Chelsea Transfers

[Blues Forever 1,232]

[R2D2 368]

37 minutes ago, Blues Forever said:

Think Gimenez admitted to supporting the club when he grew up, wouldn't mind him but the price tag would be ridiculous so probably skip.

[NikkiCFC 7,955]

We have many examples where defenders look better for Simeone than somewhere else. Miranda, Godin, Luis... Even Thomas now as DM. Maybe if we lower his clause it would be good. Also if he has next season Silva alongside that would be massive for him to learn from the Master.

[Jase 43,479]

We have two wingers out injured. Anyone fancy the free agent that is Hulk right now? 

[killer1257 3,282]

We have many examples where defenders look better for Simeone than somewhere else. Miranda, Godin, Luis... Even Thomas now as DM. Maybe if we lower his clause it would be good. Also if he has next season Silva alongside that would be massive for him to learn from the Master.

I don't think Gimenez needs anyone to teach him more things. He already had insane masters to learn from

 

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[Vesper 28,855]

1 hour ago, killer1257 said:

I don't think Gimenez needs anyone to teach him more thinks. He already had insane masters to learn from

Gesendet von meinem VOG-L29 mit Tapatalk
 

I wish Thiago could go full Agent Silva and pull in Marquinhos

Gimenez and Marquinhos are the only two WC CB's remotely available

and both will be cray cray expensive

but, like I showed, IF we can dump the main dregs, its £180m to £200m more in the kitty  (and that is NOT counting AC or Rudiger, and one or both would surely be sold if we bring in a WC CB) and a shedload of salary off the books

massive question is how will the market be in January and especially the summer of 2021

[Vesper 28,855]

Sebastian Walukiewicz

https://www.transfermarkt.com/sebastian-walukiewicz/profil/spieler/345458

 

Sebastian Walukiewicz: Things to Know About the Emerging Polish Defender

https://www.90min.com/posts/sebastian-walukiewicz-things-to-know-about-the-emerging-polish-defender-transfer

Manchester United and Chelsea are among a number of clubs across Europe keeping an eye on Polish defender Sebastian Walukiewicz, who is currently plying his club trade at Cagliari.

Lazio, Inter, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid are others on the list of suitors of the Pole, who made his international debut in October.

90min revealed the interest in the 20-year-old earlier this week.

Here’s a look at various things fans need to know about this emerging talent.

 

1. Meteoric Rise

Walukiewicz was only 18 when Cagliari bought him in January 2019. He spent the remainder of that campaign in Poland, helping Pogon Szczecin to a mid-table Ekstraklasa finish, and made the switch to Italy that summer.

The youngster was initially part of the first-team squad without playing more than occasionally. He spent much of the early campaign on the bench, unsurprising given his age and lack of experience – his league debut even ended in a 4-0 thrashing by Juventus.

But Walukiewicz fought his way into the Cagliari XI permanently when the suspended season resumed in June. They had gone 12 Serie A games without a win prior to his first real run in the side and were without a clean sheet since November. And although the slide down the table continued, results did improve overall and the 20-year-old has kept his place in 2020/21, starting every game so far.

International recognition came when he made his senior international debut for Poland this month.

 

2. On the Radar for Years

Even though it was Cagliari who took the plunge and signed Walukiewicz in 2019, reports towards the end of 2018 suggested that a number of top clubs were already aware of him then.

Arsenal were believed to have had scouts watch the defender at that time, while Liverpool and Barcelona were said to have also been keeping an eye on him. Southampton, a club with a strong record of developing young talent, were linked as well.

 

3. Long-Term Contract

Cagliari hold the immediate power when it comes to Walukiewicz’s future. He is under contract until 2023, a deal which includes the option of being further extended by a year.

Although a sale is ultimately inevitable for a club of their standing, they are not under pressure to accept a low-ball approach from potential suitors.

 

4. ‘Majestic in the Air’

‘Majestic in the air’ is how Cagliari described Walukiewicz when they announced the completion of his transfer from Pogon Szczecin in January 2019.

Despite the trend for clubs to play possession-based football out from defence, aerial prowess remains one of the key attributes any elite defender must have. No club with an aerially commanding centre-back should be too vulnerable to set-pieces.

 

5. Stature & Style of Play

Standing at around 6’2, Walukiewicz is a similar height to Rio Ferdinand or Giorgio Chiellini and a couple of inches shorter than Virgil van Dijk.

His aerial prowess has already been covered, but Walukiewicz is also considered to be confident with the ball at his feet, which is another major tick as top clubs search for all-round defensive talents. Being able to bring the ball out of defence to start attacks is another valued skill.

His passing accuracy in Serie A this season is just shy of 90%, while he performed two dribbles in action for Poland against Italy this month and averaged close to one dribble per game in Serie A last season.

Stats via WhoScored

 

Report: Chelsea set to join battle to sign Polish international centre back

https://www.chelsea-news.co/2020/12/report-chelsea-set-join-battle-sign-polish-international-centre-back/

 

[King Kante 1,484]

I know it is a pipe dream but I would really like De Ligt. 

[Blues Forever 1,232]

1 hour ago, King Kante said:

I know it is a pipe dream but I would really like De Ligt. 

Would be more expensive than Gimenez, according to the reports De Ligt has €150m release clause in 2022.

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Ornstein: Szoboszlai clauses, Hudson-Odoi staying, Cavani case details

https://theathletic.com/2241976/2020/12/07/ornstein-szoboszlai-fans-manchester-liverpool-nfl/

Few players have been more heavily linked with a move in the next transfer window than Dominik Szoboszlai and when the market opens on January 2, his future is expected to be swiftly resolved.

Among the most promising, coveted and talked-about young talents in world football, the 20-year-old attacking midfielder is tipped to leave Red Bull Salzburg after two-and-a-half years with the Austrian side.

Reports have asserted that Salzburg’s sister club RB Leipzig are leading the race, with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur also claimed to be in the frame.

Szoboszlai is being considered by Arsenal as they look to enhance their creativity and goalscoring capabilities, but he is one of several options and it remains to be seen if they will enter the battle.

His Salzburg contract, which expires in 2022, includes a €25 million release clause and although that is enticingly low, The Athletic has learned of some details which might not make it achievable for all interested parties.

Contrary to suggestions that the fee can be financed by way of instalments, it is actually understood to require full payment in one go and within two weeks of the clause being triggered.

There is then thought to be a 20 per cent sell-on mechanism which, unusually, applies to the entire fee of a future transfer and not just the profit. So, for example, if he arrives for €25 million and leaves for €100 million, Salzburg get 20 per cent of €100 million rather than 20 per cent of the €75 million difference.

While that may not be ideal in the eyes of Szoboszlai’s admirers, most will view it as a minor inconvenience for a player of such quality, who comes relatively cheap and has high resale value.

The reason it is anticipated the situation will develop rapidly is, according to sources, a stipulation that Szoboszlai must give notice by December 15 of his wish to depart Salzburg and that bids must be lodged by December 31. It is unclear if the Hungary international has expressed this desire or if offers have been received.

In the unforeseen event of Szoboszlai still being at Salzburg in the summer, the same arrangement is believed to kick in again, with notice having to be given by June 30 and bids lodged by July 15.

Szoboszlai joined Salzburg from Liefering in January 2018 and has scored 25 goals in 79 appearances, including four goals (as well as five assists) in 10 Bundesliga games this season.

Competing in the Champions League has propelled him into the wider consciousness and on Wednesday, there will be no shortage of focus on the playmaker when Salzburg host Atletico Madrid in their final match of the group stage knowing victory will seal a place in the last 16.

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QPR player to thank for Liverpool signing Kelleher

Liverpool have an unlikely figure to thank for the fact they can turn to talented young goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher in the absence of No 1 Alisson, explains James Pearce.

The 22-year-old followed up his impressive Champions League bow against Ajax by keeping a clean sheet on his  Premier League debut against Wolves at Anfield, with the novelty of him playing still catching someone off guard after the second “e” from his surname was left off his shirt in the first half.

Cork-born Kelleher, who has jumped ahead of Adrian in the pecking order under Jurgen Klopp, was going for a trial at Manchester United back in 2015 when then Liverpool academy defender Conor Masterson, who currently plays for Queens Park Rangers, urged coaching staff to also take a look at him. The pair had played together for the Republic of Ireland at youth level.

Academy scout Matt Newbury got involved and Kelleher was invited to spend some time at the Kirkby academy. Then 17, he impressed with how assured he was with the ball at his feet but the feeling was that physically he still had a lot of developing to do. The Athletic understands that what convinced Liverpool to take a punt on him was that he could be signed from Ringmahon Rangers for just £30,000. If the fee had been much higher they would considered it too big a risk.

It proved to be a shrewd investment with Kelleher making rapid progress since making the leap from the academy to the first-team set-up.  Liverpool considered loaning him out this season with Den Haag in Holland prepared to offer him the regular senior action he craved.

However, with Kamil Grabara having already gone on loan to Aarhus in Denmark, the decision was taken to keep both Kelleher and Adrian as back-up to Alisson.

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Chelsea will not let Hudson-Odoi leave

Chelsea will ignore any offers to loan or buy Callum Hudson-Odoi when the transfer window opens next month, my colleague Simon Johnson explains.

Hudson-Odoi was left out of the Chelsea squad that beat Leeds 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The winger was also not included in the 18 for Tottenham’s visit to Stamford Bridge the previous Sunday.

This means he has played just 14 league minutes over the past five weeks (he came on as a substitute at Newcastle on November 21) and started just one game in the competition since the season began.

It has been reported that the winger is now considering leaving in the new year for more regular first-team football. He still has ambitions of making it back into the England squad for the European Championship next summer.

However, The Athletic has been told that Chelsea do not want to let Hudson-Odoi go because not only is he still a player of huge potential, it would leave coach Frank Lampard with a lack of options to play out wide in the title race.

Chelsea currently have Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, who has played on the left-hand side on a regular basis, as the other main choices to operate on the flanks. Mason Mount and Kai Havertz can also play there but that is only considered to be a last resort as the duo are better operating centrally.

The club had already decided Hudson-Odoi was not going anywhere before Ziyech limped off against Leeds with a hamstring injury. The Morocco international has been undergoing tests to discover the severity of the problem but is expected to sit out the next few games at the very least. The incident has only strengthened Chelsea’s resolve to hang on to Hudson-Odoi.

Bayern Munich failed in a bid to sign Hudson-Odoi on a season-long loan with an option to buy in October. It was the second time they have tried to acquire the England international, who rejected the Bundesliga club to sign a five-year contract with Chelsea in 2019. Chelsea will ignore a third approach if they make one.

Lampard has named the 20-year-old in the first XI for three of their Champions League group matches and he is expected to feature once more against Krasnodar on Tuesday night. The Chelsea manager insisted last week that he wouldn’t pick Hudson-Odoi just to stave off the threat of Bayern’s interest.

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Players will be allowed to leave bubbles for Christmas — though clubs did look at preventing it

The government’s recent announcement that families across the UK will be able to gather in three-household groups of any size over Christmas sparked conversation at a number of Premier League clubs, whose players are living in closely-monitored first-team bubbles.

The Athletic understands that — barring any unlikely contractual changes — footballers will not be prevented from seeing their families during the festive period, with employers conscious that this could impinge on their basic human rights.

Top-flight sides are naturally aware of the risks posed by gathering with two other households, especially given the busy festive schedule and last week’s postponement of Newcastle United’s match at Aston Villa. Any player who contracts COVID-19 has to self-isolate for 10 days, in line with government guidelines, before undergoing a recovery period, meaning positive tests could see players absent for a number of fixtures.

Given those high stakes, multiple clubs have discussed the possibility of players signing new contracts that would prevent people from entering their household over Christmas. However, those exploratory conversations led to a consensus that contractual changes were unrealistic considering how quickly the COVID-19 situation is changing. It was accepted that ordering players not to gather with their families when it is legal to do so would breach their civil liberties and be unenforceable.

Instead, clubs will concentrate on continuing to offer education and advice. Most clubs send emails to their squads every time there is a change in government rules and regulations around COVID-19, while the latest news updates are often reiterated in team meetings.

For this year at least, there are unlikely to be any amusing photos of Premier League footballers gathered together in fancy dress at bars and restaurants. Traditional Christmas parties are off the menu, with the punishing schedule meaning they would have been difficult to organise irrespective of the COVID-19 situation.

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Cavani’s written evidence to try to avoid ban

Edinson Cavani is at risk of a three-game ban from the FA for his use of the word “negrito” in an Instagram post, but Manchester United are attempting to offset such punishment by providing “cultural context”, explains Laurie Whitwell.

One aspect to be put forward is that the term has been used by Cavani and his close circle as a specific nickname for the friend in question, with written evidence available. In the offending message the Uruguayan striker was expressing thanks, giving an indication as to his meaning.

The Reuters news agency last week reported on the “surprise” in Cavani’s homeland of the FA investigation and quoted linguist Amparo Fernandez as arguing the case was an example of attempts to “globalise meanings”. Fernandez said that in parts of Latin America it is often used affectionately and United are putting forward this argument to English football’s governing body.

Nevertheless, United and Cavani accept different interpretations apply in the UK and both club and player apologised for his use of the word. They will accept whatever action the FA take.

The FA are yet to decide whether to charge Cavani with discriminatory or racist language but if found guilty the minimum sanction would be three games after a rule change over the summer.

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Y-word returns in week Premier League sign antisemitism pledge

It took just three minutes for the 2,000 home supporters to mark their long-awaited return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a chant of “Yid Army!”.

The return of the chant, as reported by Luke Brown, was predictable and yet its use by Tottenham supporters — who claim to have reclaimed the term from its racist usage by opposing fans — is only becoming more contentious. And in light of both the Premier League and Tottenham announcing last week that they have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, the chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council has told The Athletic that this is a significant opportunity for the club to reconsider its supporters’ use of the Y-word.

“In light of the Black Lives Matter movement — which has created a benchmark by which race issues are addressed within sport — and in the light of the adoption of the IHRA definition, you cannot think of a better time for Spurs to be able to turn to their fans and say: ‘We think it is now time to stop using this word’,” said Jonathan Goldstein, who spoke with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy over the club’s decision to adopt the definition.

“I am really delighted that (Tottenham) have adopted the IHRA definition. I have spoken to Daniel about it and I know that he has enthusiastically adopted it. And so I feel that now is the time to go into the next stage.”

The IHRA definition was adopted by the Premier League as a way to better inform clubs and supporters about behaviour or comments that can be considered antisemitic. However, The Athletic understands Tottenham have no immediate plans to reconsider their existing stance on the word, which means chants like those heard during the north London derby yesterday could be commonplace for some time.

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Clubs accounts likely to be messy

Premier League clubs are bracing themselves for even bigger losses than they expected for the 2019-20 season, which was affected by COVID-19.

The accounting year for the majority of them ends on June 30, 13 days after the season recommenced following the pandemic lockdown in March.

Auditors have already advised at least one club that broadcast revenue for the 67 matches played beyond June 30 can only be applied to the current campaign for accounting purposes.

“The numbers are going to look even more horrendous,” says a club executive. “Our losses were already going to be severe, then COVID-19 came along, and now this 30th of June thing. It’s not going to be pretty.”

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Villa to hold on to in-demand youth players

Aston Villa’s pledge to transform their academy into one of the most productive in the country means that the majority of their under-23 side will remain at the club past the next transfer window.

There is already increased interest from a number of lower-league sides looking to take some of Villa’s attacking players on loan in January, with both England Under-19 forward Jaden Philogene-Bidace, 18, and England Under-18 star Louie Barry, 17, attracting interest.

The pair have scored nine goals between them in eight games for Villa’s under-23 side this season but are expected to continue their development at Bodymoor Heath rather than moving elsewhere at this stage.

Republic of Ireland teenager Tyreik Wright, 19, may be granted a temporary move away though after the club decided against letting him leave in the last two windows.

One youngster who won’t be going anywhere just yet is Carney Chukwuemeka, the midfielder who has just turned 17. Last year, CEO Christian Purslow described him as the best English midfielder of his age and Villa were able to tie him down to a professional contract despite interest from Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham.

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Man City hopeful of fans back for Boxing Day

Manchester City are preparing to welcome fans back to the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day, as long as the government ease COVID restrictions on December 16, explains Sam Lee.

There is hope that Greater Manchester will be placed in Tier 2, which would allow 2,000 supporters back. City will test a contactless e-ticketing system ahead of the upcoming home matches against Marseille on Wednesday and West Brom a week later by supplying QR codes to match-day staff.

Plans are in place to seat supporters in the lower tier, with most in the east stand and others in the south and north stands. City’s first home game following the potential easing of restrictions is against Newcastle United on Boxing Day.

Manchester United are aiming to have fans back at Old Trafford for the visit of Leeds on December 20 and took the unusual step of publicising plans on Friday to make clear their preparedness.

It is thought the announcement is also part of wider attempts by the Premier League to lobby the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the issue.

[Vesper 28,855]

La Liga star Jose Gimenez drops Chelsea hint

Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez has dropped a hint on social media that he fancies a move to Chelsea.

Gimenez was linked with a move to Chelsea by tranfer speculation specialist Fabrizio Romano on the Here We Go podcast earlier this year.

The 25-year-old has starred for Diego Simeone's side for several seasons and is regarded as one of the most promising centre-backs in European football.

And he has now indicated that he could be tempted to Stamford Bridge, after liking an Twitter post which joked: “Day 44 of tweeting Jose Maria Gimenez until @ChelseaFC signs him.”

 

[NikkiCFC 7,955]

Cant see him ending here nor I think we need him.

[Jase 43,479]

33 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Cant see him ending here nor I think we need him.

It seems like all the noise so far is coming only from Alaba's camp...

 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,487]

Alaba is currently at 165 to 170K euros a week depending on the source you believe. Is he going to expect more?

[Blues Forever 1,232]

11 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Alaba is currently at 165 to 170K euros a week depending on the source you believe. Is he going to expect more?

Yes, according to Bild he want bigger salary around €20m/yr.

[King Kante 1,484]

Are there any clubs knocking about that need some dregs? In the coming window I am hoping to get shot of at least one CB and a LB. 

[King Kante 1,484]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

It seems like all the noise so far is coming only from Alaba's camp...

 

I really do not see us in the hunt for Alaba and this is his agent trying to whip up his price. Imo, I reckon they had a plan for Real/Barca and then Covid came along and buggered their plans and he had burnt his bridges with Bayern. In my opinion, if he leaves Germany he goes to Spain or Juventus. At a push maybe City as they love nothing more than getting in a new CB or FB. 

[NikkiCFC 7,955]

Messi will leave Barca for free it seems. Only question is City or PSG?