Chelsea Transfers

[Mário César 1,033]

we throw away money for youngster that already been sold when we could put that money on a one or two proper players

[DDA 9,696]

4 hours ago, Mário César said:

we throw away money for youngster that already been sold when we could put that money on a one or two proper players

This is what aggravates the fans the most. All this wasted money on 10 or so youth players could have got is 2/3 serious first team players who elevated the squad. That is why we doubtful of this ownership wanting to actually win trophies. It’s disgusting to watch.

[Vesper 29,136]

Bayern Munich, Mathys Tel and a career in a curious state of limbo

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6066360/2025/01/16/bayern-munich-tel-Chelsea/

On Wednesday night at Allianz Arena, with Bayern Munich sitting on a 3-0 half-time lead over Hoffenheim, Mathys Tel was given 45 minutes to remind the world of just how good he is.

Tel, 19, is a mighty talent but a curious case.

He has hardly been seen this season. He has started only two Bundesliga games in 2024-25 — most recently against Borussia Dortmund in November — and, before Wednesday, had played just over 350 minutes of club football in all competitions.

But it only took him three minutes to make his point, driving off the left wing with customary grace and sending a perfect cross to the back post, where Leroy Sane made it 4-0.

 

Tel glides away from Hoffenheim’s Dennis Geiger (Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

It was a way of bookending a news cycle. Back in the autumn, Tel was a loan candidate for several Bundesliga clubs. When the January transfer window opened, Chelsea expressed an interest and there was a suggestion that he could be used as part of a deal to bring Christopher Nkunku back to the Bundesliga, where he excelled for RB Leipzig.

Christoph Freund, Bayern’s sporting director, tried to end that speculation on Tuesday, telling a press conference that Tel “is a very important player for us”.

Freund also revealed that Bayern had held discussions with the player regarding his future.

“He is a great talent who is an important player for us and should play an important role in the future. That is why we had discussions before Christmas, together with the player and with the agent. We have had repeated discussions now and the clear goal is for Mathys to make the breakthrough with us. We believe in that. Mathys believes in that. And that is why it is not an issue for us at the moment to be concerned with other things.”

On the one hand, that is a valuable endorsement at an important time. On the other, it does not make the conundrum of Tel’s evolution any simpler.

It has been complicated from the moment Tel arrived at Bayern, which — in 2022 — was just the next stage for a player gliding serenely towards the stratosphere.

A year before, in August 2021 at 16 years and 110 days, Tel had became the youngest player in Rennes’ history, inheriting a record that previously belonged to Eduardo Camavinga.

 

Tel celebrates scoring for Rennes against Lorient in January 2022 (Jean-Francois Monier/AFP via Getty Images)

Just 50 minutes of Ligue 1 football was enough to convince Bayern to pay €28.5million (£24m; $29.3m) 11 months later and, immediately upon arriving in Germany, he set himself a very high bar.

He scored his first goal in August 2022, in a 5-0 rout of Viktoria Koln in the DFB Pokal. Tel dropped a shoulder on the edge of the box, glided between a couple of defenders, and caressed a side-foot into the top corner. Then, 10 days later, he became Bayern’s youngest player and scorer in Bundesliga history against Stuttgart.

The future was so obvious. Even some of Bayern’s hardened winners were moved by how easily he adapted.

“I thought his self-confidence was so impressive,” Leon Goretzka told Sky Deutschland after the Stuttgart game. “That cannot be taken for granted for a young boy who is starting for Bayern for the first time.”

If the media hyperbole ran away with itself in those first months, then it was praise well earned. Tel, who graduated through France’s famed Clairefontaine academy, grew up idolising Thierry Henry. By the time he appeared in the Bundesliga, only a contrarian would have denied his stylistic similarity to the great Arsenal and Barcelona forward.

It was in his stride, his side-foots, and even in his first touch; the Henry traits were so obvious that they were barely worth mention.

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But nobody who watched those first few weeks would have thought that by January 2025, two and a half years later, Tel would have only scored a further 12 Bundesliga goals — or that the game against Stuttgart would be his only start of that 2022-23 season, and one of only nine he would make between then and now.

Tel has not been anonymous. He has reappeared with fabulous goals from time to time. In September 2023, he ended a Manchester United comeback in the Champions League with a stunning two-touch finish, killing a Joshua Kimmich pass beautifully on his thigh before lashing past Andre Onana on the half-volley.

But the progress has been minimal and that remains the case now, with his career in a curious limbo.

There are reasons for that. Since arriving in 2022, he has worked with three different coaches: Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel and now Vincent Kompany. The club’s executive structures have undergone significant changes, too. Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic, the former CEO and sporting director, were sacked in 2023. Freund, Salihamidzic’s replacement, and Max Eberl, the new board member for sport, were appointed in July 2023 and early 2024 respectively.

Coaching and regime change have been common during Tel’s time.

 

Tel playing against Eintracht Frankfurt in August 2022 (Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)

It was also his misfortune that Harry Kane became available when he did. Bayern may have wanted to sign Kane for many months before he arrived in August 2023, but few had real faith in that deal until Kane actually arrived at Sabener Strasse for his medical.

And this has been another issue. While sporadic game time and alternating coaches have interfered with Tel’s rhythm, being stuck behind Kane — who wants to play every minute of every game and always will — has prevented Tel from growing properly into a full-time position.

Is he a No 9? Is he a wide forward? As a youth player, Tel played all over the pitch. There are stories of him at centre-back and in central midfield. It became clear early on that employing his attributes too far away from goal would be a waste, but while he belongs in the attacking third, it’s not clear where. Without the game time to specialise or make the case at Bayern, that issue is no more clear than it was in 2022.

And obstacles exist all over the forward line. The 10 highest-paid players in the Bundesliga all play for Bayern. Six of those — Kane, Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, Michael Olise and Leroy Sane — can play in positions for which Tel is competing.

So, he may represent the future, but Bayern have an awful lot of money invested in the present. A rejuvenated Coman is playing some of his best football in years under Kompany, Olise has had an outstanding first season in Germany, Sane is fighting for a contract extension and Gnabry has also been revived.

 

Tel with Olise, one of those with whom he is competing for a first-team place (S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images)

There are not many opportunities. Bayern are out of the DFB-Pokal and in a tight race to reclaim the Bundesliga. Champions League qualification is not entirely assured, either, so there are few free hits in Europe between now and the knockout rounds. Kompany has his team playing beautifully and he has a whole bench full of players who, at different points this season, have made their own case for inclusion — with more conviction than Tel, too.

Bayern are still determined that he should be part of their future. Freund meant what he said. Tel is popular internally and with supporters. He trains with dedication and has as much ability as any player of his age.

But he needs to be on the pitch, somewhere and soon, leaving this situation needing a creative solution.

[Vesper 29,136]

Chelsea might sell Christopher Nkunku and are interested in Mathys Tel. Would a deal make sense?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6064044/2025/01/17/Chelsea-christopher-nkunku-mathys-tell-analysis/

Chelsea and Bayern Munich are exploring separate deals to sign Mathys Tel and Christopher Nkunku.

It is rare for players to trade clubs in concurrent deals, but those moves are becoming more common in the world of profit and sustainability regulations (PSR). Chelsea were involved in similar deals with other Premier League sides in the summer.

If the moves did happen, what impact would they make on the pitch? Why would Chelsea be willing to let Nkunku leave? Does this sale have PSR benefits? And how would UEFA view the transaction?

The Athletic’s Chelsea experts Simon Johnson, Liam Twomey and Dan Sheldon explain below.

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Why are Chelsea prepared to let Nkunku go?

A move this month makes sense for both parties. Nkunku is one of Chelsea’s highest-paid players but is not playing enough to warrant that status.

Reducing the wage bill is one way for Chelsea to keep their accounts in order. Chelsea have entered 2025 intending to make tweaks, rather than mass changes, to the squad. Signing another forward is on their wish list and, while Nkunku is the club’s joint-top scorer this season with 13 goals, he has scored only five times in the Premier League since he moved to Stamford Bridge in 2023.

As reported this week, the club value him at around £65million ($80m) — but they are prepared to wait until the summer to get the best deal. They still regard Nkunku as a useful option for the rest of the campaign.

 

Nkunku has rarely started in the Premier League (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

As The Athletic reported in November, Nkunku has grown unhappy at Stamford Bridge. He has started just three Premier League games, with most of his first-team minutes coming in the Conference League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

Nkunku would have expected to be a regular in the senior team. The striker also knows he needs to be playing from the start to fulfil his ambition of representing France at the World Cup next year.

Chelsea paid RB Leipzig more than €60million (£50.5m; $61.6m) to sign him and remain in a strong bargaining position, despite Nkunku’s lack of game time. He has four years left on his contract, is a 14-cap France international and, at 27, has many seasons left at the highest level.

Chelsea have earmarked some players to keep no matter what — including Cole Palmer — but Nkunku is not one of them.

Simon Johnson

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Would ‘separate moves’ have PSR benefits?

A transfer fee can be amortised on the books for up to five years. For example, when a club spends £20million on a player, they can submit that fee as £4m per year in their end-of-year accounts. Spreading out the fee (rather than registering one lump sum) can help the club comply with financial rules.

Let’s say the club that spent £20million on a player then sells a different player for £20m to the same team — both sides can win from a short-term PSR perspective if their £20m signings are amortised over five years while their £20m sales can be recorded as one lump sum.

On paper, even though the money coming in matches the money going out, it can be recorded as a £16m profit in one year’s accounts.

Dan Sheldon

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Would UEFA consider this to be a swap deal?

Chelsea are exploring separate deals, but it will be down to UEFA to determine whether this should be considered a swap deal or not.

As per Article G.3.5. of its financial sustainability regulations, UEFA can consider it to be a ‘player exchange transaction’ when two or more players are transferred in opposite directions in the same registration window.

Other determining factors — for example, if the moves are included in the same transfer contract — can lead to UEFA deciding the transfers are a single transaction.

 

Nkunku’s time at Chelsea has largely been frustrating (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

If the criteria are met, UEFA will apply the international accounting requirements, as per International Accounting Standards, when calculating the profit from the sale of the outgoing player and the transfer fee for the incoming player.

This is where it gets complex as it involves the finer details set out in player contracts, payment structures and so on.

But the main takeaway should be that, yes, UEFA allows deals like this, but how the transactions are reflected in the accounts is much more nuanced.

Dan Sheldon

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Did Nkunku suit Maresca’s system?

It is mostly an issue of who would make way for Nkunku in his best position.

Nkunku is not a true No 9 — he is an attacking connector who flourishes when combining with team-mates between the opposition lines and arriving in the box to score. His problem is that Chelsea already have a superstar with that skill set: Palmer.

 

Palmer’s arrival and performances have limited opportunities for Nkunku (Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Palmer’s importance means that when Nkunku gets onto the pitch in a Premier League game, it is normally in a less favoured role — either as a central striker, where he has to receive the ball with his back to goal, or wide on the left, where he has never looked comfortable battling opposition full-backs or tracking their runs back into his half.

In a parallel universe, where Nkunku never got injured in a pre-season friendly in Chicago in the summer of 2023 and Chelsea never signed Palmer, he would likely be the main man at Stamford Bridge and an established Premier League star. But that is not his reality and it is no surprise that he has run out of patience.

Liam Twomey

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Would Tel be more likely to fit in?

Tel certainly fits the profile that intrigues Chelsea’s recruitment team: young (19 years old), with elite potential, and attributes that could make him highly valuable across several positions.

Skilful, fast and an impressive finisher with both feet, it is not yet entirely clear whether Tel will end up as a goalscoring wide forward or hyper-mobile No 9. Chelsea might view that adaptability as a positive, given that he could be asked to alternate with Nicolas Jackson up front and add depth to Maresca’s wing options in the absence of Mykhailo Mudryk.

 

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He may get more opportunities to play at Chelsea than Bayern, where he is vying with a galaxy of established attacking stars. He lacks the Nkunku’s pedigree but decision-makers at Clearlake Capital, Chelsea’s co-owner, have repeatedly exhibited a willingness to trade known production for potential upgrade in talent.

Liam Twomey

 

Tel in action for Bayern Munich (Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)

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Where did it go wrong for Nkunku?

A lot of it is down to pure misfortune, with even Ed Sheeran playing a role.

Nkunku settled very quickly into life at Chelsea during his first pre-season under former head coach Mauricio Pochettino. He was developing a good understanding with Jackson, playing just to the left of him. Three goals were scored in four friendlies on their summer tour of the United States.

But the final game of the trip took place at Soldier Field, Chicago just a few days after Sheeran had staged a concert there. The pitch was not in a good state but Nkunku’s serious knee injury was sustained in a collision with Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels.

Nkunku needed surgery and was ruled out for four months. He ended up playing just 14 times last season as other fitness and injury issues arose.

 

Nkunku lies stricken on the turf at Soldier Field (Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Being available for selection has not been a problem this season, but he simply does not fit the way Maresca sets the team up as well as how Pochettino was looking to use him.

On the rare occasions he has been given a chance, he has failed to make a positive impression. For example, he underwhelmed in the costly 2-0 defeats to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup and Ipswich Town in the Premier League.

Should Nkunku see out the campaign and an injury to Palmer or Jackson occurs, he could still get the chance to turn things around but his Chelsea career may just end up being a tale of what might have been.

[mkh 331]

Chelsea have continued to track the progress of £40million rated Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

[@alex_crook]

[Vesper 29,136]

2 hours ago, mkh said:

Chelsea have continued to track the progress of £40million rated Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

[@alex_crook]

£40m????

are they insane!!!!

the only 4 GKers in football history who have cost that much (or more) are

  
Kepa Arrizabalaga 
Alisson  
Gianluigi Buffon   (when he moved to Juve in 2001/02, ironically from Parma)
André Onana  (barely made the cut, he cost £42m)

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Vesper

[Mário César 1,033]

14 hours ago, DDA said:

This is what aggravates the fans the most. All this wasted money on 10 or so youth players could have got is 2/3 serious first team players who elevated the squad. That is why we doubtful of this ownership wanting to actually win trophies. It’s disgusting to watch.

the point is that they see players with potential and they buy them, and if they're lucky enough to get a top player

what happens is that they don't get any game time or they're loaned out and don't perform and now they're sold for similar amounts to what they were bought for. it's ridiculous

I'm not even going to talk about the goalkeeper situation. How many goalkeepers have we bought?

It's bad management

 

[whats happening 1,538]

4 hours ago, mkh said:

Chelsea have continued to track the progress of £40million rated Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

[@alex_crook]

i bet he's fat and very fast.

[Vesper 29,136]

5 minutes ago, whats happening said:

i bet he's fat and very fast.

fat and very fast: