Vesper

Newcastle United considering Romelu Lukaku move https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2022/12/25/newcastle-united-considering-romelu-lukaku-move/ Newcastle United are reportedly planning to launch a shock bid for the out-of-favour striker Romelu Lukaku, who flopped for Belgium at the World Cup. According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Newcastle United are plotting an ambitious approach for Chelsea flop Romelu Lukaku next summer. However, the report adds that any prospective move for the Belgian hinges on Newcastle finishing in the top four this season. Lukaku originally joined Chelsea from Anderlecht back in 2011 and had promising loan spells with West Bromwich Albion and Everton before joining the latter in a permanent move in July 2014. A high-profile switch to Old Trafford three years later proved disappointing for the Belgian striker, but he rediscovered his shooting boots in Serie A after joining Inter for around £70 million in the summer of 2019. An impressive output of 64 goals in 95 appearances not only helped Inter land their first Serie A title in over a decade but he was being regarded as one of, if not, the world’s best strikers during that period before he moved back to Chelsea for in a reported £97.5 million deal in August 2021. And although he scored 15 goals in 44 appearances, the Belgian striker endured a tough time and largely struggled to make a serious impact during his second spell at Stamford Bridge. He subsequently returned to Inter in the summer on a season-long loan deal, with niggling injury issues and a lack of fitness limiting his minutes. Off the back of a calamitous World Cup outing against Croatia that saw Belgium crash out of the tournament in the group stages itself, Lukaku is desperate to return to being a star man for Inter in the second half of the season to boost his chances of securing a permanent exit from Stamford Bridge next summer. And Newcastle United have now emerged as a possible option. Newcastle looked a little under-strength upfront earlier this season, with new boy Alexander Isak, Callum Wilson, and Allan Saint-Maximin all picking up muscle injuries at various points, but Howe will soon have a multitude of options battling it out for only three starting slots in his favoured 4-3-3 formation. Add to that an in-form Miguel Almiron, and Joelinton also competing for wing position, the Magpies have wealth of attacking options these days. While Howe could benefit from adding another versatile striking option, signing a 29-year-old out-of-sorts striker, Lukaku, on massive wages is exactly the polar opposite of the canny recruitment they have carried out as of yet. His failure in Qatar with Belgium perfectly epitomizes all of Lukaku’s limitations as a target man. He looked exhausted and he no longer has the power or durability of his prime years. The Inter Milan striker’s first touch has been publicly criticized for being a letdown, affecting his link-up play, which is crucial for Eddie Howe’s system. Furthermore, adding another out-and-out striker could hinder club-record signing Isak’s progress at St James’ Park. While there’s no denying a confident and motivated Lukaku can well resurrect his flailing career, Newcastle would do well to dodge this expensive bullet, especially now that they are under the close watch of FFP following their splashing in the last two windows. To that end, 25-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach and France attacker Marcus Thuram would be the perfect low-cost versatile striker option.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1606671296347226116.html Behdad Eghbali tells @Sportico Chelsea was "not terribly well managed on the football, sporting or promotional side" under Roman Abramovich. As previously reported, new owners were surprised by the lack of data they inherited and the 'disconnected' internal structure of the club. Eghbali was always going to be hands on and will be key in January. Although not carrying a defined football title like Todd Boehly, he's firmly across budget, negotiations and partnerships and is leading on multi-model decisions from an investment perspective. #CFC always thinking global. They want a multi-club model with Eghbali confirming France, as reported, is a priority region. "French market is interesting given the quality of the league... [&] French speakers in Africa. Africa is also a big, big market." Eghbali also confirms Chelsea's first step into the multi-club market may be minority investment. "We could partner and be a minority holder on a team and still get the benefit of some of the knowhow and really firewall off the scouting and decision-making." Away from the football side, Chelsea also want to expand the brand. The belief is the £2.3bn purchase price is a 'bargain' and thus if the club globalises and modernises, plus naturally succeeds on field, profit will come quite fast. Expansion of the brand, and optimising partnerships or things like digital content, is a clear strategic goal alongside (not at the expense of) football success. This remains the priority. "You've got to put a good product on the field. You've got to win... "Your content, your asset is that play and the opportunity to make it a platform is there. These things are generally not well-managed. Some US ownership, like FSG or the Abu Dhabi model with #MCFC, have done it well. But for the most part, these things haven't been optimised." Chelsea are not only looking at football models. They'll take inspiration from the US sports market, which is unsurprising given the ownership's knowledge of it. "We think European sports is probably 20 years behind US sports in terms of sophistication on the commercial side... "And sophistication on the data side. I had one super high-level sporting director at one of the world's biggest, top-three clubs tell me, when I asked about their approach to data, 'The data is my eyes'. He has six scouts and no data." Data is not just used to scout. It's vital to predict value, development and prevent injuries. And it ultimately forms part of tactical insight. How it's 'connected' at a club, and how much feeds up to the top, differs from team to team. But #CFC want to be heavily data-led. Chelsea will undoubtedly be innovative. This will come via some predictable moves, like a modern (likely phased) stadium redevelopment, which opens the door to non-football income, too. Spurs have been able to profit from this since their new stadium opened. And, as reported, #CFC will try more novel ideas to bring fans closer to the club and attract new audiences/sponsors. This will include more academy-led content, so supporters feel they know players before they break through. Chelsea Women content will be expanded as well. Amazon also believe Chelsea are open to an 'All or Nothing' documentary, an idea that was flatly dismissed under Abramovich. Eghabli basically wants to monetise content at all levels: "We think there's a lot to do around games, media and live content stories..." #CFC still against the ESL. They don't want to be part of a breakaway. But Eghbali admits, "I think the sport needs more high-quality premium matches and content. But it doesn't have to be a Super League." Boehly may also consider standing for ECA election to input across Europe. Eghbali: "Could you see a EPL vs. Serie A All-Star Game? Or we could do a pre-season match that puts more premium content on the pitch?" #CFC already want in on an EPL endorsed pre-season tournament in America and see big earning potential in America ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The other major aim is to save money rather than only just bringing it in. This will be done via lowering the overall club salary and trying to offer long-term deals with heavy earning incentives. This is also why it's been tough negotiating with N'Golo Kante. #CFC don't want to set a precedent for long-term lucrative contacts for senior players approaching mid-thirties. If they cave to Kante, Jorginho (who is set to start meaningful talks) has leverage to some degree. This extends to signings, too. #CFC know they need some short-term fixes to try and qualify for #UCL. But once the full recruitment team is in place, and the multi-club model built, the hope is for smaller transfer-window spends and high priority placed on younger players. Eghbali: "How do you control salary cost? I think if there's a global pool of talent, the multi club model comes into play. You can have clubs that can be development pathways for players [so] you're not signing the 30-year-old free agent... "There's a path to controlling labour costs and still producing a winning product using data and the multi-club model, an interesting tool for trading. Red Bull, which does it well, has a £40m payroll for their largest club and generate £50-100m yearly in profit in trading." When Eghbali talks of not signing the '30-year-old free agent' he's not referencing Cristiano Ronaldo. Nonetheless, #CFC won't move for Ronaldo because Graham Potter is against the move. But the intrigue (especially to Boehly) was due to his commercial/brand benefit to Chelsea. Appeal of multi-club model to #CFC comes from not only how it creates pathways, but also should a player signed not succeed they can still be sold for a profit. That money can be used to invest in more established targets and/or players who fall outside of the model's strategy. Eghbali also gives insight into why Chelsea are so impressed by Brighton. "We hired a coach from Brighton and we think they are one of the best-run teams in the Premier League. The owner is from a sport-gaming, data background... "He [Tony Bloom] spends 10% of the payroll, wins almost as much [as those who spend far more] and has a very stable, mid-market, mid-table, very profitable club." Eghbali also asked if Clearlake have an exit strategy. Says there are "certainly businesses you want to own for a long time". Clearlake gave a minimum 10-year commitment to #CFC. Eghbali's hands-on approach suggests a long-term vision. Level of ambition is sky-high and exciting. • • •

Chelsea: Koulibaly can leave https://www.calciomercato.com/news/Chelsea-koulibaly-puo-partire-11258

Poch would be the only viable one ZZ will likely never be a manager in the UK, he doesn't speak English well at all and has said he doesn't want to learn it, nor manage in the UK the rest are retreads Bielsa?????? HELL NO as for these Roy the fossil???? of the rest Enrique is overrated IMHO (but not a disaster), so is Martinez maybe Löw Tuchel had to go, he was fighting with the owners and playing dreadful football I loved him as a manager, but this is Chelsea we chop heads Potter will be chopped eventually I rate Julian Nagelsmann (if he is sacked at Bayern, which is unlikely atm, he has only lost one league game all season and won his CL group with ease) He was my number one choice here for ages Lionel Scaloni Diego Simeone (but a bad fit for us I wager) plus 2 Danes Kasper Hjulmand Thomas Frank plus Abel Ferreira (I posted about him when he was still at a smaller Portuguese club (Braga), he went on to win back to back Copa Libertadores with Palmeiras) Zlatko Dalic Roger Schmidt (Benfica) Stefano Pioli Christian Streich (Freiburg, 2nd in the table) Franck Haise (Lens, 2nd in the table) Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta) Oliver Glasner (Eintracht Frankfurt) Régis Le Bris (Lorient) Hansi Flick Urs Fischer (Union Berlin) Sérgio Conceição (Porto) Philippe Clement (Monaco) and one to watch Karel Geraerts (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise)

we have been linked to Rice for years Badiashile to this level of linkage is new I think (as Gvardiol is not leaving this summer barring some insane £130m or more bid, so why would RB take £100m or 105m now when they will bet close to £100m in 2024 with his €110m release clause which kicks in then?) that the smart play is to lock up Evan N'Dicka on a free THIS summer (or even see if we can pull him in January for a small fee) BUT we will have to scupper Arsenal, as they have already agreed to terms with him we also should REALLY be trying for Skriniar, another freebie in June 2023 (it so far looks like he is not going to renew with Inter) we will be fighting at least PSG, plus others there, but if we go all in now, we could lock it up, and we have a real piece of bait: Koulibaly, who Inter still rate a lot THEN, we trying in 2024 to pull Gvardiol (hopefully we have CL to offer for the 2024/25 season) The main problem with him will be Real Madrid and Citeh Piero Hincapie is in the left-footed CB mix as well, as is Gonçalo Inácio these are the top valuation CBs Gvardiol in 2024 and then Skriniar, Pau Torres (hell no) Timber (not sold on him and he is short) and Badiashile now are the only ones available, and we are in for them zero chance Bastoni leaves if/when Skriniar does and ATM Skriniar is a better CB IMHO, Bastoni has stalled out a bit, and is not the paciest, and makes positional errors at times there seems to be this huge myth (and not just with CBs) that there are all these available WC players that we are just ignoring it just isn't true the main one I wish he had been successful with (we tried hard but he loves Barca) is Ronald Araújo WE pulled out of the deal for Kounde (thank fuck), and injury or not, Fofana was a top ranked CB, still is (for now, let's all hope he truly recovers) Marquinhos, de Ligt (not sold on him) and Kimpembe (no chance he is leaving PSG and after this summer he is too old to buy for big cash, as in 2024 we would be buying a player who will only give us ONE sub 30yo season) all said nope ranking 26 to 60 for CBs, only the following are available José María Giménez (always injured) Aymeric Laporte (he turns 30yo at the end of next season) Min-jae Kim (poison dwarf time and not sold on him atm) Robin Le Normand Evan Ndicka left footer Edmond Tapsoba not sold on him atm Mohamed Simakan Piero Hincapié left footer Gonçalo Inácio left footer Merih Demiral (knee inflammation injury atm) same names as I have been saying for ages

I do not believe this for a second.

who do you want as our manager? and NO, Tuchel is not an option, he is not coming back and we were playing dreadful football under him at the end we have (minus the final piece, a sporting director) a whole new, top class management team in place, and are going to a multi-club level I highly doubt we will do several stupid buys like we did in the chaos after Roman was forced out and Boehly had to wing it

Olmo is not a target, that was just Cesc if money was no object (and they were available) there are obviously other Spanish players we would take over Olmo in order (some of the order is up for debate, and I explain Fati) Pedri Gavi Rodri Ansu Fati (only IF he was fully recovered from his horrid multiple injuries and if he was not going to be injured much in the future, which is NOT going to happen IMHO) Mikel Oyarzabal Martín Zubimendi Mikel Merino Marcos Llorente Dani Olmo Yéremy Pino Carlos Soler Ferran Torres José Gayà Aymeric Laporte Nico Williams

Benoit Badiashile: Chelsea’s defensive target with trademark pass, who learned from Henry https://theathletic.com/4022445/2022/12/24/benoit-badiashile-chelseas-defensive-target-with-trademark-pass-who-learnt-from-henry/ Benoit Badiashile might easily have become a Premier League player two-and-a-half years ago. Manchester United were the club most ardent in their interest and amid the financial fallout of the COVID-19 shutdown, Monaco were very open to selling; the word chosen by vice-president Oleg Petrov to describe the prized young centre-back was “bankable”. The club’s head coach Niko Kovac, however, did not want to lose a key player with so much room to grow. “Our aim is to take him to the next level,” he insisted. “If he plays a lot of matches with us in Ligue 1, which is a very good league, he will improve, that is certain.” It’s hard to imagine a strategy being more emphatically vindicated. United’s offer in the summer of 2020 was reported to be in the region of €25 million (£22 million). Now, with Badiashile in his fifth professional season in the Principality as a 21-year-old with 106 Ligue 1 appearances and two senior international caps for France to his name, Chelsea are looking at paying €35 million ($37m, £30m) to bring him to Stamford Bridge in January. Monaco were able to take the long view with Badiashile primarily because the player himself was in no hurry to force his way out. Much quieter and more introverted than his imposing 6ft 4in frame would suggest, the 21-year-old has always been inclined to refine his skills at a club renowned across Europe for developing elite talent before seeking a grander stage. “Being humble and respectful does not mean not being ambitious,” he told L’Equipe after getting his first taste of senior international football with France in a UEFA Nations League double header against Austria and Denmark in September. “I know how to be patient. I’m in a big club, I play and I don’t want to go any faster.” Calm self-assurance is Badiashile’s default setting. Born in the picturesque French city of Limoges and raised in a French-Congolese family as one of eight siblings, the young Benoit was spotted by Monaco as an 11-year-old. When he finally joined their academy at the age of 15 it was at the expense of several other interested European clubs, his decision partly motivated by the fact that older brother Loic — now a goalkeeper at Spanish second-tier club Burgos — was already on the books at Stade Louis II. Badiashile’s first season at Monaco was spent watching the swashbuckling senior side led by Radamel Falcao and a dazzling teenager called Kylian Mbappe inspire a thrilling Ligue 1 title victory and shock Europe to reach the Champions League semi-finals. The dismantling of that team by richer European powers swiftly afterwards led to a sharp decline in the club’s fortunes on the pitch, but also created opportunities for new talent to emerge. Thierry Henry gave the 17-year-old Badiashile his professional debut in a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in November 2018, in the midst of his disastrous 20-game stint as Monaco coach. “He made me progress so much on and off the pitch,” Badiashile later said of Henry. “He passed on simple things to me. So simple that you never think about them on the field. These simple things are details that allow you to move forward. He gave me a lot of advice on my investment (in the game), for example. He explained to me how to handle an attacker. He is a former great striker so he knew what he was talking about.” The Arsenal legend also went out of his way to ensure Badiashile’s character formed in the right way. One clip featuring the two men went viral a month after his debut: the teenage defender getting up to leave at the end of a Champions League press conference and Henry wordlessly chastising him to come back and tuck his chair in properly. Badiashile has worked under four more Monaco coaches in the past four years, and all have been suitably beguiled by his talent to let him play through the occasional bad mistake. His growing importance to the team has broadly been reflected in his first-team minutes played, with the exception of a 2021-22 season disrupted by hamstring injuries and a bout of Covid. He has gained valuable experience in a back four and as the left-sided centre-back in a back three, and played an increasingly prominent role in Monaco teams who have finished third in Ligue 1 in each of the last two seasons. Despite his youth, he appears ready for his next step. Statistically, Harry Maguire is the most similar top-level European centre-back to Badiashile over the past year — Chelsea fans may wince at this comparison but it is reflective of style rather than form, with the 21-year-old an aggressive, front-foot defender and deliverer of big diagonal switches. Though Badiashile has played under five different head coaches at Monaco, under current coach Philippe Clement they have not been a high-possession side. Their average 45 per cent share of possession per game is the fifth-lowest in Ligue 1 this season and represents a markedly different team style to Chelsea. Being aggressive and stepping out of the back-line is typically associated with smaller centre-backs but, even at 6ft 4in, is a feature of Badiashile’s game. Against Marseille, we see him stepping out from the back four — Monaco’s typical defensive set-up — to apply pressure to Amine Harit as he receives between the lines… …and, without making contact with the attacking midfielder, he prevents him from turning and Harit passes sideways. From earlier in the same game, he breaks from shape again, this time to press Alexis Sanchez: This high-risk, high-reward style of defending certainly fits the Potter style of pressing and, again, Badiashile is effective as Sanchez is prevented from playing on the turn and passes backwards. However, the two-cap France international needs to ensure he picks his moments and should be encouraged to get touch-tight and put contact on the attacker. Quicker decisions by Sanchez and he could have found Matteo Guendouzi with a ball over the top (red arrow) as the midfielder is unmarked in the space vacated by Badiashile: StatsBomb’s defensive actions map from the 2021-22 season, when Badiashile started 21 times in Ligue 1, visualises where he defends compared to the league average. The darker red zones wide left in his own half and next to the centre-circle reflect this high volume of defending when stepping out, with closer-to-average rates of defending being done in his own box: With the ball, Badiashile has a trademark pass — the diagonal from left to right, particularly when the opposition sit off and defend in a mid-block: Changing the point of attack like this is valuable though there is room for the 21-year-old to add more disguise to his passes, as he often telegraphs them with his body positioning and this can alert defenders. It is good currently, and it should not be complete at 21, but Potter would want to expand on his range of passing. Badiashile can play over a defence, but playing round and through are key elements of a centre-back in a Potter system. Against Trabzonspor — who had a player sent off — in the Europa League, Badiashile neglects the pass around the mid-block to left-back Caio Henrique (purple arrow) and instead opts to play over the nine outfielders onto Krepin Diatta: An example of the actions he needs to make more can be seen against Angers. He drives forward and, as the Angers right wing-back steps out to mark, threads a through ball outside him to the advancing left-back Caio Henrique: With one pass, the defence are dissected and Henrique can square it to Wissam Ben Yedder to score — a goal created by Badiashile: Badiashile’s size makes him a significant aerial threat in both boxes, despite the relative infrequency at which he contests such duels. To look at his strengths, we can use smarterscout, a site which gives players a series of ratings from zero and 99, a bit like the player ratings in the FIFA video games but powered by real data and advanced analytics. These ratings relate to either how often a player performs a given stylistic action (for example, the volume of shots per touch) or how effective they are at them (for example, how well they progress the ball upfield) compared with others at their position. Badiashile is involved in fewer aerial duels than the average centre-back (36 out of 99) — the chart also outlines his high-quality defensive impacts from stepping out (ball recoveries & interceptions, 92 out of 99, and defending intensity, 93 out of 99) and value added through long passing (progressive passing, 80 out of 99). For Monaco’s late equaliser at home to Lorient in February 2021, Badiashile finds space to get a clear run at the ball — a short-free kick to change the angle and then played long — and rises highest to flick it onto Ben Yedder: Though he boasts an aerial advantage over most players, Badiashile does not rely on this to win duels and maximises his chances of success through clever positioning and times his jumps to get on top of opponents well. “I like my teams to be a reflection of me; I’d like to say hard-working, a level of humility, controlled aggression and the potential to add physicality,” said Monaco Sporting Director Paul Mitchell to The Athletic in July — a fair reflection of Badiashile as a player, too. Across more than 100 appearances in Ligue 1, Badiashile has won over 70 per cent of aerial duels and that proportion has been trending upwards since the 2019-20 season, evidence of a super-strength evolving further. Most of Chelsea’s current centre-backs are less than imposing in the air; one important reason Wesley Fofana was prioritised last summer was his ability to bring greater athleticism to this particular aspect of the game. Along those same lines it’s easy to see why Badiashile, too, would be considered a good choice to enhance Graham Potter’s defensive options. Badiashile was always tall for his age. The physical strength came a little later, the product not just of a diligent approach to training but also a proactive attitude outside of team sessions; he sought out the guidance of former French middle and long distance runner Bouabdellah “Bob” Tahri, as well as hitting the gym regularly to build up muscle. The final piece of the jigsaw was the mental assertiveness that Badiashile has admired for a long time in defenders like Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Silva, but which did not come naturally to him. His older brother Loic was always keen to make that a point of emphasis. “He tells me all the time to be more aggressive,” Badiashile said in an interview with Onze Mondial in February 2020. “He rarely looks at what I do well. He talks to me all the time about what I’m doing wrong. He is very hard on me. It is important. In addition, as a goalkeeper, he knows what a central defender must do.” Asked in the same interview whether his naturally calm, introverted personality is really compatible with becoming a world-class footballer, Badiashile found a response that will resonate with Chelsea supporters. “We can see N’Golo Kanté,” he said. “He is calm and introverted and that does not prevent him from being one of the best midfielders in the world.“ Badiashile’s life off the pitch in France has been similarly quiet, with a strong family influence. Growing up in Limoges, Malesherbes and then Monaco, his six sisters were protective of him. Throughout his time at Stade Louis II his mother has stayed close while his architect father works in Paris, and older brother Loic has remained a close confidant and mentor even as their football careers have diverged in recent years. This personal stability perhaps helps to explain why Badiashile has been so measured and patient in his professional choices. It is arguable that if he had left Monaco earlier, he might have stood a better chance of making Didier Deschamps’ 26-man squad for the World Cup, though his central defensive partner at club level Axel Disasi was picked to go to Qatar. But any disappointment from that omission is unlikely to linger. Badiashile is confident of what he can achieve in his career even if he does not shout it from the rooftops, and he has refused to be rushed. At the end of the interview with Onze Mondial he was asked to pick a sentence that best represents him, and he replied by citing a lyric from French-Congolese rapper Ninho which translates as: “I know where I’m going so I walk quietly.” He might now be going to Chelsea too.

Declan Rice: His future, Chelsea links and what happens next https://theathletic.com/4016424/2022/12/24/declan-rice-his-future-Chelsea-links-and-what-happens-next/ Declan Rice was candid when addressing his long-term ambitions on the eve of England’s last-16 tie against Senegal. “One hundred per cent, I want to play in the Champions League,” he said. “For the last two or three years, I’ve been saying that. I’ve been playing consistently well for my club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies.” At the World Cup Rice showed he belongs on the biggest stage — starting every game for Gareth Southgate’s side. “You only get one career and at the end you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in,” he said. “I really want to do that.” At 23, Rice is the youngest captain in the Premier League and a key player for England and West Ham United. But he is yet to feature in Europe’s elite competition, instead representing West Ham in the Europa League and Conference League during the past two seasons. Rice’s contract expires in the summer of 2024 and there is an option to extend by a further year. Rice, who has rejected three contract offers, has no desire to sign a new deal and has made it clear he wants to win trophies and play regularly in the Champions League. It has been over nine months since the midfielder held contract talks with West Ham. Rice would have been the highest-paid player in the club’s history had he accepted the club’s last contract offer. Under no circumstances will Rice be sold in January but the club have conceded internally they will have to sell him this summer. West Ham have tried to convince Rice to stay. This summer the club spent £165million on eight new arrivals with proven international pedigree. For context, that window was only the second time in the club’s history they have spent more than £100million on signings, the other being 2019-20 when Sebastien Haller and Pablo Fornals arrived. But the midfielder still plans on leaving this summer and the England international wants to go on amicable terms. He will not hand in a transfer request to force an exit. As it stands, no one is in pole position to secure Rice’s signature but his stock has grown following his assured performances in Qatar. It is not known when West Ham will activate the one-year option in Rice’s contract, but this summer is their last chance to earn a sizeable fee for the midfielder. “£100million was cheap last summer,” said manager David Moyes in April. “£150m just now would be the minimum.” If a club meets West Ham’s valuation, that would make Rice the most expensive British footballer in history. It is important to stress there is no release clause in Rice’s contract. Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have all registered an interest in the midfielder. Respected analysts of the market, CIES Football Observatory, value Rice at €80million (£70million), which is significantly less than West Ham’s valuation. The next five months will mark Rice’s final chapter at West Ham. They will hope his value goes up if they secure a European finish, or win the Conference League. Rice’s honest answer about wanting to play in Europe’s elite competition did not surprise West Ham’s hierarchy. They know his intentions and they know realistically they cannot offer Champions League football. Rice’s straightforward answer would have alerted suitors, noticeably Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly. He was at the Khalifa International Stadium for England’s 6-2 group stage win against Iran. Since succeeding Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s new owners spent a club record £250million-plus in their first transfer window. Chelsea would have the edge over Manchester City and Manchester United given Rice’s previous affiliation. It is well documented the midfielder was released by Chelsea aged 14. “That was everything I ever knew to be honest,” said Rice in a previous interview. “From nine to 14, training there Monday to Friday, playing games and to get told you won’t be a part of that anymore was a major shock. I never thought it would have to happen but it did.” Coaches at the time felt Rice was behind his peers in terms of his development. Upon his release, the midfielder initially had interest from Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur. Dave Hunt — who was West Ham’s head of academy recruitment — convinced Rice’s family that West Ham were the right club for his development. Some of the misgivings over Rice at Chelsea was how he was not progressive with the ball. However members of staff at the club felt other areas of his game now compensated for that. Given the rate in which he has improved, they felt they needed to consider him an option. Chelsea are worried about losing Rice to rivals Manchester United or Manchester City. There are frustrations over Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne’s departures in 2016 and 2014 respectively and there is an eagerness to rectify those mistakes. Chelsea’s owners want a squad built with players 25 and under, young and hungry that want to win trophies. Rice, who turns 24 in January, would fit the mould. Chelsea’s interest in Rice dates back to when Frank Lampard was manager. They explored the possibility of signing the midfielder in the summer window of 2020. Lampard, now manager of Everton, made concerted efforts to convince Rice his future lay at Chelsea. However there was concern from the club’s hierarchy about what it would look like to spend a fortune on a player that was let go for nothing. It is believed Lampard’s constant push for Rice aggravated Chelsea’s board so a deal never materialised. “We are fortunate to have him in England,” said Lampard. “West Ham are fortunate to have him. He’s a leader and it is clear that he’s destined for great things. I have probably given it away with how I spoke about him, but I think it’s common knowledge that I was a big fan of his. It didn’t happen for various reasons, but we brought in a lot of players in the summer. But I was a big fan of him.” Thomas Tuchel, Lampard’s successor, was also a big admirer of Rice. “I rate him very highly,” he said. “He seems to be a very nice guy from what everybody tells me and is from the Chelsea academy and he proves this (his quality). That’s the most important thing. It feels like he plays every single game. “He is available, is captain, plays with a lot of responsibility, is a physical player, very strategic-minded, a key player for his team, and is strong at set-pieces. This is not a surprise. Everybody sees this. He is a huge part of the success of West Ham and it is impressive.” Chelsea are looking to rebuild their midfield department and are looking to spend big in 2023. Jude Bellingham, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder, is another target. The expectation is Jorginho will leave at the end of the season when his contract expires. Both parties are still no closer to agreeing to terms for a contract extension. N’Golo Kante’s contract also expires in summer 2023, but his future remains in the balance. Graham Potter, who was appointed manager in September, is an admirer but Kante has been injured since August, and there is an acceptance he cannot be relied upon to play every game. Since making his first-team debut against Burnley in 2017, Rice has been Mr Dependable for West Ham. He has hardly been injured and played 182 league games, only missing 24 fixtures. From June 2021 to June 2022, Rice played in 68 games for club and country. Rice’s mindset and other attributes explain why other clubs also have a strong interest. Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, labelled Rice as an “exceptional player” following West Ham’s 2-1 loss away to City last season. However the club are well stocked in his position with Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri and summer signing Kalvin Phillips, who joined for £42m from Leeds United in the summer. West Ham’s valuation could also put the club off. Manchester City also retain a strong interest in Bellingham. A deal for the 19-year-old is considered more of a priority than signing Rice. Rice has been on Manchester United’s radar for several years, but his price was always regarded as far too much considering there was not universal consensus among club scouts. Still, United held initial talks over a move last season to survey the potential cost of a transfer and it could be that the situation is revisited given other clubs are ahead in the pursuit of Bellingham. Similarly to Manchester City, Manchester United are well stocked in central midfield with Fred, Scott McTominay, Christian Eriksen and summer signing Casemiro, who joined in a deal worth up to £70m from Real Madrid in August. Aside from club matters, Rice has been earmarked as a future England captain. He has earned 39 caps and is a popular member of Southgate’s squad. Rice’s commercial value has also soared — something his admirers will have noted. In April he teamed up with high-end fashion brand Prada to feature on the cover of Circle Zero Eight magazine. He featured in Sports Direct’s Christmas advert alongside childhood friend Mason Mount, Thierry Henry and Eric Cantona. Rice is equipped to perform at the highest level, whether it is on the field or off it. The next five months will be a defining moment in his career and when it comes to potential suitors, it is a case of who decides to blink first.

Chelsea keen on €35m Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile https://theathletic.com/4023732/2022/12/24/Chelsea-transfers-benoit-badiashile/ Chelsea are working to sign a new left-sided centre-back and — as things stand — Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile is the leading candidate. The pursuit of a new recruit for this position has been ongoing since the last window, when Chelsea had personal terms in place with RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol but were unable to strike a club-to-club deal on the transfer fee. Their interest in the Croatia international remains, however his rising value has forced Chelsea to broaden the search and consider alternative options for January or next summer. Those include Evan N’Dika — set to be available as a free agent when his contract at Eintracht Frankfurt expires on June 30 — and Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie. Yet Badiashile has emerged as the priority at present and Chelsea are talking to Monaco about recruiting the France international. While currently there is no agreement between the Premier League side and their Ligue 1 counterparts, multiple sources believe he will join in the weeks ahead for around €35 million ($37m, £30m). The development follows an extensive scouting process, which has seen Chelsea focus on a fairly specific profile and age group. Badiashile, Gvardiol, N’Dika and Hincapie occupy similar roles and are 21, 20, 23 and 20 respectively. Chelsea admire the multi-club models Monaco and Leipzig are part of and recently dealt with both sides, having appointed Laurence Stewart and Christopher Vivell as technical directors. If Badiashile joins, it would continue the owners’ focus on trying to bring in young players to the club. Chelsea added Carney Chukwuemeka (18), Fofana (21), Marc Cucurella (24) and Cesare Casadei (19) in the summer and are also signing 19-year-old Datro Fofana from Norweigan club Molde. His arrival would help to reinforce a part of the squad that suffered after Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left on free transfers last summer. He would join Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana in competing for the centre-back berths, with Cucurella and Reece James able to play there in a three too. Badiashile is a 6ft 4in defender who is good on the ball, incredibly fast and who has impressed in France by regularly stealing the ball off opponents without having to go to ground. He also has a lot of experience for someone so young, having played 135 times for Monaco already.

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Raphinha has been a bust at Barca, they may be looking to sell him HARD PASS

when next season starts, he will have been at Chels longer than he was at both AC Milan and at Fluminense

What is your fixation with slagging off Boehly? The bloke is putting his money where his mouth is, and is putting together a world class team to run the club (and he is also going to do a multi club model, which is brilliant)

he is NOT Citeh leftovers, smdh is Musiala Chels leftovers? roflmaooooooooooooooo

Romeo Lavia would be great for that role too I am sure that is why we tried to buy him last summer, late late in the game

agree on Datro, the other two need consistent playing time I am super happy with teh young players we are buying hopefully we can close out Arsen Zakharyan soon, and Youssoufa Moukoko too

FIFA’s access all areas accreditation really is good

Chelsea considering the sale of Kalidou Koulibaly https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2022/12/24/Chelsea-considering-the-sale-of-kalidou-koulibaly/ Chelsea are willing to sell Kalidou Koulibaly in January after disappointing with his performances since the summer move. According to Fichajes, Chelsea could listen to offers for Kalidou Koulibaly despite only signing the defender in the summer. The Senegal international’s performances have disappointed the recruitment team, who may entertain proposals in January. Kalidou Koulibaly was a masterstroke of a signing meant to solidify Chelsea’s options at the back. The Senegal international got heralded as a perfect replacement for Antonio Rudiger, who left on a free transfer to Real Madrid. Chelsea paid a whopping €38 million for the 31-year-old centre-back after a few consistent years leading the Napoli backline. The Naples side were happy to take the money for the defender. Koulibaly had a decent start, scoring against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, signalling his arrival in the Premier League. Known for his physical prowess and speed, Koulibaly had forged the reputation of a hard-fought centre-back in Italy’s top flight. Since moving to Chelsea, he has been nowhere near the player he once was with Napoli. His displays have disappointed the Chelsea recruitment team. Chelsea are reportedly considering a sale of the defender and remains open to entertaining proposals in January. The summer signing has struggled for consistency, and since Graham Potter’s arrival, he has spent more time on the bench than on the pitch. The report suggests Chelsea feels they can recoup a significant chunk of the €38 million invested in the defender in January. They believe, Koulibaly still has a huge market, and proposals could arrive if the defender is up for sale. The Blues are already seeking a new defender in Koulibaly’s position, with Josko Gvardiol their primary target. The Croatian international fits with the project embarked under new owner Todd Boehly. At 20 years of age, he can become the leader of the backline for years to come. Chelsea are the front-runners for Gvardiol, and if they can manage to broker a deal, that would signal the end for Koulibaly. It’s unlikely they would recoup anywhere close to the €38 million they paid for the summer signing. They could still get a reasonable price in the current market. Koulibaly considers himself motivated and could bank on having a long career. He may still get a few chances to save his Chelsea career, but overall it may appear the decision to sell him is already made.