Chelsea Transfers

[Vytis33 1,139]

 

[mkh 264]

💬According to Simon Phillips, Chelsea are very interested in signing Ronald Araujo and Tomas Araujo for the IV.✅️
 

[Vesper 28,669]

Chelsea still lack a defensive leader despite spending £185million on centre-backs

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5857400/2024/10/21/Chelsea-defence-liverpool/

Chelsea know better than most that having a strong defence is key to winning big games and challenging for major trophies.

This is the club that holds a Premier League record that feels almost impossible to beat — just 15 goals conceded during their title triumph in the 2004-05 season.

Some rivals may dismiss that feat as a sign of a negative style employed by former head coach Jose Mourinho, which is hardly fair given the team had Damien Duff and Arjen Robben flying down the wings.

What made the difference to that side was the leadership of stalwarts such as captain John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, William Gallas and Paulo Ferreira at the back. Chelsea’s reputation for being stingy continued for years under Mourinho (he had two spells in charge — 2004 to 2007 and 2013 to 2015) and many of the managers who followed, with Ashley Cole, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic added to the ranks.

For all their promise, you cannot put Chelsea’s current back line on a par with their predecessors. When the club were in their pomp, lifting five Premier League trophies between 2005 and 2017, scoring against them used to be quite an achievement, let alone beating them. These days, it is just par for the course.

Under head coach Mauricio Pochettino last season, Chelsea conceded 63 goals, a club record in the Premier League era. His replacement, Enzo Maresca, has made a very encouraging start at Stamford Bridge, but the defence is still hindering performances, most recently in their 2-1 away defeat to Liverpool.

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Chelsea have kept two clean sheets from their eight Premier League games (and they were very fortunate to do so in their 1-0 win at Bournemouth, who had a penalty saved and struck the woodwork twice).

Maresca is still trying to find the best balance between defence and attack, which is understandable given he has only been in charge for three months. A good defensive record also relies on the midfield’s protection and a strong goalkeeper — Robert Sanchez’s role is certainly another topic for debate. But for all the investment in centre-backs over the past few years, something still seems missing.

Since taking over in May 2022, more than £185million ($241m) has been spent by the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium on Kalidou Koulibaly (who joined Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal after one season), Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Renato Veiga. Signing Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer and promoting Levi Colwill from the academy has added to the strength in depth.

There is some raw young talent there, which fits the club’s philosophy, particularly in the case of Colwill and Veiga. In fairness to Fofana, his Chelsea career has been hindered by injury for the past two years.

Despite the spending, Chelsea could still do with a towering leader at the back, someone ideally next to Colwill who can bring more assuredness in tough fixtures at stadiums such as Anfield, to put those challenges in that turn a defeat into a draw, or a draw into a win.

Colwill will be disappointed by the reckless challenge he made on Curtis Jones that presented Mohamed Salah with a simple opportunity to put Liverpool ahead from the penalty spot. After the interval, the whole defence went missing while playing the offside trap for the second, with Salah returning the favour for Jones at the back post.

Chelsea performed far better on this latest visit to Liverpool than nine months ago when they were humiliated 4-1, but they still presented their opponents with two gifts. For all their encouraging spells in possession, Chelsea left Liverpool with the same number of points as the last time — zero.

Chelsea have now gone 10 games in all competitions without beating Liverpool. This is the fixture that holds some of the fondest memories for Chelsea supporters — it is not a coincidence that they boasted an unbeaten record (four wins, one draw) away from home against them in their five title-winning campaigns during the Premier League era, letting in just three goals.

One of Chelsea’s most famous victories, which is always referred to in the build-up to any Liverpool away game, came at the end of the 2013-14 season, which they ended without a trophy, but Mourinho still oversaw a 2-0 win with the inexperienced Tomas Kalas next to Ivanovic at centre-half.

It is hard to see the current group getting the better of Liverpool with the same discipline. It is a facet they need to improve on quickly, with games against Newcastle United, Manchester United, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur to come before Christmas.

Maresca believes otherwise, even though only eight Premier League teams have conceded more.

“The first is a penalty, it can happen,” he said during the post-match press conference. “And in the way we conceded the second goal, we have already avoided this season five or six goals because of the line (playing for offside). To come here in this stadium against this team and to think you’re not going to concede chances, it’s almost impossible.

“We can do many things better, but game after game, the defensive line is getting better.”

Only time will tell if he is right, but this is one area that the transfer market has not yet fixed.

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Lucy Bronze: My game in my words

[Vytis33 1,139]

 

[LAM09 6,731]

4 hours ago, Vytis33 said:

 

This stance of playing hardball is so stupid. If a player doesn't see himself being at the club for the foreseeable future, do everything possible to get the highest fee for them.

[Vesper 28,669]

Chelsea’s Josh Acheampong frozen out of first team and Under-21s until he signs new contract

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5861051/2024/10/22/josh-acheampong-Chelsea-contract/

By Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey

5h ago

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Chelsea’s highly-rated teenage defender Josh Acheampong has been told he will not play for the club’s first team or development squad until he signs a new contract.

Acheampong’s current deal expires in 2026 and the club have opened talks over an extension to secure his long-term future, but nothing has been finalised yet.

In the summer, Chelsea regarded him as third choice in the pecking order of their right backs at the club behind captain Reece James and Malo Gusto. It is one of the reasons they were not too disappointed at missing out to Wolves on the signing of Pedro Lima from Sport Recife.

However, Acheampong was not even named on the bench for Chelsea’s games at Bournemouth and West Ham last month despite James and Gusto being unavailable for selection through injury. Head coach Enzo Maresca used Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana, who are more known as centre backs, at right back instead.

Acheampong made his professional debut under former boss Mauricio Pochettino against Tottenham in February and was taken on the club’s pre-season tour of the USA ahead of the more experienced Trevoh Chalobah in the summer.

But the 18-year-old has made just one appearance under Maresca so far, playing 27 minutes as a substitute against Barrow in the Carabao Cup on September 24. He has not been in the matchday squad since then.

 

Acheampong’s last appearance for any Chelsea side came on September 24 (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Significantly Acheampong has not played for the Under-21s either despite starting four of their first five games this season. His last match for them was on September 15 and his name was not on the teamsheet for their Premier League Cup match at Bournemouth last night. It means he has gone nearly a full month without representing Chelsea at any level.

Acheampong is not injured and made two appearances for England’s Under-20s during the recent international break.

The Athletic has been told by multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, who spoke anonymously to protect relationships, that Acheampong’s omission is due to the contract talks stalling and the club have told him the situation will not change unless he extends.

It was reported last week that Acheampong, who can also play at centre back, is already being targeted by other high profile clubs over a January transfer, but Chelsea do not want to sell. They are still planning for negotiations to resume and remain optimistic that the situation can be resolved.

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Chelsea once again take strong stance with academy graduate

Analysis by Chelsea correspondent Simon Johnson

This is not the first time Chelsea have taken a strong stance with an academy graduate during contract negotiations so in some ways this development is not too much of a surprise.

Chelsea have made it pretty clear in their treatment of the more established Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher that they do not want players to run their contracts down to 12 months (and under).

Both first team players had one year remaining on their deals when they were sold to Manchester United (2023) and Atletico Madrid (2024) respectively. Offers were made during rounds of talks beforehand but after no agreement was reached, Chelsea felt it left them with little choice because they could not afford to miss out on a sizeable transfer fee.

In Gallagher’s case, he was told to train away from the first team on reporting back for pre-season in August while his move to Atletico was being discussed. The player came away from a meeting held with Chelsea early that month under the impression that if he did not sign a new deal or join Atletico, then he would not play.

 

Chelsea have taken strong stances with academy graduates before, including Conor Gallagher (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

What makes the Acheampong situation so startling is that things have escalated this soon and with a youngster who has made just two senior appearances.

Chelsea do hold Acheampong in high regard but the teenager has been given reason to question his pathway to featuring a lot more in the future. By not even making the squad for the Bournemouth and West Ham United games when James and Gusto were ruled out, it does send a signal that he is not going to be called upon very often.

While Chelsea did miss out on buying Lima to Wolves, they did make a move for the 18-year-old right back in the first place and by spending well over £1billion in the market over two years, they have built a reputation for looking for talent elsewhere.

Acheampong’s hesitation is akin to two other home grown right backs in Tariq Lamptey and Tino Livramento, who left during the Roman Abramovich era. They rejected contracts because of fears over game time with Cesar Azpilicueta and James being in front of them. Lamptey was sold to Brighton (2020), while Livramento joined Southampton (2021).

The decision to leave Acheampong out of all Chelsea teams though is similar to what former striker Dominic Solanke went through in 2016-17 before he left for Liverpool.

Chelsea understandably want their players to commit for the long-term and be prepared to fight for their place. Two of Maresca’s first choice XI are academy graduates Reece James and Levi Colwill and they signed contracts under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium until 2028 and 2030 respectively. The club also rejected strong interest from Bayern Munich in Colwill this summer.

Chelsea will think if Acheampong really wants to stay at Stamford Bridge, then he should sign. But from the outside, it is hard to see how this tactic of freezing him out improves their chances.

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Chelsea academy upheaval: Why are Bath and Fraser leaving, and what happens next?

[Vesper 28,669]

Frozen out by Chelsea - Why Real Madrid, Liverpool & Dortmund want Josh Acheampong

https://www.transfermarkt.com/next-cobham-ace-to-leave-why-real-madrid-and-liverpool-want-Chelsea-starlet-josh-acheampong/view/news/445121

Chelsea have developed a reputation for selling off their academy stars in recent seasons and it’s proved an extremely lucrative strategy. Cashing in on academy graduates represents pure profit for Premier League and UEFA financial regulations and Chelsea have earned an incredible €479m from selling homegrown players since the start of the 2014/15 season. 

The Stamford Bridge side recouped over €100m this summer from the departures of Omari Hutchison, Lewis Hall, Ian Maatsen and Conor Gallagher. But one player Chelsea don’t want to lose is Josh Acheampong with the 18-year-old generating substantial interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world. The talented defender only has 18 months left on his contract and Chelsea reportedly won't play Acheampong at any level unless he extends his deal. Clubs have been alerted to recent developments ahead of the January window and with the pathway to Chelsea’s first-team being incredibly difficult to navigate due to their bloated squad -  could Acheampong seek a new challenge with opportunities limited?

Who is Chelsea starlet Josh Acheampong? 

Acheampong is the latest starlet to emerge from Cobham’s prestigious conveyor belt of talent. The teenager is comfortable playing across the defence but he’s primarily viewed as a right-back. Acheampong joined Chelsea’s academy aged just seven and he was a standout during his progression through youth level before stepping up to train with the first-team last season. He was named on the bench against Newcastle in March before Mauricio Pochettino handed Acheampong his professional debut from the bench in the 2-0 Premier League win over Tottenham in May.

The youngster travelled with Enzo Maresca’s squad for pre-season to the United States but he’s only received 27 first-team minutes this season against Barrow in the League Cup. Chelsea have two excellent right-backs within their first-team squad in Malo Gusto and Reece James. Gusto is only three years older than Acheampong and he’s excelled since joining Chelsea last summer, while James remains club captain despite being injury prone. Although Acheampong remains an excellent prospect that Chelsea don’t want to lose, the English youth international will have plenty of suitors if he departs West London. 

Who wants to sign Josh Acheampong?

Acheampong has been on the radar of clubs across Europe but Real Madrid are considering a move in January, according to the Independent. The Spanish giants reportedly have a long-term interest in the Chelsea starlet, which has been accelerated by a serious injury to Dani Carvajal. While several players can deputise at right-back, Real Madrid lack a natural replacement and they’ve been constantly linked with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Acheampong could represent an alternative in January. 

 

Real Madrid, however, aren’t the only big club to be monitoring Acheampong, with Liverpool also linked as a potential long-term replacement if Alexander-Arnold leaves. Premier League rivals Tottenham and Newcastle United are also known admirers while Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund are tracking developments. Acheampong’s contract expires in 2026 and there's been no breakthrough in talks with the youngster now frozen out at Cobham and Chelsea could sell in the January window.

[mkh 264]

Castello Lukeba has agreed to sign new deal at RB Leipzig valid until June 2029.

FabriceHawkins reports.

Lukeba remains on Real Madrid and PL clubs’ list for 2025 but he will NOT leave in January.

[Vesper 28,669]

20 minutes ago, mkh said:

Castello Lukeba has agreed to sign new deal at RB Leipzig valid until June 2029.

FabriceHawkins reports.

Lukeba remains on Real Madrid and PL clubs’ list for 2025 but he will NOT leave in January.

what is his release clause on the new contract?

[mkh 264]

3 minutes ago, Vesper said:

what is his release clause on the new contract?

Summer 2025, Lukeba’s first release clause will come into effect (€90m). From the summer of 2026, the clause will decrease to €65m

[mkh 264]

💬Today according to Simon Phillips
Chelsea have the central defenders 
-Ruben Dias
-Thomas Aurajo
-Antonio Silva
-Ronald Araujo (injured for a long time)
Selected for the shortlist.

Chelsea are also keen to sell Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile in January or the summer💙✍️✅️

[Vesper 28,669]

2 minutes ago, mkh said:

-Ruben Dias
-Thomas Aurajo
-Antonio Silva
-Ronald Araujo (injured for a long time)

all are right footed

all except Thomas Araujo (his name is mispelled above) and maybe Silva will be either impossible or extremely hard to pull, plus all will be crazy expensive except Thomas (unless Benfica renew him with a typical insanely high release clause)

6 minutes ago, mkh said:

Chelsea are also keen to sell Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile in January or the summer

PLEASE MAKE IT SO!!!!!!

[DH1988 1,273]

This whole Josh A saga is very out of the blue, thought he was on the right path but I don't see how freezing him out of something he wasn't a core part of helps the situation, seems their go to method.

I for one hope he signs and, hamstrings permitting, Reece is put into his Wigan days at CM.

[Vesper 28,669]

20 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Antonio Silva

btw

he has been a bit disappointing the last 6 months of play after looking like the next great Portuguese CB for the 2 plus years before that

he needs to kick on

[mkh 264]

16 minutes ago, Vesper said:

btw

he has been a bit disappointing the last 6 months of play after looking like the next great Portuguese CB for the 2 plus years before that

he needs to kick on

I also think that Ruben Dias and R. Araujo are not available.

I think since A.Silva has slowed down Benfica would let him go for less than his €100m clause.
Tomas Araujo also has an exit clause of €100m

Simon also said Chelsea want a right back.

I think Veiga could slip into the role behind Colwill after the Badiashile departure.

[Vesper 28,669]

6 minutes ago, mkh said:

Tomas Araujo also has an exit clause of €100m

that is madness

Edited October 22 by Vesper

[Vesper 28,669]

2 minutes ago, mkh said:

I also think that Ruben Dias and R. Araujo are not available.

Dias for sure (was surprised to see him listed)

but

as Barca desperately need to raise funds (especially IF they truly go for Håland) I could see them accepting a monster bid for Ronald Araujo

that said, Chels will hardly be the only big club all over him

[Vesper 28,669]

delete

Edited October 22 by Vesper