Vesper

Chelsea tracking Victor Osimhen as he faces uncertain future https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138043778/Chelsea-tracking-victor-osimhen-as-he-faces-uncertain-future Victor Osimhen faces a slightly uncertain future after falling out with the club following a TikTok video mocking him for a missed penalty. The club failed to apologise despite releasing a statement explaining how it came to be published. Osimhen is in high demand, but Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis will still only entertain a sale for a huge price. Napoli argue they ‘paid’ €80m to Lille for Osimhen. I say ‘paid’ because it’s complicated and the total package included a fee, bonuses and a series of player swaps. But whatever the actual total, De Laurentiis is hoping for as close to €150m as he can possibly get if he decides to sell. That may be too ambitious, especially compared to last summer. EXCL: Mohamed Salah saga not over yet, Arsenal still like Aston Villa star, Chelsea's bargain wonderkid deal, and more FABRIZIO ROMANO · 16 OCT Read full story I don’t think it’s by any means guaranteed Osimhen will move mid-season, even with the fallout which Napoli maintain has blown over. Napoli do have two concerns, though. The first is Osimhen hasn’t signed a new two-year deal which has been on the table all summer. That means his contract expires in 2025 and thus buyers will be on red alert in 2024. The other factor is Osimhen hasn’t really enjoyed his football under Rudi Garcia. Napoli lost 3-1 to Fiorentina before the international break and Osimhen was substituted. This drew a fair bit of criticism from fans and not for the first time. Obviously there are a few variables at play. Can Napoli get out of their Champions League group? Will there be an imminent managerial change? Will Osimhen eventually put pen-to-paper, changing his value next summer, and likely increasing it unless a specific release clause is inserted helping to facilitate an exit next summer. This was what happened when Alexis Mac Allister extended at Brighton before the World Cup and then left for Liverpool for just £35m. Right now there are plenty of clubs interested in Osimhen, including Chelsea and PSG. Manchester United have also been tracking Osimhen for some time. They had a chance to sign him before his Napoli move but Osimhen was worried about game time back then at Old Trafford. But as with Harry Kane explorations, budget could be an issue for Manchester United. A January exit can’t be totally discounted, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s far more of a bidding battle for Osimhen in the summer. This is simply because if De Laurentiis doesn’t want to sell in January then only totally crazy money is going to change that and that will put off a lot, if not all, suitors.

different firm SoFi was HKS, Inc. https://www.hksinc.com/ Case Study SoFi Stadium An Unrivaled Sports & Entertainment Destination & Homage to Southern California Inglewood, California, USA https://www.hksinc.com/what-we-do/case-studies/sofi-stadium/

Chelsea could take important step closer to new stadium https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138043778/Chelsea-could-take-important-step-closer-to-new-stadium Chelsea could be one step closer to redeveloping Stamford Bridge or building a new stadium on the site. Stoll have confirmed they have agreed to sell "the majority of our Fulham site to the Chelsea FC ownership group". Chelsea will purchase 1.2 acres for around £80m and completion is expected in early 2024. However, Chelsea won’t actually take control of the land until 2025. This is because the deal has a leaseback clause meaning residents don’t immediately have to vacate their homes. A verbal agreement was in place between Chelsea and Stoll, but before anything could be formally agreed a nine week period of consultation took place with residents. “The site at Fulham is just not fit for purpose for the long-term and while this is a difficult time for our residents, it is something we must do, to enable us to support veterans now and in the future,” said Stoll’s CEO Will Campbell-Wroe. Chelsea want a 55,000 seater venue either via redeveloping Stamford or building a new stadium. This could be on the Stamford Bridge site with the Stoll land helping or still potentially elsewhere. I understand the preference is to find a solution on the Stamford Bridge site but all options will be explored. One of those is Earls Court, but Earls Court Development Company have “categorically denied” any talks with Chelsea. Consultations and ultimately a blessing from the Chelsea Pitch Owners and wider fan groups will be necessary and engagement is planned in 2024 once a clearer picture and roadmap for potential plans emerges. If Chelsea build a new stadium it’s likely to be ready in 2030 and a temporary home would be needed if they knock down Stamford Bridge in order to rebuild. Wembley and Twickenham are two obvious options but each has geographical or logistical concerns. Craven Cottage is close but smaller. It’s still all hypothetical at the moment, but it was perhaps slightly easier for Spurs because when they built the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium they had Wembley which was also in North London. But there were still plenty of complaints. It will arguably be even harder to please the Chelsea fan base in the short term if a move away happens. But now most Spurs fans who moaned about Wembley are only applauding their amazing new home. Chelsea’s owners priority, along with CEO Chris Jurasek who will play an important role, is to simply have the best stadium in London and if they can deliver that then supporters may ultimately (even if begrudgingly) accept multiple seasons of upheaval at a less ideal temporary home in order to end up with a world class and modern stadium.

Chelsea https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138065637/Chelsea Latest Chelsea team news and injuries ahead of this weekend’s big game against Arsenal. Could Chelsea re-sign this former player? More info here. Chelsea are one of the clubs keen on Victor Osimhen - full details here. Have Chelsea taken an important step closer to a new stadium? An update on Romeo Lavia here.

yes

I think another reason Gallagher has improved so much is that he started warming up pre-game to Rudimentary Peni mummy used to breastfeed me to this, it's why I turned out so good

left footed CB the last thing we need (literally, lol) and he was indeed on my left footed CB lists until we sorted it multiple ones have been snatched up (the striked-through ones) Hincapié is now co-top by default Josko Gvardiol Alessandro Bastoni Sven Botman' Micky van de Ven Nico Schlotterbeck Piero Hincapié Gonçalo Inácio Evan Ndicka Castello Lukeba David Hancko youth Jeanuël Belocian El Chadaille Bitshiabu Lucas Beraldo Jorrel Hato

pre injury (the Villarreal crazy bad one) he was in my top 5 young CBs on the planet France has 4 (and all are right footers, which is what we need/will need) CBs I would love to have 3 Sr team, 1 youth William Saliba (impossible) Jean-Clair Todibo Mohamed Simakan then a youth Leny Yoro (17yo, soon 18)

well, I think we are likely to give him all of 2024/25 to prove himself worthy of not selling (unless he comes back thsi season and re injures himself again) I personally think he is 70% ir so likely to be permafucked he was a disaster buy that I was so so against (like KK, albeit that was due to his age and price) and took him (Fofana) off my lists well before that, as soon as his leg was destroyed v Villarreal in August 2021, whilst he was at Leicester BUT we spent so much money on him that I wager the club will try and give him every benefit of the doubt

Mount collapsed after mid October 2022 (16/10/22 was his last truly good game, a brace v Villa) one goal (v Bournemouth) and one assist (CL v Dinamo Zagreb and that was on November 2, when we scraped out a 2 1 win) all comps the rest of the season

use the money in summer 2024 to help to buy a great right footed CB to replace Trevoh and (I assume) Thiago Matthijs de Ligt (if he actually is going to leave Tuchel and the Bavarian farmers, which I am doubtful of, but stranger things have happened) António Silva Bremer Giorgio Scalvini Robin Le Normand Jean-Clair Todibo Mohamed Simakan Nicolò Casale Malick Thiaw

🚨 Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already identified key figure to join Manchester United rebuild Is this the man to transform Man Utd's fortunes? https://thedailybriefing.io/p/sir-jim-ratcliffe-has-already-identified Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly identified Paul Mitchell as a potential candidate for the sporting director role at Manchester United. According to Daily Briefing columnist Ben Jacobs, posting on X, Mitchell has been admired by Ratcliffe in the past, and is on the lookout for a new job after leaving Monaco recently. Mitchell has been highly regarded in football recruitment for some time now, having done smart work in the transfer market with the likes of Tottenham and RB Leipzig in the past, whereas Man Utd have so often spent vast amounts of money on big names who’ve failed to deliver. EXCL: Man Utd takeover bombshell, latest on stars who could leave Old Trafford, and could Barcelona snap up this important Brighton player? FABRIZIO ROMANO · 15 OCT Read full story Discussing the situation on X today, Jacobs posted: “As previously revealed, Ratcliffe plans to undertake a review of the club but has already shortlisted various football names to take a day-to-day role at MUFC, which is normal even ahead of anything being signed off.” He added: “Paul Mitchell is very keen on a sporting director role and is one name under consideration having recently left Monaco. INEOS have previously looked at him for Nice. Mitchell has recently moved into a new house in the north west of England.” This follows the news that broke yesterday of Sheikh Jassim pulling out of the running to purchase United from the Glazers.

THE BEN JACOBS COLUMN EXCL: Paul Mitchell under consideration for a Manchester United role Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking into bringing the former Monaco man to Old Trafford https://thedailybriefing.io/p/exclusive-paul-mitchell-under-consideration Paul Mitchell is a leading name under consideration for a sporting director role at Manchester United should Sir Jim Ratcliffe prove successful in his bid. Ratcliffe's offer for 25% of the club will be put to a board vote next week. He is now likely to succeed after his main rival, Sheikh Jassim, withdrew from the process. Ratcliffe's INEOS want an initial stake worth around £1.4bn and an eventual path to control. And as part of the deal, the British billionaire wants sporting control straight away. How this is given, and how legally binding it is, remains unclear. But it's believed Ratcliffe, if successful, will undertake a 100-day review and be extremely hands-on at Manchester United. Since February, INEOS have been considering various football experts to lead on the sporting side, from both within INEOS and outside. INEOS Sports CEO Jean Claude Blanc, who joined from PSG in February, is expected to be one key figure. Dave Brailsford is also likely to have significant input. Outside of INEOS, Paul Mitchell is a name under strong consideration. Mitchell recently left Monaco and is very keen on a role. He was also considered by INEOS for Nice previously. And although INEOS haven't been able to make guarantees or advance anything during the process, they have felt for some time that Mitchell would be a good fit for the group regardless of what happens at Manchester United. Mitchell has recently moved into a new house in the north-west of England and has wanted to move to the Premier League for almost a year. He was also very open to a role at Chelsea, but the club chose his ex-Monaco colleague Laurence Stewart for a co-sporting director role alongside Paul Winstanley. Ratcliffe, much like Sheikh Jassim, is also open to involving ex-Manchester United players. Many of Manchester United's former stars have been reluctant to come out publicly and back a particular bid, waiting instead to see who wins before seeking direct involvement. David Beckham made it clear to all parties that he would only discuss some form of ambassadorial role after the process concludes. EXCL: Man Utd takeover bombshell, latest on stars who could leave Old Trafford, and could Barcelona snap up this important Brighton player? FABRIZIO ROMANO · 15 OCT Read full story It is unclear how quickly Ratcliffe can influence the club if he is successful, but those close to his group insist the long-term plan is for a staggered route to a majority stake and control, and that investment in the club, stadium and community are an essential part of his vision. In the meantime, Ratcliffe expects to be heavily involved on the football side and a visible presence at the club should his deal be approved. There are also plans to engage directly with supporter groups, but sources stress Ratcliffe is first focused on the process and is taking nothing for granted yet. When entering the race for Chelsea last May, Ratcliffe bypassed Raine Group and made a public statement declaring his intent to buy the club when Clearlake-Boehly were already in an exclusive period which irked many directly involved. This time, 70-year-old Ratcliffe has been sure to follow and respect the process and has impressed those running it. It means he's kept largely out of the spotlight and avoided making any further statements after officially declaring he had made an offer. There are still plenty of questions he'll have to answer, including what INEOS plan to do with Nice, who are currently second in the table. Even as a minority investor to begin with at Manchester United, Ratcliffe would have to consider restructuring things with the Ligue 1 club, especially if he has some form of binding sporting control. UEFA sources have revealed they would seek clarity. Those close to Ratcliffe had originally indicated they wanted control by 2026 but it remains to be seen how quickly he can get to a majority stake and whether he'll have an obligation to buy or simply an option. Ratcliffe is hoping for clarity and a resolution to the process in time to impact the January window, which is a realistic time frame should he receive board approval next week.

a win here would be massive

from Stockholm!

what a farce just wow

90 minutes, overall stats were great https://www.sofascore.com/ecuador-uruguay/AUbshVb#11518412

The Qataris have to divert mad money to their Hamas clients.

Chels hoes in da house 🤣

Chelsea have constructed a midfield to fear in Fernandez, Caicedo and Gallagher https://theathletic.com/4951028/2023/10/12/Chelsea-midfield-fernandez-caicedo-gallagher/ Moments after superbly putting Chelsea ahead against Fulham at Craven Cottage, a beaming Mykhailo Mudryk slid on his knees towards the corner flag, revelling in his first goal for the club and waiting to be mobbed by several of his jubilant team-mates. Enzo Fernandez was not one of them. Replays showed that, as Mudryk wheeled away in front of the Fulham fans, the Argentina international instead turned his back, crouched, and waited with a broad grin for Moises Caicedo to run into his outstretched arms. It was a small, wholesome moment noticed by many supporters and one that underlined the genuine warmth that has quickly developed between Chelsea’s two British transfer record-breaking signings. In convincing away Premier League wins over Fulham and Burnley, it has become clear that Chelsea’s lavishly expensive midfield is beginning to click into a higher gear. Fernandez and Caicedo have shone, both in combination and alongside Conor Gallagher, the on-field captain who complements their respective strengths excellently. The tactical tweaks to the team’s structure made by head coach Mauricio Pochettino have also facilitated this process and Chelsea now head into a daunting run of games after the October international break with a midfield that is becoming a serious problem for opponents in and out of possession. But how does it work? Let’s take a closer look… With the ball Fernandez’s career at Chelsea to date has been a quest to find the individual role that maximises everything he does well and a broader midfield structure that makes sense around him. His first six months at Stamford Bridge were largely spent confined to the No 6 position as Jorginho’s direct replacement while, at times in the early weeks of this season, he found himself playing almost as a No 10 — too high up the pitch to exert consistent control over matches. Pochettino’s solution has been to give Fernandez almost total freedom to roam the pitch and progress the ball, with Caicedo generally behind him and Gallagher ahead of him against Fulham and Burnley. It is something he does exceptionally well; only Kieran Trippier and Bruno Fernandes can better his 50 progressive passes from the 2023-24 Premier League season to date. The graphic below illustrates that Fernandez can play these passes from virtually anywhere beyond Chelsea’s defensive third of the pitch. His default area to receive the ball against Fulham and Burnley, however, was almost in the left-back position, with Caicedo to his right and Gallagher pushed out high towards the right flank — demonstrated by the pass map below of the match at Turf Moor. This midfield structure also gives Cole Palmer the opportunity to drift infield and act more like a No 10, looking for space between the lines to receive progressive passes on the half-turn, while Gallagher maintains Chelsea’s width on the right. There were numerous examples of this against Fulham and Burnley. Caicedo is still nominally the No 6 in Pochettino’s midfield and therefore the focus of opposition attention when Chelsea attempt to play out from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but the presence of Fernandez gives them two highly polished options through which to build the first phase of play. Below is a classic example. Burnley are pushing up in an attempt to deny Sanchez an easy pass out of his penalty area and Caicedo is man-marked. Fernandez recognises this and tells his goalkeeper to wait as he runs back to present for the ball. Fernandez’s marker is hesitant to track him and risk compromising Burnley’s defensive structure, so the Argentine is able to meet the ball unchallenged and sweep it out to Marc Cucurella (just out of the below shot) first time, nullifying the home side’s aggressive positioning. Fernandez and Caicedo share the same innate understanding of space and angles on a football pitch, moving around each other seamlessly to bait, stretch and ultimately dissect opposing midfields in a manner reminiscent of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic on their very best days. The below sequence shows them toying with Fulham’s press. Fernandez, having frozen Harrison Reed and Raul Jimenez with the ball at his feet deep in his own half, deliberately passes to a marked Caicedo in order to lure the Ecuador international’s marker, Andreas Pereira, towards him. Caicedo spins into the space vacated by Pereira and, once the Brazilian is close enough, Fernandez simply rolls the ball under his right foot to create an angle and flicks it deftly with the outside of his boot through the narrow gap between Pereira and Reed to spring his midfield partner free into space. Having let the ball run across his body, Caicedo is aware of the advancing Joao Palhinha and sweeps a low left-footed pass across to Gallagher, who has found space at the right time. Gallagher is excellent at creating separation from opponents in order to receive passes; being frequently utilised as an off-ball runner during loan spells at West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace prepared him well in this regard, but the early weeks of the 2023-24 season have debunked the idea that he cannot be an asset to a dominant possession team. As well as averaging 12 more passes per 90 minutes (60.9) than he ever has before in his professional career, Gallagher is also completing a career-best 88.6 per cent of his passes this season, a significant improvement on his previous high of 81.1 per cent in 2022-23. Gallagher does not have the technical range of Fernandez or Caicedo with the ball at his feet, but he is good at keeping things simple and this, coupled with his highly intelligent movement, makes him an effective foil to complete Pochettino’s midfield trio. Here he drops into a pocket of space between four Burnley players, simply to give Fernandez the option of escaping pressure with a quick lateral one-two. This provides Fernandez with enough space to line up a pinpoint switch of play out to Levi Colwill near the left touchline. Fernandez is the undisputed conductor of Chelsea’s midfield, but Caicedo ensures opposing teams cannot divert extra resources to stifle him. He is much more than a deep-lying destroyer, very capable of switching the point of attack with an accurate crossfield ball or threading an incisive pass through a narrow gap with minimal margin for error. Here he is in the closing stages against Burnley, spotting an opportunity to spring Mudryk and floating a 40-yard pass perfectly into his stride. And here he is earlier in the same game, executing a disguised first-time flick from an Axel Disasi pass between two opponents and into the feet of an unmarked Palmer. Chelsea enjoyed 62 per cent possession while routing Burnley, but exactly the same midfield also triumphed against Fulham despite having only 44 per cent of the ball. Game state is a factor in those numbers — Pochettino’s men led from the 18th minute at Craven Cottage while conceding first at Turf Moor — but Chelsea triumphed in both cases in part because their midfield demonstrated it can be effective in a range of situations. But how so? Without the ball One of the problems with playing Fernandez as a full-time No 6 in the second half of last season is that he is not a particularly impactful defensive presence. It is not a question of effort; he cares about his defensive duties, is a very willing tackler and will throw himself in front of a shot. It is simply not the area where his best talents reside. The good news for Fernandez is that, in this particular Chelsea team, he is partnered with two of the most defensively active midfielders in the Premier League. Gallagher ranks behind only Palhinha for ‘true tackles’ — a combination of tackles won, tackles lost and fouls committed while attempting a tackle — per 1,000 opposition touches in 2023-24, while Caicedo is also in the top 10. Caicedo is very adept at picking the right moments to step up and make a tackle or jumping into opposition passing lanes to make an interception that turns defence into attack. Here, he initiates the sequence that leads to Raheem Sterling’s goal against Burnley by darting into the opposition half and poking the ball free. The ball runs to Gallagher and he plays it perfectly to Sterling, who finishes clinically. Here in the Fulham game, Caicedo reads Tim Ream’s intention to pass to Pereira before the ball even leaves the defender’s foot, giving him time to move across and cut it out. Gallagher, meanwhile, is a roving menace. Sometimes dismissed rather condescendingly as ‘grafting’, his preternatural ability to force opposition turnovers is much more than that. Thomas Tuchel regularly likened him to N’Golo Kante during pre-season training in the summer of 2022 and there are echoes of the French legend in his anticipation, timing, speed across the ground, stamina and unwavering desire to win the ball back for his team. Here is an example from the Burnley game. Everyone else on the pitch is at a standstill waiting for the home side to hit a deep free kick long into the Chelsea penalty area, but Gallagher is already on the move, recognising that the ball is instead heading towards the right flank. As the ball arrives, Gallagher is close enough to stick out a foot and nip the ball away… … then gather it, turn, look up and find Fernandez, whose first-time pass springs Armando Broja clean through, only for the Albanian to be flagged offside. Here against Fulham, Issa Diop makes the mistake of dallying on the ball for a split second too long and Gallagher goes into shark mode. He pokes the ball away from the Frenchman without committing a foul, drives into the Fulham half and angles a precise pass right into the feet of Palmer. Later in the same game, Gallagher reads Tom Cairney’s intention to bisect Fernandez and Caicedo with a pass into the feet of Willian, who has an easy first-time option in Ream. Gallagher, however, tracks the ball from Willian to Ream with startling speed, sticks out a leg and deflects the ball back into Fulham territory, sparking a one-man counter-attack. This level of energy, intensity and defensive intelligence around Fernandez makes Chelsea’s high press even more effective and their midfield very difficult to play through. There are at least 220 million reasons why Chelsea should have one of the best midfields in Europe, but paying prices that value Fernandez and Caicedo as two of the best midfielders of their generation is one thing; getting consistent performances that live up to those enormous price tags is quite another. Caicedo has settled down impressively since making costly errors against West Ham and Nottingham Forest, while Fernandez’s regular excellence is now in its proper tactical context. Gallagher is also performing like the player Chelsea valued at £50million ($61.5m) in transfer talks last summer, and his case to earn a lucrative new contract is growing stronger by the game. Romeo Lavia has not played a minute since his £53million ($65m) move from Southampton and Lesley Ugochukwu has shown very promising flashes in limited Premier League opportunities. Chelsea’s new midfield will have much harder problems to solve than those presented by Fulham and Burnley in a challenging fixture list after the October international break, but the early signs are that Pochettino has a potentially special alchemy at the heart of this team.

Birmingham City https://thedailybriefing.io/i/137887255/birmingham-city Birmingham City announce Wayne Rooney will be assisted by Ashley Cole and John O'Shea. Former teammates from England and Manchester United respectively, they will be part of the coaching staff with Carl Robinson and Pete Shuttleworth who both assisted Rooney at D.C. United. Wayne Rooney gave his first press conference as new Birmingham City manager and it was clear that he was delighted.

Aston Villa https://thedailybriefing.io/i/137887255/aston-villa Nicolò Zaniolo and Sandro Tonali have been questioned by authorities. This happened after the Aston Villa and Newcastle players were accused about possible involvement in illegal betting. Both have left Italy’s training camp after speaking to the police. Italian Federation statement on the accusations of possible illegal betting involvement for Tonali and Zaniolo. “The Federation announces that, in the late afternoon of today, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Turin has notified investigative acts to footballers Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Zaniolo, currently meeting with the national team at the Federal Technical Center of Coverciano. Regardless of the nature of the acts, considering that in this situation the two players are not in the necessary condition to face the commitments scheduled in the coming days, the Federation has decided, also to protect them, to allow them to return to their respective clubs.”

Keep. Don't sell. No, I am not drunk.