Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 27,680]

2 hours ago, Clockwork said:

That is who Strasbourg should hire not Viera.

he probably doesn't have all the necessary UEFA coaching badges

[Vesper 27,680]

Lots of outgoings at Chelsea but Levi Colwill won’t be another

https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/132182965/lots-of-outgoings-at-Chelsea-but-levi-colwill-wont-be-another

It’s a crucial time for Chelsea star, Levi Colwill. The 20-year-old is currently on England duty with the U21 side but his future must be clarified soon. It’s true that Brighton and Hove Albion have always been interested in his services and Roberto De Zerbi appreciates the player.

Nothing has changed for the Seagulls and they remain interested in trying to convince the player. The problem is that Chelsea do not want to sell at any cost. Colwill is untouchable. Not for sale. This is a very clear position. Once the U21 Euros are over for England, Colwill will return to the club and speak with Mauricio Pochettino to clarify his future. It will be an important conversation because the player isn’t interested in being a backup option. He’s clear that he wants to be a starter for the team, and this will be the most crucial part of the conversation.

[Vesper 27,680]

New Brazilian ‘wonder kid’ Angelo is one for the future at Stamford Bridge

https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/132182965/new-brazilian-wonder-kid-angelo-is-one-for-the-future-at-stamford-bridge

One name that isn’t particular well known in English football circles at present is that of Ângelo Gabriel - ‘Ângelo.’ The 18-year-old Brazilian has already played over 100 times for Santos, the team that gave us Pelé and Neymar. Chelsea are convinced that he has great potential, is very good and talented but it will take time for him to be considered alongside other Brazilian superstars such as Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, who are three top world class players. In my opinion he’s probably not ready yet for Chelsea, but this is why the plan is to send him on loan initially from July. Chelsea will sign him for €15m after Barcelona didn’t exercise their option on him, and they feel that this is very good price for that kind of talent. He’s already completed part of his medical in Brazil, and he will sign on a six-year deal, valid until 2029 with option for one more year.

[Vesper 27,680]

10 clubs in the race for Fenerbahçe’s Arda Güler

https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/132182965/clubs-in-the-race-for-fenerbahces-arda-guler

Barcelona are trying to sign Fenerbahçe’s fantastic 18-year-old talent, Arda Güler. They want him for June 2024, not now, but for sure it isn’t an easy transfer. There are 10 clubs interested in the player and when they are so good, this is normal to see lot of interest. Barça are waiting to see if they can reach an agreement with Fenerbahçe and with the player's camp, and this is the current topic of conversation. I repeat, that it's not an easy deal and for sure, they are not alone in this race. Fenerbahçe also want Arda to play again for them for at least next season.

[Pizy 17,996]

I can’t even fucking read Twitter, man. This fucking idiot just killed the website. 

[Vesper 27,680]

[Vesper 27,680]

Chelsea

https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/132159626/Chelsea

 

• Cesare Casadei has plans to either play in the Premier League or Serie A next season. There have been four loans proposed by Championship clubs but the final decision will be made together with Chelsea.

• No truth in the rumours linking Marc Cucurella with Atletico Madrid. His representative, Álvaro Dominguez, has described the stories as “fake news.”

• Chelsea consider Levi Colwill ‘untouchable,’ and the club have submitted their first new, long-term contract offer to the player. Colwill wants to speak to Mauricio Pochettino after the U21 Euros before making a decision.

• 

• No issues with the Nico Jackson deal. Fee close to €37m, paid in instalments, eight year deal which is now official, confirmed.

• Santos wonder kid Ângelo has completed the first part of medical tests in Brazil. He’s set to join Chelsea on a deal which will be valid until June 2029, with an option for a further season.

• 📰 Chelsea have already identified their Mason Mount replacement - [Evening Standard via CaughtOffside]

• 

• César Azpilicueta here we go! Agreement in place for a two year contract until June 2025. Chelsea will let him leave as a free agent and documents will be ready to sign soon. Azpilicueta verbally agreed personal terms with Inter last week but the player’s family pushed to go back to Spain.

• Christian Pulisic remains keen on Milan move, and nothing has changed. Chelsea insist on €25m asking price but Milan want to pay less. Talks ongoing.

• Ruben Loftus-Cheek has joined Milan on a four-year deal, confirmed. €16m fee plus €4m in add-ons.

• SC Heerenveen have completed the signing of Chelsea midfielder, Charlie Webster, on a one-year loan deal.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Vesper

[ZAPHOD2319 4,096]

 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,096]

 

[Pizy 17,996]

16 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

 

🤢🤢🤢

If Vlahovic is ever on the table we should do what these cheap ass Italians do and get him on loan for the season to see what he’s like. Include an OPTION to buy for the €70m next summer.

[Clockwork 1,794]

3 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

Vieira did great with some young players before like Saint Maximin and Gallagher. 

I am thinking about a manager who has potential to manage Chelsea, Vieira ain’t that guy.

[Vesper 27,680]

On 29/06/2023 at 20:46, MoroccanBlue said:

Can we get a CM that has some bite/aggression in midfield? Even with Caicedo and Santos its looking weak. 

That's why we wanted Ugarte.

 

[Vesper 27,680]

ex post facto explanation

The new transfer deadline day? Why June 30 matters to Chelsea, Barcelona and more

https://theathletic.com/4651467/2023/06/29/transfer-deadline-june30-premier-league-Chelsea/

It is not the transfer deadline that demands a countdown on rolling news sites. Nor is it one with the potential to irrevocably shape a season.

Yet June 30 has quietly become a date of growing significance on football’s calendar — to some in the industry it is beginning to feel akin to a third transfer window; one that is demanding attention like those at the end of the summer and winter windows. It has become a “game-changer”, as one agent put it.

Friday is the last opportunity for some clubs to enhance their accounts for the 2022-23 season through player sales and, in this era of financial fair play (FFP), it is a point of increasing relevance across European football.

There is a reason that negotiations over Mason Mount’s prospective move from Chelsea to Manchester United, for example, have stepped up a gear this week. Finalising transfers before the end of the month matters for those who have flown close to the sun. This can be a final grasp for FFP compliance when failing to complete the necessary business can have consequences.

The deadline within a window helps explain why, in part, the 20 Premier League clubs have already raised £250million ($317m) in player sales before any have even returned for pre-season training. Needs must.

Chelsea’s garage sale accounts for half of that sum but the club that broke records for Premier League spending last season have not been alone in pushing for deals this month to redress the balance before the accounting year is out.

The pattern also extends to the continent. Barcelona, the La Liga champions, would dearly love to do business before the end of the month, as would Roma, who were one of eight clubs fined by European football’s governing body UEFA for breaches of financial rules in September. Reports in Italy suggest there is a need to raise €30million (£25.9m; £32.8m) before June is out or there will be trouble ahead.

It is the clubs that have overstretched who typically find themselves facing these new pressures. Those that see too much red on their books and those conscious that accounts would benefit from some late window dressing before a new financial year begins.

Financial rules vary, but in the Premier League clubs are limited to losing no more than £105million in a three-year rolling period. The headline losses in the annual accounts are offset by infrastructure spend and, until the end of next season, there is also the ability to write off losses attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Football’s financial year typically runs from July 1 to June 30 and completing business before that cut-off point can benefit those in a squeeze, like Everton last summer and now Chelsea. To others it can be more about future planning than compliance, giving themselves greater scope to spend in the summers to come.

Tottenham were only too willing to sign off the £40million purchase of James Maddison this week, too. A club without FFP concerns was content to quickly strike an attractive deal with Leicester City, who will face their own pressures after relegation to the Championship was confirmed last month.

Any sense of urgency is felt by clubs, rather than players and their representatives. There are another 63 days after this artificial cut-off point and proposing a deal at this point requires cooperation.

For Chelsea, as much as any club, June 30 has been a long-standing consideration. The Athletic detailed in April that there would be an emphasis placed on concluding deals before the end of this month after the first two transfer windows of owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali had ended with a remarkable net spend in the region of £440million.

An expensive recruitment drive, headed up by the £107million signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, has required balance before the end of Chelsea’s accounting year and yielded early business out of Stamford Bridge this summer.

The last five days have seen four high-profile sales, with Mount potentially to follow soon. Central defender Kalidou Koulibaly was first to leave, completing a £20million move to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, before Mateo Kovacic concluded his switch to Manchester City — worth an initial £25 million.

Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy became the third player to formally depart on Wednesday, joining Saudi club Al Ahli for a sum thought to be in the region of £16million. Within hours came the biggest deal of them all: Kai Havertz’s long-anticipated move to Arsenal secured a guaranteed £62million return for Chelsea, covering the outlay that had brought the midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020.

Four players gone, over £120million banked. And there will likely be more.

A quick deal to sell Mount is also favourable for Chelsea — at the right price, of course. But Manchester United have the opposite problem: the reason given for their refusal to budge much beyond paying £55million for Mount is that FFP rules limit what they can spend before June 30. United posted losses of £115.5million for the 2021-22 season due to playing games behind closed doors during the pandemic and overspent their budget for signings last summer by more than £100million.

But Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the one-time England international, is another headed for the Chelsea exit after a £15million move to AC Milan was agreed, while winger Hakim Ziyech is close to a Saudi move after a deal was struck with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr. That could be worth another £8million.

It is a timely clear-out for Chelsea, with the potential for somewhere close to £150million to be added to the 2022-23 accounts, which are not likely to be made public until early next year. It will not prevent heavy losses for the first full season after Roman Abramovich, nor will it compensate for the shortfall that comes with missing out on European football, but it helps improve Chelsea’s financial health in the eyes of those that will assess them.

It is telling that Chelsea’s only summer recruit to date, the former RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku, will not formally begin his six-year deal until July 1. The £52million transfer, though completed last week, will instead feature in the club’s 2023-24 accounts.

Everton have been here before. There were pressures to sell players ahead of June 30 last year, knowing that they had racked up losses of £373million in the previous three financial years.

They would eventually post pre-tax losses of £45million for 2021-22 but that would have been far higher without the sale of prized asset Richarlison, whose initial £50million move to Tottenham was agreed on June 30. Everton had little choice but to cash in before July — and a new accounting year — arrived.

It was not, however, enough to prevent the Premier League from referring Everton to an independent commission for an alleged breach of its profit and sustainability rules in the season ending 2021-22. Everton, who were charged in March, said that they “strongly contest the allegation of non-compliance.”

Everton have reined in their spending since last summer and the sale of Moise Kean, whose loan to Juventus became a £25million permanent transfer in March, has tempered the urgency felt last summer.

On the continent, Barcelona are in the same position they found themselves in last season, with a need to trade before June turns into July. The business they did before June 30 2022 determined the salary cap La Liga imposed on them for last season. The same applied to Atletico Madrid, whose chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin accepted that his club need to raise €40million before the end of last June. Valencia and Espanyol were two more under the pump.

Barcelona are again attempting to move out players before the close of play on Friday, with Samuel Umtiti, the France international, top of the list to shift. There is a willingness to let Umtiti leave as a free agent but his salary, thought to be €20million per season, is problematic. Clement Lenglet, Sergino Dest, and Alex Collado have also said to be available for transfer before the end of this month.

Roma, who have known their FFP problems with UEFA in the last decade, are another up against the clock. Their need to generate revenue for FFP compliance has been well-publicised in Italy, with Cristian Volpato and Filippo Missori lined up for late moves to Sassuolo. Roma were fined €35million by UEFA in September after failing to comply with a break-even requirement.

June 30 might be a point when the biggest names in European football are still recharging batteries but, as the business of this week has shown, it is a date that demands the attention of the financially stretched.

 

 

[Vesper 27,680]

Levi Colwill set for Mauricio Pochettino talks before deciding Chelsea future

https://theathletic.com/4656343/2023/06/30/levi-colwill-Chelsea-future-talks/

Levi Colwill wants to have talks with new Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino before considering the next step in his career.

Colwill is the subject of interest from top clubs in England and abroad. This includes Brighton, where he impressed on loan last season. They have already had a £30million ($37.3m) bid rejected by Chelsea earlier this month but are still keen to sign him.

Chelsea insist the player is not for sale, however his current contract expires in 2025. The club, as they showed with Kai Havertz’s £65million transfer to Arsenal this week, will consider selling players if their deals have two years or less to run and do not sign an extension. They don’t want to risk losing them cheaply or as free agents.

Colwill was last offered a new contract in February but it has not, and will not be, accepted because the terms are not considered good enough. There has been no fresh proposals since then.

More negotiations are expected to take place but Colwill will want to meet with Pochettino first to see how much he figures in his plans before considering another extension offer from Chelsea, if one is made.

Competition for places at the back has been reduced slightly with Kalidou Koulibaly being sold to Al Hilal, but there is still Thiago Silva, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah to choose from.

Pochettino is also associated with playing a back four, which means only two centre-backs will play. Chelsea are not playing in a European competition either next season, which reduces the opportunities for game time.

Colwill is one of the most highly-rated young English defenders in the game. He trained with the senior England squad before their internationals against Malta and North Macedonia earlier this month. He is currently representing the Under-21s at the European Championships and has already played a part in them qualifying for the knock-out phase.

Colwill’s involvement in the tournament means the timing of a chat with Pochettino is uncertain. The squad leave for a pre-season tour of the USA on July 17.

Brighton could use Chelsea’s desire to sign midfielder Moises Caicedo as part of their pursuit to acquire Colwill, even if it ends up just being a second season on loan.

The Athletic reported a fortnight ago that Brighton value Caicedo at £100million ($128m), but Chelsea will not want to pay as much as that.

GO DEEPER

Colwill on Brighton, De Zerbi and Chelsea: 'This club trusted me when others didn't'

[Vesper 27,680]

LOLO🤡LOLO, we are now entering the peak bullshit months:

Arsenal fans in disbelief at Kylian Mbappe rumours with 'package being weighed up'

Real Madrid remain favourites to land Kylian Mbappe from PSG this summer, but Arsenal are considering a move for the phenomenal forward in what is the latest twist in his transfer saga

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-kylian-mbappe-transfer-rumours-30366754

[Vesper 27,680]

out!

(bold are players still here we will get at least £10m or more for)

Edouard Mendy 
Kepa Arrizabalaga (likely staying)
Kalidou Koulibaly 
Trevoh Chalobah
Marc Cucurella  (please!)
César Azpilicueta  
Conor Gallagher
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Mason Mount 
Christian Pulisic 
Hakim Ziyech (ffs)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
—    DF    Wales WAL    Ethan Ampadu (at Spezia until 30 June 2023)
—    DF    Ghana GHA    Baba Rahman (at Reading until 30 June 2023)
—    DF    France FRA    Malang Sarr (at Monaco until 30 June 2023)
—    DF    England ENG    Dujon Sterling (at Stoke City until 30 June 2023)
—    MF    England ENG    Tino Anjorin (at Huddersfield Town until 30 June 2023)
—    MF    France FRA    Tiémoué Bakayoko (at AC Milan until 30 June 2023)
—    FW    England ENG    Callum Hudson-Odoi (at Bayer Leverkusen until 30 June 2023)
—    FW    Belgium BEL    Romelu Lukaku (at Inter Milan until 30 June 2023)

plus

now

Kai
Kova
Kante
Denis Zakaria
João Félix

[Socur Toxanarosa 145]

On 01/07/2023 at 03:49, Vesper said:

We only have one actual RWer on the main roster

Noni Madueke

I was being ironic, Ziyech absolutely has a place in the team as it stands.

[Reddish-Blue 2,254]

7 hours ago, Clockwork said:

I am thinking about a manager who has potential to manage Chelsea, Vieira ain’t that guy.

You can't really say that Vieira ain't that guy when we just had the likes of Potter/Lampard in charge of the club.    They're all the same (as in none of them should be managing a top 8 side).