Chelsea Transfers

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Could Marc Cucurella now stay at Chelsea?

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138210962/could-marc-cucurella-now-stay-at-Chelsea

Marc Cucurella has been praised by Mauricio Pochettino after his improved form for Chelsea, so what could this mean for his future?

As I explained recently, the feeling was that Cucurella could be one who would be allowed to leave Chelsea in January if he continued to find himself out of the team. He’s now playing and is doing really well, even against Bukayo Saka in the game against Arsenal at the weekend, so it will be interesting to see if Pochettino now decides to keep faith in the player.

I can’t confirm yet what will happen, but I know that Cucurella has been super professional again since the Manchester United deal collapsed. He’s not complaining, just fighting for his place and now doing great. Pochettino and his staff are very happy with his mentality. There are no discussions about January now, Cucurella is only focused on Chelsea as they’re very happy with him.

[Vesper 30,158]

Arsenal and other clubs monitoring Douglas Luiz

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138210962/arsenal-and-other-clubs-monitoring-douglas-luiz

Douglas Luiz had another brilliant game for Aston Villa in their win over West Ham yesterday, and I can tell you that there are many top clubs monitoring the Brazilian midfielder.

Firstly, however, it’s important to say that Villa did a great job to extend his contract recently - he has an important salary now, and he’s an important player in Unai Emery’s side. Villa are doing really well, winning eleven consecutive home games, so it’s important to respect what they’re doing, because it’s an ambitious project and at the moment it’s going really well.

Still, there is interest in Douglas Luiz for sure. Arsenal wanted him a year and a half ago, and he’s always been a player appreciated by Arsenal director Edu. Let’s see what happens in January and if Arsenal will decide to move for a player in that position or not, but Douglas Luiz is certainly a player who remains appreciated at the Emirates Stadium, as well as many other top clubs around Europe. He could be one to watch in 2024, but Villa won’t make it easy to sign their star players, of course.

Another player being linked with Arsenal is Sacha Boey, but I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. We see this link since he joined Stellar agency in the summer, but he’s never been close to a move. There are no negotiations as of now as Galatasaray consider Boey a key player - his price was already around €30m in the summer.

[Vesper 30,158]

Lucas Paqueta being linked with Manchester City again

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138210962/lucas-paqueta-being-linked-with-manchester-city-again

Finally, we’re again seeing Lucas Paqueta being linked with Manchester City, which I think is to be expected for a quality player, but it’s just speculation for now as far as I’m aware.

Paqueta has always been appreciated by City, as we’ve known for a long time but there’s nothing new happening at the moment. City signed Matheus Nunes in the summer in that position, so another similar signing in midfield might not make sense as a priority.

Of course, Kalvin Phillips could leave, as I reported last week, but for now there’s no decision made on the midfielder position for January, and it will also depend on the formula for the Phillips deal.

[Vesper 30,158]

Sources: Toney priority for Jan, Osimhen, Sesko, Moukoko, and Vlahovic on list, The Debrief: Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2, Poch laying solid foundations, Did Mudryk mean it? News roundups, and more...

https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/sources-toney-priority-for-jan-osimhen

Morning all,

Mixed emotions waking up on this Monday morning like I am sure many of you are feeling as well. I am certainly looking at the positives and taking those from the Arsenal game. But I’m still so annoyed that we threw it away when we were 2-0 up with 15 minutes to go, and the nature of how we threw it away.

I have my match debrief with the player ratings and my initial reactions on the game here.

These were my initial reactions straight after the game. I also calmed down a bit and reflected on the game and the overall situation we are in right now here. Things are looking much better for us now and we are actually within touching distance to challenging for a UCL place.

Mykhailo Mudryk scoring against Arsenal was pretty damn sweet mind, that one felt very good. And it was a real wonder goal right? Or was it? Anyone who thinks not will have Chelsea’s Danny Finkelstein, who is also part of our community here of course, to answer to! Let’s discuss the goal and see what everyone has been saying about it in here.

A big new sourced article on the latest on Chelsea’s striker pursuit for January next. I go through all the latest with inside updates on all the names on our shortlist, with Ivan Toney staying as the priority. Get all that and more in here.

Finally, we have Sunday’s news bulletin rounding up all the latest Chelsea news in one place here. This will have further quotes and reactions from the Arsenal game, and everything else that went on.

Right, join me on the live blog from 8am this morning! See you all there.

Peace, Si.

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Chelsea

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138195756/Chelsea

• Will Ivan Toney be Chelsea’s priority target this January?

• Chelsea are keeping an eye on this Serie A star - full info here.

• Mauricio Pochettino: “Credits to Marc Cucurella. He deserves that, really. He is training super well, he played very well against a very good player like Saka. He is working really hard and remember: he was able to play on the right side.”

• What next for Cucurella after his improvement under Pochettino?

• Pochettino: “Mudryk is not at his best. He needs to improve. He really needed his first goal at Stamford Bridge. He still needs to improve but with this goal, I think he is going to be more confident in the future.”

[ZAPHOD2319 4,814]

On 21/10/2023 at 06:52, Vesper said:

USA captain Tyler Adams out 4 plus months after hamstring surgery
 

I don't think he would have competed to start in our midfield, but thankfully we avoided that additional long term injury. 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,814]

Lyon and Ajax are really digging a hole to try to climb up their respective tables. If this continues, there will be some players getting out of both teams. Perhaps our recruitment team were right about Cherki, he has been nowhere this season.

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oh ffs

EXCL: Chelsea interested in Aaron Ramsdale, Conor Gallagher WOULD sign new Chelsea deal, Osimhen on 2024 radar, Toney more realistic for Jan, Kendry Paez could spent time with seniors, and more..

https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/excl-Chelsea-interested-in-aaron

Chelsea can take plenty of positives from their 2-2 draw with Arsenal. It’s always disappointing to lose a two-goal lead with less than 15 minutes left, but it was still one of Chelsea’s best performances of the season.

Cole Palmer again proved his worth and Marc Cucurella continues to impress. When I spoke to Cucurella over the summer he made it clear he was intent on fighting for his place at Chelsea and he’s doing precisely that. There is no guarantee he’ll be sold or loaned in January. Mauricio Pochettino is impressed by not only his form but his attitude.

Mykhailo Mudryk is starting to settle and got a morale-boosting first Stamford Bridge goal. The Ukrainian also scored a sensational goal whilst on international duty. He might not have entirely meant it – it was clearly a cross-shot – but he did point out after the game he was told David Raya often moved too early to anticipate play and could be exposed.

The biggest negative was obviously Robert Sanchez’s error leading to Declan Rice’s goal. That let Arsenal back into the game and was very sloppy. Sanchez has made some tremendous stops this season but still looks a little shaky with his feet. Pochettino demands ball-playing keepers and Sanchez is going to have to get used to passing under pressure. In this instance, he was just careless and Rice punished him with a superb finish (it wasn't a given to score). 

These things happen and sadly it cost Chelsea what would have been their first three points against a big-six side under these owners. But Sanchez is still seen as Chelsea’s No.1 for the season.

A lot of fans ask me whether the club might try for Aaron Ramsdale in January and it's true there will be plenty of clubs keeping an eye on his situation, Chelsea included. Ramsdale wants to play to try and push Jordan Pickford for England’s Euro 2024 starting spot in goal. And he can’t do that from the bench. But as of now Chelsea haven’t made any kind of serious move. Plus, Mikel Arteta really wants to keep Ramsdale, so a mid-season switch is going to be tough. It could only happen if Ramsdale really pushes.

Overall, I think the point against Arsenal was a good one. It shows this young Chelsea side can go toe-to-toe with a title contender, and it adds to momentum ahead of a difficult run of fixtures.

I think Chelsea stand as good a chance as Newcastle, Aston Villa or even Tottenham as qualifying for the Champions League, especially if there are five spots. And I believe they will prove a better side playing against sterner opposition. As Arsenal showed, they just seem to rise to the occasion. I expect them to go on now and beat Brentford next.

Last season Chelsea lacked leadership but we are starting to see that change. Conor Gallagher is one example. He seems to have relished having the armband in the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell.

Newcastle, West Ham, Spurs and Brighton have all looked at Gallagher in the past. I understand Brighton probably would have moved if they could have afforded his wages but it just wasn't a financially feasible move and still isn't. Spurs, meanwhile, decided not to make a bid on Deadline Day this summer because they felt Gallagher’s asking price was too high.

Gallagher has always been intent to stay and fight for his place. He is in no hurry to leave. It's true that Chelsea’s senior leadership have previously been reluctant to offer him a new deal, but that may change with Pochettino’s influence over the coming months. It’s still unclear, with everyone fit, whether Gallagher is surplus to requirements, which sounds a strange thing to say given he’s been captain and a mainstay under Pochettino. But I would term his future as 'open'. If Chelsea do offer him a new deal, though, I am told he’ll sign it, again indicating Gallagher's preference is to stay.

And just a word on Chelsea’s potential search for a striker in January. Victor Osimhen is on Chelsea’s radar for 2024. I still think a summer move is going to be easier than a January one. Osimhen hasn’t signed a new two-year deal despite one being tabled over the summer. Napoli felt at one point there was something close to a verbal agreement in place, but the Nigerian striker had second thoughts. It won’t be easy to persuade Aurelio De Laurentiis to sell mid-season, especially if Napoli can get out of their Champions League group.

Ivan Toney is perhaps a more realistic target if Chelsea want to move in January. Brentford would be asking for around £60m in summer, but a January sale will require more. Some say £65m as a starting point, but other sources stress it might be closer to £80m. 

All this means if Chelsea want either of those strikers they will have to spend big and perhaps find a way to cash in. That’s why outgoings remain important in 2024 despite the summer clearout.

Lastly, I would encourage anyone to watch Kendry Paez's latest wonder-goal for Independiente del Valle. The 16-year-old is already showing why Chelsea invested €20m in him (bonuses included).

Paez can't officially join Chelsea until he's 18 and sources indicate he's trying to blot out the move for now. But the club are in regular contact and there are plans to integrate him into the squad before he arrives. It wouldn't surprise me if he spends some time with the senior squad next summer. Paez looks like a tremendous prospect who is already really mature. If his development continues at this pace he will become a frighteningly good talent.

[Vesper 30,158]

1 minute ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Lyon and Ajax are really digging a hole to try to climb up their respective tables. If this continues, there will be some players getting out of both teams. Perhaps our recruitment team were right about Cherki, he has been nowhere this season.

Olympique Lyon

18	Rayan Cherki Attacking Midfield	Aug 17, 2003 (20)		€30.00m
6	Maxence Caqueret Central Midfield	Feb 15, 2000 (23)		€22.00m
37	Ernest Nuamah Left Winger	Nov 1, 2003 (19)		€20.00m
10		)
20	Saël Kumbedi Right-Back	Mar 26, 2005 (18)		€12.00m

 

Ajax Amsterdam

37	Josip Sutalo Centre-Back	Feb 28, 2000 (23)		€18.00m
25	Borna Sosa Left-Back	Jan 21, 1998 (25)		€12.00m
8	Kenneth Taylor Central Midfield	May 16, 2002 (21)		€10.00m
11	Carlos Forbs Left Winger	Mar 19, 2004 (19)		€10.00m
4	Jorrel Hato Centre-Back	Mar 7, 2006 (17)		€10.00m
2	Devyne Rensch Right-Back	Jan 18, 2003 (20)		€8.00m
24	Silvano Vos Defensive Midfield	Mar 16, 2005 (18)		€3.00m

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Ivan Toney likely to cost £60-65m

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138225644/ivan-toney-likely-to-cost-m

There’s been a lot of interest in Ivan Toney, including from Italy, but the idea of the player is to move to a top English club. There is interest from Arsenal, for sure, he is appreciated by people at the club, but we’ll have to see if Arsenal want to spend important money on a striker, especially after their big spending in the summer.

Chelsea are also interested - they are following both Toney and Victor Osimhen. They will go for a striker in 2024, let’s see if it’s January or the summer. Tottenham are very happy with their squad, but could also be one to watch with Toney if they decide to go for a striker.

The feeling of sources is that Toney’s asking price could be around £60-65m - Brentford would ideally want more than this, but the feeling at the moment is that for that kind of price the deal could be done.

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Chelsea’s winger targets before they signed Cole Palmer

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138225644/chelseas-winger-targets-before-they-signed-cole-palmer

I can now mention something behind the scenes from the summer, when many wingers were being linked with Chelsea. Their priority target was Cole Palmer, but also in their list was Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao. Chelsea scouted him for a long time before deciding to go for Palmer as their priority, but what now for Williams?

We’ve had many rumours about Barcelona and other clubs, and his contract is due to expire in 2024 so it’s a kind of dangerous situation for Athletic Bilbao, but I’m told there is the feeling that he will extend his contract. Athletic are confident, it’s still being discussed, but it looks concrete, and it could include a release clause of around €50m.

There were also rumours in the summer about Chelsea and Rayan Cherki, but my information is that it was never close or concrete. He was scouted, as were many other players, but the reality, despite rumours in the media, was that Chelsea never advanced in any negotiation. Many other clubs are also following him in different countries, but at the moment there’s nothing concrete, no negotiation or anything else.

Still, it’s important to note that Lyon are having a terrible season in Ligue 1, so Cherki’s situation could be different. For Cherki it’s a complicated moment, as he was substituted at half time in the defeat to Clermont - this is something surprising, and so his situation will have to be clarified for 2024.

Anyway, I also think it’s important to give credit to Chelsea for the signing of Cole Palmer, because he’s been fantastic. West Ham and Brighton also wanted Palmer this summer, but Chelsea were ready to pay a big amount of money to Man City to make it happen, and it made the difference. For me, Palmer was also absolutely ready to play at Manchester City’s level too, but City have so many top players and so it’s understandable that they decided to sell when the right offer came in.

In other news…

Victor Osimhen - Despite rumours, I can 100% guarantee that Victor Osimhen has not agreed anything with Liverpool or any club. He’s not negotiating any contract or salary with any other club, even if there is interest from around Europe, which is normal. Still, it’s also true that Osimhen has not agreed anything with Napoli, despite receiving a contract proposal which was the biggest in Napoli’s history. The negotiations are not advancing or progressing, so it’s dangerous for Napoli as he’s out of contract in 2025. If nothing is agreed in the next months then he could be one to watch in the summer.

[NikkiCFC 8,316]

31 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Ivan Toney likely to cost £60-65m

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138225644/ivan-toney-likely-to-cost-m

There’s been a lot of interest in Ivan Toney, including from Italy, but the idea of the player is to move to a top English club. There is interest from Arsenal, for sure, he is appreciated by people at the club, but we’ll have to see if Arsenal want to spend important money on a striker, especially after their big spending in the summer.

Chelsea are also interested - they are following both Toney and Victor Osimhen. They will go for a striker in 2024, let’s see if it’s January or the summer. Tottenham are very happy with their squad, but could also be one to watch with Toney if they decide to go for a striker.

The feeling of sources is that Toney’s asking price could be around £60-65m - Brentford would ideally want more than this, but the feeling at the moment is that for that kind of price the deal could be done.

This guy is 4x more cheaper. But with both over 25 years old are they even our targets?

[Pizy 18,893]

I see all the Ramsdale rumors. Firstly, it would be madness to go out and sign another pricey keeper after paying £25m for Sanchez and also signing a backup we haven’t even seen once yet. And secondly, does it not say something that just 1 year after signing Ramsdale Arteta almost couldn’t wait to replace him because he’s weak with his distribution?

Remember Kepa is still also technically still a Chelsea player and we also spent decent money on Slonina. 

I don’t think another new keeper is on the cards any time soon. We’ll just have to keep the faith in Sanchez and hope he settles down.

[bluesman2610 1,417]

9 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

This guy is 4x more cheaper. But with both over 25 years old are they even our targets?

I thought I saw somewhere he’s currently injured but I also think he could do the business in the PL

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

7 hours ago, bluesman2610 said:

I thought I saw somewhere he’s currently injured but I also think he could do the business in the PL

It’s really funny how Guirassy‘s reputation has recovered. During his time at Köln he was known as the worst finisher in Germany. The amount and quality of chances he wasted was legendary and puts Werner, Havertz, Jackson and Lukaku to shame. Ok maybe not Lukaku but still. On the one hand it shows how short ppls memories are but also two things are possible… a mediocre striker can always hit a purple patch down the line or a serial choker can become a clinical striker.

Personally, I would not touch him. We have been linked with so many flavour of the month strikers once they hit a good spell who just fell off a cliff weeks later (Belotti, jovic, piatek, lacine traore, diakite etc.) 

 

IMO there are only two types of centre forward you can trust to be starters for a top club. Either those that are the epitome of clinical finishers, who were literally born with unshakable confidence, unerring positioning,  the ability to score goals from half chances, Mishits , deflections, gk errors or undetected fouls. This type of striker has become increasingly rare as fewer teams are willing to sacrifice a runner for a fox in the box. Then there a strikers who are so polished in their overall game and offer such valuable link up play, create chances for teammates, make space for attacks and drag defenders out of postirion that they can go months without scoring but are still valuable to the play. 
Guirassy and also probably Toney fall in neither category so we should probably stay clear if they demand a starting spot. Toney is also too expensive to ride the bench. 
 

i honestly believe if we get Nkunku back to full fitness and Poch manages to tweak his system to accommodate both, NJ and Nkunku, we could have on of the best strikeforces in the country.