Chelsea Transfers

[nyikolajevics 2,497]

24 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

I'd imagine Villa would be strengthening pretty well this summer with Champions League footy. Felt their lack of depth hurt them in Conference League. 

They are also up for Barkley. That will be another challange for my mental health, seeing Barks in the Champions League while we play in Uzbekhistan on Thursday night,

[Mário César 907]

nooo

[robsblubot 3,334]

43 minutes ago, Mário César said:

nooo

considering the values involved in transfers these days, that looks awful low.

[Mário César 907]

2 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

considering the values involved in transfers these days, that looks awful low.

one year left of his contract

[ZAPHOD2319 4,127]

You know Man United will offer stupid wages.

 

[Mário César 907]

if arsenal really want him, we have no chances, tbh

[Thor 2,251]

39 minutes ago, Mário César said:

if arsenal really want him, we have no chances, tbh

That just isn’t true lol. 
 

we had Caceido go to us and Mudryk choose us. People acting like Arsenal are a powerhouse lol

[ZAPHOD2319 4,127]

 

[Mário César 907]

7 minutes ago, Thor said:

That just isn’t true lol. 
 

we had Caceido go to us and Mudryk choose us. People acting like Arsenal are a powerhouse lol

arsenal are in a better position than last year

[OneMoSalah 8,667]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

That just isn’t true lol. 
 

we had Caceido go to us and Mudryk choose us. People acting like Arsenal are a powerhouse lol

Yeah bet Arsenal are laughing at us now with Mudryk though. Liverpool won’t have been too disappointed given how Mac Allister and Endo did last season either in comparison to Caicedo and Lavia too.

Arsenal are in a much better position to compete for titles than we are - I think thats the point folk are trying to make, despite the cup final this season. Still got to win them right enough but would say a settled side and project like Arsenals is more appealing than ours at present but again with all the upheaval and changes that have been made again in such a short space, what do people expect it to look like?

Either way, not entirely sold on the idea of Sesko yet. We already have Jackson who is young and erratic in front of goal, for me it seems naive to go into the season with two young CFs. The options are limited for more proven and reliable 24-28 year old CFs though.

 

[Thor 2,251]

39 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

Yeah bet Arsenal are laughing at us now with Mudryk though. Liverpool won’t have been too disappointed given how Mac Allister and Endo did last season either in comparison to Caicedo and Lavia too.

Arsenal are in a much better position to compete for titles than we are - I think thats the point folk are trying to make, despite the cup final this season. Still got to win them right enough but would say a settled side and project like Arsenals is more appealing than ours at present but again with all the upheaval and changes that have been made again in such a short space, what do people expect it to look like?

 

 

Eh. 
Liverpool bought an aging Endo in an already old and on the down squad. 
My point with Mudryk is we got a player they wanted. We were chosen. As far as attracting talent still ahead. 
 

They’re in a better position to compete? Yes. The last two years. We’re a young team with players growing together now. We aren’t as far away as people think given our quality. 

[Vesper 27,747]

18 hours ago, Pizy said:

We’re probably gonna get some striker that most of us haven’t really heard of from a small club. Someone who is super young and unproven.

Which is of course the opposite of what is needed.

If we use 23yos and under as meeting the super young part, here you go with an extensive list of all remote possibilties:

 

In order of valuation, all the way down to €10m   

bold are ones I would say are the most likely to fit your framing

Evan Ferguson 
Benjamin Sesko
Gonçalo Ramos 
João Pedro 
Samu Omorodion
Vitor Roque (Barca are open to selling him supposedly)  
Victor Boniface    
Santiago Gimenez 
Joshua Zirkzee (agent commisions an issue though)
Elye Wahi 
Brian Brobbey 
Maximilian Beier
Karim Konaté   
Marcos Leonardo 
Youssoufa Moukoko 
Rodrigo Muniz 
Jhon Durán     
El Bilal Touré  
Arnaud Kalimuendo 
Georginio Rutter 
Thijs Dallinga  
Lucas Beltrán
Konstantin Tyukavin Russian
Kévin Denkey 
Gift Orban 
Georges Mikautadze 
Yuri Alberto  
Semih Kılıçsoy 
Santiago Castro
Ricardo Pepi 
Emanuel Emegha  
Alejo Véliz (but is a Spuds player who was on laon, so very hard pull)
Francesco Camarda  (only 16)
George Ilenikhena 
Faris Moumbagna  

Edited June 5 by Vesper

[Vesper 27,747]

Aston Villa hold preliminary talks with Chelsea over Conor Gallagher move

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5540459/2024/06/04/conor-gallagher-aston-villa-Chelsea/

Aston Villa have held preliminary talks with Chelsea about a move to sign Conor Gallagher.

Gallagher is entering the final 12 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge and has emerged as a top target for Unai Emery.

Villa are looking to enhance their squad after achieving Champions League qualification for the first time and manager Emery is a huge admirer of the England midfielder.

The midlands side are also in contact with Gallagher’s camp as they explore a potential deal following the 24-year-old’s excellent form last season.

There is a healthy relationship between the clubs — the new Chelsea hierarchy dealt with Villa when recruiting Carney Chukwuemeka in 2022 — and the west London team retain a strong interest in Villa striker Jhon Duran.

Colombia international Duran, 20, was considered by Chelsea in January and is again among the candidates to strengthen their frontline this summer, while enquiries have also arrived from Italy, Saudi Arabia and Spain.

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Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne ‘open to everything’ amid Saudi Arabia interest

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5539359/2024/06/04/kevin-de-bruyne-man-city-transfer-saudi/

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has said he is “open to everything” on his future amid interest in his services from clubs in Saudi Arabia.

The Belgium international will celebrate his 33rd birthday this month and referenced the potential increase in wages as being a potential pull factor to the Middle East.

De Bruyne has been a key player for City since his move from Wolfsburg in 2015, helping the club win six Premier League titles in nine seasons and their first-ever Champions League in 2023.  He has one year left on his contract at City and The Athletic has reported that he would be open to a move to MLS either this summer or next.

GO DEEPER

Kevin De Bruyne to Saudi Arabia: Would Manchester City actually let him go?

“At my age, you have to be open to everything,” De Bruyne told Belgian outlet HLN. “You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the last stage of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.”

De Bruyne added of his family situation: “For (my wife) Michele, an exotic adventure is okay. These are also conversations that we are having as a family. I still have one year left on my contract.

“My eldest son is aged eight and knows nothing but England. He asks how long I will play for City. When the time comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way.”

De Bruyne missed around five months of last season after suffering a hamstring injury, which required surgery, during City’s opening Premier League game. The attacking midfielder still made 26 appearances, scoring six goals and providing 18 assists.

De Bruyne is set to represent Belgium at this summer’s European Championship in Germany, where his side will face Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine in Group E.

GO DEEPER

Manchester City Transfer DealSheet: Guimaraes wanted; Bernardo and De Bruyne futures?

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Chelsea Transfer DealSheet: Centre-half and striker targeted amid need for sales

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5531899/2024/06/04/Chelsea-transfer-window-latest/

Few clubs will come under more scrutiny over what they will do during the summer transfer window than Chelsea, especially now another new head coach in Enzo Maresca has arrived.

Strengthening the men’s squad is not the only issue at stake here. Complying with profit and sustainability rules (PSR) has become part of the football conversation across the Premier League but, by qualifying for the UEFA Conference League, Chelsea’s finances come under the European governing body’s watch, too.

Their rules dictate clubs can only spend 80 per cent of their income on wages, transfers and agents’ fees in 2024-25.

So what do Chelsea have in mind? Here is The Athletic’s guide to what to expect.

What positions are they looking at this summer?

Chelsea seem to look for a new forward on an annual basis, so this is deja vu.

Nicolas Jackson showed a lot of potential but clearly needs help, especially with the club competing on five fronts, including the Club World Cup in June 2025. Naturally, there is hope Christopher Nkunku will be fit for the whole campaign, but he plays off someone rather than leading the line.

With veteran Thiago Silva gone, Chelsea require another centre-back. These two positions are the main priorities, although they would also like a winger. What else happens depends on the amount raised by outgoings.

Strengthening at full-back is another area that has been highlighted, while the goalkeeping department could also come under consideration, although Maresca may be keen to get more out of Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea have made a point of waiting for Maresca’s appointment to be completed because they want to discuss targets for the senior squad with him.

And, as per usual, the development squad will be on the lookout for more young talent from across the globe.

Which players are they looking at?

Chelsea have been admirers of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko for some time, but they face stiff competition from Arsenal.

There are a lot of other names on the list, but Chelsea have ruled out making a move for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen for a number of reasons. His release clause is in excess of £100million at Napoli, his style of play does not suit Maresca’s system, and there are concerns over the 25-year-old’s injury history.

Brentford’s Ivan Toney does not fit what they are looking for, either. The club distanced themselves from links with Sporting Lisbon frontman Viktor Gyokeres in January and that remains the case. There is long-lasting admiration for Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, however Brighton will demand a large fee and the 19-year-old’s form has dropped off. His last goal came in November.

As for defenders, Chelsea are growing in confidence they will beat Newcastle to the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer, with his contract at Fulham expiring. Barring any late surprise developments, the centre-back is on course to be the first arrival of the Maresca era.

One of the young full-backs they are pursuing is 17-year-old Pedro Lima, who plays for Brazilian club Sport Recife.

Chelsea continue to like Crystal Palace duo Michael Olise, whom they came close to buying last year, and Eberechi Eze. Nico Williams has a release clause of €50million (£42.6m; $54.2m) at Athletic Bilbao.

Even though Maresca is keen to work with Sanchez, he is obviously a big fan of Mads Hermansen having worked with the Leicester goalkeeper last season. Chelsea are also keen on Burnley’s James Trafford.

What moves have they made already?

An indication of just how Chelsea have been planning ahead is the moves already agreed for Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez.

Chelsea finalised a deal worth an initial €34million plus €23m in add-ons with Palmeiras last month for Willian, but he will join up next summer.

The same goes for Paez, who actually agreed a €20million switch from Independiente del Valle 12 months ago. Chelsea consider them to be the best under-18 players from South America.

Whose contracts are expiring? And who is expected to renew?

Silva has already gone and there are no other senior players out of contract this summer.

Conor Gallagher’s situation has been and will continue to be one of the main talking points because he has just a year remaining on his deal. In what feels like a similar scenario to Mason Mount’s before his £55million (plus £5m in add-ons) move to Manchester United last year, the midfielder is being considered for sale to raise revenue.

As a homegrown player, his departure will generate pure profit. When the season came to an end, there had been no developments in terms of negotiating an extension.

Who will make the key decisions this summer?

Chelsea’s recruitment policy is led by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

Joe Shields is a trusted member of the team as co-director of recruitment and talent, while Sam Jewell has just begun a role as director of global recruitment. The club’s co-owners will give the green light to any decisions.

Who will they be looking to sell?

Chelsea are prepared to listen to offers for a fair number of their squad. Gallagher is one of them, but other academy graduates are expected to make way.

Defender Trevoh Chalobah and striker Armando Broja could raise in excess of £50million between them.

Suggestions Chelsea will settle for £20m-£25m for Broja, who is wanted by Monaco, AC Milan and three Premier League clubs, are premature. They still value him at a minimum of £35million, a figure that could increase if the 22-year-old impresses with Albania at Euro 2024.

Ian Maatsen, who joined Borussia Dortmund on loan in January, has a £35million release clause which the club and the player will look to see triggered this summer. There is interest, too, in youngsters Omari Hutchinson and Alex Matos, who impressed on loan at Ipswich Town and Huddersfield Town respectively.

Chelsea have triggered an option to extend Hutchinson’s contract until 2026 but he will either be part of the first-team squad next season or sold. They do not see the point in loaning him out again but Maresca will take a look at him this summer and he could be part of the squad.

The club are keen to get some high earners from the previous regime off the books, too.

Galatasaray’s obligation to buy Hakim Ziyech after his loan has been triggered. Romelu Lukaku still has two years left on a contract earning him around £340,000 a week, the highest at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea value the 31-year-old at £38million.

Kepa Arrizabalaga and Malang Sarr have just one year left on their deals and are also available for transfer.

Chelsea are already guaranteed to raise £28million when Lewis Hall completes a permanent move to Newcastle United.

What is their PSR position?

Chelsea are confident they will comply for 2023-24 and are not feeling the pressure to raise significant revenue before June 30 to meet the requirements.

While most outsiders concentrate on an overall expenditure on players of £1.2billion since the Clearlake Capital-Todd Boehly consortium took over in 2022, the net spend for last year (including amortising signings over the length of contract and player sales) is viewed at around £150m-£180m in-house.

They still intend to be busy before that date, but that is because they want a settled squad in place for the start of pre-season so the head coach knows what he is working with and can plan accordingly.

Chelsea also want to avoid having the group being too big by the time they depart for their tour of the United States in July and have individuals on the books whose future clearly lies elsewhere.

What sort of budget do they have?

Much will depend on sales, so there is no set sum. Chelsea are not planning to bring in a huge number of players, though, to revisit their lavish recruitment of the previous two years.

Sources within the club, who have spoken anonymously to The Athletic to protect relationships, say they want to spend more efficiently going forward. That not only suggests the budget could be smaller, but it could also be considered an admission that they have overpaid in the past.

[Vesper 27,747]

Benjamin Sesko: Why Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Newcastle and more want striker

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5539634/2024/06/05/benjamin-sesko-arsenal-manchester-united-transfer/

Benjamin Sesko was considered among Europe’s top prospects before he had barely become a teenager.

Born in the small Slovenian town of Radece, an hour’s drive east from the capital Ljubljana, Sesko, now 21, was expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, Ales, and become a goalkeeper.

However, his towering 6ft 5in (195cm) frame and insatiable hunger for goals quickly steered him towards a different path that would later see him lead the line for his country and RB Leipzig.

After scoring over 50 goals in one season for his local club as a boy, Sesko was offered a space in the academy at first-division side NK Domzale. From that moment, his stock has increased year-on-year. Within 12 months, he had offers from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax, among other top clubs.

Instead, he opted to go to Red Bull Salzburg in Austria in 2022.

Sesko signed at 16 after Salzburg prepared a long-term plan for his development within the Red Bull football group. The first step on this path saw him loaned to Austrian second-division side Liefering, Salzburg’s reserve team. He would then play for Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga before moving to RB Leipzig in Germany (if he desired).

And his career has panned out exactly as Red Bull outlined. Now, after a stellar first season with Leipzig — in which he scored seven goals in his final seven games on his way to 14 league goals — he’s firmly back on the radar of the elite. (That’s if he ever left.)

GO DEEPER

Benjamin Sesko, the next big thing coming through the Red Bull network

As outlined in The Athletic’s Transfer DealSheet, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Newcastle United are among the Premier League clubs interested in securing his signature. Newcastle even had an offer rejected for him two summers ago when he was still at Salzburg.

Given the player’s age, physical attributes and impressive goalscoring record, it would not be surprising to see other clubs from England and the continent register their interest in the coming weeks.

The forward has a release clause in his contract, believed to be for a fee in the region of €65million (£55.3m, $70.8m). If he is to move, Arsenal appear best-placed to sign him despite Manchester United holding direct talks in the summer of 2022. United eventually decided against seriously pursuing the then-19-year-old. They had question marks over whether he was ready to step up from Salzburg.

GO DEEPER

50 to watch - Benjamin Sesko: Red Bull's prodigious goalscorer is back on the right track

Leipzig, however, are still working to persuade Sesko to remain in Saxony. After all, it took Sesko a while to get going after signing from Salzburg last summer for €24million.

After scoring a brace from a 16-minute appearance off the bench in a 3-0 away win over Union Berlin in his second appearance for the club, Sesko would go on to only score one league goal until the end of January (13 games). He struggled to find consistent game time and adjust to the Bundesliga. But that goal in January, away to Stuttgart in a 5-2 defeat for Leipzig, saw Sesko’s form in front of goal improve considerably.

Between that goal and the end of the season, Sesko scored 11 in 15 league games and added two assists. Only Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart, who scored 28 goals, overperformed against his expected-goals (xG) tally more than Sesko across all players in the Bundesliga.

But what’s more impressive is the variance in how he found the back of the net.

While Sesko prefers to dribble with his right foot, he’s as adept at finishing with either. Three of his 14 Bundesliga goals came with his left, as did a goal against Young Boys in the Champions League and an excellent whipped effort from the edge of the box for Slovenia against Finland in October.

Elite clubs will be encouraged by his ability to score from all areas around the box, too; with an average goalscoring distance of 13 yards, he is more than just a poacher. Sesko may have space to improve as a finisher — particularly in ensuring good contact in instinctive moments — but he has the ball-striking quality with both feet and is a willing enough shooter to suggest there is another level or two for him to reach.

At this stage of his career, his most complete goalscoring attribute is his heading ability. With his stature and athleticism, it is no surprise that Sesko is such an aerial threat, but he combines power with finesse in the air. In Leipzig’s 2-2 draw with Augsburg in February, he demonstrated his aerial quality with a headed goal from a Dani Olmo cross.

Olmo received the ball on the edge of the right corner of the 18-yard box and shaped a cross towards Sesko, who was positioned between the penalty spot and the far post.

The Slovenian leapt highest and delicately guided the ball towards the far corner, beating the outstretched goalkeeper with a mix of placement and power.

For Arsenal, who have excellent wide delivery through Bukayo Saka, having another option at the point of attack to profit from crosses makes sense as they attempt to close the gap on Manchester City in the Premier League.

But in the modern game, centre-forwards for elite sides must offer more than just goals — and Sesko is becoming a more rounded No 9. The smarterscout pizza chart (below), which gives players a rating (from 0 to 99) to assess how often a player performs an action or how effective they are at it compared with players in their position, draws attention to Sesko’s defensive work.

He ranks highly among European strikers in ball recoveries and interceptions (80), suggesting he has good defensive timing and eats up loose-ball opportunities.

He also ranks above average in link-up play volume (58), a key attribute for top clubs aiming to retain possession in the final third. He combined well with attackers Lois Openda and Xavi Simons in a Leipzig shirt this campaign.

Still, Sesko is very new to elite football. Top clubs will note the time it took for him to adjust to the Bundesliga last season and will be wary that there is still only a small sample size in which he scored consistently.

While each player should be assessed on their merits, it’s worth remembering that former Leipzig striker Timo Werner moved to the Premier League after a 28-goal Bundesliga season in 2019-20 and has failed to live up to those expectations in English football with Chelsea and now Tottenham Hotspur.

However, on the same note, Erling Haaland — a player Sesko is reluctant to be compared to despite Haaland playing for Salzburg before moving to Germany — took little time to start his record-breaking scoring rout after joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

With an affordable release clause providing an element of clarity that does not exist with other leading strikers, Sesko’s suitors will remain on high alert this summer.

And with a match against England at the Euros on the horizon, an impressive performance could further increase the hype from Premier League fans for their club to sign one of Europe’s most in-demand young talents.

GO DEEPER

Sesko and Zubimendi in? What to expect from Arsenal in the transfer market

 

 

[Vesper 27,747]

Chelsea to bank up to £14m from clauses in transfer, loan deals

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5537794/2024/06/03/Chelsea-finances-kepa-hazard-maatsen/

Chelsea will bank between £11million and £14m ($14.1m-$12.8m) from add-ons in clauses of loan and transfer deals this season.

Kepa Arrizabalaga’s mixed loan spell at Real Madrid and Eden Hazard’s initial £89m move to the Spanish club in 2019 contributed just under £10m to this figure, after Carlo Ancelotti’s side reached the Champions League final this season. Chelsea have benefited from Hazard’s sale despite the Belgian retiring from football last October.

Borussia Dortmund also making the Champions League final saw Chelsea benefit due to a clause in Ian Maatsen’s loan deal to the German club, which came about in January after the Dutchman had only started three times under Mauricio Pochettino.

Dortmund lost the final 2-0 to Madrid at Wembley, with Maatsen gifting Jude Bellingham the ball ahead of Vinicius Junior’s goal which sealed the match in the 83rd minute. Maatsen, though, has earned plaudits for his six-month spell in the Bundesliga and he has a £35m release clause in the new Chelsea contract he signed just before heading out on loan.

Armando Broja’s unsuccessful loan to Fulham also generated an additional £4million due to his lack of game time. The 22-year-old made only eight substitute appearances for Fulham after leaving Chelsea in January.

The injection of additional funds will be most welcome at Chelsea, particularly in light of the club’s latest set of accounts, which were released in April. Those showed Chelsea had the Premier League’s highest operating loss (-£249m) and second-highest wage bill (£404m) for the reporting period taking in the 2022-23 season.

The accounts also indicated that Chelsea only narrowly remained compliant with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) by banking £76.5m profit from the sale of the two hotels at Stamford Bridge to a sister company owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

[milka 3,318]

You have to be careful with Bundesliga players in the Premier League not many of them make it, in Germany they play with a high line which makes people like Werner and Sesko look like goal machines until they go to England.