Vesper

Boga had that one decent season 2019-20, when Covid hit

João Pedro - Exactly the profile of player Maresca’s system requires Analysis by senior data writer Mark Carey While Chelsea have formed a habit of stockpiling attacking talent under their BlueCo ownership, Joao Pedro’s profile is actually one that Maresca does not have in the squad — and one that could be a crucial part of Chelsea’s attacking jigsaw. Capable of playing as a centre-forward, second striker or attacking midfielder, Joao Pedro’s best attributes are stitching attacks together, often drifting towards the left side of the pitch but also dropping in to help progress his side up the field. That is exactly the profile of player that Maresca’s system requires: someone who is able to show for the ball when midfield options are limited within Chelsea’s build-up. Nicolas Jackson has shown that he does have strengths in that part of his game — linking play and working the channels well — but he and Liam Delap are more likely to stretch the opposition back line with their runs in behind. By contrast, Joao Pedro is far more natural in making runs towards the ball — equally comfortable creating for those looking to run beyond him as he is spearheading his side’s attack. This is reflected in his SkillCorner profile below, looking at his off-ball run types per 30 minutes in possession, compared with centre-forwards across Europe’s top seven leagues. It is striking how low Joao Pedro’s ratings are for running in behind (20 out of 99) and running to attack the box to receive a potential cross (Cross receiver, 12 out of 99). Instead, look how often the Brazilian international looks to come towards the ball (Coming short, 70 out of 99) or create overloads by running closer to his team-mate (Support runs, 91 out of 99).

Jonathan David set to join Juventus on free transfer: What this means for Canada and the player https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6080133/2025/07/02/jonathan-david-juventus-transfer/ Canadian forward Jonathan David is set to join Juventus after leaving Lille at the end of last month. David is yet to undergo a medical with the Italian club but, pending that, he will join as a free agent. The 25-year-old announced in May he would be departing the club upon the conclusion of his contract this summer. “I want a club with ambition that wants to do something,” he then told The Athletic in June. “Obviously, I would love to fight for titles, to win titles. A team that’s competitive, that has ambition, really, with a good sporting project.” A move for David would see him become Juventus’ first new arrival of the summer. Obligations in loan deals for Lloyd Kelly, Nico Gonzalez and Michele Di Gregorio have seen the trio join the club permanently this summer, while Juventus triggered their option to sign centre-back Pierre Kalulu on a permanent basis in early June. Premier League side Chelsea had held talks with the representatives of David about a potential transfer during the 2024 summer window. What You Should Read Next Why Jonathan David is captaining Canada for first time at Gold Cup The Canadian star forward will take on some added responsibility as he seeks to guide his team to its first trophy in 25 years. David joined Lille from Belgian side Gent in 2020 in a record deal for the French club. He helped Lille win the Ligue 1 title in 2020-2021, scoring 19 goals in 48 games. The Canada international registered 109 goals in 232 appearances for Lille, putting him second in the club’s all-time top scorers list. He has scored 34 times in 63 appearances for Canada and was part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the 2024 Copa America. Juventus finished fourth in Serie A in 2024-25 as they failed to win a trophy for the third time in the last four seasons. Head coach Igor Tudor was appointed in March, replacing Thiago Motta, who only lasted nine months in the role. They reached the last 16 of the Club World Cup but were eliminated by Real Madrid after a 1-0 defeat. David ready to take the next step Analysis by Joshua Kloke After years of questions emerging over David’s future, the player stayed patient. He dutifully answered questions in Canada camps about his club future, all the while never showing outward frustration or questions about how long the process of moving on from Lille was taking. David knew what he wanted — a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs — and knew he could keep scoring enough to keep himself in the conversation. Ultimately, for David, this move is about solidifying himself among Europe’s great forwards, once and for all. He scored almost at will for Lille. So much so that it became easy to ask whether he could continue scoring once he ascended to a more competitive league. David is betting on himself that he can. Given the variety of positions he can play in, his innate football smarts and his continued improvement season to season, it is a safe bet. David was attracted to Juventus because of the club’s ambition and their desire not just to compete for Serie A titles every season, but also to compete in the Champions League as well. Winning regularly is what drives David, internally. David will join fellow North Americans Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah. (Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images) A chance to grow his brand Analysis by Joshua Kloke For a player who has long been a reserved character at least publicly, heading to a widely recognized club is an opportunity for David to grow his own brand and image. That’s secondary to what he can accomplish on the field, no doubt. But with the World Cup less than a year away, David might not get a better opportunity to turn himself into a globally-recognized force as well. And don’t kid yourself, this move will have a massive impact for David and Canada, too. He captained Canada through their Gold Cup run. It seemed like a strange choice at first, given David’s reserved nature. But the man the national team started calling “Capi” came out of his shell and took ownership over the team with Alphonso Davies and Stephen Eustaquio not available. It was a step towards becoming the household name in Canada that, three years ago, he said he wanted to become. What You Should Read Next Will Canada learn from a total Gold Cup failure, or just keep talking a big game? Canada's been knocking on the door of a breakthrough, but it's going to take more than speaking it into existence, as the Gold Cup showed Canada is as diverse and multicultural a country as there is. When the World Cup arrives next summer, people across Canada will be tuned into the national team with a sense of curiosity. Having a global brand like Juventus beside your name not only provides David instant credibility with neutral fans, it could turn Canadians with deep ties to the team and Italy itself onto Canada’s national team in a new way. A move that could help Canada’s scoring woes Analysis by Joshua Kloke On the field, it is fair to be optimistic about what this means for David and Canada. More competitive teams and better defenders in Serie A and the Champions League should hone David as a scorer over the next year. And Canada need him to score. While they progressed to the semifinals of Copa America last year, they also did so by only scoring just two goals through the group stage and quarterfinal. Canada need to score much more to match their high-tempo style. Getting a confident and improved David as a result of playing among the world’s best will be a boon to Canada in 2026. And it might end up making David Canada’s most important player at the World Cup. He will have the freedom to play almost wherever he wants for Canada — as a second striker, a No 10, even out wide — as Jesse Marsch sees him one of the most intelligent players he has ever coached. If David can add more tools to his game in Serie A, Canada could have a much better chance of finally winning their first World Cup game. And, in a 48-team World Cup, possibly advancing to the knockout round.

Veiga shound not leave for less than 35m quid I am pissed we do not give him a shot at CB I watched him there at Juve and he looked great

Chelsea's 'next Eden Hazard' retires aged just 28 after being 'killed' by Blues exit Former Chelsea wonderkid Charly Musonda left Stamford Bridge in 2022 and just three years down the line, has decided to hang up his boots in an emotional announcement https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/Chelsea-charly-musonda-retire-hazard-35478496 Ex-Chelsea starlet Charly Musonda has decided to retire at just 28 three years after leaving West London. The Belgian winger joined the Blues from Anderlecht in 2012, moving through the Blues’ youth system until his eventual breakthrough. He made his first-team debut for Chelsea in 2017 and went on to make seven senior appearances for the club. Big things were expected of Musonda and he was even tipped to be the successor to club icon and compatriot Eden Hazard. But things then went downhill for Musonda in West London after loan spells with Real Betis, Celtic and Vitesse Arnhem. He eventually left the club for nothing in 2022 at the end of his contract, with Levante and Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta then making moves for him. But he left the latter last summer and has been without a club since. Musonda has now decided to hang up his boots despite having only 63 appearances under his belt. Speaking on the Rising Ballers podcast, he said: "I've got a big announcement today. It's not easy but it's something I've been thinking about for a long time. After reflecting on my experiences and who I am, I've realised I want to live with purpose to inspire and motivate others." READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal in 'advanced' Gyokeres talks, Man Utd eye old target, Liverpool get Guehi boostREAD MORE: Players ask FIFA to scrap early kick-offs and say Chelsea match should have been called off Opening up on his time with Chelsea - and eventual exit - Musonda has revealed that his departure from the club was the catalyst behind his downturn in form. He added: "The exit killed me. It killed me mentally. It was the worst thing. “I was obviously with the reserves at that time so the plan was to pick up with the reserves, get some training in and if there were a few games where I could fit in toward the back end of the season, that was the plan. "Because I literally had just gotten better. I came back in December-January and was training with the reserves. Feeling amazing, happy to be back—obviously it was a long way for me to be fully fit, but just being able to train was amazing. "The first team was doing really well. It was COVID, so the buildings were split and you wouldn’t really see the first team. Then toward the back end of the season in the car park I ran into Thomas Tuchel, the manager. "They were getting ready for the semi-final of the Champions League and he just said, 'How are you feeling? How are things going?. "It was my first time meeting him. He said, 'I’m looking forward to seeing you back and I said, 'Don’t worry, I’ll be back for pre-season. "Because in my mind, it was always pre-season and I’d be back with the first team and we’d see from there. So I came back for pre-season and that’s where things got tricky. That was the end of my time at Chelsea."

chalk and cheese Noni is a lefty RWer Garnacho is a righty LWer

Chelsea Has anything happened over the past week? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6459308/2025/07/01/transfers-man-utd-arsenal-liverpool/ It certainly has. As The Athletic revealed in March, Chelsea wanted to get the majority of their transfer business done by the end of June. Having already bought Liam Delap in early June, major progress was made on two more additions over the weekend. Firstly, three weeks after finalising personal terms over a seven-year deal with Jamie Gittens, Chelsea agreed a fee with his club, Borussia Dortmund. The 20-year-old has since joined up with Chelsea to undergo a medical and is expected to be announced soon. Chelsea’s need to add a versatile attacker to the squad is also on the verge of being filled with the purchase of Joao Pedro from Brighton. The Brazilian travelled to Chelsea’s training base in the U.S. to complete the switch, which will cost in excess of £50m. What You Should Read Next Yes, Chelsea have signed lots of forwards but Joao Pedro offers them something different The Brazilian forward could provide an added dimension to Chelsea’s attack that complements the existing creativity of Cole Palmer Chelsea stepped up talks with Brighton and the player on Saturday, with the 23-year-old making it clear he preferred a move to Stamford Bridge over Newcastle United. The Brazil international is going to sign a deal until 2033. It should all be sorted in time for him to be added to Chelsea’s Club World Cup squad. FIFA allows teams to make up to two additions for the knockout phase by July 3. Gittens cannot be included because he has already featured for Borussia Dortmund in the tournament. Will Chelsea look to sign anyone else this summer? Chelsea are content with what they have done and any additions are dependent on who leaves. There are also some individuals in the current squad that could depart during the window, therefore opening up space for someone else to come in. So there is certainly a strong possibility that Chelsea will make more additions before the deadline closes on September 1. What positions/players are they looking at? They have not dropped all interest in other names on their wishlist just because they have acquired Delap, Gittens and Joao Pedro. So players who have been mentioned in the DealSheet before, such as Hugo Ekitike, Mohammed Kudus and Alejandro Garnacho, are still being monitored. Another defender, as shown by their pursuit of Dean Huijsen before he opted for Real Madrid, is also a possibility. Even though there were reports suggesting otherwise, Chelsea made no bid to sign Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade. They also hold no interest in Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez despite being linked. Which players could be leaving? Kepa Arrizabalaga’s £5m switch to Arsenal should be announced this week, but other goalkeepers should also be moving on. Djordje Petrovic has a gentleman’s agreement with Chelsea that he can leave for £25m and has interest from up to five teams. USMNT international Gaga Slonina is under consideration to be the third choice behind Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, but could be loaned out or sold. His future depends on what happens with Mike Penders, who may be third choice instead or loaned out to Strasbourg. Chelsea have made it clear that defender Josh Acheampong will not be sold, however the club are considering loaning out fellow academy graduate Tyrique George. There is interest from a lot of clubs in the winger and Chelsea want him to develop by getting regular game time. Joao Felix is the source of enquiries from Saudi Pro League clubs. Christopher Nkunku is admired by Manchester United as well as clubs in Europe. Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, who are both attracting interest from elsewhere, are not considered untouchable by Chelsea. Arsenal are one of the clubs holding an interest in Madueke. Returning loanees Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga and Carney Chukwuemeka are all up for sale. Chelsea intend to talk to striker Marc Guiu about their plan for him after the Club World Cup. The 19-year-old is expected to leave on loan. Ipswich Town are one of the clubs that are keen. Omari Kellyman, bought from Aston Villa for £19m 12 months ago, is also being lined up for a loan. Kendry Paez and Mathis Amougou are going to spend 2025-26 on loan at Strasbourg.

Revealed: Talks held as Chelsea also monitoring experienced & versatile defender Kyle Walker-Peters https://www.caughtoffside.com/2025/06/30/kyle-walker-peters-Chelsea-transfer/ pass 👎🏽

fuck Jobe Bellingham just got a yellow misses the match v Real Madrid and Jude if Dortmund win this grrrrrr that really fucks their chances against Real

2 nil Dortmund after 24 minutes Guirassy (14', 24') on a hat trick already

Boris Becker unaware 'Chelsea Headhunters' scarf had hooligan link https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37407039/boris-becker-unaware-Chelsea-headhunters-scarf-was-linked-hooliganism

Alberto Costa was impressive versus Vini Jr tonight

Bernie Sanders - Joe Rogan Experience #2341 4,074,849 views 24 Jun 2025 The Joe Rogan Experience Bernie Sanders is the senior United States senator from Vermont. See him live on the Fighting Oligarchy tour. https://www.berniesanders.com

the only reason I can see going for Kudus is IF we sell Noni we need to get fair market value for Noni first he is, all hatred from some aside, hardly a wuthless low-level player

he needs to play ON THE RIGHT he is far less effective on the left wing 👩🏽‍🏫

Luke Skywankers

one of the main buildinggs used in the new kit's details Chelsea Old Town Hall

least talked about 'big' team in the entire tournament: Borussia Dortmund

he is best at RWer so Salah leaving is only thing to help him there and Salah seems to not be slowing down probably has at least 2 top years left