Vesper

Deinner Ordóñez Chelsea join Liverpool in race for Ecuadorian prodigy, 15, as Blues hold talks over £14m-rated defender https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15088427/Chelsea-Liverpool-Ecuador-prodigy-15-14m-rated.html Chelsea have held talks over a move for Ecuador defensive prodigy Deinner Ordonez. The centre back is regarded as the next great talent to emerge from Independiente del Valle who have produced the likes of Moises Caicedo, Kendry Paez and Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie. Still only 15, Ordonez impressed playing above his age group at the South American U20 Championships earlier this year where he was the youngest player to appear there in over a decade. His performances have already caught the eye of Liverpool scouts and clubs from Spain and Germany. Already over 6ft tall, Ordonez is right-footed but is utilised as a left-sided centre back where he is fast earning plaudits for excellent use of the ball and his ability to build play from the back. He is also strong in the air though still to develop physically. Independiente are willing to strike a deal to sell the youngster, similar to the transfer structured previously for Paez who agreed to leave at 16 but was only eligible for transfer this summer in turning 18. Ordonez does not turn 18 until October 2027 but there is already talk of Independiente looking for around £14million including add on payments for the teenager. Chelsea have been determined in their pursuit of global up-and-coming talents and often ruthless in their willingness to beat the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid to their signatures.

If I see it, I will post it. I can only work with what I find.

EXCL: Chelsea set sights on U23 attacking trio after missing out on Xavi Simons Chelsea will make an attacking midfielder a priority for upcoming transfer windows. https://thedailybriefing.io/p/excl-Chelsea-set-sights-on-u23-attacking Chelsea are set to make an attacking midfielder a priority in the transfer market in the coming year after missing out on Xavi Simons in the summer. The Blues had a busy summer bringing in exciting talents such as Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jorrel Hato and Alejandro Garnacho, but their recruitment team continues to be busy assessing future targets. Sources with a close understanding of Chelsea's plans have informed CaughtOffside that the west London giants will now focus on Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers as one of their top targets for January or next summer, as well as two other top young talents aged 23 and under… Chelsea's interest in signing Rogers is no secret, with the England international having been on their radar during the summer, while other top clubs have also been impressed by his form for Villa. Chelsea exploring Morgan Rogers and other transfer targets Sources have also informed CaughtOffside that Juventus' Kenan Yildiz is on Chelsea's radar, along with Lyon's Malick Fofana. Although Tottenham ended up winning the race for Xavi Simons, Chelsea were also really keen on bringing him in as well as Garnacho late on in the window. In the end, only Garnacho was possible, but CFC will set aside funds for at least one more top attacking midfield player in the months ahead. Rogers is well liked by Chelsea's recruitment team, but Yildiz and Fofana are two other names to watch if a deal proves too expensive or complicated to get done. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) Villa are understandably keen to hold on to Rogers, but could also be in a strong position to invite a bidding war as other clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City could get involved. Chelsea missed out on Xavi Simons and Ethan Nwaneri Chelsea also notably had a genuine and concrete interest in Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri during the summer. In the end, Nwaneri ended up signing a new contract with the Gunners, but Charles Watts has previously told us about the Blues' interest. "Arsenal were always quite calm about Nwaneri’s situation, but with just a year remaining of his old deal it was an issue that needed resolving," Watts said of Chelsea's interest in Nwaneri. "Chelsea were interested, just as they were before Nwaneri signed his first professional contract with the club in March, 2024." He added: "While there may have been strong interest, Nwaneri’s preference was always to stay at Arsenal and the club were always confident he would stay."

Chelsea charged with 74 alleged breaches of FA regulations over 13-year period https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6618970/2025/09/11/Chelsea-charges-agents-fa/ The Football Association (FA) has charged Chelsea with 74 alleged breaches of its regulations between 2009 and 2022. The charges centre on a period of time when the club was under the ownership of Roman Abramovich and “primarily relate to events that occurred between the 2010-11 to 2015-16 playing seasons”, the FA said. Abramovich was disqualified as a director of Chelsea by the Premier League in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the previous month. That came after the UK government froze the Russian billionaire’s assets due to his “close ties with the Kremlin”. In May of that year, Chelsea’s current ownership of the investor consortium BlueCo led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the club. The alleged breaches are in relation to the governing body’s agent regulations, regulations on working with intermediaries, and third party investment in players regulations. An FA statement on Thursday read: “The Football Association has today charged Chelsea FC with breaches of Regulations J1 and C2 of the FA Football Agents Regulations, Regulations A2 and A3 of the FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries, and Regulations A1 and B3 of the FA Third Party Investment in Player Regulations. “In total, 74 charges have been brought against Chelsea FC. “The conduct that is the subject of the charges range from 2009 to 2022 and primarily relates to events that occurred between the 2010-11 to 2015-16 playing seasons.” The club have until September 19 to respond with scope for that deadline to be extended given the extent of the charges. Chelsea insist the charges relate to the Abramovich era only. The FA refused to clarify when asked to do so by The Athletic. The club said on Thursday that they were “pleased” that the issue “self-reported by the club is now reaching a conclusion”. “During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the (current) ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules,” the statement continued. “Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including The FA.” Chelsea said they had “demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the club’s files and historical data”. The club added: “We will continue working collaboratively with the FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible. We wish to place on record our gratitude to the FA for their engagement with the club on this complex case, the focus of which has been on matters that took place over a decade ago.”

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Pat Nevin backs Chelsea's transfer strategy and says it's better than Liverpool's Nevin hasn't always been behind the new owners https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/pat-nevin-backs-chelseas-transfer Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin has not always been supportive of the new ownership group and he has often been quite critical. But in recent months, his tone is changing. Nevin has come out with a huge opinion this week on Chelsea’s transfer strategy and has made some big calls on our business being better than Liverpool’s this summer. Nevin believes his former club enjoyed a more successful transfer window than Liverpool, despite the Reds' record-breaking summer spree. Liverpool dominated headlines by smashing the British transfer record twice in succession. Liverpool ultimately spent £446million this summer. Whilst Chelsea invested £284m in new players but ended up in the positive net spend due to some incredible player sales. Nevin argues that Chelsea's more measured recruitment strategy - targeting young talent with strong resale value - is the smarter long-term play, and one that could yield greater rewards than Liverpool's high-risk, high-reward spending. "Isak is someone I can see Chelsea potentially going for, but if you're spending £125m, you're not making a profit if you sell in four years," Nevin said. "Isak would do the job for you, but Chelsea don't look at it that way. "This is Chelsea's method. They won't buy players without a potential resale value. It's happened with plenty of clubs in the past where they've spent big on a player, and when it doesn't work out, there's no resale. Chelsea don't like that. That's not the model." Nevin, who spent five years as a player at Stamford Bridge, went on to suggest that Liverpool might have overpaid for their marquee summer signings - particularly when compared to the players Chelsea secured in the same positions. "The club have brought Joao Pedro in for half the price of Isak. Is Isak really twice the player that Joao Pedro is? I don't think so," the former Scotland international said. "He's a fabulous player, he's probably better than Joao Pedro at the moment, but if you're looking at smart money, then Chelsea have got the better deal. "Chelsea would have made back that Joao Pedro money from the sales they've made this summer and from the Club World Cup as well. The model looks alright to me. Don't get me wrong, Chelsea have spent a lot of money, but they've recouped that money as well. "Chelsea are right amongst the top when it comes to spending over the past few years, but they would say they've been sensible. They're back in the Champions League, they've won the Club World Cup, so actually, you can see the model is working. "Some of the players they've brought in are great value," Nevin, who also played for Everton, added. "Estevao might be the best value of the lot. He's only a kid, but he looks like a brilliant footballer. If he's this good now, you can only imagine how good he'll be if he keeps on improving. "So, the way Chelsea look at it is, do we go for this talented 18-year-old or go out and sign Florian Wirtz for £100m+? You'll only know in three or four years who was right, but I think it's a close call from what I've seen." We all have our opinion on a lot of what Nevin has said above. He’s made some big claims here. I completely get where he’s coming from and what he’s trying to say here, but I don’t agree with it all personally. I think Chelsea have done some smart business for sure, but my gripe has always been that it’s lacked balance and it still does really. But I also see the vision now and see it coming together. I don’t think you can say it’s been proven to work yet though, I think we have to see where we are at the end of the season first and see how we end it and what we achieve to truly judge the strategy. We will also need to see where Liverpool are to be able to compare the windows. But Chelsea’s selling has been incredible this summer and they are very much able to spin a profit on players who don’t make it here. But that comes with criticism and a down side as well - the human aspect of it all. I think we have a strong squad but still ignored two critical areas for me. I like the fact we have moved on to signing more proven players like Joao Pedro, which is what I’ve been asking for. But there are still some big question marks and I’m not getting carried away with anything just yet. I do rate what Nevin has said here though and in general I like his views, but he’s much braver than me to put all that on paper at this stage of the season! Let’s see how things go!

nil 2 Noni

England are missing around £1 billion total buy cost worth of players with these 10 Jude Bellingham Bukayo Saka Cole Palmer Phil Foden Trent Alexander-Arnold Ethan Nwaneri Levi Colwill Kobbie Mainoo Jarrad Branthwaite Adam Wharton

Chelsea Football Club has released the following update regarding Dario Essugo… https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/injury-update-dario-essugo Midfielder Dario Essugo has undergone successful surgery today on his thigh. The 20-year-old sustained the injury whilst on international duty for Portugal's Under-21s. Medical assessments confirmed surgery would be the required course of action and Dario will now begin his recovery at Cobham, supported by the club's medical department.

Chelsea striker Liam Delap expected to return to training in November, no surgery required after hamstring injury https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6587974/2025/09/09/liam-delap-injury-update-Chelsea/ By David Ornstein and Simon Johnson Sept. 9, 2025 Chelsea striker Liam Delap is expected to begin training again in November, with his anticipated return to play coming shortly after ahead of the busy festive fixture schedule. No surgery is required on the hamstring injury Delap sustained against Fulham and his lay-off is estimated at approximately 10 weeks from the time of the injury. Delap pulled up during the first half of Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fulham on August 30 and was replaced by Tyrique George. After the game, head coach Enzo Maresca said he feared Delap would be out for up to eight weeks. The England Under-21 international’s injury caused Chelsea to recall Marc Guiu from his proposed season-long loan at Sunderland. That came after the club had informed Bayern Munich they would not be sanctioning the proposed loan of Nicolas Jackson to the German club, before a deal was ultimately struck on deadline day which includes a conditional obligation for the Bundesliga champions to make the move permanent. Delap is set to miss the beginning of Chelsea’s Champions League league phase campaign, which includes a trip to Bayern Munich on September 17, while Maresca’s side also play Premier League champions Liverpool on October 4 and travel to Tottenham Hotspur on November 1. Delap joined Chelsea for £30million from Ipswich Town at the start of summer. He featured in six games for his new side at the Club World Cup, scoring once, and had started two of Chelsea’s opening three Premier League games. As well as Delap, Chelsea also recruited Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of the Club World Cup. The Brazilian has so far featured as a No 10, a No 9 and on the left under Maresca. Chelsea return to action following the international break against Brentford on Saturday. ‘A blow for the player and Chelsea’ Analysis by Chelsea correspondent Simon Johnson Losing Delap for such a long period of time is a blow for the player and Chelsea. Delap may have been outshone by fellow new forward recruit Joao Pedro so far as the 5-1 goal ratio indicates. But the striker, bought from Ipswich Town for £30million in June, was providing the team with some much needed physicality and showing his importance. The schedule is now becoming much more intense with the start of the Champions League next week and head coach Enzo Maresca would have hoped to share the workload between both of his options. Chelsea have recalled Marc Guiu from his loan at Sunderland to fill the void after deciding not to stand in the way of Nicolas Jackson’s departure to Bayern Munich before the deadline. As The Athletic explained last week, Guiu is a player who is highly regarded by Maresca and club personnel. It is a great opportunity for him of course, but he does not have as many games at the highest level as Delap has managed. With Chelsea facing Tottenham Hotspur on November 1, that means Delap is surely going to miss a minimum of 11 fixtures and even after he is fit to feature again, will surely need a few weeks to get back to being 100 per cent. Delap has ambitions of making the England squad for the 2026 World Cup, but there is now a very strong possibility that he will not get a chance to impress head coach Thomas Tuchel until the March international break next year.

Ange Postecoglou appointed Nottingham Forest head coach after Nuno exit https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6425702/2025/09/09/ange-postecoglou-nottingham-forest-manager/ Ange Postecoglou has been appointed Nottingham Forest head coach after Nuno Espirito Santo was relieved of his duties. Postecoglou will be in the dugout for Forest’s visit to Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday, with the Australian set to be joined by several of his former Tottenham Hotspur coaching staff. The 60-year-old emerged as a leading contender to replace Nuno at the City Ground, having parted company with Spurs in June — weeks after winning the Europa League title with the north London club. “We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies,” Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis said upon the appointment. “His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions. “After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies. Ange has the credentials and the track-record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey.” Postecoglou has been out of management since leaving Tottenham. He had contact from Al Ahli who considered him a candidate for a managerial change but it was not pursued, while he was contacted by Brentford, who appointed Keith Andrews, about replacing Thomas Frank this summer. Postecoglou’s dismissal came after leading the north London club to a first major trophy in 17 years with victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final. However, the club finished 17th in the top flight, and their total of 22 losses was the most of any team not to be relegated in a 38-game Premier League season. Postecoglou guided Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years in May (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) Postecoglou spent two decades managing in Australia across multiple clubs and the nation’s youth sides, before coaching the Australia international side between 2013 and 2017. He went on to coach Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos, with whom he won the J-League title in 2019, and winning five domestic trophies — including the Scottish league title in each season — across two seasons at Celtic. He guided Spurs to a fifth-place finish in his first season in charge in 2023-24, but the following campaign saw a notable drop in domestic form despite winning the Europa League title. What You Should Read Next Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest exit feels unnecessary, potentially damaging and all just pretty sad For a little while, on the surface at least, Nottingham Forest seemed like it was a relatively serene place to be. Not now Nottingham Forest owner Marinakis had recently praised Postecoglou, who has Greek heritage and previously managed Panachaiki in the nation’s lower divisions. “What I want to say about Ange is that he has spoken about Greece many times, he is proud to be Greek and in the great success he had with Tottenham by winning the Europa League, he spoke about Greece,” Marinakis said of Postecoglou when presenting the head coach with an award in Greece in July, as cited by Neos Kosmos. “A man who not only does not hide his origin but is also proud of it. What he achieved, he did with a team that has not won any titles, it has had a very difficult time in recent years. In this huge success that the whole world saw, he promoted Greece.” Nuno had led the club to a seventh-place finish last season, and qualified for the Europa League following Crystal Palace’s demotion to the Conference League — the first time Forest will play in Europe for 30 years. The Athletic reported on August 23 that a major fallout had occurred between Nuno and Forest’s new global head of football Edu , with their relationship in a potentially irreparable state. What You Should Read Next Revealed: Nuno’s row with Edu at the heart of his Nottingham Forest unhappiness A row between Nuno and Edu at Nottingham Forest has sparked recent discontent over the state of the club's squad The internal conflict had been ongoing for months, and in that time Nuno was outspoken in the media about his relationship with Forest owner Marinakis, saying ahead of his side’s match against Crystal Palace it had “changed” and that they were “not as close”. This was followed by Marinakis saying Nuno was the right person for the job a week later. Nuno had also spoken about his disappointment with the club’s summer transfer business, saying he was “very worried” about his squad on the eve of the new campaign. The club moved quickly in subsequent weeks to complete a club-record deal for Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town, while also signing James McAtee, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Douglas Luiz among their 13 summer incomings. Forest have picked up four points in their opening three Premier League matches, with Nuno’s final game in charge the 3-0 home defeat to West Ham United prior to the international break. Additional reporting from Guillermo Rai Will Forest get the dogmatic or pragmatic Postecoglou? Analysis by The Athletic’s Duncan Alexander The question for Nottingham Forest is which Ange Postecoglou are they going to get? Will it be the early Tottenham-era Ange, the high-line enthusiast who won the Premier League manager of the month award in his first three months at the club, who saw his team score two or more goals in each of his first seven games in charge and who made the best start after 10 games (winning eight, with two draws) of any manager in the competition’s history. Could it be the mid-era Ange, who saw a squad increasingly susceptible to injury, particularly in defence, and who recorded more defeats (22) than any other non-relegated side had ever done before in a 20-team season. The resulting 17th-place finish was Tottenham’s lowest since they were relegated from the English top-flight in 1977. Or are Forest banking on getting the (very) late-era Ange, the man who saw the opportunity of once again winning a trophy in his second season, and did so by getting Spurs to repeatedly shut up shop in the latter stages of the 2024-25 Europa League. His side had three shots in the final against Manchester United and scored with the only one that was directed on target. It was light years from his initial approach in 2023 but it showed a level of pragmatism and nous that Forest — now in the Europa League themselves — could certainly benefit from.

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Nottingham Forest part company with head coach Nuno Espírito Santo Nuno had led Forest to historic European qualification Head coach recently admitted tensions with owner https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/sep/09/nottingham-forest-part-company-with-head-coach-nuno-espirito-santo Nottingham Forest have parted company with their head coach, Nuno Espírito Santo, after a year and eight months, with Ange Postecoglou strongly linked to the vacant position. Nuno’s departure just three games into the season comes after the emergence of tensions with the owner, Evangelos Marinakis, over the past fortnight. “Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espírito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as head coach,” said a club statement in the early hours of Tuesday morning. “The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024-25 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the club. “As someone who played a pivotal role in our success last season, he will always hold a special place in our journey.” Nuno confirmed before August’s Premier League match at Crystal Palace, that his relationship with Marinakis had deteriorated over the summer. “I cannot say that is the same, because it’s not the same,” Nuno said. “The reason behind it, I don’t know … I think everybody at the club should be together but it’s not the reality.” Nuno’s tenure at the City Ground was highly successful, the Portuguese steering Forest to safety in his first season after replacing Steve Cooper in December 2023. The following season, he led the team on an unexpected push for Champions League qualification, spending much of the campaign in the top four. Forest finished seventh, securing a Conference League spot which became a Europa League place when Crystal Palace were demoted by Uefa. The former Tottenham manager Postecoglou is reportedly a frontrunner to succeed Nuno. The Australian has been out of work since being sacked in June after overseeing a 17th-place finish in the Premier League last season, despite ending the club’s trophy drought with success in the Europa League. While Nuno’s relationship with Marinakis proved the Portuguese’s undoing, the Greek businessman has in the past expressed his admiration for Postecoglou, who is of Greek heritage. “What he achieved, he did with a team that has not won any titles, it has had a very difficult time in recent years. In this huge success that the whole world saw, he promoted Greece,” Marinakis said when presenting him with an award in Greece following his Europa League triumph. “We must thank him especially for this and we wish him well, although we are sure that he will do well as he has the ability. Wherever he goes, the successes will come.” Having led the club into Europe, Nuno departs the City Ground as the club’s most successful manager since Frank Clark, and they sit 10th in the Premier League table.

Axel Disasi agreed to return to Monaco from Chelsea on loan before a deal collapsed https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2025/axel-disasi-agreed-to-return-to-monaco-from-Chelsea-on-loan-before-a-deal-collapsed/ According to a report from Foot Mercato, Axel Disasi (27) agreed personal terms with Monaco ahead of a potential return to the principality club from Chelsea in the final days of the transfer window. The France international was set to return to the Ligue 1 club on a season long loan without an option to buy. Despite an agreement being reached between Les Monégasques and the former Aston Villa loanee, the deal ultimately collapsed due to the Premier League club’s loan quota becoming full. Ultimately, this led to the 27-year-old staying put in the English capital. Several clubs showed an interest in signing the former Monaco defender during the summer transfer window, but a move never materialised for the Frenchman. Despite the transfer window being closed in most leagues, it remains open in Turkey and the Middle East. However, no clubs are yet reported to be interested in making a move for Disasi. Get French Football News understands that Monaco did not pursue a move for the Chelsea defender. GFFN | Liam Wraith

Chelsea player turned down chance to join Juventus this summer A Chelsea player reportedly rejected a move to clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus this summer, and fans won’t be thrilled with it. https://theprideoflondon.com/Chelsea-player-turned-down-chance-join-juventus-summer Since the change in ownership, Chelsea have focused on bringing in youngsters and developing them into stars. As a result, in recent years, the Blues have reduced their spending on signing and giving high salaries to experienced players. And even when they have, it has often turned out to be a mistake. Out of those few brought in since, only one individual remains at Stamford Bridge as of now. We are talking about Raheem Sterling. Throughout the summer, Chelsea tried to find a solution for the player, but their efforts went in vain. And here they are, handing the Englishman a lucrative salary, reported to be in the region of £300,000 per week, for training at Cobham. Enzo Maresca has already made it clear that the player doesn’t feature in his plans for the future. Various clubs including Fulham, Crystal Palace, and West Ham had shown interest in the player. Now reports have confirmed that Sterling rejected a move to two more European giants, and fans won’t be thrilled to hear about it. According to BBC, Chelsea brought Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus to the table. Although Sterling was interested, his desire to remain close to his family took precedence. Raheem Sterling passed up on chance to leave Chelsea for Bayer Leverkusen or Juventus Chelsea signed Sterling from Manchester City in 2022 for a fee believed to be around €56.2 million. But his time at Stamford Bridge has never met expectations. Sterling, who was considered one of the best players in the Premier League not too long ago, has lost his form and with it a place in Chelsea’s squad. He isn’t expected to get any first-team minutes unless he finds a new destination. The English winger was sent on loan to Arsenal last season but failed to impress there as well. As a result, Mikel Arteta's side decided against permanently signing the player. Anyway, this example shouldn’t discourage Chelsea from further pursuing experienced players moving forward. Rather, it should serve as a reminder to think twice before handing out massive wages and transfer fees in future deals.

yes, I have seen that too not sure what team he would chose I would go with Real, but I am not privy to Guehi's thinking on the choice

we could put a cheeky bid in, in January, IF (big if) Guehi would agree to come back here, which, based off multiple other posters' replies, seems to not be the case 😞

Liverpool will not make a move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi in January. The Reds failed in a £35m move for the 25-year-old England international last week and would only sign him now when his contract comes to an end next summer. (Times)

just because you do not like it does not mean it is irrational and I will post what I want, within the bounds of TC TOS

I blame Boehly from the start for signing him for insane money (given his age and decline) and salary I also fully admit (always did) that we are contractually obligated to pay Sterling but there is nothing irrational about keeping him away from the rest of the team

I didn't say do not pay him. We have to. But I see no reason for him to be around the club facilities. I also, if the only buy-out the he will accept is 100 per cent of what we owe him (and the prick could then 'double dip' on his pay packet for the next 2 years, as his new club would also pay him a salary), then I say just let him rot until July 2027.

Sterling needs to be banned from all Chelsea property. He is refusing a buyout (I do NOT want to pay him anything remotely close to the £34m he will earn and let him walk now) and also he is refusing all transfers unless it's a London club and he gets his full current salary, which will likely never happen. Just freeze him out for the next 2 years. Further reduce his career. What a shitshow. What a horrid buy, what a horrid decision to pay the plonker £85m in salary. One of the worst transfers in EPL history.

Memphis Depay becomes Netherlands' record scorer in Lithuania win https://www.espn.co.uk/football/report/_/gameId/724995 Memphis Depay became the Netherlands' all-time leading goalscorer in the World Cup qualifying win over Lithuania on Sunday. Corinthians forward Depay, 31, scored his record-setting 51st international goal in the 11th minute, surpassing Robin van Persie's tally. Depay wasn't done there, scoring the winner as Netherlands snuck past Lithuania 3-2 after a spirited fightback from the hosts. The Dutch were 2-0 up after Quinten Timber's strike before goals from Gvidas Ginetis and Edvinas Girdvainis got Lithuania level in an entertaining first half. Then, with half-an-hour remaining, Depay nodded home a Denzel Dumfries cross to hand Ronald Koeman's side the win. Depay played for PSV, Manchester United, Lyon, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid before moving to Brazil last year. He made his Netherlands debut in 2013 and scored his first goal against Australia at the 2014 World Cup.

Interview: Florent Malouda This Sunday is now named 'interviews with the Chelsea legends' day! https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/interview-florent-malouda We had an exclusive interview (through our man Darko) out with former Chelsea cult hero Ramires today that’s now out on the home page. And although this one is not our exclusive, we now have an interview in full with another hero of the stands at Stamford Bridge, Florent Malouda! Florent Malouda: Chelsea are ‘paying the price’ with injuries, Garnacho could replicate Palmer impact with Blues and Isak will harm Ekitike’s development Chelsea are paying the price for injury problems after Club World Cup “I think that was almost expected because even during the Club World Cup, you had players complaining about the schedule and about the fact that there was almost no recovery after the season. “The Chelsea team performed well at the tournament, but now they are paying the price. “This is where the depth of your squad is tested. So we also have to take into consideration the fact that there's going to be a World Cup next year. So for all international players, it will be challenging, a long, exhausting season. “They must look after themselves, and they must accept also not to play every game to be able to lead the team to trophies, because competition is getting higher, intensity of the game is getting higher and you're always at risk to lose your key players for a lot of games.” Chelsea’s other players need to step up and match Cole Palmer’s level “Cole Palmer is the key player. He has proven he has the shoulders for this. Now it's about building his physique to play every game. Every time he's fit, he's an impact player with a big impact on positive results. We definitely need him. “With Champions League and international football, there will be high demand and strain on him. Other players need to step up and match his level so danger can come from everywhere. “When we play a team, they almost always try to block Cole Palmer and his impact on the result.” Enzo Maresca needs to be careful with Cole Palmer and managing his minutes “Enzo Maresca needs to be very careful with Cole Palmer and I think he is careful with the way he manages him, but you must play your best players. Obviously, Cole Palmer is young, but in the manager's position, you want results. “It's not like you have time and you can spare a few games here and there. You need to have your best players, and sometimes your best players are not in their best physical form, but they still have an impact on the team. So he manages him well. “I think he will try to give him some rest. There's a World Cup coming, but the priority is to perform for the club.” Alejandro Garnacho could follow the Cole Palmer trajectory but he has to deliver unlike Jadon Sancho “Alejandro Garnacho has talent and could follow the Cole Palmer trajectory, he even has a similar price tag. It's about delivering, unlike Jadon Sancho who wasn't able to show his talent and make a difference. What you expect from a player like Garnacho is how he's able to be consistent in performance and have an impact. “For me, it also comes with personal ambition. It's a done deal, but it shouldn't be seen as an escape from Manchester United. His ambition should be to become a world-class player at a top football club like Chelsea. “That's the kind of mindset we expect from him, and of course, being an impact on the offensive part of Chelsea's game.” Hugo Ekitike’s experience at PSG will help him compete with Alexander Isak “Will Alexander Isak impact the development of Hugo Ekitike? Yes, but great players adapt all the time. You have to renew yourself. You have to almost develop a toolbox. “There's always your favorite position, but in modern football, you also have the defensive part of the game where you need to be involved. That doesn't stop you from being at your best level. Especially with young players, that's what's difficult to get, you need to give to the team first. “It doesn't matter the position. Then, with the relationship you create with the players around you, you will get the chances to score back because he's a natural goal scorer. “He's a real threat, and he has this experience at PSG with a lot of stars, so he knows how to navigate in a dressing room full of stars. But his main thing is he wants to be on the pitch, he wants to improve his stats, deliver, and answer to the expectations around him.” Hugo Ekitike has his own style - he’s not similar to Thierry Henry “Does Hugo Ekitike remind me of Thierry Henry? No, I think he has his own style. Comparing him to past players doesn't help him. He's a tall, fast player and a threat in front of goal, capable of making a big difference on his own. “He's not the type of player who depends on a particular style of play, he can make a difference independently. That's what's good about young players like him – they're fearless and confident enough to unbalance any defensive system. So that's a good option to have. The difference is always consistency. “When you mention a player like Frank Lampard for example, you know he's going to score 20 goals every season, no question. So it's about how a young player with a price tag like this transitions into a world-class player who consistently scores 20-plus goals in the Premier League.”

Players Arteta has brought to Arsenal since he was appointed in 2019. Over £1.3 billion gross spend, with only 1 FA Cup (the Covid game, with Anthony Taylor assfucking us) and 2 Community Shields to show for it. Gabriel Martinelli Pablo Mari David Luiz Cedric Soares Gabriel Magalhães Thomas Partey Martin Ødegaard Aaron Ramsdale Takehiro Tomiyasu Albert Sambi-Lokonga Nuno Tavares Auston Trusty Gabriel Jesus Fabio Vieira Jorginho Matt Turner Marquinhos Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson Oleksandr Zinchenko Leandro Trossard Jakub Kiwior Declan Rice Kai Havertz Riccardo Calafiori David Raya Mikel Merino Eberechi Eze Viktor Gyökeres Martín Zubimendi Noni Madueke Cristhian Mosquera Christian Nørgaard Kepa Arrizabalaga Jurriën Timber Ben White Piero Hincapié