Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 28,417]

3 hours ago, Vegetable said:

Kepa & Mendy are far from perfect, but somehow synergic duo. The GK market is similar to strikers right now - no robocops exist and actually, Mendy was closest to be one for a while. If people think that getting another GK will magically cause us to stop conceding goals, well, think again. Feel like it's the least of our worries and some FFP millions to find better use elsewhere. 

I cannot disagree more, with most every point

de rec

[Vesper 28,417]

Felix and Fernandez are Chelsea’s new attacking brain – but defensive frailty remains

https://theathletic.com/4323005/2023/03/19/Chelsea-enzo-felix-everton-potter/

With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps Graham Potter tempted fate when, abandoning his usual slavish devotion to measured statements and emotional stability, he allowed himself to indulge in a little populist rabble-rousing at an event for Chelsea members on Thursday.

Having thanked the fans for being fair with him, he ended his message to them with a bang:

“We will try and beat Everton, take the draw and then we will try and win the fucking Champions League!”

The draw he referenced was the following day’s laying-out of the Champions League quarter-final and semi-final brackets, not the deflating blow Everton inflicted on Chelsea’s tentative recovery by snatching a late point at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. But it was at least conceivable for the football gods to hear Potter’s words and conclude that he and his team, a spring in their step thanks to three encouraging wins after three miserable months, were asking to be Dyched.

On the pitch yesterday evening, it was much easier to see exactly how Chelsea had contributed to their own undoing: both Everton equalisers were largely self-inflicted wounds, with this season’s ninth set-piece goal conceded in limp fashion to Abdoulaye Doucoure at a corner before startlingly poor individual errors from Kalidou Koulibaly and Kepa Arrizabalaga allowed substitute Ellis Simms to make himself this season’s Jarrad Branthwaite in the 90th minute.

Chelsea had twice edged themselves ahead, both of their goals just reward for one of the more convincing performances in possession of Potter’s seven-month tenure. Directed by the routinely excellent Enzo Fernandez at the base of midfield, they played through Everton’s press and then stretched and stressed Sean Dyche’s diligently-drilled low defensive block to its breaking point.

Fernandez’s long-range passing is particularly dangerous: he completed 10 of his 13 attempts, sometimes switching the point of attack to Reece James on the right but more often out to the left to Ben Chilwell, who touched the ball more (96 touches) than any other player on the pitch. One such combination yielded the first-time cross Michael Keane could only clear to the feet of Joao Felix for the opening goal.

Everton had come to west London imbued with the fighting spirit of Dyche’s most dogged Burnley teams; he has spoken in recent weeks about transforming the mentality of a struggling squad since replacing Frank Lampard at the end of January and, at one point in the first half, Amadou Onana let out a fierce yell of triumph in front of the away dugout after forcing the ball out for a Chelsea throw on the halfway line.

Led by Burnley alumni Keane and James Tarkowski, Everton also blocked 10 of Chelsea’s 20 shot attempts but in the 53rd minute, Joao Felix managed to squeeze one through the legs of the latter and into the only place it could evade goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s desperate dive, kissing the inside of the far post before spinning across the line.

A first goal at Stamford Bridge was no less than the Portugal star deserved for a display of elegant menace that prompted his name to be sung resoundingly and repeatedly in the stands.

Starting in the No 9 role inhabited by Raheem Sterling against Borussia Dortmund in the previous home game and Mykhailo Mudryk away to Leicester City last weekend, he linked easily with the resurgent Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic, who was making his first start in more than two months. The Atletico Madrid loanee’s movement between the Everton lines was a constant problem, punctuated by several skilful flourishes that dazzled the crowd — most notably one flick and spin around the corner that left Tarkowski pressing fresh air.

Until the final 15 minutes, there were plenty of signs of an exciting, dynamic Chelsea attack coming together.

James and Chilwell have returned to something close to full power following injury lay-offs, stretching opponents horizontally and giving this team back their old wings. Between them, January signings Fernandez and Joao Felix provide the Chelsea side with a new brain capable of creation as well as control. The first goal here was a product of Fernandez and Chilwell, the second a result of the panic caused by James combining with Joao Felix.

The broad reaction to Potter’s late-game decisions underlined the limited trust he commands with supporters, despite the recent upturn. The introduction of Conor Gallagher for Pulisic on the hour was widely interpreted as defensive, despite the change not actually changing Chelsea’s system at all (3-4-3 with the ball, 5-3-2 without it).

In the final minutes, he favoured the height of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Carney Chukwuemeka to try to deal with Everton’s aerial barrage, with Chelsea’s game management undermined by the forced withdrawal of the excellent Wesley Fofana (“He was feeling his hamstring,” Potter said later). This was not the moment for N’Golo Kante’s long-awaited return — no point introducing the greatest midfield ball-winner of his generation against a team increasingly intent on bypassing their own midfield.

 

Potter watches his team twice pegged back by Dyche’s Everton in Saturday’s 2-2 draw (Photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Would weaponising the speed of Mudryk or Noni Madueke as Everton pushed up in search of an equaliser have been a better strategy? Perhaps, but encouraging the game to become more open and transitional comes with its own defensive risks. Potter took the more pragmatic approach — one perfectly aligned with the values of many of his more decorated Chelsea predecessors, if not quite so in tune with the current desires of many supporters.

Ultimately, two points were lost because of a disastrous cascade of individual errors: Fernandez leaving Doucoure uncontested to receive a pass forward from Vitalii Mykolenko and redirect it to the feet of Simms; Koulibaly opting to confront rather than contain a striker without a Premier League goal to his name at the time and only recalled from loan at Championship side Sunderland by Lampard at the turn of the year; then Kepa allowing a relatively tame shot to squirm under his left wrist.

Potter’s decisions did not let Everton back into the game primarily because they were never out of it, and never gave the impression of a team who believed they were beaten. They made Chelsea feel their physicality throughout — by fair means and occasionally foul, best illustrated by one crude Tarkowski neck-pull on Joao Felix — and made maximum use of their physical advantages to ensure they were never more than one opposition mistake away from salvation.

The result further cements Chelsea in mid-table mediocrity and dulls the optimism of a timely recent revival, but it could also provide an opportunity for Potter to spend the two-week international break that starts tonight (Sunday) thinking about the flaws in this team that he still needs to address with that quarter-final against Real Madrid on the horizon.

After all, defending set pieces and managing late-game leads are the kind of details a team needs to get consistently right if they want to try to win the fucking Champions League.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Vesper

[Vesper 28,417]

Liverpool ‘increasingly unlikely’ to sign Jude Bellingham this summer

A huge blow to Jurgen Klopp's plans.

https://metro.co.uk/2023/03/20/liverpool-increasingly-unlikely-to-sign-jude-bellingham-this-summer-18469515/

Liverpool are set to miss out on signing Jude Bellingham this summer with it ‘increasingly unlikely’ the club will not be in a position to fight for his signature.

Bellingham remains one of the most-sought after players in world football with Liverpool thought to have been among the front runners to sign him when he leaves Borussia Dortmund.

In recent years, the midfielder’s social media activity has been used to fuel suggestions he favours a move to Anfield while Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard recently backed the club to sign the England international, even offering his services to help get the deal done.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid have been leading the race to sign the 19-year-old with latest reports suggesting Dortmund will be looking for a fee of at least £110million for their prized asset.

But according to The Athletic, a deal is now seen as very challenging for Liverpool.

A combination of that huge fee, the financial power of rival suitors and Liverpool’s reluctance to enter a bidding war has cast major doubt on Liverpool’s chances of signing the former Birmingham City starlet.

It is thought City and Real Madrid are in better positions to compete for his signature in the coming months.

Liverpool’s hopes are fading fast 

Liverpool are set to finish the season without a trophy and face a fight to finish in the top four, currently sat in sixth place and seven points behind fourth place Tottenham.

Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all out of contract at the end of the season and with Jurgen Klopp’s squad in need of a refresh, wider recruitment could also affect their chances of landing Bellingham.

Chelsea are also interested in signing the midfielder while Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag views Bellingham as a ‘generational talent’ and a future captain.

Former United defender Ferdinand meanwhile believes Liverpool’s Champions League elimination at the hands of Real Madrid will have left the player with serious doubts over a move to Merseyside.

‘If Liverpool get Bellingham then Stevie [Gerrard] and yourselves [Michael Owen and Peter Crouch] will have swam the English Channel to get him,’ he said on BT Sport.

‘I just think that if he watched that tonight he must be thinking, ‘if Real Madrid and Liverpool are in for me, there’s only one place to go!”.

 

[Vesper 28,417]

Liverpool will be a "title-contending team" once again if they sign Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham in the summer, according to Arsenal legend Paul Merson.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfers-bellingham-mount-klopp-29509578

Jurgen Klopp's side are enduring a tough campaign. The Community Shield winners failed to go far in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. They are also sixth in the Premier League - seven points behind Tottenham in fourth with two games in hand.

Liverpool are expected to revamp their squad in the summer, with Klopp's midfield a particular talking point. Merson believes the Reds will be competitive again if they can bring in long-term target Bellingham, 19, and Chelsea talent Mount, 24, in the next window.

"Whoever gets Mason Mount has got the biggest result ever," Merson told Sky Sports, with a number of clubs said to be interested.

"The kid can play. It's bad business by Chelsea - they should give him what he's asking for. You don't offload your best players.

"There are so many players that need to get shipped out of this Chelsea squad before Mount. When you hear whispers of the teams that want to buy him that tells you everything you need to know."

Mount's existing deal expires in June 2024. Chelsea could be forced to sell the England international if they fail to agree a contract extension before this summer, with Manchester United, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain all thought to be interested.

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by Vesper

[ulvhedin 506]

14 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

If we keep Kova and Kante gets fully fit again we only need a GK and a CF in summer, that's it.

 

They will get fully fit and next game they will get injured. No way we should trust them to be fit, it would be suicidal

[Vegetable 830]

7 hours ago, Vesper said:

I cannot disagree more, with most every point

de rec

Would love to hear more on that.

Keepers seem to have a sinusoidal form nowadays. People were envy of De Gea, year later they wouldn't want him for free. Heck, even Cech was not the kind of machine we remember him. The current situation reminds me the beginnings of Kepa, when defense was shaky and he was horrid. Behind solid defenders, his error rate went down and performance up.

Sure, we can get Oblak, he will be more solid, but won't have it any easier saving the sitters he is confronted with. And in two years people will call for replacement as he is too old and on decline.

Meanwhile we are on the verge of shitting another 90-something million on Felix, who is undoubtly very likeabale lad, but not quite the savior we need. This is exaggeration, but it's starting to look like some FFP coconut islands get rich quick scam. Boehly is playing va banque, basing on the result that seems to be out of reach with current personal structure. Will he come out and say "sorry, we are not able to spend a dime for next 8 years, but trust the process, stadium is coming, Potter is nice"?

And still, we have not quite cheap Slonina who fits us nowhere but the satellite club we don't have. And I won't even go into people thinking we will get him as number 1 and some 16 yo serbian as number two will be the first people to cry when they will let the first howler in.

Given we have limited resources to spend, I'd focus on pursuing creativity and finishing, GK could be upgraded, but is it really *that* urgent? Unless, we are shifting Kepa and freeing his wages, but I doubt it's realistic.

[Reddish-Blue 2,325]

12 hours ago, milka said:

Out of 11, there are only 4 positions that are certain for the next campaign - James, Silva, Enzo and Chilwell.
Everything else is questionable or to be decided in the summer.

The goalkeeper post is also in question. There the options seem to be far more limited -  Costa , Raya , Meslier , Kobel .

I don't see the club drastically changing the CB positions.  I feel a mix of Silva, Fofana, Badiashile and Colwill will be solid next season. 

You would think Kante is a certainty for next season as well, assuming he's fit. 

Massive question marks remain over Mount (likely to leave) and hopefully we see Ziyech & Pulisic move on. 

[TheHulk 1,825]

 

[TheHulk 1,825]

 

[TheHulk 1,825]

 

[TheHulk 1,825]

 

[lucio 5,418]

Offer them mount 

[Vesper 28,417]

2 hours ago, Reddish-Blue said:

I feel a mix of Silva, Fofana, Badiashile and Colwill will be solid next season. 

you forgot KK

he is almost impossible to move on due to that 4 year contract at an insane £295K PW

[TheHulk 1,825]

 

[Vesper 28,417]

48 minutes ago, TheHulk said:

 

hard pass on both, especially the shortie Raya

Edited March 21, 2023 by Vesper

[Vesper 28,417]

7 hours ago, TheHulk said:

 

Boavista F.C. FTW

[Vesper 28,417]

Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing

 

🚨 the Daily Briefing - Liverpool out of the Bellingham race? Man Utd takeover latest, Carlo Ancelotti's future, and more

Tuesday's transfer round-up, featuring Lionel Messi, Joao Cancelo, Jude Bellingham, and more.

Good morning! Welcome to my latest Daily Briefing - an exclusive round-up of the biggest stories and headlines, brought to you ad-free and straight to your inbox. Thanks for reading, and enjoy! 🙂

Today’s top stories

• Liverpool’s status in the Jude Bellingham transfer race

• New bids expected soon from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatar

• Who Tottenham could replace Antonio Conte with in the short-term

Barcelona

Barça have an excellent relationship with João Cancelo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, but nothing will be decided at this point in time. Bayern and Cancelo will discuss things at the end of the season, and in the meantime, the fullback is now 100% focused on FC Bayern.

📰 Barcelona are interested in resigning their former striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (The Evening Standard via CaughtOffside)

Christian Falk to CaughtOffside: “I talked with Julian Nagelsmann about João Cancelo and he said that the defender is doing well but he isn’t a player for his system, which involves three defenders behind two wing-backs. So that’s the problem.

“If Pavard is fit, it’s getting difficult for Cancelo and time is slowly running out. It’s not a perfect situation for both sides and it’s worth considering that the clause of €70m is too high for Bayern Munich. I heard they’ve already informed the player and his management that they can’t pay this amount.”

Gift Orban

Wesley Sonck (Belgium U18 coach) on rumours of possible Premier League transfer [Sporza via CaughtOffside]: “I think it’s great that he is so ambitious. He is also fast, he adapts well. I must also admit that he easily scores goal. He is often in the right place.

“But the Premier League or the Bundesliga? That is still a few steps higher. Even with teams like Borussia Monchengladbach or Eintracht Frankfurt you have guys like (Marcus) Thuram and (Randal) Kolo-Muani in front of you.

“They are still on a different level.”

Inter Milan

📰 The Italian giants are unlikely to re-sign on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku following a disappointing season in Italy (Football Insider via CaughtOffside)

Liverpool

Jude Bellingham has not made a final decision yet. The situation remains open; it was not done with Liverpool in December and January despite many rumours, and it’s not off now.

Real Madrid are pushing a lot as they really want Jude, same for Manchester City. Of course, Liverpool’s uncertainty in their ownership situation is not helping but the club is still there in the race.

Christian Falk to CaughtOffside: “I heard that because of Liverpool’s experience in the Champions League this term, Jurgen Klopp made his thoughts very clear: Bellingham is now the top, top target. He said that every other transfer should be pushed down the pecking order; names like Randal Kolo Muani aren’t as important at the moment - there’s just one name and this is Bellingham.”

Manchester City

📰 Manchester City are said to have tabled their first offer for Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic as they look to steal a march on their rivals for the defender (The Athletic via CaughtOffside)

Manchester United

New bids are expected soon from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Qatari group, for sure they are both in the race at this stage. The next few days will be crucial; details of this negotiation are still private as of now but there are going to be some crucial days/weeks coming.

[Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left) attends AS Monaco v OGC Nice (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)]

PSG

From what I know, PSG have already made a proposal to Lionel Messi - and he’s waiting to make a decision based on PSG’s project, coach and more key details for the next season. It’s up to Messi, and his father Jorge.

💬 Is it time for Lionel Messi to return to Barcelona? What’s the next best step for the legendary midfielder? Let us know your thoughts below!Leave a comment

Real Madrid

Real Madrid are still protecting Carlo Ancelotti as they hope to do great things in the Champions League again. No decision will be made now; but only at the end of the season. For sure, winning trophies at Madrid is crucial to keep the job and Ancelotti knows that too.

💬 Who should Real Madrid replace Carlo Ancelotti with if the club decides to sack him in the summer? Share your predictions below!

Tottenham

Tottenham’s final say will be up to Daniel Levy. The process is ongoing, Spurs are not happy with Antonio Conte’s comments so they are seriously considering parting ways with their manager after less than two years in the role. For the replacement, it could be Ryan Mason as a short-term solution; they haven’t decided on a long-term option as of yet.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Vesper

[Vesper 28,417]

Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing

 

Exclusive: Ben Jacobs Takeover - Man Utd due for big day in takeover saga, Pochettino to return to Tottenham? Ruben Neves latest, and more

This week's exclusive transfer news column, featuring Liverpool, Barcelona, Chelsea, and more.

Big Wednesday ahead for Manchester United - the latest on the takeover front

Wednesday is a big day for Manchester United. As many as six second bids could go in as part of what is being termed stage two of the process. The deadline for new offers is 9pm UK.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are the two publicly-declared bidders and are both expected to place improved offers. It’s also important to point out that other groups, including minority investors, are still in the process.

If a standout offer emerges then the Raine Group – who are handling the sale on behalf of the Glazers – could name a preferred bidder and put them through to a period of exclusivity. However, sources say it’s “very possible” there will be an extra bidding stage to create “competitive tension”.

Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe were both left confident a full sale is possible following a day each of long meetings and presentations last week at Old Trafford. But who is put through next will really show the Glazers’ hand and whether they are truly intent on staying or leaving.

Both Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe are clear they won’t overpay or be sucked into a bidding war, or be made to “ghost bid” against mystery groups. But there is an appreciation that it is going to take a record-sale price for a sports club in order to succeed.

The Denver Broncos sold for $4.65bn (£3.8bn) in August last year. Many of the indicative offers are already above and in all likelihood if Manchester United is sold the final figure will be at least £1bn more than this.

The ‘overpaying’ aspect comes from the fact all bidders are already prepared to go much higher than the club’s enterprise value – their indicative offers show this. That’s currently £3.75bn, which is pretty high due to the buzz of the process. For much of 2022 it’s been under £2.5bn.

But there will be no reckless bidding. This is all still about business value not vanity. As Ratcliffe put it when speaking to the Wall Street Journal: “How do you decide the price of a painting? How do you decide the price of a house? It’s not related to how much it cost to build or how much it cost to paint. What you don’t want to do is pay stupid prices for things because then you regret it subsequently.”

 

[Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left) with Mercedes’ F1 team principal Toto Wolff - Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images]

Last week, Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe both held what has been termed by sources as “productive” talks in Manchester. They received presentations essentially showing off the club in its best light from a strategic, operational, business and commercial perspective. It’s a bit like a takeover equivalent of an open house.

And what was interesting about the meetings is we now know a lot more about the two publicly-declared bid teams. Ratcliffe is very much keeping his team in-house at INEOS with a split between business knowhow and football knowledge. The latter comes from Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS Sport chair Rob Nevin and their CEO Jean-Claude Blanc (who interestingly is ex-PSG). 

Ratcliffe also felt it important to attend in person since the day was not only about information gathering but also relationship building. Sources also stress that Ratcliffe doesn’t want to leave this process “empty-handed” making him potentially inclined to partner with other groups if not successful.

Sheikh Jassim’s delegation was led by Shahzad Shahbaz, who is president of the Nine Two Foundation. He is an experienced and highly-respected banker and has been earmarked for a key long-term role rather than only parachuted in to drive the bid or help value the club. He’ll be an important part of the leadership team at Manchester United if the group is successful.

I understand Shahbaz will likely represent the Nine Two Foundation, a bit like Behdad Eghbali at Chelsea on behalf of Clearlake Capital. He’ll then directly advise Sheikh Jassim, who is expected to be highly engaged but slightly less day to day. We could also see Sheikh Jassim come to London soon if things progress where many of his bid team are working from.

Overall, the Nine Two Foundation plan is to build, as one source put it, “The best bench in football administration and expertise, including experienced current and former Manchester United people of history and influence.”

The first task will be to bring on board a football lead with multiple candidates currently being considered. And don’t rule out ex-players being involved as well. A number of high-profile ones are waiting to see who succeeds before committing, but there is an openness by many to be a part of the successful group.

Spurs exploring Antonio Conte solutions 

Tottenham are set to part ways with Antonio Conte, although at the time of writing nothing has been officially communicated. Conte flew back to Italy after the 3-3 draw at Southampton, having given an explosive post-match press conference in which he called his players “selfish”.

Conte has had to clarify directly to Levy that he wasn’t criticising the ownership since he appeared to allude to Spurs being serially unsuccessful over the past 20 years.

Levy is taking his time to come to a formal decision, largely considering what is the best move to try and finish in the top four. The most likely scenario is Ryan Mason will be put in temporary charge, but the international break does allow Spurs some time to explore different options.

Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Thomas Tuchel are all out of work, although they generally aren’t the type of managers who like to come in mid-season.

Pochettino is extremely open to a Spurs return and retains a strong professional and personal relationship with Levy. But Levy isn’t the only decision maker, even though his opinion carries huge weight. Fabio Paratici will lead on any appointment and he views Enrique as a strong candidate. Both options would be popular choices amongst the fanbase.

Pochettino has taken his time despite receiving lots of offers since leaving PSG. He was under consideration from Chelsea, even though Graham Potter was always the leading candidate. But he was not entirely sold on the vision. If Poch is to go back to Spurs, he’ll want to understand the dynamic between himself and Paratici first.

My understanding has always been Thomas Tuchel is not a leading candidate. He is obviously a top coach, but not seen as quite the right fit by the senior leadership team at Spurs. And after Conte’s outbursts, finding the right type of personality, not just coach, may well prove important.

Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Fulham’s Marco Silva could also be considered. Roberto De Zerbi has also impressed since joining Brighton but hasn’t even been there for a year. Brighton CEO Paul Barber told talkSPORT the club want to keep hold of him for as long as they possibly can, and with the Seagulls pushing for Europe it’s not thought De Zerbi would consider leaving mid-season.

First, Spurs have to resolve matters with Conte, who was always expected to leave at the end of the season. Again, at the time of writing, nothing has been officially communicated (perhaps that will change by the time you are reading this!). Thereafter, the key decision is whether an immediate appointment is made or Spurs wait until the end of the season.

💬 Who would your preferred managerial candidate be for Tottenham should Antonio Conte depart the club? Let us know your thoughts below!

Chelsea want to extend Mateo Kovacic as Man City ‘aware’ of situation

Although there has been some doubt over Mateo Kovacic’s future at Stamford Bridge over the past few months, and his contract ends in 2024, Chelsea are keen to extend his stay.

Chelsea are putting a high premium on leaders right now, and Kovacic has also been captain with others missing, including in the win over Dortmund in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge. And Kovacic scored a spectacular goal in the victory over Leicester in the Premier League. 

Jorginho’s departure to Arsenal was a great deal for all parties, but Chelsea nonetheless lost an experienced and well-liked player. Now, the owners don’t want to fall into too many repeat scenarios where they are selling players whose contracts are winding down. That’s why cashing in on Kovacic this summer has been discussed. But right now I understand things have changed a little.

Kovacic has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester City and Milan, and with new Chelsea midfielders incoming this summer he must understand how many minutes he’ll get, especially with N’Golo Kante back. Kante is expected to sign a new deal, too. Plus, Kovacic could have options that include Champions League football. It's a tall order for Chelsea to now qualify for the competition in 2023/24. 

[Mateo Kovacic (right) in action for Chelsea - Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images]

But from Chelsea’s perspective they’d like Kovacic to extend, especially with him being 28, which makes a bit of difference compared to others (like Jorginho, for example) in their thirties. Chelsea’s owners want to get the average squad age down.

A renewal is not yet a given, but there’s been a clear shift, with Kovacic now someone Chelsea ideally want to keep. The broader challenge for Chelsea’s American owners is players like Kovacic, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Cesar Azpilicueta and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all approaching the final year of their contracts. This makes it harder to get value from departures. And Chelsea want to stop contracts just ticking down because it puts them in a weaker position in the market.

To get Kovacic to sign, he’ll have to agree to the new incentive-driven wage structure. This will include handsome opportunities to earn, but also a decrease if Champions League football isn’t achieved.

Manchester City, in particular, are well aware of Kovacic’s situation. Let’s not forget they also tried to sign him in 2018 from Real Madrid before his move to Chelsea. Although City’s top midfield target is Jude Bellingham, Guardiola may push for more than one midfielder especially due to other potential outgoings, including Ilkay Gundogan, whose future remains undecided.

Wolves expecting Neves departure as Liverpool ‘still really like’ teammate

Wolves showed last summer they were able to hang on to Ruben Neves despite interest from Arsenal. But this summer things will be different. A bit like West Ham with Declan Rice, Wolves are pretty resigned to losing Neves. They know, with his contract expiring in 2024, selling at the end of the season is the only way to command a healthy fee.

Liverpool have certainly tracked Neves, but keep an eye on Matheus Nunes. He’s the one Liverpool still really like from Wolves.

Barcelona have also considered Neves, but it’s not a deal (financially speaking) they can pull off right now. Manchester United and Newcastle are looking for a player with a profile like Neves.

A lot of attention will be on Rice, with Arsenal and Chelsea pushing, but Neves will be highly-sought after as well and is available cheaper than the West Ham talisman (perhaps even around half his price). That’s the silver-lining for Wolves. They may lose the Portuguese midfielder but be able to drive up the price a little due to a high volume of suitors.

Let’s not forget last summer Neves was being valued at over £75m. His price has dropped due to the contract winding down, but Wolves would still ideally want closer to £50m than £40m.

💬 Would you prefer your club to sign Matheus Nunes or Ruben Neves? Share your ideal transfer below!