Chelsea Transfers

[Mário César 1,483]

3 minutes ago, mkh said:

Strasbourg CB Ismaël Doukouré could join Chelsea next summer.

(@CyrilOlives)

the world class CB that we are waiting for ! 

[mkh 760]

Chelsea had a large delegation in the directors’ box on Saturday. There was Eghbali, Winstanley, Stewart, Joe Shields, Sam Jewell, Daniel Finkelstein. Among their travelling party was David Weir, less than 2 weeks after his surprise departure from Brighton as technical director.

(via @kierangill_DM)

[Mário César 1,483]

32 minutes ago, mkh said:

Chelsea had a large delegation in the directors’ box on Saturday. There was Eghbali, Winstanley, Stewart, Joe Shields, Sam Jewell, Daniel Finkelstein. Among their travelling party was David Weir, less than 2 weeks after his surprise departure from Brighton as technical director.

(via @kierangill_DM)

Can anyone share the article published by kierangill?

[Vesper 31,108]

5 minutes ago, Mário César said:

Can anyone share the article published by kierangill?

https://archive.ph/CeiJr

 

[JFKvsNixon 61]

38 minutes ago, Mário César said:

Can anyone share the article published by kierangill?

Before people starts to panic, from the same article:

Quote

 

Given how many of the Blues’ hirings have previously worked within the Seagulls’ setup, it might be tempting to put two and two together. However, it appears all is not what it seems.

 

Confidential has been told Weir was simply a guest of Chelsea’s for the game, having previously worked at Brighton with Winstanley, with whom he is friends. The former Everton and Rangers centre back also lives relatively close to Old Trafford.

 

 

[OhForAGreavsie 6,127]

15 hours ago, Bluepower777 said:

In that case we should have just ignored those discretions. Assuming it was not possible for it to come to light .

I'm guessing there were a cocktail of reasons for the club's decision. Among them might have been; bearing our track record in mind wanting to avoid the risk of extremely heavy punishments if these payments were to come to light, wanting to establish a new relationship with governing bodies, perhaps the purchase agreement included an agreement that sanctions relating to historical misdeeds could be charged against the reported two billion fund held for contingencies and management wanted to clear all liabilities while that fund is available, a desire to clean up our reputation, and other guesses too. 

Edited September 24, 2025 by OhForAGreavsie

[OneMoSalah 9,104]

4 hours ago, mkh said:

Chelsea had a large delegation in the directors’ box on Saturday. There was Eghbali, Winstanley, Stewart, Joe Shields, Sam Jewell, Daniel Finkelstein. Among their travelling party was David Weir, less than 2 weeks after his surprise departure from Brighton as technical director.

(via @kierangill_DM)

We might as well just become fucking Brighton then eh? Not like they haven’t been trying to for the past 2.5 years anyway. 

These cunts who own and run the club are absolutely at it, sooner they sell up and fuck off the better.

Disliked by Chelsea fans & disliked by Strasbourg fans. Says it all. Hapless.

[Bluepower777 57]

Well I wouldn't really want them gone. They spent a fortune of their money on the club which they never going to get back. However theres definitely something wrong in the setup if you spend so much money on average players. Having said that they did also bring in a few gems but not enough. Way too many players not up to it.

 

[ulvhedin 526]

On 20/09/2025 at 13:45, Mário César said:

he is so dumb 

nah, Marca wrote article based on some satire site who reported this

[Vesper 31,108]

Why Raheem Sterling didn’t leave Chelsea – and what’s happening now

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6651696/2025/09/25/raheem-sterling-Chelsea-where-what-transfer/

A picture on social media goes viral. The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) gets involved. Enzo Maresca talks about his father’s career as a fisherman.

Raheem Sterling’s situation at Chelsea has certainly been getting a lot of attention lately.

When the transfer window shut in England on September 1, Sterling was still a Chelsea player. This remained the case after deadline days in the Netherlands (September 2), Turkey and Mexico (September 12) and Portugal (September 15). A final possible option — the Saudi Pro League — ended when its window closed yesterday. It did not come as a surprise to either party.

Neither the club nor Sterling wanted it to come to this. Yet the 30-year-old is now facing over three months of training away from the first team at Cobham. Centre-back Axel Disasi is going through the same thing. A further sign, if needed, of just how far out of the picture Sterling (and Disasi) is came on Wednesday when the club published their official squad photograph for the 2025-26 season on their official website/app and he was not in it.

Understandably, the focus is centred on Sterling. This was Chelsea’s ‘marquee’ signing of the 2022 summer window, bought from Manchester City for £47.5million (then $57m) and made the highest-paid player at the club with a salary in excess of £300,000 a week. Not so long ago, he was one of the biggest names in English football, having won 10 major honours at Manchester City. He was also probably England’s best player as they reached the final of Euro 2020 (played in 2021 because of Covid-19 restrictions) and voted Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 2019. Another measure of his impact came four years ago, when he was awarded an MBE for his work to promote racial equality in sport.

 

Sterling was the marquee signing when he arrived in summer 2022 (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

So what is going on? Let’s start with Sterling posting a picture on his official Instagram account of the training ground and writing ‘20.21’ (using the 24-hour clock) as a caption to indicate what time he was there. Within a few days, reports then emerged that the players union, the Professional Footballers’ Association, had contacted Chelsea about how Sterling and Disasi were being treated.

This is not an unusual step for the PFA to take when players find themselves on the periphery at a football club. It is actually a very common occurrence with the PFA representing players in the Premier League, EFL and the Women’s Super League. But when a player as big as Sterling is involved at such a newsworthy club as Chelsea, it inevitably gets much bigger attention.

Nor is the PFA interaction very confrontational. Conversations are cordial, and if anything, the PFA sees its role as just being there to advise on the regulations and check clubs are staying on the right side of them as far as player care is concerned. As Chelsea were providing the duo with coaching sessions and access to facilities at the club’s training ground, there were no major concerns in this department.

Perhaps the most significant thing that has taken place since then is that the duo have had a few training sessions with the under-21s. Sources speaking anonymously to The Athletic to protect relationships say that this is all part of a plan put in place to keep the players in shape before trying to secure them a move in January.

Chelsea head coach Maresca then had his say on the situation last Friday, saying that real strife was his dad working long hours as a fisherman. While you can understand the point he was trying to make — and there will be fans who will not have too much sympathy for what Sterling and Disasi are going through, given the riches they earn — it did not help defuse the situation.

Sterling has been here before. He was part of the fringe group last year, too, after Maresca decided the winger was not part of his plans following the 2024 pre-season tour of the United States. On both occasions, he had to train away from the senior squad along with others who were up for sale or loan. This summer, the group was overseen by loan technical coach Carlo Cudicini, with former under-18s youth coach Ed Brand taking the sessions themselves.

Sources speaking anonymously to protect relationships say many of those involved felt there was a better setup to help this time compared to 2024. Many internationals, including Joao Felix, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga and Armando Broja, were involved, so standards were high. But that group has since been sold. It was always going to be harder for the individuals left behind.

In saying that, Sterling is continuing to work with his own team, as he has done for many years. This includes England’s former lead physical performance coach Ben Rosenblatt. They concentrate on strength and conditioning, ball work and fitness. Sterling has facilities at his London home to do various exercises as well. The extra spare time on his hands means he can be around his children a lot more, watch his eight-year-old son, Thiago, at Arsenal’s academy, and attend the academy sessions at the RS7 Academy that he has set up for young players aged six to 11 in Tolworth.

Still, the obvious query football fans will have is why the club or Sterling have not been able to come to a solution to avoid all this. Well, it was never going to be straightforward. The cost is one reason. Even if Chelsea pay a proportion of Sterling’s wages for a loan, like they did at Arsenal last season, it would still be an expense that would put off teams. Indeed, Sterling is one of the reasons the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium soon changed to offering incentivised rather than guaranteed contracts.

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Sources close to Sterling, kept anonymous to protect relationships, say the forward did not want a repeat of last summer, when a season-long loan to Arsenal was organised in the final 48 hours before the deadline. There was little time to speak to head coach Mikel Arteta about how he would be used. Of the 28 appearances he made, totalling a mere 1,143 minutes, only 13 were from the start. His form was not great, as a tally of one goal and five assists suggests, yet he did not play consistently.

Some European clubs did come in for Sterling earlier in the recent window, although mainly over a season-long loan. But sources close to Sterling say the biggest factor was that he wanted to remain in London, where his family live.

Bayern Munich made a late attempt to convince Sterling to join them. It is perhaps not that surprising, given another former Manchester City team-mate — Vincent Kompany — is the head coach. A move for Sterling was raised during discussions with Chelsea over the loan deal for Nicolas Jackson.

Some will inevitably question how Sterling can say no to a club that will provide a great opportunity to compete for major honours. But the sources close to Sterling point out that he was reluctant to move his family to Germany, or be away from them, for what could be nine months, especially with little guarantee of featuring regularly. He had a good relationship with Arteta (who worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant from 2016-2019) from their time together at the Etihad Stadium, yet that did not make a difference regarding game time while at Arsenal.

As for a switch to another team in London, there was interest over a loan at various points, but it was never close to formal discussions.

 

Raheem Sterling struggled for game time with Arsenal (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Sterling will feel he has done nothing wrong because a club that suited his circumstances never materialised. Chelsea will believe they are not the bad guys either, with Sterling having the possibility to join some big clubs and turning them down.

So what now? Given that Sterling turns 31 in December and will have gone seven months without a competitive game when the January window opens, the possibility of getting a move then certainly will not be any easier.

One option, of course, would be to reach a settlement over his contract, which expires in 2027. The problem here is that Sterling is not going to walk away from around £30m he is due to earn in wages. Who would? That is money that can benefit Sterling’s family for generations. Chelsea are not going to pay him off in full to get rid of him, either, just so he can join someone as a free agent — and benefit from another contract. What club would? Clearly, a compromise has to be reached for that to happen.

This is a scenario where neither is the victim nor the villain. Until a resolution is found, there are no winners either.

[Reddish-Blue 2,676]

On 24/09/2025 at 23:32, Fernando said:

I think we should wait until the end of the season to decide what is good and what is not. 

I still think they did a good job this summer. 

Especially when they had to balance the books because of UEFA restrictions. 

Last season we started kind of slow, and I expected the same because of the insane summer we had. We might finish the season strong again. 

Based on what Matt Law was saying in his podcast, we're going to be under UEFA restrictions next season and beyond (assuming we qualify for european football).

The most interesting part was: Jackson isn't in the UCL squad this season, so his potential sale wouldn't count towards UEFA sales for next season. 

We would have to sell players in List A to buy new players. 

[bigbluewillie 1,979]

Chelsea opted against rivalling Manchester City for Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, in the summer in order to keep the path clear to move for AC Milan's France stopper Mike Maignan, 30, in the future. (Teamtalk), external

What a fucking joke!

I'm still livid that we didn't go in for Mamardashvili

Fucking Maignan, oh and while on the subject someone kidnap Jorgensen and hide him away forever

[Vesper 31,108]

Fan View: I was a HUGE backer of the model until the summer window

This is a big turnaround, let me explain why....

https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/fan-view-i-was-a-huge-backer-of-the

A couple of fan view articles today written by myself but honing in on some very important comments written by community members on our site.

Last season, one community member called Billy was always a very positive voice in the the fan base. I often had disagreements with him and I know many others did too. He was even positive throughout our really bad period after Christmas last season. I’m never here to tell people how to think and I will always welcome other opinions to my own. But for me at that point, I could only see gloom. I prefer to be more balanced myself but I will forever respect all views, especially on this site. Billy has done articles for this site before as well and he is someone I fully respect.

Well, fast forward almost a year, and Billy’s views are changing - something I never thought I would see and something that the ownership should be VERY concerned about. Because when backers of the project, even those who had been backers through the toxic times, are now having more than doubts about it all, you have to be worried.

Billy replied to a comment on the live blog yesterday…

He said:

“I was a huge backer of the model/project until this summer, I really really thought this summer would be different but it wasn’t. The hype around the club hadn’t been that high since we won the CL in 2021, we’re the current world champions. Chelsea needed to sign a few needle movers & depth but instead just reverted back to signing the same types of players & ultimately replacing players further along in their development with rawer/younger players - it’s like the directors constantly think we have to move backwards to move forwards - every summer feels like an overhaul & we’re going nowhere fast with the constant amount of business we do, especially when you’re not really improving the squad in terms of quality. Just feels like they’re constantly gambling...

“How anyone can say with their chest they’re confident the likes of Gittens, Garnacho, Delap, Hato etc will still be here in a year or 2 years time I don’t know - will probably just be replaced with another player with potential. Whose making way for Quenda in the summer? Neto? Means he only managed 2 years before being shipped off...

“I just want a bit of continuity in the squad, we have an entire new crop of attackers this summer so i’m not surprised we look blunt going forward.”

Billy, I concur! I didn’t think I’d ever agree as much with a comment you have posted, but this is spot on and what I have always feared and doubted about this project.

Whether it comes good or not, and I still think it will eventually, nobody can doubt what Billy and others are thinking with these points above, in my view. Why couldn’t we do both, the here, now, and the future? I’ll never understand it.

[Vesper 31,108]

Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen have both had tough weeks. Do Chelsea stick or twist?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6661754/2025/09/26/Chelsea-goalkeepers-robert-sanchez-filip-jorgensen-analysis/

 

With a growing outfield injury list including Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and Romeo Lavia, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca could really do without questions over his goalkeeper.

Unfortunately for him, Robert Sanchez put paid to that when he was sent off after just four minutes for taking out Bryan Mbeumo in Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United on September 20. It was the earliest red card a Chelsea player has ever received in the Premier League.

The Spain international can be a fantastic shot-stopper and was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper when Chelsea won the Club World Cup this summer. But the 27-year-old’s errors — including five that led to goals in the Premier League last term — can be costly.

“On his day, Sanchez is the best of the best,” The Athletic’s goalkeeping expert Matt Pyzdrowski says. “It’s just his consistency. Once you get labelled as a goalkeeper with a mistake in you, it sticks — whether it’s true or not.”

His errors have already cost him the trust of some supporters. The question is whether they could cost him his place in this Chelsea team.

Last season, after poor positioning saw Sanchez lobbed by Erling Haaland in January’s 3-1 defeat by Manchester City, back-up Filip Jorgensen played the next four league games.

On Saturday, Chelsea face Sanchez’s former club Brighton & Hove Albion. With Sanchez serving his one-match suspension during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Lincoln City,  Jorgensen had a free chance to audition for that league clash.

 

Sanchez fouls Mbeumo at Old Trafford (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

It was unconvincing. Jorgensen fumbled several high claims, the most notable coming after 31 minutes when he missed a punch in the box and only an accidental block by Lincoln’s Sonny Bradley stopped team-mate Freddie Draper from opening the scoring.

Chelsea came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 and progress to the third round, but Jorgensen saw multiple errors go unpunished. It served as a reminder to Sanchez’s naysayers that, as frustrating as he can be, replacing him is difficult.

Chelsea are unlikely to pursue a goalkeeper in January. They are reluctant to block the pathway of Mike Penders, who is on loan at Strasbourg and held in high regard at Stamford Bridge. There was interest this summer in a potential cut-price deal for Mike Maignan as he entered the final year of his AC Milan contract, but Chelsea walked away over the valuation.

Maresca’s system demands a goalkeeper who is comfortable on the ball, capable of stepping up to help build-up play, and happy sweeping behind a high line. This season, that person needs to be Sanchez or Jorgensen.

“Both are extremely athletic,” says Pyzdrowski. “Both of them can make some ridiculous saves, with really good reflexes.

“The biggest difference is that Sanchez is much more offensive in his play. This does not just mean with the ball at his feet — it’s the positioning that he takes.

“He is someone who likes to come and command his box. Even with free-kicks that are launched into his box, he loves claiming them. Jorgensen is much more conservative.”

Jorgensen, 23, developed at Villarreal, where Pyzdrowski says box dominance is less important. He has had to adapt significantly since arriving at Chelsea in the summer of 2024 for €24.5 million (then £20.7m, $26.6m).

He has had only one full senior season as No 1, and that showed against Lincoln.

“There was a lot psychologically going on because he wanted to show in this game that he’s the guy, because he wants to play against Brighton,” Pyzdrowski says, “and it was a little bit of wanting something too much. You saw that in some of his decision-making.”

Below, late in the game, he makes an ambitious leap to intercept the ball before Justin Obikwu can reach it. He fails to punch it clear and is fortunate that Francis Okoronkwo, who is left facing an open net, cannot get his shot on target.

“He had almost made up his mind before the ball was served that he wanted to go out and try to attack it, and mistakes earlier probably played a role in that,” says Pyzdrowski. “He wants to prove he can do the job.”

“I don’t know how many balls they put into the box — throw-ins, free-kicks, crosses — so I think it was not easy for any goalkeeper,” Maresca said after Tuesday’s match. “For Filip, it was the first (full) game of the season, so not easy.”

Maresca confirmed on Monday that the Denmark international was promised minutes in all competitions this season. Last term, three of Jorgensen’s league outings were against struggling Southampton and Ipswich Town, indicating Maresca is willing to build his experience against weaker teams.

However, Jorgensen’s performances to date — which included a mistake to allow Aston Villa a late winner in February — cast doubt on his suitability to replace Sanchez.

Some fans see having Sanchez in the net as an inherent risk. But it is a risk they have to take.

Pyzdrowski says: “Sanchez needs the backing: ‘You’re our guy, regardless of what happens. Go out and play your game.’

“He’s very much a Premier League starting goalkeeper. You can question whether or not he’s good enough for Chelsea, and that’s a question that Chelsea are going to have to answer themselves.”

[NikkiCFC 8,516]

Looks like Maresca doesn't make decisions around here...

[mkh 760]

 

Sam Jewell, Levi Colwill and Behdad Egbhali with Roberto De Zerbi at full time of Strasbourg - Marseille today.

👀

[Reddish-Blue 2,676]

15 minutes ago, mkh said:

 

Sam Jewell, Levi Colwill and Behdad Egbhali with Roberto De Zerbi at full time of Strasbourg - Marseille today.

👀

Why is Colwill there?  😆

Was this like a recruitment pitch "Hey Roberto, how would you like to return to Premier league coaching" 

[mkh 760]

12 minutes ago, Reddish-Blue said:

Why is Colwill there?  😆

Was this like a recruitment pitch "Hey Roberto, how would you like to return to Premier league coaching" 

Colwill was outstanding under De Zerbi at Brighton.

Apparently, Jewell and Egbhali, who watch every Strasbourg game live at the stadium, talked to De Zerbi about the sunny weather... 🌞   

[Blue Armour 4,721]

2 hours ago, mkh said:

Colwill was outstanding under De Zerbi at Brighton.

Apparently, Jewell and Egbhali, who watch every Strasbourg game live at the stadium, talked to De Zerbi about the sunny weather... 🌞   

Would be shameful if they're quietly pulling the rug out from under Maresca.

Don't get me wrong. He has been making a lot of bonehead moves on his own lately, but these decision makers are big part of the reason this squad is still subpar after 3 years.

[Special Juan 28,765]

De Zerbi written all over it if they sack Maresca, they love the Brighton connection these frauds