Vesper

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva set to be sidelined for six weeks with knee ligament injury https://theathletic.com/4271923/2023/03/03/thiago-silva-Chelsea-injury/ Thiago Silva is set to be out for six weeks after sustaining a knee ligament injury against Tottenham Hotspur, head coach Graham Potter has confirmed. Silva limped off after 19 minutes during Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham on Sunday and a scan on Monday confirmed the extent of the injury The defender will miss Chelsea’s Premier League match against Leeds United on Saturday. Potter’s side will also continue to be without goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for this weekend’s game due to a shoulder injury, while Mason Mount is out with a lower abdomen problem. N’Golo Kante has returned to training following a hamstring injury but is not yet available for first-team action, while Reece James is a doubt due to hamstring tightness. Cesar Azpilicueta is making progress after suffering a blow to the head against Southampton but remains unavailable as he is still following concussion protocols. “Thiago (Silva) will be around that time (six weeks), I’m not sure exactly,” Potter said during Friday’s pre-match press conference. “Mendy’s making progress, not yet joined full training with the group. N’Golo (Kante) had his first full training session today but obviously still needs time. “Mason has had a problem with his lower abdomen area so he will miss the game tomorrow, I don’t think it will be too long but too soon tomorrow. Reece has a little bit of tightness in his hamstring we’re just assessing him but he’s doubtful for tomorrow. “Aspi’s (Azpilicueta) made progress but still not through the protocols we need to do after a head injury like that.” Silva’s injury will rule him out of Chelsea’s round of 16 second leg tie against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. The west London club also have fixtures against Leicester, Everton, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Wolves that could come too soon for the defender. GO DEEPER A guide to talking like a Chelsea coach (for the attention of Graham Potter)

Roy Keane seriously unimpressed by £100m player Chelsea reportedly want to sign https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/pundit-view/roy-keane-seriously-unimpressed-by-100m-player-Chelsea-reportedly-want-to-sign/ Roy Keane has explained he wants to see much more from West Ham and England star Declan Rice, who’s been linked as a Chelsea transfer target. West Ham captain Rice, 24, is the outstanding individual at the London Stadium. The all-action midfielder has proven over several years for club and country his quality, which is why his name is a popular topic in the transfer rumour mill. Journalist Simon Phillips told GiveMeSport last month that Chelsea have been putting in the groundwork ahead of a potential move to sign Rice this summer. However, West Ham manager David Moyes has said it’ll take over £100million for any club to sign the 24-year-old. Declan Rice criticism ITV pundit Roy Keane delivered a fairly eye-opening assessment of Rice yesterday. Despite being a fan of the midfielder, he thinks the West Ham star is definitely capable of improving and providing a far better attacking output. “I don’t think he’s been great this season, I really don’t. I think he’s not really kicked on. For all the talk about him, a lot of good PR coming out of West Ham about how much he’s worth, I think he needs to do a lot more. Doesn’t score enough goals, doesn’t get enough assists,” Keane told ITV Sport. “If there’s talk of him leaving for big money and going to one of the bigger clubs who will be competing for trophies, playing in the Champions League, he needs to do a lot more, it’s as simple as that.” Rice certainly isn’t pinned down as a defensive midfielder any longer, like earlier in his career. He’s a great ball carrier with his athleticism, plus strong on and off the ball. Perhaps he could do more in the final third, though. Rice has two goals and three assists in 31 West Ham appearances so far this season, so it’s a good area of his game to keep working on.

Chelsea ‘no longer want’ player at club – Has ‘nothing to do with the project’ Boehly wants https://sportwitness.co.uk/Chelsea-no-longer-want-player-club-nothing-project-boehly-wants/ Over the past few weeks, we have seen a lot of articles surrounding the future of Romelu Lukaku, who is currently on loan at Inter from Chelsea. The Belgian returned to Stamford Bridge during the summer of 2021 in a big and very expensive transfer, but the relationship with Thomas Tuchel never blossomed and his come back ended up in a failure. He quickly made it clear he wanted to head back to Italy, where Inter, who never wanted him to go in the first place, were happy to welcome him back. They did so on loan, with Chelsea agreeing to a one-year deal with a view to extending that for a second season if possible. The latter part has been put in doubt of late due to the player’s injury issues, but with hope that those are behind him now, there is talk of it happening. The reason for that, according to Corriere dello Sport, is simply because Chelsea ‘no longer want Lukaku’ at the club. At Stamford Bridge, ‘they consider his second adventure with the Blues short over’, and even the struggles under Graham Potter without a recognised striker have ‘not changed the mind of the leaders of the London club’. Because Todd Boehly wants a young squad, Lukaku, and his ’30 years to be completed on May 13th, has nothing to do with the project anymore’. Whether he stays at Inter is also not fully guaranteed, as previous articles, and this one, make it clear he needs to convince them that spending a large sum of money on his wages will be worth it going forward. The player does want to stay, and he could cost less, with the Serie A side having to pay just €5m up front rather than the €8m they gave Chelsea last summer. On top of that, him wanting to remain at San Siro ‘at all costs’ could also see him accept to lower his wages from the €8.5m/year net he is currently on, making it all in all a far more favourable deal for the Italians.

'I'm fit': Chelsea defender sends message to Graham Potter ahead of Leeds United clash https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/player-quotes/im-fit-Chelsea-defender-sends-message-to-graham-potter-ahead-of-leeds-united-clash/ Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has provided a positive fitness update following a long-term injury which could prove important amid Thiago Silva’s absence. Silva is expected to be out for up to six weeks after sustaining a knee ligament injury in Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. This is a huge blow considering the Brazil international has arguably been Chelsea’s best player this season. It is perhaps impossible to replace the overall qualities that Silva offers to the team, but defensively, Graham Potter has plenty of reliable centre-back options, including Fofana. The French defender featured as a substitute in the last two games, including when he had to replace Silva in the first half last weekend, and did quite well on both occasions. Based on Fofana’s admission, he may even be ready to play the full 90 minutes in the next games. “It’s very good, I’m back now. I’m fit,” the former Leicester City man told Chelsea’s Twitter. “It’s good to be back with the team — I’m very happy. “I played [in the last] two games and tried to help the team to the maximum, and now I’m pushing to stay fit.” Speaking about his injury absence, he added: “Four months is very long and very hard. “Mentally, it’s very hard, but I stay calm, focused, and work hard.” https://www.instagram.com/p/Co0JolormT6/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=40747970-9dce-4c20-a8c6-44d97f28ecf8 Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Benoit Badiashile are the four centre-back options at Potter’s disposal. Badiashile, in particular, is not registered in the Champions League and is not going to be available for the second leg against Dortmund. This means he will likely be one of the two or three centre-backs when Chelsea face Leeds at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Kalidou Koulibaly raves about 'outstanding' 22-year-old Chelsea player https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/player-quotes/kalidou-koulibaly-raves-about-outstanding-22-year-old-Chelsea-player/ Kalidou Koulibaly is full of credit for Chelsea teammate Mykhailo Mudryk. Mudryk, who’s still finding his feet as a Chelsea player, joined from Shakhtar Donetsk in a high-profile transfer in January. The 22-year-old left-winger is yet to score or assist in his opening six Blues appearances, but he’s playing in a Graham Potter side that are finding goals very hard to come by. Centre-back Koulibaly, 31, remains very confident in Mudryk’s individual talent, though. “As for Mudryk he’s very quick, technically on a one v one he’s outstanding and can be a big help for us. But he is a player who needs the ball to make the difference and our job is to get it to him,” Koulibaly told The Sun. “Every player joining Chelsea needs time to adapt and Mudryk is no different.” The opportunity is there for any of Chelsea’s attackers to step into the role of the side’s talisman. At this point, a goal or two will do the trick. There’s been a glimpse so far during Mudryk’s brief time at Stamford Bridge of what an exciting signing he could be. He’s an out-and-out wide player with rapid pace and superb dribbling, which is a combination that full-backs hate. The Ukraine international scored 10 goals in 18 games during the first half of the season for Shakhtar Donetsk, so hopefully it’s just a matter of time before he finds some form in Chelsea colours. Graham Potter hasn’t quite settled yet on his preferred starters in the wide areas. Mudryk is competing alongside Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and Hakim Ziyech for just two starting roles each game. The pace and directness of Mudryk is something we’d much prefer to see this Saturday against Leeds United.

LIVE Transfer Talk: Chelsea keen to open talks over RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol https://www.espn.co.uk/football/blog-transfer-talk/story/4891084/transfer-talk-rb-leipzigs-josko-gvardiol-still-on-chelseas-shortlist

Tuchel was floundering big time, and we also do not know what happened with that large bust-up that has been reported as 'if you knew what happened with him and ownership you would understand why he was sacked'

Chelsea F.C. 2006–07 season Owner Roman Abramovich Chairman Bruce Buck Manager José Mourinho Stadium Stamford Bridge FA Premier League 2nd FA Cup Winners League Cup Winners FA Community Shield Runners-up UEFA Champions League Semi-finals Top goalscorer League: Didier Drogba (20) All: Didier Drogba (33) too many draws to win the EPL that year (we only had 3 losses, to Manures 5, but we drew 11 games to their 5 the next year, 2007/08, was the only time in the Roman era we came into the last several games with a great chance to win and we floundered, ended up losing by 2 points to Manure 2006/07 League table Pos Team v t e Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation 1 Manchester United (C) 38 28 5 5 83 27 +56 89 Qualification for the Champions League group stage 2 Chelsea 38 24 11 3 64 24 +40 83 3 Liverpool 38 20 8 10 57 27 +30 68 Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round 4 Arsenal 38 19 11 8 63 35 +28 68 5 Tottenham Hotspur 38 17 9 12 57 54 +3 60 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[a] 2007/08 League table Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation 1 Manchester United (C) 38 27 6 5 80 22 +58 87 Qualification for the Champions League group stage 2 Chelsea 38 25 10 3 65 26 +39 85 3 Arsenal 38 24 11 3 74 31 +43 83 Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round 4 Liverpool 38 21 13 4 67 28 +39 76 5 Everton 38 19 8 11 55 33 +22 65 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round 6 Aston Villa 38 16 12 10 71 51 +20 60 Qualification for the Intertoto Cup third round 7 Blackburn Rovers 38 15 13 10 50 48 +2 58 8 Portsmouth 38 16 9 13 48 40 +8 57 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[a] 9 Manchester City 38 15 10 13 45 53 −8 55 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round[b] 10 West Ham United 38 13 10 15 42 50 −8 49 11 Tottenham Hotspur 38 11 13 14 66 61 +5 46 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[c]

https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/105957088/Chelsea Chelsea Luis Enrique is a top coach and it’s normal to see his name around for many jobs, such as Chelsea. At the moment, he’s not in conversation with any club yet. What I can say for sure is that Luis Enrique wants to return as soon as possible after the World Cup and he’d love to be back at work in the next months, he doesn’t want to stop. Raheem Sterling’s rep Kelly Hogarth on his future: “Sterling has expressed no discontent with Chelsea, committed his long-term future to the new ownership this summer — there is to be no review of his position in the upcoming transfer window”. Sterling wants to stay at Chelsea. As I said yesterday, no confirmation of interest from Arsenal, who already have recent signing Leandro Trossard and soon a new contract for Bukayo Saka.

Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing Jonathan Johnson's Mercato Magazine - Mohamed Salah to PSG? Plus what can Chelsea expect from Malo Gusto and can Nuno Tavares take Marseille form back with him to Arsenal? https://caughtoffside.substack.com/p/jonathan-johnsons-mercato-magazine-13f Could Mohamed Salah really be a target for PSG? Despite rumours to the contrary, I don’t think Mohamed Salah going to PSG this summer is doable. The issue PSG have is that would have to sacrifice a big name to fund the deal, and I think we can rule Kylian Mbappe out of that equation - he is PSG’s undoubted star man. As revealed previously, I think PSG would consider letting Neymar move on if the right offer came in, but at this moment in time, given the mix of disappointing form post-World Cup and behavioural concerns, I’m not sure that’s likely. There’s obviously the issue of Lionel Messi’s contract, and they’ve got Milan Skriniar coming in in the summer, so to add another high earner like Salah, plus the potential transfer fee which would have to be paid to Liverpool, would probably be impossible for PSG. Of course, the speculation has arisen following Salah being spotted having a meeting with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, but there could be a number of reasons for that meeting. Let’s not forget that PSG’s Qatari owners were looking at potential minority stakes in Premier League clubs not that long ago. We know there’s a situation relating to Qatar and Manchester United being on the market at the moment, as well as the fact that there was some interest in a minority stake in Tottenham Hotspur not so long ago, which the club deny. At the end of the day, Al-Khelaifi is a businessman, so as well as his role with PSG he’s working on a number of different projects, so I wouldn’t necessarily say that this meeting points towards PSG interest in signing Salah. The other thing to say about PSG as well, when it comes to potential transfer dealings, is that they’re being overseen by Luis Campos. And he was really brought in to help PSG identify talents who are yet to fully explode on the world football scene, so I think it’s more likely he’ll be looking at someone who is currently at a slightly lower level than Salah, but with the potential to get to where Salah is now. What can Chelsea fans expect from Malo Gusto? Malo Gusto is a good signing for Chelsea, but whether he can establish himself as their automatic first choice will I think depend on Reece James’ fitness and form over the next few years. Both players have had injury problems, and actually Gusto is back with Chelsea at the moment due to an injury he picked up after being loaned back to Lyon. I definitely think Gusto has the potential to compete with James for that starting position, and it’s also important to note that it was a good time for Lyon to sell. He’s a talented young player, and it enables them to bring in a good amount of money. Gusto was reaching that point where he had to move on, particularly if Lyon, as looks highly likely, don’t qualify for Europe. In terms of other interest in him, once it was clear Chelsea had him firmly on their radar, a few other clubs woke up, as it were, but my understanding is that they were not necessarily clubs we’re seeing in the top four at the moment, but those looking to break in and be part of those established big Premier League sides. There were a few others elsewhere in Europe who were interested as well, but who just couldn’t reach the kind of figures Chelsea ended up paying. Alexandre Lacazette is back among the goals - could he have stayed at Arsenal? Alexandre Lacazette is doing pretty well in the Ligue 1 scoring charts since leaving Arsenal to return to Lyon in the summer, but I’m not that convinced we’re seeing a serious resurgence from the player, even if it’s tempting for some Gunners fans to wonder if there’d have been value in keeping him around for a bit longer this season, particularly with the injury to Gabriel Jesus and the slightly inconsistent form of Eddie Nketiah. There didn’t look to be much prospect of Lacazette signing a new contract at Arsenal, I think they’d gone as far as they could together. In terms of returning to Lyon, he’s in an environment he knows very well and is seen as a returning hero really, but he’s not the same player he was when he left. He’s older and certain sides of his game have changed, even if he still has that talisman role to play in their team. Equally, he does take penalties so his goal tally is a little deceiving in that sense, and personally I haven’t really been blown away by his second spell at Lyon. But to be honest, it’s a difficult time for the club right now. I wouldn’t say they’re in dire straits, but they do need a major overhaul, and I think bringing back someone like Lacazette was a popular move which papered over some cracks. At the end of the day, Lyon develop some fantastic young players and then sell them on, but those top quality talents are now struggling to fulfil their true potential at Lyon because of the struggles of the team. It’s also fairly telling that Lacazette chose a return to Lyon when he could have gone elsewhere in Europe or stayed in the Premier League, where he’d potentially have more of a challenge and have to fight for his place a little more. Maybe his stock had fallen to a place where he felt he had to go back somewhere where he knew he’d be a key part of the team because of his profile, rather than having to prove himself somewhere else at a time when his ability and physical attributes are starting to decline. Could this Arsenal loanee benefit from a positional change? There’ll certainly be Arsenal fans intrigued by how Nuno Tavares has been getting on during his loan with Marseille this season, as, like Folarin Balogun, he seems like a fine young player who’s really developing in Ligue 1. He may have missed a penalty in an embarrassing Coupe de France defeat for Marseille on Wednesday night, but generally speaking he’s had a pretty good season. He’s an interesting player in that many people consider him a left-back, but he’s very attack-minded, has six goals this season and some of them very nice finishes as well. He reminds me a little of Layvin Kurzawa when he was coming through at Monaco, and I wonder if a conversion to a more attacking role might suit him better and help get the best out of his abilities, instead of trying to turn him into a full-back or wing-back. Freeing him from those defensive responsibilities could turn him into a really interesting player, I think. In terms of his development, Marseille, at this moment in time, look good for European qualification and are playing good football, so there might be a case for extending that loan for another year, though we know that Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, like to get a close look at a player after they’ve been out on loan. So it could be that he’ll start pre-season with Arsenal, but then maybe go somewhere else. There’s obviously a talented player there, but I’m not sure making him someone who has to have defensive responsibilities is the best way to get the best out of him when he’s got so much to offer going forwards. Igor Tudor’s tactics with Marseille have been very direct, almost too direct at times, so it’s quite different from how Arsenal play. There’s a lot of emphasis on attacking and getting the ball out to the wings, and less on controlling games in the middle of the park. Naturally, that means Tavares has got a lot of attention, seen a lot of the ball, and got into a lot of good positions. Perhaps if he were to spend time in a different tactical set-up we could see a different side of his game and he could show that he’s got a bit more to offer defensively, but like I said, I think Tudor always likes his teams to be on the front foot, so those defensive responsibilities are put on the backburner a little. Moussa Dembele and years of Premier League links - the truth We’ve so often seen Moussa Dembele linked with Premier League clubs and it’s never quite happened, but what does the future hold for him this summer as he nears becoming a free agent? For all the speculation we’ve had down the years, I think the closest he really came to moving to England was when he ended up moving on loan to Spain with Atletico Madrid last season. There’s traditionally been a lot of interest in him from English clubs because of his time in the UK with Fulham and Celtic, so that loan to Atletico was around a time when he also had an opportunity to potentially go back to the UK, but the options on the table for him at that time meant Atleti were the more attractive option. He’s now going to be a free agent and I’d expect significant interest in him, he’s still only 26 so there’d be time for a club to get a good return on their investment if they got him, and I do think that a move to an English club could be the best thing for him now in terms of rediscovering his best form. It looks to me like his best moments with Lyon have come and gone, I don’t think we’re going to see a return to the kind of form we’ve seen from him in the past, so it’s probably for the best for all parties now if he moves on, though it’s also a shame for Lyon that they weren’t able to cash in on him in January. But from his point of view, I think he knows there’s been historic interest in him so he’ll be confident of finding a destination this summer when his contract expires. He was at Celtic at the same time as Brendan Rodgers, and though I can’t claim to know much about how well they worked together during that spell, he certainly showed some fine form in Scotland. There’d be some logic to them reuniting, especially as Leicester also have to be a bit careful with how much they spend at the moment, so to have a free agent of his calibre could be smart business for them if they do decide to look for a player of his profile.

Barca won nil 1 v Real at Real in the Copa and they did it without 5 of their main players, including their best 2 Robert Lewandowski Pedri Ousmane Dembélé Andreas Christensen Jordi Alba Ronald Araújo was superb, he completely shut down Vini Jr all night long, he is getting close to being the best CB on the planet IMHO so were de Jong, Kessie, and ter Stegen even Alonso was great on defence (he stayed back and did not bomb forward at all)

yes here Stamford Bridge special: Chelsea’s £1.5bn stadium decision Exclusive: A complete rebuild, albeit still not problem-free, is most likely option as owners target having one of Europe's best stadiums https://archive.is/8eEM6 Chelsea are holding a new round of talks over their £1.5 billion stadium project as the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital owners inch closer to a decision that will shape the club’s future. While much of the focus has been on how long the board can keep faith with head coach Graham Potter after a terrible run of results, Chelsea have an even bigger issue coming to a head. Boehly and his co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali are adamant that Chelsea must have one of the best stadiums in England and in Europe by the time the project comes to an end, with 2030 regarded as the earliest possible move-in date. Telegraph Sport understands that knocking down Stamford Bridge and building a new stadium on the existing site is currently emerging as the most likely option, although a final decision is yet to be taken. Chelsea board member Jonathan Goldstein, who is in charge of the project with Janet Marie Smith, the executive vice president of planning and development for the LA Dodgers, is holding talks with the Chelsea Pitch Owners [CPO] and waiting to find out whether a £50million bid to buy a plot of land next to Stamford Bridge has been successful. Buying the 1.2 acre site that belongs to housing association Stoll would be a huge boost to any plans to build on the existing site, as it would provide Chelsea with increased space for fan parks and offices, while leaving enough room for a new state-of-the-art stadium that could hold at least 55,000. STAMFORD BRIDGE DEVELOPMENT Buying the nearby 1.2 acre plot of land, currently owned by Housing association Stoll, would be a big boost to Chelsea's plans to rebuild or redevelop Stamford Bridge. The club is currently waiting to find out whether a £50million bid to buy the site next to the stadium will be successful. But Chelsea’s supporters are going to be warned there is no problem-free solution, whichever of the three proposals the owners choose to start work on: building a new stadium on the existing site; redeveloping Stamford Bridge or relocating. Boehly and Clearlake have reassured the CPO that they would only seriously consider a move away with their backing, which means that knocking down Stamford Bridge and building a new stadium, as previous owner Roman Abramovich had planned to do, currently represents the most realistic option. Chair of the CPO Chris Isitt said: “The CPO is having positive talks with the club about redevelopment. We understand this is a complicated project which needs careful consideration, but we share the common aim, which is to have the best stadium in London.” Inside the decision that will shape Chelsea's future – what to do with Stamford Bridge The options Knock down and rebuild Stamford Bridge This is currently the most likely scenario and the one previous owner Roman Abramovich was granted planning permission for. Building a new stadium on the existing site would also be the most popular option among the majority of supporters and the Chelsea Pitch Owners [CPO]. While there is unlikely to be enough space to build one of the biggest stadiums in the country, starting from scratch would give Chelsea the opportunity to build one of the best with a new capacity of at least 55,000. Knocking down Stamford Bridge and clearing the debris would take around 12-18 months itself, which means the entire project would take at least five years to complete. The big issue with that is Chelsea would need somewhere to play for that period of time and it is hard to find credible alternatives past Wembley, which is a terrifying prospect for supporters who are well aware of the drawbacks of travelling out to the national stadium for cup finals. Groundsharing with Fulham is another possibility, but Craven Cottage will have a capacity of just under 30,000 when the new stand is fully open. STAMFORD BRIDGE Circa 1970 Redevelop Stamford Bridge This would rank as the second option for the CPO and a number of match-going supporters, but, in reality, is probably the least likely to happen. Chelsea simply do not have the space to replicate the Liverpool approach of building new stands behind existing ones to cause a minimum amount of disruption to supporters during construction. Instead, the London club would most likely have to close off large areas of the stadium and play in a building site while stands were rebuilt one at a time. The estimated time of doing this is thought to be even longer than knocking down the stadium and starting from scratch, and the expense would also likely be larger. The biggest downside for Chelsea’s owners, however, will be that delivering an up-to-date, top-of-the-range stadium at the end of a stand-by-stand redevelopment would be incredibly difficult if not impossible. However painful the process, the one non-negotiable for co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali is that Chelsea must end up with one of the best stadiums in the country and in Europe. THE EAST STAND 1981 Move away from Stamford Bridge This is the scenario which many fans and members of the CPO could not stomach. For the owners to keep the Chelsea name and move the club to a new site, then it would require at least 75 per cent of the CPO voting in favour. The owners are committed to not trying to move Chelsea without the backing of the CPO and doing so would take much negotiation, even if a vote could potentially be passed. The only viable site that would stand any chance of getting the green light from CPO members and fans would be at nearby Earl’s Court. The positive would, of course, be that moving would give Chelsea much more space to build one of the biggest and one of the best stadiums in the world, and remain in Stamford Bridge in the meantime. But it is not even known whether or not Earl’s Court could be bought with the Earl’s Court Development Company last week releasing a ‘draft masterplan’ to redevelop the site themselves as ‘a destination for entertainment, innovation and excitement’, which would include housing. The plans are some way off becoming reality, but even if it could be bought, the estimated cost of the Earl’s Court site would be around £750 million - making it the most expensive option. Do nothing This is essentially what Abramovich did for his 19 years in charge, but it is not feasible for the current owners if Chelsea want to remain a global brand and grow in size. Stamford Bridge’s capacity of just under 40,000 is dwarfed by the rest of the Premier League top-six and even by London rivals West Ham United. As a result, Chelsea’s matchday revenues are smaller than the clubs they are competing against, which also puts them at a disadvantage in terms of Financial Fair Play. The time frame Chelsea would ideally like to be playing in a new stadium in or around 2030, which means big decisions must be taken in the coming weeks and months. The planning process could take over a year, even though Abramovich’s grand plan to rebuild Stamford Bridge was given the green light by Hammersmith and Fulham Council before being shelved and then abandoned altogether. Meetings between the Chelsea board and the CPO are taking place, while the club are also due to find out whether their £50 million bid to buy a 1.2 acre plot of land next to their current stadium, owned by housing association Stoll, will be successful. Buying the Stoll site would significantly increase the amount of land Chelsea could build on were they to rebuild or redevelop the current stadium. It would most likely be used to open out the plot and build offices and immersive fan experiences on, leaving more room for the stadium itself on the current plot. The cost Given Tottenham Hotspur’s state-of-the-art stadium cost around £1 billion, then Chelsea must budget paying at least £1.5 billion for their own new stadium project. There is no other way to finance such a big spend other than taking on debt, although the Boehly-Clearlake Capital owners may also consider offers of outside investment to help fund the new stadium. Who's in charge Board member Jonathan Goldstein has been put in charge of the new stadium project by Chelsea’s owners. The London-based property developer is the chief executive officer at Cain International, the real estate company responsible for developing Islington Square, The Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills and Raffles hotel in Boston. Janet Marie Smith, the executive vice president of planning and development for the LA Dodgers, the baseball club Boehly part owns, is also taking a lead role. Among her numerous projects have been the renovations of the 56,000-capacity Dodger Stadium and Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox. Smith is credited with creating the Dodgers’ Centerfield Plaza at the front of the stadium, which has almost two acres of restaurants, shops, entertainment and kids areas. Will there be a stadium sponsor? The short answer is it is far too early to say, but it is worth noting that Dodger Stadium, home of the LA Dodgers, is not sponsored. Interestingly, reports in America last year claimed that the Dodgers were looking for partner or field sponsors instead of trying to cash in on stadium naming rights. Two examples quoted were the ‘Dodger Stadium presented by a sponsor’ or ‘the sponsor’s field at Dodger Stadium’. Boehly and Eghbali have already demonstrated an ability to look outside the box during their short time at Chelsea. What it means for the CPO The Chelsea Pitch Owners recently celebrated their 30th anniversary and in 1997 purchased the Stamford Bridge freehold, the turnstiles, the pitch and the Chelsea FC name, granting the club a 199-year lease on Stamford Bridge for an extremely small rent. The purpose of the CPO is to ensure that Stamford Bridge could never again be sold to property developers after the club almost lost the stadium because of financial difficulties in the 1980s. The CPO fought off a bid to buy back the freehold by Abramovich in 2011 and the organisation, which is nonprofit, has experienced huge growth over recent years and now has around 14,000 shareholders from 44 different countries. At least 75 per cent of the CPO would need to vote in favour of a move to a new stadium in order for Chelsea’s owners to be able to move the club and retain the same name. Boehly and Clearlake Capital made a number of promises to the CPO during the takeover and the new board have met with the organisation on several occasions already.

called it 2 weeks ago

Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing 🚨 the Daily Briefing - Chelsea star's future OPEN, Arsenal star could leave, Man City 'busy' on Bellingham, and more The latest transfer headlines, featuring Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, and more Good morning and welcome to today’s Daily Briefing, brought to you ad-free and straight to your inbox as always. Enjoy! 🙂 Today’s top stories: Arsenal linked with Raheem Sterling - the TRUTH Mateo Kovacic’s Chelsea future is open Plus more from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool Arsenal I’m not convinced by the Raheem Sterling links with Arsenal. I think we can expect to see ten links per day for Chelsea players as they have many players! But it’s March and nothing is concrete at this stage, all sources don’t confirm concrete interest as of now. It’s also worth remembering that Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard in January and will also extend Bukayo Saka’s contract, so they have good options in that position already. Kieran Tierney could leave Arsenal in the summer. Mikel Arteta: “I don’t know, I’m not thinking about it. I’m thinking about what’s best for the team. Players have the right to play minutes, which they all deserve, we’re going to try to do that in the next games.” 🚨 To read the rest of the Daily Briefing and to GET 3 MONTHS FREE, subscribe now for daily transfer round-ups and exclusive columns from the biggest journalists in football 🚨 Arsenal don’t want to distract any of their players in crucial moment of the season. I’m told there’s a chance Tierney will leave in the summer but this is not 100% approved yet on the club side, they want all the team to be 100% focused on the final games of the season to win trophies. “Step by step”, Gabriel Jesus posts on his social media accounts as he’s now working with the ball preparing his return: Mikel Arteta confirms no problems or issues between Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba: “Gabriel and Willy Saliba are a happy marriage, as you can see they are very passionate and also very demanding. Everything is fine.” Negotiations continue between Arsenal and William Saliba over a new contract. It is the next priority for the club after Bukayo Saka, whose deal is almost done. Saliba wants to stay - talks are ongoing on details/salary/structure of the deal, deal not at final stages yet. 💬 Arsenal fans - are you concerned by the Gabriel-Saliba row? And how are you feeling about your title chances as Jesus nears a return? Barcelona Vitor Roque: “I feel ready to make the move to Barcelona, of course. Would be amazing to play with Lewandowski. Barcelona is a dream. If I end up there, it will be a great joy for my family and me. It’d be a fantastic move.” Chelsea I’m aware there’s been speculation linking Mateo Kovacic as a target for Manchester City, so I thought I’d give my understanding of the situation: Kovacic’s future is open, he’s one of the players who could be on the move but I understand that no final decision has been made yet on his contract situation. It will be discussed later this year; Manchester City remain busy in Jude Bellingham race with Liverpool and Real Madrid, as of now. I’m not convinced by the Raheem Sterling rumours I’ve seen doing the rounds. I think we will have ten links per day for Chelsea players as they have many players! But it’s March and nothing is concrete at this stage, all sources don’t confirm concrete interest as of now. It’s also worth remembering that Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard in January and will also extend Bukayo Saka’s contract, I’m also sure Sterling wants to fight for his Chelsea place. This is something for the summer, not for now. Chelsea were also keen on signing Gabriele Biancheri - the talented youngster who has just been snapped up to join Manchester United’s Academy. It’s not surprising to see there was other interest, but United wanted to anticipate other clubs and moved fast and early. N’Golo Kante’s position has been crucial to get new deal close: he had options on free transfer but he loves the club and wanted to stay in London. The agreement is very close, not sealed yet, with just some details missing on length of the contract, but it’s really advanced. Andrey Santos was in attendance for Vasco da Gama game yesterday night — loan deal has been agreed on Monday and it will be completed soon with Chelsea. Andrey will return to Chelsea in July for 2023/24 season. He will start training with Vasco later this week. Chelsea statement on Thiago Silva has confirmed that “he has sustained a knee injury, underwent further assessment and scan confirmed damage to Thiago’s knee ligaments”. He will now be out for almost 5-6 weeks, he’ll try to return as soon as possible. Chelsea remain optimistic on Mason Mount’s future and the ownership has always made keeping him a priority, says Ben Jacobs. 💬 Should Chelsea let Kovacic, Mount or Sterling go this summer? Who would you like to see sold? Give me your thoughts in the comments! Hull City Hull City are closing in on agreement over the permanent signing of Xavier Simons from Chelsea. The final details are being ironed out in order to get it sealed. Negotiations are at advanced stages between the parties, with the player already approving the move. Juventus We’ve finally seen Paul Pogba make his first appearance in his second spell as a Juventus player. He was on the pitch in the second half of the Turin Derby vs Torino. It’s 315 days after his last appearance - in that case with Manchester United. Liverpool Jurgen Klopp on Liverpool’s future: “We have a future together, it is our decision how we deal with things. We have values, we have principles. We don't want to be different as a club. We ARE different as a club. We have a future together.” Virgil van Dijk confirms Jurgen Klopp will stay at Liverpool: “Of course, Klopp is the boss and that doesn’t change. I‘m very happy with him, he’s very happy at Liverpool. I hope better times are coming again, that’s what we are working for.” Mohamed Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas answers on rumours that he’d would leave Liverpool if they didn't qualify for the UCL: “This is nonsense. This was never discussed or thought about. Not qualifying to Champions League hasn’t even crossed our minds.” Liverpool are monitoring Josko Gvardiol ahead of a potential summer transfer, and he favours a move to the Premier League, says Ben Jacobs. 📰 Naby Keita is a target for his old club RB Leipzig ahead of his Liverpool contract expiring this summer (Bild) Manchester City Despite links with Mateo Kovacic, Manchester City are busy on the Jude Bellingham deal, where they’re up against Liverpool and Real Madrid. Manchester City are one of the clubs eyeing up £100m-rated Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ahead of the summer, says Ben Jacobs. Manchester United Despite rumours, I’m not aware of direct contacts between Mason Mount and Manchester United at the moment; another situation that will be clarified in May/June, in that moment Chelsea will make a decision on his contract. I think Mount is a great idea for every club in the world, I really like him as a player. Gabriele Biancheri is considered a very talented boy and Manchester United feel their new signing has an excellent potential for the future. They really wanted him, it was an important move for the Academy. Chelsea were also keen on signing him, but United wanted to anticipate the other clubs by reaching an agreement in February. 📰 Manchester United want two big signings this summer, with Victor Osimhen and Mohammed Kudus among Erik ten Hag’s priorities (Manchester Evening News) Orlando City Uruguayan winger Facundo Torres will extend his contract with MLS side Orlando City, agreement in place until 2027 — here Torres with agents Egardo Lasalvia & Gustavo Santorini. My understanding is that there will be a release clause worth $30m in the new contract. Real Madrid 📰 Real Madrid are making Jude Bellingham and Josko Gvardiol their two top targets for the summer transfer window (Sport) West Ham United World Soccer Agency announce they’ve decided to part ways with West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca. There were problems between Scamacca and his agency so they decided to part ways and Scamacca will sign soon with another agency. This has nothing to do with a summer transfer, as of now; it was just an internal problem between Scamacca and the agency.

whoever we hire next NO MORE MR NICE GUYS

we have 7 draws now, but NUFC and Brentford, both having one less game played than us (they each have played 23, we have played 24 games), already have 11 draws each Brentford are potentially 7 points above us (with both of us on 24 games played) NUFC are potentially 13 points (wtf) above us on 24 games played each

someone is hitting the crack pipe early this morning on the first day of March madder than a March hare Chelsea could sign four PSG stars to transform fortunes with 'mass exodus on cards' Paris Saint-Germain are planning to clear out their squad in the summer transfer window - something that could be of interest to Chelsea. https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1740594/Chelsea-transfer-news-PSG-mass-exodus-Neymar-Achraf-Hakimi-Nuno-Mendes Chelsea could be one of several high-profile clubs set to profit from a potential fire-sale at Paris Saint-Germain this summer amid suggestions there could be a big summer clear-out on the cards at the Parc des Princes. Reports within the French media suggest the Ligue 1 champions may have to raise cash this summer with budget cuts and that could be music to the ears of several Premier League sides given some of the talent currently at PSG's disposal. Express Sport analyses four players that could hypothetically be of interest to Chelsea this summer if PSG are indeed willing to cash-in on a number of their first team players. Gianluigi Donnarumma Donnarumma is perhaps the signing that would make the most sense from a Chelsea perspective. The Blues are still enduring struggles between the posts with Kepa Arrizabalaga simply not up to scratch, despite the vast improvements he has made under Graham Potter since his appointment in September. Kepa was once again criticised on Sunday as Chelsea fell to a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham after the Spaniard flapped at a long-range strike from Oliver Skipp that went in off the crossbar. Edouard Mendy is still yet to make his return from injury but long-term, there is a sense that neither goalkeeper is good enough for the level Chelsea desire. Donnarumma was the best goalkeeper at Euro 2020 and although PSG are unlikely to be keen on losing the Italian, he is an option that must surely fall under consideration given that he is now among the best No 1s in world football. Achraf Hakimi Hakimi is a player that is of interest to Chelsea and the Blues have previously looked into the signing of the Moroccan, who seems more than content in Paris. He would be a top-class rival for Reece James and would also represent a firm upgrade on seasoned veteran Cesar Azpilicueta. Furthermore, his potential arrival would hypothetically give Potter or any other Blues boss the chance to shift James to a right-sided centre-back role. It's a position where James has previously thrived for both Chelsea and England and Hakimi's arrival would immediately take the club's defence to a new level of quality. Again, it's unclear whether PSG would entertain the sale of Hakimi who is an integral player but if he was up for grabs, this deal would make perfect sense for the Blues. Nuno Mendes Nuno Mendes would be a rather exciting acquisition for the Blues as he would represent a genuine upgrade on their current options at left-back. Marc Cucurella has been booed in recent weeks by Chelsea supporters and Ben Chilwell just cannot seem to stay fit. If Cucurella is to depart in the summer - something that is starting to look probable - signing Mendes would be smart business. Mendes is now one of the best left-backs in world football and is only getting better at the young age of 20. He has not been with PSG long, however, which would raise questions about whether they would be prepared to sell or furthermore, the kind of price they would be looking for. Neymar It's a move that could divide opinion but there has been a lot of speculation in recent weeks that Chelsea could be in the hunt for Neymar. The Brazilian is yet to test himself on English shores and Chelsea are one of the clubs that would represent a realistic avenue if he was keen to pursue a transfer to the Premier League. Whether Chelsea need him right now is another question altogether but he would be the kind of superstar signing that Todd Boehly craves. Neymar is one of the biggest names in world football and there would undoubtedly be financial rewards of bringing him to Stamford Bridge in terms of revenue but ultimately, in football terms, it would represent a massive gamble. Chelsea do not need to be taking any more risks at this stage of their project, they need to be spending sensibly following their excessive £600million+ splurge.

when I said (for years) we were the most complicated club in Europe, I had NO idea that the club itself would take a big swig of Potter juice after a £600m coke binge and say

here is a rehash of my thoughts on Kova:

Hard pass on Keylor Navas. Not at all impressed with him anymore. He is well past it.

Chelsea Development Squad v Arsenal U21s | PL2 | LIVE MATCH

Cech and Cuntois were long ago now Snake has been with Real for 5 seasons now (and he played the same amount of games for Atleti as he did with us, and started more for them, lol) Cech was last our starter 9 years ago

sadly, I agree and EVERY EPL side smells blood in the water with us

this is potential trouble for us too (multi-club model under attack) Kieran Maguire issues ‘major’ Man City claim as Fifa plan threatens Sheikh Mansour & co. Fifa’s plan to revamp the Club World Cup could threaten the validity of Man City’s multi-club network if teams from City Football Group have to face each other. https://www.footballinsider247.com/kieran-maguire-issues-major-man-city-claim-as-fifa-plan-threatens-sheikh-mansour-co/ That is the opinion of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the growing concerns around multi-club ownership in football. City is the mothership of multi-club network City Football Group (CFG), who expanded their ownership to 12 clubs in July 2022 by acquiring a majority stake in Italian club Palermo. CFG now owns teams in four separate continents, all of which will be competing in Fifa’s Club World Cup. Fifa president Gianni Infantino revealed plans in December to revamp and expand the tournament to 32 teams starting in 2025. Maguire believes Fifa’s new Club World Cup plans will be a “major concern” for Man City and CFG, as their network’s validity will be questioned if their teams face each other in the competition. “Uefa’s stance on multi-club ownership is a cause for concern for Man City. “Uefa are also sending a warning shot for any potential owners who want to acquire significant stakes in individual clubs across Europe who could play each other in Uefa competitions going forward. “But the major concern for Man City comes from Fifa, who want an expanded World Club Cup which includes clubs from different continents. “Fifa will want that competition to be taken seriously and that won’t be the case if clubs from multi-club networks end up playing each other in this money-making grab from Fifa.“