LIVE! Chelsea News Blog: WEDNESDAY!
All your latest Blues news as it comes in today...
19.20pm - Signing off now!
See you all tomorrow!
19.00pm - Lauren James nominated!
Lauren James has been Nominated for the 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or!
18.55pm - More of our news from earlier confirmed!
Chelsea are optimistic that Cole Palmer is not facing a spell on the sidelines, despite his withdrawal from the England squad. It is not thought that Palmer has suffered a new injury.
Palmer is likely to be given some time off to rest and recuperate during the international break before returning to training in preparation for the resumption of the Premier League.
17.40pm - Enzo Maresca involved in training today!
16.55pm - Some, um, odd updates from ESPN!
Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali believed Chelsea's analytics department was undervalued and there was an over-reliance on agent relationships in transfer dealings. They're now spending seven times as much on recruitment staff and data.
The Premier League's verdict on #Chelsea's self-reporting is expected by the end of the year.
Sources close to Clearlake cite Real Madrid's win over Bayern Munich last season as a moment some staff realised the new regime understand the sport they've entered. Behdad Eghbali texted an associate: "We need #UCL football in our lives."
A source close to Clearlake on Chelsea’s contract philosophy (incentive contract): "If you play, we'll pay."
Sources have told ESPN that both Boehly and Behdad Eghbali believed the club's analytics department was undervalued and there was an overreliance on agent relationships in their transfer dealings.
Sources have said part of the overhaul at Chelsea was related to a desire from the new owners to distance themselves from potential problematic activities carried out by the previous regime. — Leading to self reporting.
Summer 2022: Boehly rang an agent to enquire the asking price. Boehly was told around £12m. Shortly afterward, Boehly contacted him again offering £14m. The agent asked why they wouldn't go to £13m as the next logical step. Boehly told him he thought number 13 was unlucky.
A source close to Clearlake has said Chelsea is now spending 7 times as much on recruitment staff and data than when they completed their takeover.
One scout who works for club in a Big Five European league: "Perhaps Chelsea know something we don't, but their squad building makes no sense to me. And I can't see how it makes sense to Chelsea or the players who are brought in as sixth-choice centre-back or the seventh attacking midfielder. The only winners here, as far as I can understand, are the agents brokering the deals."
Angelo Gabriel had offers from a #UCL club in the Netherlands and a Europa League club in Portugal but chose Saudi Arabia not just for a lucrative payday but in part because of the number of Brazilians in the league and the chance to play with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Article in full here.
16.05pm - Jadon Sancho on day two!
16.00pm - Someone check on Martin Ziegler
The Premier League have cleared Chelsea's £76.5M sale of two hotels to a sister company. The deals were found to be within an acceptable margin relating to estimates of the hotels' valuation had they been sold to another bidder.
15.35pm - Chelsea announce another partner
Chelsea Football Club today welcomes online sports betting and gaming brand Betway as the club’s new long-term Official European Betting Partner.
14.22pm - Another one of our exclusives confirmed in Germany!
Chelsea were among clubs that came knocking for RB Leipzig's striker Lois Openda this summer.
- SportBILD
14.00pm - Levi speaks
Levi Colwill: "There are loads of positives to take out of it (draw with Palace). Of course there’s a lot to improve, but we are improving day-by-day. We’re getting better and you can see the football we’re trying to play out there is really good.
“We’ve created loads of chances by building from the back. You can see the way the gaffer wants us to play and there’s definitely loads of positives to take. We are building. We’ve only had a few games with the new gaffer, but it’s really exciting. All the players are excited for it and I think the fans should be too.”
Colwill on draw with Palace:
"We are Chelsea Football Club, we expect to win every game, but of course games like Sunday’s are going to happen.
“Crystal Palace are a good team, that is what they do best. We need to improve and hopefully in the next game we beat them."
Colwill on Wesley Fofana:
“He’s (Fofana) a really good player, I really enjoy playing with him. He’s so aggressive and I think we complement each other really well.
Behind the scenes he’s such a great lad, I get on really well with him and I think everyone in the team gets on really well with him.”
12.30pm - Quiet in here today…
So let’s do this:
*Who is one Chelsea player you miss that most others wouldn’t say?
Mine would be Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - A natural born finisher from every possible angle and distance!
*Question borrowed from PYS on X.
11.07am - Chelsea still trying to sell players
Chelsea are still trying sell unwanted players to countries where the transfer window is still open, as they bid to end the summer with a net zero transfer spend.
They want to move Ben Chilwell, David Datro Fofana, Harvey Vale, Alex Matos and Deivid Washington.
- @standardsport
11.03am - Big spenders!
Top 10 teams in the world that committed the most money in transfer fees to recruit their current squad members (both permanently or on loan).
- @CIES_Football
11.02am - Bent predicts 4th placed finish for Chelsea
Darren Bent backs Chelsea to finish 4th in the Premier League this season:
🗣️ “Fourth – Chelsea. I just think look at the firepower they have got. It’s a bit of a basketcase, but I have seen the sample sizes, like the Wolves result away from home 6-2. I know they drew 1-1 with Palace, but they have won one, lost one and drawn one.
“I feel that once Maresca has got his settled team now that the window has closed, no incoming and no outgoings and all that, a settled squad, I feel like they will finish in the top four.”
9.35am - Luke asked yesterday, but let’s poll it out…
9.30am - Chelsea’s squad depth following the transfer window, according to The Athletic
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8.50am - More images from yesterday!
8.45am - An article out on this at lunchtime today
Chelsea FC still really appreciate Victor Osimhen, let’s see if they re-activate this option in January or next summer. Osimhen has a break clause for January, to move from Galatasaray.
8.40am - Good news on Lavia though
Romeo Lavía due to start training again with a view to being fit for the Bournemouth game.
8.35am - Cole Palmer returns to Cobham
It’s been confirmed that Cole Palmer has returned to Cobham from England international duty.
Kieran Gill on X: "Palmer returning to Chelsea to continue “rehabilitation for ongoing issue” following assessment by England staff. He previously complained of a hamstring problem after Servette game at Stamford Bridge but club not yet specified issue.”
Sources on Cole Palmer:
‘Palmer has been having some issues with his groin area. It has been feeling tight and the club and Palmer didn’t want to risk anything getting worse. There is hope he will be OK for Bournemouth but will be assessed at Cobham now.’
8.30am - Morning!
So the injuries are starting to stack up a bit again and I’m not looking forward to those weekly injury updates the club put out again!
I’ll have some bits out on Victor Osimhen later today too but still gathering info on strikers for the summer for a sourced article when I’ve got all the plans.
Simon Phillips
Who is one Chelsea player you miss that most others wouldn’t say - Ricki Cavallio
Eidur Gudjohnsen was one of my favorite Chelsea players. His partnership with Hasselbank was a joy to watch.
Still remember his goal against Manchester United the opening day of Mourinho’s first season.