We are now 12 games into the Premier League season, and the league table is slowly taking shape. The relegation contenders are already scrapping for vital points towards the bottom of the table, whereas the fight for the top four is becoming increasingly more congested.
Enzo Fernández has been one of Chelsea’s marquees signings under the Clearlake Capital era, signing for a reported fee of approximately £106million in January 2023. Fernández had been a key part of the Argentina World Cup winning squad and was poised to be installed into the Chelsea midfield for the long term, adding deep lying creativity and a box-to-box presence to the middle of the pitch.
Chelsea spent the majority of the recent summer transfer window being persistently linked with a new number 9. The likes of Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen were heavily touted to be close to making a move to Stamford Bridge, however a move failed to materialise for both. Chelsea were thought to be heading into the new season quite light upfront, with only Spanish youngster Marc Guiu, arriving from Barcelona, to boost the striking department whilst Romelu Lukaku finally ended his Chelsea nightmare by moving to Napoli.
This meant Chelsea went into the 2024-25 season with only Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku as recognised number 9s in Enzo Maresca’s squad, and fans and pundits alike were quick to point out that this might be the difference between a successful or wasted season for the Blues.
Jackson endured a mixed first season in London during the 2023-24 campaign, he contributed a respectable 14 goals across 35 Premier League games under Mauricio Pochettino, alongside five assists. On paper, this is a more than reasonable return for the young striker’s first season in England, after making the move from Villarreal.
However, the initial returns only tell half of the story of Jackson’s debut campaign. Whilst there were highlights, such as the hattrick against Spurs, there were also some very frustrating moments for the Senegalese international.
Jackson’s unreliability upfront was becoming more and more apparent, especially in the first half of the season, where he was guilty of missing several guilt-edge chances, and appeared to be lacking the holdup play typically required by a striker in the Premier League. Alongside this, his touch was also often rash, and he accumulated a high number of yellow cards due to ill-discipline, leading to many suggestions he lacked the character and maturity to lead a top four chasing team. As the season ended, Chelsea fans were left with mixed opinions of the 23-year-old.
Despite all his first season worries, Jackson was also quickly developed something of a cult following at Stamford Bridge, with his passion and determination to succeed ever apparent. Coming into the new season, Jackson enjoyed a productive pre-season and was quickly confirmed as Maresca’s chosen man to lead the line.
This has proved to be a very fruitful decision so far, with Jackson racing to six goals in nine games so far, alongside three assists. He’s developing a very promising relationship with Cole Palmer, and Jackson’s all-round game is improving week after week, with delicate touches and intricate link up play becoming a common characteristic of his game.
All of a sudden, the cries for a reliable and high-profile number nine have begun to die down, and Jackson is starting to look like a bargain at only £32million. Surprisingly, he recently became the 5th fastest player to reach 20 Premier League goals for Chelsea, and whilst we’re still in the early stages of the season, Jackson’s game is developing very quickly and he could be the striker to lead the line at Stamford Bridge for years to come.
When João Félix made a somewhat surprising return to Chelsea in the recent summer transfer window, it was met with mixed reactions at Stamford Bridge. So far this season, the Portuguese international has shown glimpses of brilliance, but has failed to cement a regular starting spot in Enzo Maresca’s Premier League team.
After a stuttering career so far, which has been remarkably reflected in his brief and inconsistent return to Chelsea so far, it remains to be seen how far Félix can go in Chelsea blue, and what this season holds for him.
The circumstances which eventually brought Félix to Chelsea were bizarre to say the least. After a summer of speculation between Chelsea and Atlético Madrid, Connor Gallagher had seemingly made the move to the Spanish capital, with Samu Omorodion set to make the move to London as part of the deal – a move seemingly swept in the need to satisfy various profit and sustainability rules for both teams.
However, the move for Omorodion fell through, with the striker eventually ending up at Porto. With Atlético still pushing hard for a move for Gallagher, Chelsea instead turned their attentions to Félix, who’d spent the previous season on loan at Barcelona. With the weeks of the window rapidly closing, Chelsea eventually struck a deal to sign the still-only 24-year-old for a nominal fee of approximately £42million – a move largely seen as a bargain, when considering the obvious talent the Portuguese international does possess.
Félix was no stranger to Stamford Bridge, having spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Chelsea. This was during one of Chelsea’s most tumultuous spells in recent years, following the sacking of Graham Potter, club legend Frank Lampard was overseeing a dismal spell of results, with all Chelsea fans just wanting the season to be over.
Félix endured a mixed spell during this time, getting sent off on his debut against Fulham after showing some remarkable touches, before inconsistently seeing out the remainder of the season. As Félix has done throughout his whole career, he showed moments of brilliance and a delicate touch, alongside disappearing from matches completely. It was hardly the showing of a man who was once touted as the next Lionel Messi and has accumulated over £150million in transfer fees in his fledgling career so far.
Returning to Chelsea for the 2023-2024 season, one of the main issues with Félix is that it still seems no one knows exactly where his best position is. Incapable of leading the line completely as a number 9 but not quite possessing the speed to be a pacy winger capable of outpacing the Premier League’s best fullbacks, where Félix’s best position remains up in the air.
So far this season, Félix has been deployed in the number 10 role predominantly, linking midfield to attack and bringing the wingers into play through intricate linkup play.
This is where Félix can be most impactful, with his trickery, vision and creativity at the forefront and where any defensive responsibilities are minimal. Whilst he could flourish in this position at Chelsea, and perhaps in another era would be able to, there is currently one big problem in Félix’s way at Chelsea, that being the astounding talent of Cole Palmer. Palmer is currently the first player on Maresca’s team sheet, and only an injury or suspension will see him not starting a game.
So far this season, Palmer has continued to flourish in the number 10 role, having been mostly used out wide under Mauricio Pochettino. That leaves Félix a very daunting task, either dislodge Palmer from the starting eleven, or settle for a role in Chelsea’s ‘B-team’ and continue to impress in the cup competitions and grasp his chance in the Premier League he can, whenever that time may come.
When Chelsea signed Cole Palmer from Manchester City for a ‘nominal’ fee of around £40million, it was seen as something of a coup. Relatively unknown, but heralded as a prodigal talent, one who may better the talents of the likes of Phil Foden, Palmer arrived at Stamford Bridge somewhat under the radar.
After another transfer window of lavish spending on young talents from across Europe, the Wythenshawe raised attacking midfielder was signed late on in the 2023 summer transfer window and wasn’t expected to become an immediate starter for the Blues.
Palmer was reportedly pushing for a starting role at Manchester City before his transfer to London. With only a handful of appearances under his belt, the majority of which coming in the cup competitions, patience was wearing out for the young star. Then, prior to Palmer joining Chelsea, Man City made the decision to sign Jérémy Doku for around £60million – further pushing Palmer down the pecking order.
Reportedly, Palmer was told to either stay and fight for his place and accept only being a squad player by the legendary Pep Guardiola or leave permanently. Palmer didn’t want to consider a loan move, to then find himself in a similar situation. From here, Chelsea came calling and Palmer hasn’t looked back since.
Since making the move to London, Palmer’s success and importance to Chelsea cannot be understated and he’s now the first name on the team sheet and has seen a rise from talented potential at Man City, to Ballon d’Or nominee in the space of a little over 12 months. In 41 league appearances so far for Chelsea, the 22-year-old has notched up 28 goals and 16 assists alongside countless man-of-the-match awards and, unsurprisingly, was Chelsea’s player of the year for the 2023-24 season.
Palmer has also scored in a European final for England, albeit on the losing side, and is likely to be one of the first names on Thomas Tuchel’s team sheet for the new England manager’s reign. With such high levels of success so early in his career, and the potential to go even further, Chelsea fans have began making natural comparisons to former Blues hero, Eden Hazard.
Hazard enjoyed a stellar Chelsea career and is rightly considered as one of Stamford Bridge’s best ever players. Lighting up the Premier League with countless performances and winning matches on his own at times, Hazard had was largely seen to be irreplaceable at Stamford Bridge, and various attempts since have failed (see Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech).
But despite all the ridicule of Chelsea’s recent transfer activity, it does look like they’ve unearthed a gem who could go on to be a Chelsea legend for the next decade. Still only 22, Palmer does seem to have the world at his feet and can go on to eclipse Hazard’s legacy at Stamford Bridge. Blues fans will be praying that Palmer can help return top trophies to Stamford Bridge, starting in Maresca’s first season.
The only question is whether Palmer has the longevity and consistency to match Hazard’s illustrious seven-year spell in London, but the early signs are more than promising.
Following on from an injury-hit debut season, many expected the 2024-25 season to be the campaign where Christopher Nkunku becomes the number nine Chelsea have been calling out for since Diego Costa’s departure. The Frenchman enjoyed a productive pre-season campaign, and the Stamford Bridge faithful were fully expecting him to be a key part of Enzo Maresca’s debut season. However, things haven’t quite worked out for the 26-year-old just yet, and the rumours are beginning to swirl about a potential departure.
Thus far this season, Maresca has seemingly decided on two completely different starting 11s – one for the Premier League, and one for the European Conference League and domestic cups. So far, Nkunku has only started one Premier League fixture – the opening day defeat to defending Champions Manchester City. Since then, Nkunku has been demoted to the cup team alongside the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Cesare Casadei.
Understandably, the man who cost Chelsea a reported £52million, doesn’t want to be in the second-string team and should be leading the Blues in the Premier League’s biggest games. Maresca has made it clear that his two teams are not separate, and that chances will be given throughout the season to those who deserve it. The question is whether Nkunku has the patience to wait for more consistent opportunities.
The primary cause of Nkunku’s bit-part contributions so far this season, is down to the fine form of Nicholas Jackson. Heavily scrutinised in his debut season, parts of which were justifiable, Jackson has enjoyed a fantastic start to the campaign – netting five goals alongside three assists so far for the Blues.
Maresca’s early faith in Jackson has been scrutinised by the Stamford Bridge faithful, with many crying out for Nkunku to be given the starting role leading his attacking line. However, the perseverance with the Senegalese international has been richly rewarded so far, with Jackson developing into a much more complete centre forward and being pivotal to Maresca’s rapid front line. If Nkunku is waiting to displace Jackson, he’ll be hoping for a down-turn in form from the 23-year-old.
Despite Nkunku’s stop-start season so far, his return when on the pitch has been very productive. He netted a key winner away at Bournemouth when coming off the bench, securing a vital three points for the Blues. In the cups, he fired home an impressive hattrick on home turf versus Barrow, and whilst that won’t be the calibre of opponent Nkunku is looking to impress against, you can only score against who you are playing.
In Europe, Nkunku scored – what ended up being – two pivotal goals in the qualifying rounds against Swiss side Servette. He then followed this up with a goal in the 4-2 victory over Gent, helping to start Chelsea’s European campaign with a win. If Nkunku can continue this fine form in the cups, his knocks on Maresca’s door will become harder and harder to ignore.
Rumours have been circulating about Nkunku looking for an exit from London, with a potential return to PSG being mentioned. However, with the games starting to come thick and fast over the winter period, the Frenchman will get his opportunities to shine under the lights at Stamford Bridge and show the world just how lethal a finisher he can be.
For the first time in several seasons, it is finally beginning to look like Chelsea have a set starting XI, a preferred unit for Enzo Maresca to work with in the league. The Blues are five games into the Premier League season and certain players are beginning to look like regulars for the new-look Chelsea team this season, whilst others are having to settle for places on the bench, and for minutes in the cup competitions.
Robert Sánchez put in a man-of-the-match performance in the recent win away at Bournemouth and looks set to continue being Chelse’s main man between the sticks, despite the summer arrival of Filip Jörgensen.
Ahead of the Spaniard, Reece James is expected to start at right back after his most recent injury nightmare ends, with Malo Gusto a more than able deputy. The preferred centre back pairing is shaping out to be Wesley Fofana alongside Cobham’s own, Levi Colwill. Despite the likes of Axel Disasi, Benoît Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo waiting in the wings, Fofana and Colwill started every Premier League game so far, and are beginning to form a formidable partnership, with back to back away clean sheets.
Finally, Euros winner Marc Cucurella has made the left back spot his own following a fantastic summer and a good start to the 24-25 season. Despite Ben Chilwell failing to get a move away in the summer, he looks set to be second, or even possibly third fiddle for the left-hand side of the defence – with Renato Veiga substituting in during the cup competitions so far.
In the heart of the midfield, the duo of Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández look set to be deployed in the pivot providing the Blues with enough steal and craft in the heart of the pitch. Summer arrival Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, alongside fit-again Roméo Lavia will substitute in when Maresca needs to freshen things up.
Ahead of the more defensive-minded duo, Chelsea have an embarrassment of riches in the attacking department. Cole Palmer will spearhead the three behind the striker following his amazing debut season, as he continues to look like a steal at just £42.5million. On the wings, hattrick hero Noni Madueke is currently favoured on the right-hand side, with his Arjen Robben-like habit of cutting in onto his left and a great eye for goal, Maresca certainly seems to be favouring the 22-year-old.
The left-hand side, however, appears to be a little more up for grabs. Summer signings Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho have both started there in recent weeks, whilst the frustrating figure of Mykhailo Mudryk is still determined to breakthrough, despite recent suggestions that he’s looking for a move out of the club in January.
Maresca hinted that Sancho will be his preferred starter there, with Neto set to be Madueke’s rival on the right. However, it is likely that all four players will chop and change quite often throughout the season, whilst João Félix has the unenviable task of trying to dislodge Palmer from the midfield.
Regardless of some harsh criticism during his time at Stamford Bridge, Nicholas Jackson has enjoyed a very productive start to the season, continuing his fine form by netting twice and registering one assist in the victory over West Ham. Many Chelsea fans have been pleading for Christopher Nkunku to be given a regular starting birth upfront, but if Jackson continues to deliver, it’ll be the Frenchman who must settle for the number two spot.
As the season progresses, it’ll be interesting to see how Maresca chops and changes his starting XI to handle the Premier League alongside all cup competitions, with every player likely to be given enough opportunity to prove their spot in the starting lineup. Perhaps even the likes of Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei could even force their way into the starting eleven when injuries and suspensions begin to mount up.
With Maresca enjoying a good start to life in the Premier League, it’s refreshing to see a starting lineup that is looking somewhat settled, after the vast amount of rotation and injuries in recent seasons, and hopefully this can be the start of Chelsea’s charge back into the top four.
For the past 5 years, Chelsea have been looking for a superstar to replace the Eden Hazard shaped hole in their first eleven. Hazard enjoyed seven hugely successful years at Stamford Bridge, widely regarded as one of the best players in the world during his time in London. Lighting up the Premier League in a way that few Chelsea players have since the time of Gianfranco Zola, the eloquent Belgian finally moved to Real Madrid in 2019, leaving a huge hole in their attack that has yet to be replaced.
Surprisingly, Hazard was not part of either Chelsea team to win the Champions League – joining in the summer after the Blues’ heroic 2012 win in Munich and departing two years before Kai Havertz scored the winner in Porto.
However, it is in this 2021 squad where Chelsea were deep into their efforts to replace Hazard. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic were all deployed on the left-wing at times and all contributed strongly to that night in Porto, but none of them could make the spot their own. Inconsistent performance along with a lack of individual match winning performances that Hazard so often provided, lead to Chelsea continuing their search over the more recent seasons.
Since the change of ownership when to Todd Boehly and Behdad Egbhali took over at Stamford Bridge, they have spent lavishly on trying to improve the squad, and once again attempting to replace the illustrious Belgian.
Infamously, Mykhailo Mudryk was signed for close to €100million along with a whole host of attacking talent. However, none are yet to become the world class talents that Chelsea so needs to compete for the top tier of trophies once more. Even Raheem Sterling, a four times Premier League winner, failed to fill the void and was quickly ousted from the squad in 2024.
In the most recent summer, Chelsea were once again embarking on a lavish spending spree in a bid to replace the Belgian, and provide that much needed spark on the left hand side of the pitch. Enter Pedro Neto.
Signed from Wolves for a reported fee of £51.3million, Chelsea’s signing of Neto came very much out of the blue, announced from nowhere. Largely seen as a rare hit for the Chelsea transfer department, Neto has a wealth of Premier League experience already thanks to his five seasons in the midlands. His talent can’t be questioned, and he’s shown glimpses of breathtaking play during his time in the Premier League so far, however questions remain over his fitness.
Much like Reece James, Neto has endured repeated spells on the sidelines over the past half a decade, and it does raise the question as to why Chelsea invested such a large fee in a risky player. Neto’s first few weeks at Stamford Bridge have already been stop-start, with his minutes being carefully managed by Enzo Maresca. If Neto can enjoy an injury free season and make the left wing his own, his partnership with Cole Palmer in the number 10 role and Noni Madueke on the right wing, could be an emphatic attacking force for Chelsea.
Neto has the speed, trickery, confidence and eye for the spectacular that could see him finally replace Hazard to become a Stamford Bridge legend in his own right. But whether he can stay fit and make the step up to next level in his career, remains to be seen.
Since the creation of the Premier League for the 1992-93 season, Chelsea have been one of the six mainstays in the league to have never been relegated. Over the past three decades, the Blues have endured highs and lows, and a host of captains to guide them through the best league in the world. In this article, we look at the various characters and leaders who’ve guided Chelsea FC as captain to both countless trophies, and some harrowing defeats.
Chelesa’s first Premier League captain came in the form of Andy Townsend, who led from the final season of the old Division One, into the new era of English football. Chelsea failed to win anything significant under his direction, but he did go on to make over 100 appearances for the Blues and he helped steady the ship in football’s new dawn.
From there, one Dennis Wise took over the mantle of Chelsea FC captain, and would go on to be one of the most well respected and revered captains that Stamford Bridge has even seen. Controlling the team from 1993 until 2001, Wise was the pinnacle of a leader and helped Chelsea to an FA Cup win in 2000, alongside the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and UEFA Super Cup in 1998.
Before Roman Abramovich’s arrival, Chelsea were lead by the steely Frenchman Marcel Desailly from 2001 until 2004. The Frenchman made over 150 league appearances for the Blues during his time in London and is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest ever defenders. His professionalism and class were seen during his period of captaincy and was part of the team that one the FA Cup in 2000 under Wise.
However, the winds of change were swirling at Stamford Bridge when Abramovich arrived, and under José Mourinho, one John Terry would be named Chelsea FC captain, replacing the departing Desailly. Stamford Bridge’s finest, and Chelsea’s greatest ever captain and defender, Terry would captain the team from 2004 until 2017 and be an integral part of the trophy winning machine alongside messrs Frank Lampard, Petr Čech and Didier Drogba.
The heart of Chelsea’s best ever trophy winning period was never going to last forever, and it was finally time for the likes of Terry to hang up his boots and pass the armband onto one of his best defensive partners, Gary Cahill. A truly daunting task, Cahill stepped up to the plate emphatically – using his professionalism and experience to prove a worthy captain between 2017 and 2019.
After Cahill’s departure, the captaincy (somewhat surprisingly) went to César Azpilicueta, or ‘Dave’ according to the Shed End. Dubbed Mr Reliable, Azpilicueta was something of an unsung hero during his time at Stamford Bridge, barely putting a foot wrong whatever position he was deployed in. The Spaniard would lead the team from 2019 until his departure in 2023 and was an essential member of the squad which brought home the Champions League trophy for a second time in 2021.
After Azpili’s departure, there were questions about who would be the captain of Chelsea during a turbulent period for the club – the new ownership were tearing up the rulebook and things off the pitch were very chaotic. With that in mind, the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge wisely chose Reece James, someone who’d been at the club since the tender age of 6. Chelsea through and through, James continues to be the Chelsea captain to this day and on his day when injury free, one of the best right backs in the world.
Ever since 2005, Cobham has been the home of Chelsea’s training ground – a revolutionary development responsible for creating some of the finest young talent over the past two decades. The success of Cobham is down to many key contributors, and the list of footballing talent it has produced is too long to list.
When Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, the training facilities were identified as one of the key priorities to help develop Chelsea from a mid-table Premier League team to a global force. Upgrading from the Harlington training ground which had been used since the 1970s, Chelsea swiftly moved into the modern facilities (although work wasn’t completely finished until 2007), seen then as one of the most innovative and complete training grounds in the world.
The results were emphatic – Chelsea already had a strong history of bringing through local talent (see John Terry), but Cobham gave them the facilities to grow both their training set up and develop their youth set up into one of the world’s best. Over the next two decades, through smart investment, the best coaches and leading-edge education, Cobham would go on to help Chelsea create some of the world’s best talent.
Located in the heart of Surrey, Cobham has been the home to countless footballing fantasies and developments throughout the past 20 years. Just south of London, set in idyllic hills and green fields, the location is seen as the ideal place for Chelsea FC’s training ground, and the success of its alumni speaks for itself.
The ground itself is remarkable, with Cobham being home to 22 full sized pitches, some of which have undersoil heating and even one artificial pitch – ensuring training can take place all season. The Chelsea Women’s team can also call Cobham home, and the Surrey sanctuary is also home to a 1,000-seater stadium, meaning UEFA Youth League matches can be hosted there.
The thousands of names that have come through Cobham dwarfs that of any other Premier League youth set up. Famously, Reece James, current captain, remains one of the most recent highlights. However, looking further into the past makes you realise just how many world-renowned stars came through Chelsea’s development programme.
Declan Rice, Dominic Solanke, Ryan Bertrand, Eddie Nketiah and Michael Olise are just a few names who have gone on to shine at other clubs away from Surrey. Cobham has grown into an envied development across the globe and continues to produce superstars each season – the repeated sale of which has grown into a controversial topic around Chelsea, but the fact remains that Cobham is a world-class institution producing the very best talent.
The full address for Chelsea’s development centre is:
Chelsea FC Training Ground Cobham, 64 Stoke Rd, Stoke D’Abernon, Cobham KT11 3PT.
Ever since signing for Chelsea for a reported initial fee of €70million in January 2023, potentially rising to €100million, Mykhailo Mudryk has endured a frustrating and disappointing start to life in London. Chelsea famously pipped Arsenal to the signature of the Ukrainian, and he was initially seen as a very exciting signing – one who may finally be able to fill Eden Hazard’s illustrious boots.
As another summer of transfer chaos at Stamford Bridge comes to an end, you’d be forgiven for forgetting one or two of the new faces through the door in west London.
Chelsea picked up their first win of the Premier League season with a scintillating second-half demolition of Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. A hat-trick from Noni Madueke, alongside goals from Cole Palmer, Nicholas Jackson and João Félix (on his second debut for the Blues) secured Enzo Maresca’s first win the league, in emphatic fashion.
As Chelsea head into the new season without an established goalkeeper, we take a look back at the last serious number one the Blues had between the sticks, Thibaut Courtois, and his unceremonious exit to Real Madrid in 2018.
With Chelsea’s bloated squad continuing to be a strong topic of discussion across the football world, and the transfer window closing in a matter of days, many are expecting the Blues to have a fire sale to help balance their books, and also trim down the number of players in the changing room. One player who’s looking likely to leave is Carney Chukwuemeka. Signed from Aston Villa in the summer of 2022, the attacking midfielder has never quite lived up to his ‘wonder kid’ status after a spluttering two years at Stamford Bridge.
Unfortunately, Chukwuemeka’s time at Stamford Bridge has been plagued by several injuries which have severely harmed his progress. In the 2023-24 season, he seemed primed to be a key player under Mauricio Pochettino. He started the first few games of the season, even grabbing his first Chelsea goal with a very well taken finish against West Ham.
However, in that very same game, Chukwuemeka suffered a serious knee injury which would keep him out for the majority of the season. Even when he did return to action, his minutes were limited as he built himself back up to full fitness, suffering minor injury setbacks along the way.
Previously to this, he’d been kept out of large portions of the 2022-23 season with a recurring hamstring injury, restricting progress in his debut season. After a very frustrating two years, Chukwuemeka would have been looking to kick on after an injury free pre-season, however the influx of new Chelsea recruits coupled with high levels of competition may mean it’s best for both parties to find pastures new.
If Chelsea do decide to cash in, they won’t be short of potential suitors for the 20-year-old. A host of Premier League clubs, including Crystal Palace, have been linked to the attacking midfielder. However, Chelsea are thought to be more open to selling abroad, with the likes of Barcelona and Napoli strongly linked.
However, as always, the stumbling block remains on price. Chelsea invested around £20m to sign Chukwuemeka back in 2022 and would be looking to make at least a profit on the Austrian. There are reports that Chelsea’s initial asking price was close to £40m, but the expectation is that they’ll consider a fee closer to £30m as the end of the window approaches. Should Barcelona, or other European heavyweights agree a fee with the Blues, Chukwuemeka will have a tough decision to make about his future.
A loan move is also not out of the question yet, but with Chelsea only having 3 more foreign loan spots available, and the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Romelu Lukaku favourites for these so they can be shifted off the wage bill, Chukwuemeka will likely be loaned to a Premier League rival.
With the transfer window closing on August 31st, time is running out for Chelsea to agree a suitable next move for Chukwuemeka and if they can make a decent profit on their initial investment, it’ll be the best move for both parties.
The Enzo Maresca era got off to an unremarkable start with a two-nil defeat at the hands of reigning champions Manchester City.
Quite remarkably, Kepa Arrizabalaga is still a Chelsea player as we kick off the 2024-25 season. He currently finds himself in transfer limbo, alongside the likes of Conor Gallagher, Trevor Chalobah and Armando Broja.
Whilst Chelsea continue to look for a potential suitor for the 29-year-old Spaniard, we assess what his potential options are, and how is it that the £72 million man now finds himself unwanted at Stamford Bridge but still collecting his reported £170,000 per week wages.
Kepa spent the 2023-24 season on loan at the Bernabéu, making 19 appearances across all competitions, following a severe injury to Thibaut Courtois, and helped Real win La Liga and the Champions League.
However, Kepa was only ever signed as injury cover, and alongside the rise of Andrey Lunin, Madrid are rumoured to have no desire to re-sign Kepa, either on another loan or a permanent transfer.
Fiorentina were a team heavily linked to rescue Kepa from his Chelsea nightmare. The Viola can offer him consistent European football, following their qualification for this year’s Europa Conference League, where they could very well meet Chelsea in the latter stages.
Disappointingly though, at least for Chelsea’s weekly wage bill totals, Fiorentina recently reached an agreement to sign free agent David de Gea who is poised to be their number one heading into the new season, making a move for Kepa very unlikely.
Currently, Chelsea are in the quite ridiculous position of having six first team goalkeepers listed for their first team going into the new season, and no true established number one.
Robert Sánchez appears to be Enzo Maresca’s first choice despite an underwhelming debut season whilst new signing Filip Jorgensen will be looking to make a name for himself following his £20.7 million move from Valencia in the summer. Djordje Petrovic is looking likely to be granted a loan move to continue his development, whilst Marcus Bettinelli is merely there to make up numbers.
With all these keepers on the book, and none having excelled during the previous season, there may be a chance, albeit a very small one, for Kepa to be reintegrated into the Chelsea first team should none of the current cohort make the spot their own.
Kepa’s relationship with the Chelsea fans has been a strayed one, ever since the infamous incident where he refused to be subbed at Wembley when Maurizio Sarri was in charge. However, he has had some stand out moments for the Blues, especially in penalty shootouts, and was a noble deputy to Édouard Mendy during the Blues’ Champions League win in 2021.
The likelihood however, is that Chelsea will still be looking to cash in on the Spaniard, but they may be forced to be reliant on bids from the Middle East, or a club desperate following an injury crisis, to be able to get any return on their sizable investment from 2018.
Header image: Vyacheslav Evdokimov, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons.
As the Blues welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge this Sunday lunchtime, we have a look back at a classic Premier League encounter between the pair from 2014, in what was the joint-seventh highest goal-scoring game of Premier League history.
With Antonio Conte continuing to stick with his tried and trusted 3-4-3 formation, Marcos Alonso has been a staple in the Chelsea side since he signed from Fiorentina last summer. However, with the return of Champions League football to Stamford Bridge this year, as well as the hope of long domestic cup runs, Alonso will be hard pushed to be able to play every game at his best, and with youngster Kennedy the current backup, Conte must look to prioritise signing a dependable deputy for Alonso when the transfer window rolls around in January.
As we enter yet another laborious international break, with England set to face off against Germany and Brazil, several members of Antonio Conte’s squad have jetted off to various parts of the globe to continue the long road to Russia 2018.
After Chelsea’s back-to-back defeats at the hands of Man City and, most recently, lowly Crystal Palace, Chelsea fans have begun to ask questions about who, or what, is to blame. Certain players are coming under the microscope as the Blues need to find a quick response to their problems before the crunch Champions League clash against Roma at Stamford Bridge.
All the news prior to kick-off on Saturday was whether Eden Hazard would make his first Premier League start of the season. But one of the bigger surprises to come from the win over Stoke was made an hour before kick-off, when it was revealed that Andreas Christensen was going to be in Chelsea’s starting XI, in place of the suspended David Luiz.
Gary Cahill had been expected to step into the back three, as the more experienced and safe option, but Antonio Conte instead opted for Christensen to anchor the defence alongside Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger, in a fixture that is notorious for its physicality.
As it turned out, the decision was certainly vindicated, as Christensen gave another composed and assured performance in the heart of the defence, helping Chelsea to a clean at the bet365 Stadium. Per Squawka, Christensen completed six clearances and managed two interceptions. But the Dane’s most telling stat is his sublime passing accuracy. Being in the middle of a back three, Christensen is tasked with initiating attacks and ticking over possession. Christensen topped the passing statistics in the game, completing 75 passes with an accuracy of 92%.
Usual starter Luiz is famed for his passing ability in the back three, but Christensen demonstrated his ability to slot seamlessly into the starting XI, providing Conte with a very welcome defensive selection headache for the upcoming games against Atletico Madrid and Man City. Whilst it is not expected that Christensen will dislodge Luiz from the starting XI once the Brazilian completes his three-game domestic ban, the squad depth that was such a worry to Chelsea fans over the recent transfer window is beginning to look like less of an issue with each passing game.
One of the most pleasing aspects of Christensen’s rise to the first team may not even be his recent performances. The clamour for Chelsea to give ‘youth a chance’ over the last decade or so has been increasing in volume year by year. Who can be the first youth product to properly break into the first team squad and consistently play since John Terry?
There have been many false dawns; Ruben Loftus-Cheek was in and out of the first team picture for the past two seasons, before joining the never-ending army of players out on loan. Tammy Abraham looks to have the world at his feet, but will certainly benefit from a year playing week-in and week-out at Swansea. Players like Nathaniel Chalobah and Nathan Aké were controversially sold, leading many Chelsea fans to believe that this season would be another where they don’t get to see the array of talent that the club’s youth teams are developing.
Step up Andreas Christensen, who, after a very successful two-year loan spell in the Bundesliga with Borussia Mönchengladbach, returned to the first team fold relatively under the radar. Christensen started in the excellent win over Tottenham, and never looked out of place in Conte’s defensive line. Whilst it is still early in the campaign, and fans should not be getting carried away just yet, the 21-year-old undoubtedly possesses a maturity that belies his age.
The Dane is composed on the ball, has an excellent eye for a pass, and already seems to be popping up at the right time in the right place consistently with vital interceptions. With both Luiz and Gary Cahill now the wrong side of 30, Blues fans can expect Christensen to begin featuring more and more in the starting XI, and to become a mainstay of the Chelsea back line for years to come.
Eden Hazard is set to return to the Chelsea starting XI in the Premier League this weekend, and after last week’s dour 0-0 draw with Arsenal, this comes at a perfect time for Blues fans. Chelsea have endured a mixed start to the season, with the 2-1 victory at Wembley over Spurs the early highlight.
Confusion spread among Chelsea fans on deadline day, after the announcement that the club had reached an agreement with Torino for the £25 million transfer of Davide Zappacosta. All in all, it had been a disappointing transfer window for the Blues. Oxlade-Chamberlain had decided to leave London for the lofty heights of Liverpool, Juventus continued to play hard ball on Alex Sandro, Fernando Llorente decided to go valiantly attempt to dislodge Kane from his guaranteed starting position in the Tottenham XI, and even a reported late bid for Rafinha failed. The purchase of Zappacosta seemed to shout of desperation and a sheer lack of other ideas for defensive reinforcements.
