan accordingly. Chelsea also want to avoid having the group being too big by the time they depart for their tour of the United States in July and have individuals on the books whose future clearly lies elsewhere. What sort of budget do they have? Much will depend on sales, so there is no set sum. Chelsea are not planning to bring in a huge number of players, though, to revisit their lavish recruitment of the previous two years. Sources within the club, who have spoken anonymously to The Athletic to protect relationships, say they want to spend more efficiently going forward. That not only suggests the budget could be smaller, but it could also be considered an admission that they have overpaid in the past.

Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne ‘open to everything’ amid Saudi Arabia interest https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5539359/2024/06/04/kevin-de-bruyne-man-city-transfer-saudi/ Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has said he is “open to everything” on his future amid interest in his services from clubs in Saudi Arabia. The Belgium international will celebrate his 33rd birthday this month and referenced the potential increase in wages as being a potential pull factor to the Middle East. De Bruyne has been a key player for City since his move from Wolfsburg in 2015, helping the club win six Premier League titles in nine seasons and their first-ever Champions League in 2023. He has one year left on his contract at City and The Athletic has reported that he would be open to a move to MLS either this summer or next. GO DEEPER Kevin De Bruyne to Saudi Arabia: Would Manchester City actually let him go? “At my age, you have to be open to everything,” De Bruyne told Belgian outlet HLN. “You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the last stage of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.” De Bruyne added of his family situation: “For (my wife) Michele, an exotic adventure is okay. These are also conversations that we are having as a family. I still have one year left on my contract. “My eldest son is aged eight and knows nothing but England. He asks how long I will play for City. When the time comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way.” De Bruyne missed around five months of last season after suffering a hamstring injury, which required surgery, during City’s opening Premier League game. The attacking midfielder still made 26 appearances, scoring six goals and providing 18 assists. De Bruyne is set to represent Belgium at this summer’s European Championship in Germany, where his side will face Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine in Group E. GO DEEPER Manchester City Transfer DealSheet: Guimaraes wanted; Bernardo and De Bruyne futures?

Aston Villa hold preliminary talks with Chelsea over Conor Gallagher move https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5540459/2024/06/04/conor-gallagher-aston-villa-Chelsea/ Aston Villa have held preliminary talks with Chelsea about a move to sign Conor Gallagher. Gallagher is entering the final 12 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge and has emerged as a top target for Unai Emery. Villa are looking to enhance their squad after achieving Champions League qualification for the first time and manager Emery is a huge admirer of the England midfielder. The midlands side are also in contact with Gallagher’s camp as they explore a potential deal following the 24-year-old’s excellent form last season. There is a healthy relationship between the clubs — the new Chelsea hierarchy dealt with Villa when recruiting Carney Chukwuemeka in 2022 — and the west London team retain a strong interest in Villa striker Jhon Duran. Colombia international Duran, 20, was considered by Chelsea in January and is again among the candidates to strengthen their frontline this summer, while enquiries have also arrived from Italy, Saudi Arabia and Spain.

If we use 23yos and under as meeting the super young part, here you go with an extensive list of all remote possibilties: In order of valuation, all the way down to €10m bold are ones I would say are the most likely to fit your framing Evan Ferguson Benjamin Sesko Gonçalo Ramos João Pedro Samu Omorodion Vitor Roque (Barca are open to selling him supposedly) Victor Boniface Santiago Gimenez Joshua Zirkzee (agent commisions an issue though) Elye Wahi Brian Brobbey Maximilian Beier Karim Konaté Marcos Leonardo Youssoufa Moukoko Rodrigo Muniz Jhon Durán El Bilal Touré Arnaud Kalimuendo Georginio Rutter Thijs Dallinga Lucas Beltrán Konstantin Tyukavin Russian Kévin Denkey Gift Orban Georges Mikautadze Yuri Alberto Semih Kılıçsoy Santiago Castro Ricardo Pepi Emanuel Emegha Alejo Véliz (but is a Spuds player who was on laon, so very hard pull) Francesco Camarda (only 16) George Ilenikhena Faris Moumbagna

I do not know. Viktor Gyökeres feels like a very expensive dice roll and I doubt we get him anyway. Benjamin Šeško a slightly less expensive one. I was in for him before he became expensive. I would feel better better if we pulled Toney on the cheap or splashed a bit more and got J David.

his short arms doom him (and he is only 1.87m too and not super athletic so no crazy jump) so many goals let in that a 1.92-1.96m (or more, but too tall and they start to get clumsy quite often) GKer with long arms would have saved

IF we pull a CF I wager it will be one of these of these 5 (we are not going to get Osimhen or Lautaro) Dušan Vlahović Viktor Gyökeres Jonathan David Benjamin Sesko Ivan Toney (least expensive, and EPL proven, but also the lowest upside and by far the oldest) I think the last 2 are the most likely, but I would go for J David

Lautaro Martínez (but he may soon renew after months of it looking unlikely, same for Barella, grrrr) 141 goals for club and country in the past 5 years and he is still only 26, turns 27 right near the beginning of the EPL season, so still prime years for the next 5, 6 or so seasons (Drogba's best goal scoring year was when he was 31/32yo, for instance, when he banged in 44 for club (37 in the 2009/10 season) and country (7) over a 12 month span) Lautaro is only 1 year and 4 months older than Osimhen (and also Mbappe, who is 9 days older than Osimhen) and is far more technical than Osimhen (but obviously not more than Mbappe, lol), so likely will age better these are the top 20 valuation true CFs (I still count Mbappe as a winger) bold are ones who even are remotely (some almost no chance) available if things break right Erling Haaland Lautaro Martínez (only available if he refuses to renew) Victor Osimhen Harry Kane Julián Álvarez Alexander Isak Darwin Núñez (hard pass) Dušan Vlahović Ollie Watkins Rasmus Højlund Gabriel Jesus (hard pass) Loïs Openda Marcus Thuram Viktor Gyökeres Endrick Jonathan David Benjamin Sesko Ivan Toney Evan Ferguson Gonçalo Ramos

yes, I went back and looked deeper, and most of his goals came as a LWer, not a Rw I was fooled as I saw most of his that he scored on the right

chalk and cheese Muddy is a right footed left winger Omari is a left footed right winger

I will LOSE MY MIND IF WE BUY THIS ROTTER FUCK NO