Vesper

and Saliba, who is now the top valuation CB on the planet

Conor Gallagher is NOT making any unreasonable demands of Chelsea https://thedailybriefing.io/i/142817926/conor-gallagher-is-not-making-any-unreasonable-demands-of-Chelsea There’s been a lot written about Chelsea in the last 24 hours and I wanted to set the record straight on two stories here. Firstly, I’m aware that there have been claims about Conor Gallagher’s salary demands being a problem for Chelsea and holding up an agreement over a new contract. My understanding, however, is that it’s not about Gallagher asking for crazy money or anything unreasonable for his new deal. What I’m told is that it’s about Chelsea deciding what they want to do with Gallagher and also taking into account the Financial Fair Play situation, but saying that Gallagher is asking for “too high” salary is not accurate as far as I understand. There’s also been a story about the possibility of Antonio Conte returning to Chelsea as manager, while he’s also been linked as a candidate for another of his former clubs Juventus. As things stand, I’m not aware of any concrete contact, Conte is waiting for the right proposal but there is zero to report with these two clubs right now.

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano responds to Chelsea transfer links with two left-backs https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/03/19/ait-nouri-transfer-Chelsea-links-discussed/ Chelsea have been linked with two top left-backs in the form of Wolves star Rayan Ait-Nouri and Brest youngster Bradley Locko, but Fabrizio Romano has played down those transfer rumours for the time being. The Blues are set to be in the market for a new left-back this summer, according to Romano, but he insists it’s still something at an early stage, with no specific names to report on just yet. Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for the latest edition of his Daily Briefing column, Romano made it clear that Chelsea will be exploring this particular market, but he’s not convinced by the links with Ait-Nouri and Locko in particular, as it’s still not clear who the west Londoners will be prioritising for that position. Ait-Nouri has impressed in the Premier League in recent times so could undoubtedly be a fine choice for Chelsea, but it remains to be seen if they’ll move for him, so fans will have to be a bit patient before learning any more concrete updates. Ait-Nouri transfer: Chelsea links cleared up by Fabrizio Romano “As recently reported, Chelsea are keen to explore the left-backs market for the summer transfer window, most likely for a top young talent in that position, and so it’s inevitable that we’re going to be hearing a lot of names linked with the Blues in the weeks ahead,” Romano said. “I’ve seen some reports about the likes of Rayan Ait-Nouri at Wolves, and also talented young Brest left-back Bradley Locko, but it’s still early to know specific names, as far as I understand. “It is true that Chelsea are looking for left-backs, but we’re going to hear a lot of names and I don’t like to add too much speculation, just report the facts, so let’s see what they decide as it’s still only the early stage of discussions and I’m not aware of a preferred player that they’re targeting for that role as of yet.” CFC have not had the best season and it perhaps makes sense that they’re looking at the likes of Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella as players who could be improved on for next term.

Landmark football governance bill introduced to create independent regulator https://theathletic.com/5351609/2024/03/18/football-governance-bill-independent-regulator/ A landmark football governance bill has been introduced in UK parliament to confirm the creation of an independent football regulator. The independent football regulator will have powers to prevent breakaway competitions such as the European Super League, strengthen the owners and directors’ test and hold backstop powers around financial distribution between the Premier League and English Football League (EFL). It comes over three years since the fan-led review called for the introduction of a regulator in November 2021. The government announced plans for one in February 2023. The regulator will be independent from the government and football authorities, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport says it will be “equipped with robust powers revolving around three core objectives: to improve financial sustainability of clubs, ensure financial resilience across the leagues, and to safeguard the heritage of English football”. The failed Super League project in April 2021 — which Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea attempted to join alongside other European clubs – came at the beginning of the fan-led review and only strengthened calls for an independent regulator. GO DEEPER Tension, suspicion and plotting - what happened after the collapse of the Super League Under the new legislation, breakaway, closed-shops competitions like the European Super League will be blocked. Last week, the Premier League again failed to agree a funding package for the EFL as part of the ‘New Deal for Football’, despite pressure from the government. GO DEEPER EFL 'clearly disappointed' at PL's failure to agree funding deal The bill includes backstop powers on such financial distribution. This means “if the leagues fail to agree on a new deal on financial distributions, then the backstop can be triggered to ensure a settlement is reached”. New owners and directors will also face “stronger tests to stop clubs falling into the wrong hands”. They could be removed and prevented from owning football clubs if deemed unsuitable, and follows the financial mismanagement at Bury and Macclesfield. GO DEEPER Bury, Macclesfield, Derby and whether a regulator would have saved crisis clubs The legislation will also “give fans a greater voice in the running of their clubs” to stop owners from changing club names, badges and home shirts. Fan engagement is cited as “central” to the bill, with a number of clubs already having launched fan advisory boards since the fan-led review. What has the Premier League said? While the Premier League acknowledged the need for sustainability, it expressed “concern” about the bill negatively impacting the competitiveness of English football. A Premier League statement read: “The government has consistently stated that it wishes to support the Premier League’s continued global success which generates funding to help sustain the entire football pyramid. With our clubs, we have advocated for a proportionate regime that enables us to build on our position as the most widely watched league in the world. “Mindful that the future growth of the Premier League is not guaranteed, we remain concerned about any unintended consequences of legislation that could weaken the competitiveness and appeal of English football.” What has the EFL said? The EFL welcomed the bill, with chair Rick Parry describing his hope that this will be “an important milestone to help us secure the long-term financial sustainability of England’s football pyramid”. “If delivered on the right terms,” Parry said in a statement, “this landmark legislation can help fix the game’s broken financial model by offering the independent input ultimately needed to help ensure that all Clubs can survive and thrive in a fair and competitive environment.” ‘A remarkable moment for a sport that has resisted external oversight’ Analysis from The Athletic’s Matt Slater Almost three years have passed since the Premier League’s six richest clubs announced they wanted to play in a European Super League that would entrench their positions at the top of the pile and dramatically hit the finances of domestic leagues across the continent. It was an act of greed and stupidity that convinced Prime Minister Boris Johnson that there might be some votes in standing up for football’s lower and middle-classes. We are in the last few months of the government run by the guy (Rishi Sunak) who replaced the woman (Liz Truss) who replaced Johnson but, for fans of good governance and clubs in the English Football League, the wait has been worth it. Confirmation, at last, that Sunak’s government will introduce the football governance bill outlined by the fan-led review Johnson commissioned in 2021, means the English game is going to get an independent regulator. It is a remarkable moment for a sport that has defiantly resisted external oversight for so long, at times striding from success to success, at others lurching from crisis to crisis. The Premier League, in particular, has been so opposed to interference that it broke away from the English Football League in 1992 and has spent the last three decades largely ignoring the game’s governing body, the Football Association. GO DEEPER How did the Premier League change English football? Whether the as-yet-unformed independent regulator for football will do any better than the FA in keeping the Premier League’s more selfish moments in check, while encouraging its noble instincts for self-improvement and excellence, remains to be seen. But the FA never had a head start or suite of powers like the regulator: a robust licensing system, control of the owners’ and directors’ test and, most importantly, “backstop powers” to enforce a fairer financial distribution between the Premier League and EFL if, as they have so amply demonstrated, fail to agree on one themselves. That last one is the most eye-catching and contentious of the powers — it is also the clearest sign that this represents a defeat for those clubs in the Premier League who thought this government would not have the stomach or time to force them to share more of their enormous media income with the rest of the pyramid. That now looks like a stunning miscalculation. It probably also represents a victory for the EFL, especially its chairman Rick Parry. GO DEEPER Warring clubs, breakaways and teams going out of business – running the EFL is the impossible job The Premier League’s first chief executive, and an ex-chief executive of one of the “Sneaky Six”, Liverpool, he has fought the good fight for greater financial sustainability throughout the professional game. Parry has not won the bout yet but he is ahead on points going into the final rounds and he now has a friendlier set of judges to impress.

Omari Hutchinson: The Chelsea loanee with decisions to make over club and country https://theathletic.com/5351669/2024/03/19/hutchinson-Chelsea-ipswich-jamaica-england/ Omari Hutchinson has some big decisions to make this summer. The Chelsea forward, 20, who is impressing on loan for Ipswich Town this season, is a man in demand not just at club level but on the international stage, too. Hutchinson has just over one year left on his contract at Chelsea, with several teams monitoring his situation with a view to a transfer or a possible loan for next season. Chelsea, for their part, are very happy with how his loan has progressed at Ipswich — something that has been communicated to him often. No date is set in stone, but the two parties are expected to sit down to discuss his future at the end of the campaign. It would be a surprise if an extension is not offered. As Hutchinson told The Athletic in November, his primary ambition is to stay and win trophies with Chelsea. Without being arrogant, Hutchinson feels he is good enough to do so. In the second half of last season, he found himself often playing in small-sided training drills with Portugal international Joao Felix, who was on loan at Chelsea from Atletico Madrid and is now doing well at Barcelona. The two of them would combine to great effect, leaving their opponents chasing shadows. Hutchinson would go home buoyed, with the sessions having given him more belief he could play for the senior side. But Hutchinson’s position of choice would be on the right flank or in the No 10 role — areas of the pitch where Chelsea boast plenty of competition for places. Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Carney Chukwuemeka and Conor Gallagher have all played in one or both of these roles this season. They would potentially represent a barrier to Hutchinson maintaining the progress made at Ipswich, where he has eight goals and six assists from 42 appearances in Kieran McKenna’s impressive side. To continue his development, the youngster will need more games at first-team level rather than sitting on the bench or reverting to football in the under-21s. In that context, Chelsea cannot assume Hutchinson, who is planning to go on the club’s pre-season tour to the United States in July, will extend his stay at Stamford Bridge. Similar to Chelsea, England can not take for granted that Hutchinson will opt to represent them in future. A few weeks ago, two representatives of the England youth setup arranged a meeting with Hutchinson’s camp to impress just how highly they rated the forward and to gauge his interest in being involved with the England Under-21s or England Men’s Elite League Squad — formerly known as England Under-20s — for their games this month. Among his admirers is England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley, and no wonder. Hutchinson is one of the in-form players in this age range. He was recently named the Championship player of the month for February. On Saturday, he was given the man of the match award after scoring two goals and supplying an assist in their 6-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. His confidence is riding high, which is timely for Ipswich as they try to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League. Hutchinson’s output from his last nine appearances reads five goals and three assists, although that only tells part of the story of his overall contribution. The England setup are increasingly keen to have Hutchinson back in the fold. Surprisingly, he won just three caps for England Under-17s and one for England Under-19s, the last of which came in 2021. Despite his clear promise at former club Arsenal, Hutchinson did not make a single appearance for the first team — and it counted against him with England. The lack of senior action at Arsenal played a major role in his decision to reject a new deal and join Chelsea when his contract expired in 2022. That was the year Jamaica took advantage of the situation after learning the youngster qualified for them through his family. He was selected for a friendly against Catalonia and made his first start versus Trinidad & Tobago in 2023. Jamaica are in regular contact, urging him to represent them. They wanted to name him in the squad to face the USMNT on Thursday. But neither England nor Jamaica received the “yes” they wanted. Hutchinson spoke with those closest to him, including McKenna, about what to do. A combination of feeling the strain of his first season of regular senior football and wanting to ensure he is in good condition for Ipswich’s promotion run-in, repaying McKenna for the faith and support he has shown, led to the decision to put international football on hold. But this should not be seen as a mark of disrespect to the two countries. The youngster is genuinely torn and can see the pros and cons of declaring for either nation. England obviously offers a better chance of success at international level and the chance to develop alongside top talent. There is a lot more investment in the setup, too. But, as at Chelsea, it is far more difficult to represent the senior side due to the strength in depth. Conversely, there will be more opportunities with Jamaica and backing for him from all quarters to do well, rather than being seen as one of many talented players that might easily end up discarded. On the flip side, expectations are a lot lower. Jamaica have only ever played at one World Cup, in 1998. Is that the ambitious choice? The decision is not something to be rushed. FIFA eligibility rules state a player can still switch allegiance if they have played no more than three competitive fixtures for the first team before turning 21, as long as those matches were not at a World Cup or continental final. Hutchinson, who turns 21 in October, has only featured in friendlies for Jamaica to date. Speaking after the win over Sheffield Wednesday, Hutchinson showed his growing maturity when talking about the situation. “I got called up for both England and Jamaica, but I said, ‘Look, I want to leave internationals out for this season and focus on getting promotion (with Ipswich)’,” he said. “There are a lot of games and my body is quite sore as it’s my first season in men’s football. I just said I wanted to leave it all out and focus on Ipswich. It’s a tough decision — my family are always talking about it and I’ve got a lot of time to think about it as well.” Whatever Hutchinson decides to do with club and country later this year, the tough choices to come should be considered pointers that his career is heading in the right direction. GO DEEPER Omari Hutchinson: 'The ultimate aim is the Champions League. I have a picture as my screensaver'

Times Football Why Antonee Robinson is a team of the season contender Fulham’s 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday was perhaps most notable for the two goals scored by Rodrigo Muniz, whose extraordinary trajectory from forgotten benchwarmer to one of the hottest strikers in the Premier League continues to enthral. But the best player on show, and probably Fulham’s player of the season, was the provider of their first goal: their left back, Antonee Robinson. Robinson’s assist took his total for the season to six: along with Kieran Trippier and Vladimir Coufal, that is the most open-play assists by any defender in the Premier League this season. But it was also a typical Robinson performance in that he contributed significantly in both attack and defence, with two tackles won, four interceptions and nine ball recoveries. As this chart shows, when it comes to combining defensive ball-winning with dangerous passing, Robinson really is out on his own: His cross for Muniz’s opener was, first and foremost, a fantastic delivery, beautifully struck on the run (and from a slightly atypical position compared to his other assists this season, as we’ll go on to look at). But it also owed something to a tactical pattern which Fulham exploited cleverly. Take a look at how, when Fulham play out through their right-back Timothy Castagne here, they draw the Tottenham press over to that side of the pitch: Destiny Udogie flies up on Alex Iwobi, and the two central midfielders, João Palhinha and Sasa Lukic, bring Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma over to that side.   When the ball goes into the middle, Tottenham are basically defending with a narrow back three, with Pedro Porro having to cover over in that central channel: Fulham tried the same pattern in the lead-up to their first goal, and once again Udogie presses up on Iwobi, Bissouma follows Lukic, and Fulham are left three on three in the centre, with Porro defending Willian and Robinson free outside him: Fulham go back to Bernd Leno, but when he plays the ball downfield the three-on-three is still on: And when Robinson gets the ball a few seconds later, Porro is slow to get across, giving the left-back that extra yard or two of space to hit that fabulous cross: Robinson has made a huge leap forward this season after getting only one assist last season (and only four even in Fulham’s barnstorming Championship campaign the season before). Sometimes, when a player massively increases their creative output, it can be partly through sheer volume: simply finding a way to get on the ball and play more passes, and letting the percentages follow. What’s interesting about Robinson’s improvement from last season to this is how remarkably steady his pass numbers are: bar a slight uptick in the number of crosses, he has managed to generate this huge increase in his assists and expected assists entirely within the parameters of his previous passing output. Simply put, this has been almost entirely a qualitative improvement, not a quantitative one. So what has Robinson been doing differently? Well, as you might guess, it’s all about where he’s playing those passes from. If you look at Robinson’s key passes (those which create a chance for a team-mate) from last season, they’re almost all from that wide left channel, and not a single one is played from within the bounds of the penalty area. This season, Robinson has more than doubled the number of touches he takes in that left half-space corridor inside the penalty area, and many of his key passes either begin on the edge of the box or just inside it. One of the reasons that Robinson is finding himself in these positions more often is he is making more underlapping runs: in other words, rather than overlapping the left winger (usually Willian) on the outside like a conventional full back, he makes his support run on Willian’s inside. Triangles between the full back, winger and central midfielder on each side are a stylistic signature of Marco Silva’s football and these rotations can not only get Robinson into these areas but spring him with the space and timing to get his cross in unopposed. Here’s a good example from Saturday’s game: Robinson drives infield, lays the ball off to Palhinha and immediately makes an underlapping third-man run into that half-space channel, between Porro and Sarr, in anticipation of the first-time wall pass from Willian: It’s also worth lingering on Robinson’s defensive contribution, in particular his extraordinary ability to win interceptions. Robinson’s 69 interceptions so far this season are 11 more than the next best player in Europe’s top five leagues (Hoffenheim’s Anton Stach) and 19 more than the next best Premier League player (James Tarkowski). How is he doing it? Watching Robinson’s interceptions, what strikes you is that they combine excellent game reading with an exceptional ability to accelerate explosively from a standing start. There are also certain situations where Robinson seems to be particularly primed to intercept a pass. We talk a lot about teams having pressing triggers; perhaps Robinson also has certain triggers which he’s looking for which lead him to attempt an interception. Looking at these three interceptions, two from Saturday’s match, one from the game against Liverpool, they are strikingly similar: a right-footed pass up the line of about 15 yards, to a receiver whose body position is not side-on, but slightly closed off, facing the passer, allowing Robinson to jump in from their blind side: But it’s not only in the wide channels that Robinson is making these ball-wins. If we compare his interceptions this season to those from last season, what stands out is that cluster of interceptions in the left half-space just outside his own area, which he has added to his game. The value of intercepting the ball in this more central zone is twofold: not only is it an area of greater threat for the opposition attack, but it also allows Fulham to launch a quick transition from these interceptions through the centre of the pitch, as they do here: It all adds up to an outstanding individual season by a player who really ought to be in contention for the Premier League Team of the Season.

we do NOT need another left footed RWer we have (left-footed players who play on the RW when they play winger) Cole Palmer Diego Moreira Noni Madueke Ângelo Whisper Richards Omari Hutchinson Kendry Páez (in 15 months) and IF Maatsen comes back, he is a lefty too (granted far more of a WB/LB) we need LWers, as we only have Mudryk and the 'so needs to be sold' shitbox Sterling

Franco Mastantuono Chelsea rival Manchester United, Real Madrid in Franco Mastantuono pursuit https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2024/03/19/Chelsea-rival-manchester-united-real-madrid-in-franco-mastantuono-pursuit/

Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues enter Gleison Bremer race, club eyeing Bradley Locko https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-Chelsea-transfer-news-roundup-blues-enter-gleison-bremer-race-club-eyeing-bradley-locko-march-16-2024 Blues eyeing Bradley Locko, says journalist

Chelsea and Arsenal leading race for Aberdeen’s Lewis Carrol, 15 https://theathletic.com/5289533/2024/02/21/lewis-carrol-aberdeen-transfer/ Chelsea and Arsenal are leading the race for Aberdeen youngster Lewis Carrol with both clubs interested in a summer transfer. The 15-year-old centre back has been told that he will be fast-tracked into the first-team by Aberdeen, but his talent has caught the attention of the Premier League’s big clubs. Chelsea have been tracking him for some time but it is understood that Arsenal have come into the fold in recent months. Carrol turns 16 next month and has been compared to John Stones in style due to his height and ability to bring the ball out of defence. He is eligible to sign a professional contract this year but if he moves before then Aberdeen would be due training compensation rather than a transfer fee. Scotland has become a big market for English clubs since Brexit as their inability to sign players under 18 has seen them focus on the internal UK market. GO DEEPER Scottish clubs have been acting smart in bid to ease post-Brexit transfer pain

David Datro Fofana https://thedailybriefing.io/i/142676626/in-other-news Chelsea will decide about Datro in the summer, now they're just very happy with his loan. They had other possibilities including Sevilla in January but Burnley was a great call for the player, so really happy with their choice. No decision made for the summer, it's way too early.

sell this cunt asap

Julian Nagelsmann said that he's ready to sign with a club before the Euros. https://thedailybriefing.io/i/142676626/nagelsmann-could-sign-for-dortmund-before-the-euros Nagelsmann is under contract with the German national team until the end of the Euros, but the idea for him is to be to signed up for a new club now - before the Euros - so sometime in March, April or May. Then in June full focus on the Euros. Then joining a club right after the tournament in July. Nagelsmann's still taking his time so he wants to see what the possibilities are in Europe before deciding. There is interest from Borussia Dortmund. My information is that they want to replace Terzic at the end of the season. It's a really concrete possibility for Terzic to go and leave the club at the end of the season. So, Dortmund are looking at managers and Naglesmann is one of them, but let's see if there is some other possibility. For sure, Nagelsmann will be ready to sign before the Euros…

There isn't one on the planet atm, not even VVD himself, post knee injury. Look at the top 15 valuation CBs No VVDs amongst the lot Player Age Nat. Club Market value 1 William Saliba Centre-Back 22 €80.00m 2 Rúben Dias Centre-Back 26 €80.00m 3 Josko Gvardiol Centre-Back 22 €75.00m 4 Ronald Araujo Centre-Back 25 €70.00m 5 Éder Militão Centre-Back 26 €70.00m 6 Alessandro Bastoni Centre-Back 24 €70.00m 7 Gabriel Magalhães Centre-Back 26 €65.00m 8 Matthijs de Ligt Centre-Back 24 €65.00m 9 Bremer Centre-Back 26 €60.00m 10 Min-jae Kim Centre-Back 27 €60.00m 11 Jules Koundé Centre-Back 25 €60.00m 12 Cristian Romero Centre-Back 25 €60.00m 13 Dayot Upamecano Centre-Back 25 €60.00m 14 Marquinhos Centre-Back 29 €60.00m 15 Levi Colwill Centre-Back 21 €50.00m

going to have to do a Manc Wembley double to win it

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

fuck we got Citeh

no quad for Klopp

4 3 Diallo with the winner

wow almost 4 3

3 3

2 2

Alessandro Bastoni Matthijs de Ligt Bremer António Silva Giorgio Scalvini Marquinhos Ousmane Diomande Gonçalo Inácio Robin Le Normand Mohamed Simakan Piero Hincapié Jean-Clair Todibo Willian Pacho Odilon Kossounou Riccardo Calafiori Malick Thiaw Alessandro Buongiorno youth Leny Yoro Jorrel Hato El Chadaille Bitshiabu

1 2 Pool