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Algeria's hopes of winning the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) on home soil were crushed in heartbreaking fashion as they lost 5-4 on penalties to Senegal in the final on Saturday.
The Local Teranga Lions edged hosts in a very tense final at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers in front of 39,120 spectators on a cold winter night.
Pape Thiaw's outfit will look back and be proud of their performance on the night that saw them complete the treble for the West African nation in a year that has seen them lift the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as well as the Beach Soccer AFCON.
Both sides seemed tense in the opening minutes of the final that would see a new champion for the continental tournament that is organised for players that feature in their domestic leagues.
The tension escalated as Gabonese referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho dished out four yellow cards in the opening half hour but they both settled in well thereafter and sought to have an edge over their opponents.
Goalless at the half-time mark, both coaches Madjid Bougherra and Pape Thiaw sought to make some changes in the second half and increase their intensity while maintaining a balanced outlook on the night.
Four minutes into the second half, Senegal defender Cheikh Sidibe tried to clear the ball away from Mokhtar Belkhither, but it bounced off him before he commenced a spirited run into the box but despite his timely pass to Aimen Mahious, the forward's effort was off target as well as his resulting attempt from a corner kick.
Senegal came close to an opener in the 56th minute but Diallo's long-range strike from outside the box went over the bar much to the frustration of the Senegal bench who were on the edge of their seats.
Mahious made a good run into the box from the middle to pass to Zakaria Draoui and then Belkhither in the box whose shot was blocked by Ousmane Diouf as the Senegalese maintained their shape.
With the game ending goalless after regular time, extratime called for extra focus as both sides continued pressing up front but neither was successful.
In the 99th minute, Mahious played a clean through ball for Abderrahmane Ben Tahar on the left wing with the latter sending a timely high ball for Zinnedine Belaid in the box but his header after rising above the Senegalese defence was picked up easily by Pape Mamadou Sy who was well-positioned.
In the 105th minute, Mrezigue had his shot on target saved by the alert Sy who denied him from finding the back of the net. The game eventually went into penalties after both sides failed to score.
Elhadji Mooutarou Balde of Teungueth stepped up first for Senegal and sent his attempt into the lower corner past Alexis Guendouz who guessed right but the power on the ball was too much for him.
Akram Djahnit hesitated before making his attempt and Sy was quick to save it through the middle to find the back of the net, but Sy was off his line. Djahnit made no mistake with his second attempt, sending it into the left corner to make it 1-1 for the hosts.
Senegal's Moussa Ndiaye was on point through the middle past Guendouz to give the Teranga Lions a 2-1 lead before Draoui equalized with a nicely taken low shot into the right corner sending Sy the wrong way.
Moussa Kante made way to the penalty spot and as he prepared his attempt, Guendouz psyched himself up in the box but despite going the right way, Kante's powerful shot was too high for him to save. Senegal took a 3-2 lead.
Soufiane Bayazid equalized for Algeria 3-3 with a powerful shot and his animated celebration was enough to show what this meant for him and his tense teammates in the center of the field.
Cheikhou Omar Ndiaye hit the crossbar to send Guendouz into celebration as he made way for Sy who went the wrong way as Youcef Laouafi sent his shot into the right corner to give Algeria a 4-3 lead.
Senegal's poster boy Lamine Camara was calm on the assignment as his shot in the left corner sent Guendouz the wrong way to make it 4-4.
Mahious, who had scored five of Algeria's nine goals at the tournament, stepped up with confidence and tried the Panenka but his attempt through the middle was picked up easily by Sy.
The Teranga Lions held their breaths as Ousmane Diouf found the back of the net via a sneaky shot past Guendouz who had dived into the right direction to make it 5-4 for Senegal. The pressure was now on Algeria.
Ahmed Kendouci visibly felt it and when he missed his chance to equalize, it was tears for the home side while Senegal ran onto the pitch in animated celebrations to celebrate the country's first ever CHAN title.
Meanwhile, Algeria set a new tournament record by not conceding in six games at the tournament in regular time. The final was the first game to go into extra time.
Read the original article on CAF.
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If you want to watch Algeria vs Senegal on streaming, it will not be tuned.
If you want to watch the match live online, VAVEL Mexico is your best option.
Credit: vavel.com. You can read the original article here.
22:22: Algeria player Kendouci hits the crossbar and Senegal win the CHAN for the first time in their histroy and Algeria fans are distraught. Massive win and history for Senegal who continue to win continental titles just one year after winning the AFCON. Senegal are the first West African side to win the AFCON.
22:20: Diouf beats Kendouz.
22:15: Mahious' penalty is easily caught by Sy and stuns the Algerian fans.
22:15: Algeria score to take the lead.
22:02: Two minutes have elapsed and it is now time for penalties to decide the winner of the CHAN. The home fans are on the edge of their seat and tension is in the air.
22:00: Two minutes of time added on of extra-time as action is firmly focused in midfield for both sides.
21:56: The clock is running down as we have about four minutes left for us to go to the penalty shoot-out.
21:46: Sy prdouces a wonderful save in the second half of extra-time as the dipping ball is tipped over by the Senegal keeper.
21:43: The attendance here is full capacity allowed is 39,120 partisan crowd in favour of the home side.
21:38: Belaid with a perfect header from a cross from the left but the ball is comfortably held by goalkeeper Sy.
21:28: The extra time starts here as we will see 30 minutes more of action.
21:18: Four minutes of time added on as we have already played 90 minutes with no winner. This means Algeria have not conceded any goals in regualtion time thruoghout the competition.
21:15: Four minutes of play left and we will know whether the match will travel to extra time and it is the Algerians piling the pressure.
21:12: There is a check and referee will not award a penalty.
21:09: Algeria narrowly miss the target as Senegal defender nearly put the ball into his own net under pressure from Mahious.
21:05: 12 minutes of regulation time left and it is still goalless in Algiers with both sides keen on taking the match and winning the trophy.
20:55: Algeria make a substitution and new Ahly player Kendouci comes on for Bekir.
20:52: Senegal seem to be working more to catch the home side on the counter and Pape Diallo fires straight into the hands of goalkeeper Guendoz in their first shot on goal.
20:45: Lions on a quick counter attack and Pape Dillo fires from a distance and skies his effort. Another attack from Senegal again but is is folied by the Algerians.
20:39: Algeria have started the second half in promising fashion with a series of attacks on the Senegal area.
20:32: Senegal get the second half underway as we are just 45 mniutes away from knowing the new champions of the CHAN.
20:16: Algeria defender Mokhtar Belkhiter heads a Senegalese cross over the line for a corner kick which is now wasted. The referee blows the whistle for half-time.
20:13: Goalkeeper Sy punches the free-kick away as the Foxes keep exploiting the left side of the Senegalese defence.
20:11: Five minutes before the break and it is still goalless as Algeria storm forward but Sidibe fouled Mezziane at the edge of the box. Sidibe is already on a yellow card and should be careful. Free kick for Algeria.
20:09: Moussa Ndiaye tried a long range efforts from 20 yards but goalkeeper Guendoz in right on the spot to watch the ball go narrowly wide.
20:06: Mezziane with a good chance from inside the Senegalese box but it is clearly by the defenders. Algeria are warming into the game now. Senegal are also using the middle of the pitch as the Algerians seek to explore opportunities on the wings.
20:03: Four yellow cards have already been dished out so far in this game showing the physicality from both sides. The latest receipient is Senegal's Mamadou Sane.
19:58: Senegal are completely dominating the game by having majority of the share of ball possession.
19:57: Free-kick at the edge of the Algeria box and Sidibe strikes the ball hard but it goes off the wall to give some respite to the home team.
19:54: Senegal are causing some serious problems for the Algerian defence with Sidibe in the thick of affairs. So far the Teranga Lions are dominating the exchanges.
19:46: Mahious has been heavily marked by the Senegalese defenders who are unrelenting in giving the home side any chance.
19:40: The match is balanced so far with both sides making efforts to score as Senegal are now cowed by the home fans who are lodly cheering their team.
19:30: The match is underway in Algeirs with both sides seeking to win the trophy. Algeria got the match underway.
19:26: The anthems are over and now we will get ready for the kick-off after the referees meet the captains to toss the coin. The weather in Algiers this evening is 11°C.
19:20 The warm-ups are over and the two teams will now make their way onto the pitch for the anthems and kick-off as they get ready for action.
19:10: On today's match between Algeira and Senegal you will get the constantly updated information including all the realtime statistics, techincal analysis, player comparison and more via this link .
19:00: The two teams are already in the stadium and have started their warm-ups ahead of the match. Their starting line-ups are coming in soon.
18:57 You can also check out the story of the CHAN so far via our digital platforms with some exciting stories of the competition so far.
18:50 You can also follow the matches of the knock-out stages on our YouTube channel in some Asian countries where the matches are not on television.
18:47 If you are not here in Algeria you can also follow the matches on television. Click on this link to find out where you can watch the matches.
18:45 Let us also watch how Senegal fough on their way to the final of the CHAN.
18:43 One the pitch who will be joining these previous winners below on this prestigious list of award winners? Algeria or Senegal? Lets catch on on how they got to the final.
18:36 Zaho takes to the stage with her hit songs Allo, Roi 2 Ceur, Laissez Les Kouma amid fireworks that light up the skies of Algiers. The fans are absolutely enjoying themselves here with the hit-after-hit entertainment.
18:28 It is Ckay who smashes here in Algiers with the hit song Love Nwantiti ----- and the crowd sing along beautifully. And then follows up with another hit - Emilia. He ends with massive applause from the crowd. Great show!
18:25 It is show time at the stadiium in Algiers as the fans erupt the Algerino takes over his stage with his song Algerie Mi Amor and Va Bene. The fans just love it.
18:20 Africa will certainly have a new champion for the CHAN tonight as all the previous champions could not make it to the final. Will it be Algeria or Senegal?
18:15 The elaborate ceremony has got all the fans on their feets with the loud chants of the Algerian fans completely drowning out any sound in the stadium. It is clear, despite the pomp and pageantry of the closing ceremony entertainment the fans of the Desert Foxes are just keen on one thing - the title.
18:09 The closing ceremony has started at the packed Nelson Mandela Stadium with the home fans loudly cheering the precise military parade that got things underway for the opening ceremony.
18:04 Hosts Algeria will be playing Senegal in the final at the Nelson Mamdela Stadium in Algiers and we are about one hour, 30 minutes before kick of the final.
18:02 Two countries will be battling for the title of the tournament designed exlcusively for home-based players playing their domestic leagues on the continent.
18:00 Welcome to today's live blog updates for the FINAL of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship Algeria 2022 (CHAN). All times on these updates are in GMT.
Credit: cafonline.com. You can read the original article here.
Mamadou Diocou is a reinforcement for FC Porto. The 22-year-old right-wing was born in Fassada, Senegal, and moved to Spain at a young age to play, in the first instance, for Iplacea, later completing most of his training at Barcelona, the club for which he made his debut in September 2020 , the year in which the Catalans won the Champions League, the national championship, the super cup, the league cup and the King’s cup.
From Catalonia, he left on loan to Germany, where he played at Rhein-Neckar Lowen for half a season, before returning to Spain to wear the Logroño colors in the same vein. This season, the 1.81-metre, 78-kilogram left-hander is the third best scorer in the Spanish league and the player with the best goal average per game in the competition.
“It’s an inexplicable feeling, the opportunity came from one day to the next. I am very happy to be able to wear the FC Porto jersey. It was unexpected news. I was on vacation in Madrid, at home, and my agent called me to tell me about this opportunity and told him that it was a great chance to be part of FC Porto, we reached an agreement and I am very happy to be here. It is a team that is always at the top of the Portuguese league, that wins all competitions and that is always in the Champions League. Being at this level is not easy and I really want to help the team in all competitions, I want to seize opportunities to be able to help”, said Diocou in press-release.
Credit: https://www.handball-planet.com/mamadou-diocou-to-join-fc-porto/
Cape Town-based internet service provider RSAWeb suffered a massive outage for most of the day on Wednesday, with the company confirming that the outage led to the complete or partial loss of connection for its clients across the country.
The company said it was working on restoring services and that it would prioritise connectivity services. By around 19:00 on Wednesday evening, it noted reaching ‘partial service restoration’ in a post on Twitter.
“As the process of restoration is delicate, priority has been given to connectivity services, following which we will systematically work to restore complex services such as Mobile APN and Cloud,” the company said in a memo to clients earlier in the day.
On Wednesday morning it initially noted, via its social media platforms Facebook and Twitter, a service-impacting event on its cloud, which it said was affecting customers in Cape Town.
But an hour later, customers across the country seemed to be affected by the network blackout, with the provider issuing new updates.
“We are experiencing disruption to key RSAWeb services. Customers may experience intermittent to no connection to FTTx [fibre to the ‘x’, which uses optical fibre for last-mile connectivity], hosting, and VoIP services. Engineers are actively working on a resolution,” it said.
It later noted that restoring the network would take longer than expected and that it could not give an estimated time regarding when the problem would be fixed.
“RSAWEB experienced a major incident on our Cloud platform. Engineers have isolated the issue but due to the extent of the issue, the restoration process will take longer than expected,” it said.
“RSAWEB engineers are actively working on restoring services post the major incident. Customers who experienced no connectivity may see some services restoring. We are aware certain services on FTTH [fibre to the home], Mobile & Cloud are still affected,” it noted in an earlier post.
The outage also affected the Moneyweb website and app, along with Gauteng-based radio station Jacaranda, Maroela Media, The Citizen, 2OceansVibe, among others.
RSAWeb is yet to give an incident report or statement as to what caused the outage.
This is a developing story.
The Itori plant is planned to produce clinker, which Dangote exports to countries including Cameroon and Senegal, the company said.
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Credit: https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/tech/rsaweb-hit-by-massive-outage/
Happy new month 🚀
In the latest layoff news, PayPal is laying off 7% of its workforce—about 6,000 people—in what CEO Dan Schulman is calling a move to strengthen and reshape the company for a “challenging macroeconomic environment”.
What else is news?
* Data as of 04:50 AM WAT, February 1, 2023.
Yesterday, Nigeria became the first African country where Elon Musk’s SpaceX internet service, Starlink, became active.
So how much is it?
The one-time hardware costs ₦274,098 ($595) while its monthly service fee—which allows up to 128 device connections and uncapped data—costs ₦19,260 ($42).
The big picture: Nigeria is only the first; Starlink is coming to even more African countries. According to the service’s availability map, 20 more countries, including Zambia, Senegal, Morocco, and Angola are scheduled for a 2023 launch. Sixteen countries—Uganda, Tunisia, Ghana and Egypt inclusive—are scheduled for a 2024 release while 18 more countries have unconfirmed launch windows.
It’s the end of an era for Tech Nation, the UK’s government-backed ecosystem builder for tech startups and growth companies. After over 10 years in operation, the non-profit has announced that it will be closing its doors on March 31, 2023, due to losing its grant funding to a Barclays Bank Eagle Labs programme.
The UK government has been promoting the country as a “science and technology superpower”, but the closure of Tech Nation and the rise of other initiatives abroad have left the UK’s support for innovation in question. The government has also recently cut back on the R&D tax credit scheme for startups, causing the majority of UK founders surveyed by industry body Coadec to say the cuts made the UK significantly less attractive.
This is all happening despite Tech Nation’s impact on the UK tech scene. It has contributed to the UK’s reputation as a leading digital economy in Europe. The non-profit claims that over 95% of startups on its accelerator programmes have gone on to scale.
Yes. Despite this setback, the organisation’s CEO, Gerard Getch, is optimistic about the future and is actively seeking interested parties to acquire its portfolio of assets. If he finds a buyer, Tech Nation’s initiatives and support might live on.
For the first time since its IPO, its pockets are no longer deep (or as deep as they used to be), and profitability remains an unclear destination.
While the e-commerce company is “profitable after fulfilment”, a metric which refers to the fact that it makes money on every delivery unlike a few years ago, its general and administrative costs remain high.
However, it’s easy to see that Jumia has returned to a relatively low liquidity position, reporting only $104.3 million in cash and a total liquidity of $284.7—figures which, by the end of last year, would have been reduced by, say, a modest figure of $40 million. This practically suggests that Jumia has gotten to a historically low liquidity position since its cash-in from the public markets in 2020. And this is happening at a time when the public market is hardly a go-to, seeing that the JMIA stock has taken a beating down to a share price of about $3.
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Kenya’s healthcare is about to soar to new heights!
Last year, Zipline signed an MoU with the Kisumu County Government to fly over 200 medical products, including COVID-19 vaccines and blood products, to over 400 health facilities across the county.
Boasting the over 35 million commercial miles Zipline’s technology has flown, Winfred Njeri, general manager of Zipline Kenya, promised that no one will have to break a sweat waiting for medical products, as Zipline’s instant logistics system will make sure health facilities have what they need when they need it.
Heading into its 11th year, AFRICANXT returns to Landmark Centre from February 6–10, 2023.
With nearly 4,000 registered attendees to date, AFRICANXT 2023 will gather founders, startups, and entrepreneurs, as well as policymakers and a broad range of industry stakeholders for five days of curated programming and immersive experiences designed to facilitate ideation and solution-focused dialogue. The conference theme for 2023 is Cooperate. Collaborate. Innovate. Unlocking Our Potential, Ensuring Africa’s Prosperity.
Register to attend here and get a 20% discount when you register with our code TCNXT2023.
Meet the 12 African startups in the Inaugural Lagos ARM Labs Techstars Accelerator Programme.
Developers seem to be ditching StackOverflow since ChatGPT launch, stats show.
Credit: http://techcabal.com/2023/02/01/techcabal-daily-starlink-nigeria/
Nice signed Terem Moffi on Tuesday after beating southern rival Marseille for the prolific Nigeria striker on the final day of the transfer window.
Nice said Moffi, who joined from French club Lorient and has been one of the best players in the league this season, they signed a loan deal with an obligation to make the deal permanent.
“We’re delighted that Terem’s determination to sign for OGC Nice, combined with our own, has led to this outcome," Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivère said. “It’s an investment that matches our ambitions.”
The 23-year-old Moffi arrived in the French league in 2020 after stints in Lithuania and Belgium. He scored 35 goals in 90 matches with Lorient. Moffi’s 12 goals this season put him second in the scoring chart, one behind Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé.
Marseille was interested in signing Moffi, with the striker set to be part of a reported swap deal that would see Bamba Dieng sign with Lorient. Senegal forward did sign a four-year contract with Lorient last week, but Moffi opted for Nice.
Nice said Moffi could start as soon as Sunday against Marseille.
Credit: https://www.republicworld.com/sports-news/football-news/nigeria-striker-terem-moffi-joins-french-league-club-ogc-nice-articleshow.html
Asake celebrated in impeccable style last year on his debut album, Mr. Money With the Vibe (The FADER’s 18th favorite album of 2022). But where that record was full of swagger and sophistication, his first single of the new year is a full 180. “Yoga” is a document of humility and simplicity, an effort to find balance after a year defined by unprecedented success but tinged with tragedy by a crowd crush that killed two fans during his December show at O2 Academy Brixton. “The song is about minding my business and guarding my peace so no one can disrupt it,” the 28-year-old Lagosian scene leader confirms.
In keeping with its theme, the new song’s sound is much more rooted in tradition and repetition than in the cosmopolitan sleekness of Mr. Money. Drum machines disappear, replaced by hand-pounded percussion; synths and saxes are subbed out for sweetly bowed strings and a backing choir; and Asake leaves Auto-Tuned melismas behind in favor of direct, from-the-heart refrains. “I dey on my away hey / I dey maya / Make nobody kill my yoga,” he sings, praying for peace with the sincerity of a dedicated 12 stepper.
Despite the earnestness of the track’s message, “Yoga” is still a lush affair, and Asake’s love for textural decadence is reflected in its TG Omori-directed visual treatment, a rush of colors provided by the gorgeous beachscapes of Dakar, Senegal. Watch the clip below.
Credit: https://www.thefader.com/2023/01/30/song-you-need-asake-yoga
After securing their narrow advantage down on the south coast last week, Newcastle are firm favorites to reach a major cup final for the first time since the 1998-99 FA Cup, when the Magpies were beaten by the famed, treble-winning Manchester United side.
Eddie Howe’s side has performed well above expectations this season, mounting a serious top-four challenge one or two years ahead of reasonable expectations. Getting to — and winning — a final in the same season would merely be icing on the cake for Howe, who took over the Premier League’s 19th-place side (5 points from 11 games) from Steve Bruce in November 2021.
Saints reached the League Cup final in 2017, but were somewhat controversially beaten by Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. Southampton have won more cup ties (6 of 7) than PL fixtures (4 of 20), which goes a long way toward explaining why Nathan Jones’ side sits rock-bottom of the PL table with just 15 points.
Transfer deadline day is here for January 2023, as the winter window shuts at 6pm ET on Jan. 31 for Premier League clubs.
The clock is ticking late in the window and we will have all angles covered for you here at Pro Soccer Talk.
From clicking on the links above to read the latest reports and analysis, having Sky Sports News live on Peacock all day long and to our own Pro Soccer Talk live deadline day show which starts at 5:30pm ET on Jan. 31, you won’t miss a thing.
Click on the video below to send in your questions for the PST crew for our deadline day chat where we will round up all of the deals happening late in the window, dish out grades to Premier League teams based on their business and give our analysis on the best signings of the January window.
The January transfer window has again seen big-name imports into the Premier League, and the final hours of the window are seeing a flurry of deals take place.
Chelsea spent big, once again, while Liverpool signed Cody Gakpo and Arsenal added Trossard, Jorginho and Jakub Kiwior.
There’s plenty of discussion about Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur making additions to deepen their squads’ top-four pushes late in the window.
The same is true for title-fighters Arsenal and Manchester City, though their top-end footing is a lot more stable.
Weston McKennie to Leeds United was a done deal on Jan. 30, as the American midfielder has joined on loan until the end of the season, with Leeds having an option to buy him for $36 million.
As for deadline day itself Jorginho has joined Arsenal from Chelsea in a big move across London, while Manchester United are chasing the singing of Marcel Sabitzer on loan from Bayern Munich after they lost Christian Eriksen to injury.
Chelsea are pushing hard to sign Enzo Fernandez, while Bournemouth, Southampton, Fulham and Tottenham are all busy on deadline day.
✍️ We are delighted to announce the signing on Anthony Gordon on a long-term deal!
Arsenal transfer news: The January transfer window will be interesting (and important) for the Gunners as Mikel Arteta’s side is clearly a big contender for everything the Premier League has to offer.
After finishing two points behind north London rivals Tottenham, due to back-to-back defeats on Matchweeks 36 and 37 with UEFA Champions League qualification nearly in the bag, Arsenal isn’t leaving anything up to chance this go-round. The Gunners lead the Premier League and show no signs of slowing down.
Following the departures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Barcelona, in January 2022) and Alexandre Lacazette (end of contract, this summer), Arteta continues to rejuvenate an already stunning attack that includes Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, and captain Martin Odegaard.
Below we roundup the latest done deals, reports and rumors and give our analysis on Arsenal transfer news as Joe Prince-Wright (JPW), Nicholas Mendola (NM) and Andy Edwards (AE) will guide you through a hectic next few months.
Jorginho has joined Arsenal on an 18-month contract, for a reported fee of $14.8 million. The 31-year-old Italian, who started 15 of 20 Premier League games for Chelsea this season, should be an incredibly useful (and experienced) figure for Mikel Arteta, as the Gunners try to lift the PL trophy for the first time since 2004.
Brighton wasn’t lying when it came to their desire to keep Moises Caicedo for a European push, and Arsenal has made a new plan.
Reports say that Arsenal will sign Chelsea midfielder Jorginho on an 18-month deal with an option for an additional year. The price tag? About $15 million.
Reports say that Arsenal will led Cedric Soares head on loan to London neighbors Fulham, but not without a replacement.
Sky Sports says that Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund are in hot pursuit of Real Valladolid right back Ivan Fresneda.
Marca says that Fresneda missed Valladolid training amid reports that Arsenal matched BVB’s $15 million bid for the back.
The 18-year-old has started regularly for Valladolid this season when healthy and has represented Spain at the U-18 and U-19 levels.
Arsenal’s gone to Serie A for its latest signing, 22-year-old Jakub Kiwior of Spezia and the Poland national team.
A member of Poland’s World Cup team, Kiwior had been with Spezia since the start of the 2021-22 season.
The left-footed center back has nine caps for Poland and started all four of the club’s matches at the 2022 World Cup.
Kiwior turns 23 next month and will wear No. 15. A fee has not been disclosed.
💬 "It’s huge for me that Arsenal were interested and that I’m able to be here."
The London Evening Standard’s Nizaar Kinsella says that Arsenal has pulled ahead of Man City, Manchester United, and Chelsea in the race to sign West Ham star Declan Rice.
The 24-year-old England midfielder is part of the Irons’ potent midfield with Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek, but has been said to want UEFA Champions League football and 15th-place West Ham is well off top-half standards so far this season.
Arsenal always been leading the race, in talks with Shakhtar after 3d official bid.
The latest reports on Mykhaylo Mudryk to Arsenal have arrived and although the Gunners seem to be encouraged that they can strike a deal, the Ukraine international winger has flown to Turkey and gone on tour with them. Shakhtar are currently on a midseason break and Mudryk, 22, has been on holiday and working with a personal trainer to keep himself sharp. He is now heading away with the team for training and friendly games, so a deal does not appear to be imminent.
Exclusive: Chelsea are in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk over a deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk and could hijack Arsenal's move.
Darijo Srna expected in London to meet with the Blues this week.
That sound you can hear is Arsenal fans rubbing their hands with glee as Edu and Co. aim to sign one of the top young wingers in Europe. According to Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin, Arsenal are speaking with the Ukrainian club and they are haggling over a transfer fee. Arsenal have reportedly had an offer of over $66 million rejected by Shakhtar. The Ukrainian giants are said to want close to $100 million. Palkin spoke on Thursday and said: “Negotiations are continuing. We receive offers, but they are not the ones we would like to see on our table. Now, literally in five minutes, I will have a phone conversation with Arsenal. We are open to negotiations, ready to exchange ideas and figures. If we will agree, then let it be so. If we will not, then let it be another time.”
Reports say that Arsenal has approached Shakhtar Donetsk with a $67 million bid for in-demand forward Mykhailo Mudryk.
The Ukrainian club is said to want over $100 million for the winger, who has eight caps for Ukraine and turns 22 on Jan. 5.
Some reports have said the move is “imminent,” but Mudryk’s been linked with Manchester City amongst others. He’s scored 10 times with eight assists in 18 matches across all competitions this season.
Mudryk is an electric dribbler who plays mainly on the left side, where fellow 21-year-old Gabriel Martinelli has often starred opposite another 21-year-old Bukayo Saka on the right. Relatively elderly Gabriel Jesus, 25, has been the Gunners center forward in front of 23-year-old Eddie Nketiah. The club also has Reiss Nelson and Marquinhos plus long-injured Emile Smith-Rowe. Wow.
💬 "First of all I would like to say, this is a boyhood dream come true."
💬 "I am so happy to be here to help. I come to help, to learn as well, and to try to do my best"
Arsenal has purchased Fabio Vieira — no relation to Patrick — for a reported $42 million fee.
The Porto man just turned 21 in late May and racked up the joint second-most assists in Portugal last season despite playing under 1400 minutes.
Chelsea transfer news has been in overdrive for many months as the takeover of the west London club saw their big-money spending continue, and Graham Potter looks set to see more ins — and surely more outs — as he revamps his team.
And could we see the exits of Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech, their stocks hot after strong World Cup performances?
Chelsea are eager to refresh and strengthen their expensively assembled squad and they are keen to splash the cash.
Below we roundup the latest done deals, reports and rumors and give our analysis on Chelsea transfer news as Joe Prince-Wright (JPW), Nicholas Mendola (NM) and Andy Edwards (AE) will guide you through a hectic next few months.
Jorginho has joined Arsenal on an 18-month contract, for a reported fee of $14.8 million. The 31-year-old Italian, who started 15 of 20 Premier League games for Chelsea this season, should be an incredibly useful (and experienced) figure for Mikel Arteta, as the Gunners try to lift the PL trophy for the first time since 2004.
While Chelsea’s move for Enzo Fernandez will be the most-watched story of Deadline Day, the Blues could send three players away.
There’s going to be change around Everton, and Chelsea may be taking advantage of it.
The Blues are said to be moving for Amadou Onana and Anthony Gordon, with the former coming on an immediate permanent move and the latter signing for Chelsea before a loan back to Everton for the rest of the season.
This is all according to Metro. At some point Chelsea won’t be able to spend more money but Everton needs it and seemingly Gordon’s figure has dropped a little given his drop down the Toffees’ pecking order.
A report from the Guardian says that Chelsea are going back in for Enzo Fernandez. Are failing to sign the Young Player of the 2022 World Cup earlier in January, the report says Chelsea are due to restart talks this week with Benfica about signing the Argentine star. The central midfielder is exactly what Graham Potter needs and his aggression, skill and drive from central areas was a huge reason for Argentina’s success at the World Cup. Fernandez was very keen on joining Chelsea but after talks stalled with Benfica he has refocused and has been playing well for the Portuguese giants. Still, Fernandez has made it clear he wants the move and Chelsea may try to pay less than his $131 million release clause.
When will Chelsea stop signing players!? English winger Noni Madueke has joined from PSV as the Blues continue to load up on young attackers. What does that mean for Pulisic and Chelsea’s other forwards?
There are youth movements and then there are youth movements.
Chelsea could be set to live life without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling as reports circulate that Barcelona would like to take “Auba” back to Spain and that the Blues are open to offers for Sterling this winter.
The Sterling sale would be stunning as new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is showing little patience when it comes to making things fit for new boss Graham Potter. Who could afford Sterling? Very few, and Sterling would not be able to help several clubs’ Champions League pushes.
Coming in would be PSV Eindhoven star Noni Madueke. The London-born winger came through the academies of Crystal Palace and Tottenham before moving to PSV at age 16.
Arsenal always been leading the race, in talks with Shakhtar after 3d official bid.
It appears spending big money is not going out of fashion anytime soon at Chelsea. As they close in on a loan move for Joao Felix (see below), they are also reportedly interested in signing French international striker Marcus Thuram from Borussia Monchengladbach. According to The Times, Chelsea want to sign Thuram, 25, and his contract runs out in the summer. The forward was part of France’s 2022 World Cup squad and has the ability to lead the line but can also make runs in-behind to create space for others. With Christopher Nkunku expected to arrive this summer, plus Felix coming in and others linked, it looks like Chelsea want to overhaul their entire attacking unit. Thuram has scored 13 goals in 17 appearances in all competitions for ‘Gladbach this season and Chelsea desperately need someone to come in and add a clinical edge to their play.
Chelsea Football Club has finalised the transfer of David Datro Fofana from Molde! 🤝
France defender Benoit Badiashile, 21, is now a Chelsea man after signing a 7.5 year contract with the club following a reported $40 million deal that brings the defender from Monaco to the Premier League.
Exclusive: Chelsea are in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk over a deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk and could hijack Arsenal's move.
Darijo Srna expected in London to meet with the Blues this week.
Midfield is a key area Chelsea are looking to improve. But reports that Chelsea are on the verge of signing Enzo Fernandez are "not quite accurate" according to @David_Ornstein.
Following up on reports that Chelsea and Benfica have been in direct talks regarding Enzo Fernandez, the 21-year-old may be taking the next steps toward trading a red shirt for a blue one.
Metro is one of several outlets reporting that the London club has agreed terms with World Cup-winner Fernandez, leaving the transfer fee as the weighty, possible nine-figure obstacle.
Gigantic center back Benoit Badiashile may soon be the next player in Chelsea’s youth movement at Stamford Bridge.
The twice-capped France international has two goals in 16 appearances between the Europa League and Ligue 1 for Monaco this season.
Badiashile, 21, is an aerial force at 6-foot-4 but also an excellent ball progressor, according to FBRef.com, as he ranks in the 93rd percentile for progressive passes per 90. He also boasts impressive expected goals and assists as well as shot-creating actions for his position.
Chelsea’s bevy of new directors and recruitment gurus are working their magic as they’re closing to signing Ivory Coast striker David Datro Fofana, 21, from Molde. It is reported (below) that Chelsea will pay the Norwegian side $12.7 million for Fofana. He has scored 22 goals in 39 appearances for Molde in 2022 and has already made his debut for the Ivory Coast.
Brazil U-20 starlet Andrey Santos is reportedly Todd Boehly’s latest transfer swoop, according to multiple reports.
Santos, a central midfielder turns 19 in May, has eight goals in 33 Serie B matches for Vasco da Gama in Brazil.
He’s reportedly carrying a $25 million price tag.
Chelsea previously added youngsters Carney Chukwuemeka and Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina to the fold in the summer, and were linked with Endrick earlier this month, but the player will instead join Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
Todd Boehly is working hard to make sure his new manager gets his men, and Graham Potter will have former PSG starlet and current Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku come summer.
French international Nkunku, 25, missed the World Cup with torn knee ligaments but had scored 17 times with four assists in 23 appearances across all competitions for Leipzig early this season.
RB Leipzig duo Christopher Nkunku and Josko Gvardiol are both being lined up to arrive at Chelsea next summer. A report from The Athletic states that Chelsea have offered to pay Leipzig more than Nkunku $60 million release clause (which kicks in next summer) and want to wrap up a deal which would see the 24-year-old French international arrive at Stamford Bridge next summer. The report says that Nkunku has already agreed to the deal, while our partners in the UK at Sky Sports believe the prolific striker (who has already scored six goals in eight Bundesliga games this season) has yet to make up his mind.
Nkunku scored 20 goals last season and added 13 assists as he was named the Bundesliga Player of the Season. His quality is undoubted and he would be a perfect forward addition to Chelsea’s fluid attacking system under Potter. Nkunku learning from Aubameyang, one of the most prolific strikers in the game, is surely a recipe for success. After moving on Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku this summer, it is clear that Chelsea are keen to freshen up their attack and that could also mean the likes of Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech may be surplus to requirements.
A story out of the Netherlands says Chelsea’s sent waves through Ajax camp with a $50 million bid for Mexico star Edson Alvarez.
The report says that Newcastle and Rennes came calling for Alvarez but Ajax would not be moved, but this Chelsea offer has seriously turned the player’s head.
Alvarez, 24, operates as a central defensive midfielder but is not one-dimensional and has spent a little but of time at center back and a bit more more advanced, too.
A report from the Guardian says that Chelsea have renewed their interest in Wilfried Zaha as the Crystal Palace winger has less than a year left on his current contract. Zaha, 29, has been linked with Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal on multiple occasions over the years and a report from The Independent says his agent is pushing for a move to Chelsea. The Guardian says that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is still Chelsea’s top target but Zaha is another option.
Zaha is probably the best player in the Premier League outside the top six. His brief spell at Manchester United as a youngster didn’t work out but he’s been consistently excellent for Palace and the South London club would be devastated to lose him. However, he has less than a year left on his contract so if they’re going to get anything for him, now is the time. Previously Palace wanted $90 million for Zaha, which is understandable given that he’s the focal point of their attack and one of the main reasons they’ve stayed in the Premier League consistently over the last eight seasons.
A report from CBS Sports says that Chelsea and Barcelona are close to agreeing a $21.2 million fee for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 33-year-old is closing in on a reunion with Thomas Tuchel and a return to London and the Premier League.
Chelsea are set to step up their pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as a meeting is scheduled to discuss doing a deal for Aubameyang. Per the report from Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will soon make their opening bid to Barcelona for Aubameyang as the 33-year-old is a top target in the final weeks of the transfer window.
According to multiple reports out of the UK, Chelsea offered Everton $48.2 million for 21-year-old midfielder Anthony Gordon, the breakout star and a rare bright spot in the Toffees’ 2021-22 season, but the Blues were swiftly rejected with a further bid expected in the not-so-distant future.
Chelsea continued to be linked with moves for Barcelona duo Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Our partners in the UK at Sky Sports say that De Jong, 25, is open to a move to Chelsea as they play in the Champions League. Per the report, Chelsea will match the $87 million bid Manchester United for Frenkie de Jong earlier this summer. However, the issue remains that De Jong is owed over $20 million in deferred wages and Barcelona also want him to take a pay cut if he is to stay at the Nou Camp. Hence a few reasons why he could be on the move. But seriously, who knows what is going to happen at Barcelona from one day to the next right now!?
Now, this is getting out of hand, isn’t it? Wesley Fofana, 21, is a very good center back and is a star of the future. But according to the Guardian, Chelsea are willing to pay a world-record $102 million to sign Fofana. That would be a world-record fee for a defender. It would surpass what Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire and what Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk. There is, of course, a Premier League premium on this deal and Leicester City also say they don’t need to sell Fofana. They probably don’t but if Fofana is open to the move, which reports suggest he is, then the Foxes should probably snap up this fee as they h ave Jonny Evans, Jannik Vestergaard and Caglar Soyuncu around at center back and can use the money to significantly improve their squad (which they need to do after not signing a single player this summer).
Chelsea's latest bid for Wesley Fofana is over £70m and won't be the last one made if rejected. Brendan Rodgers again said Fofana isn't for sale, but Todd Boehly means business. Fofana is Chelsea's number one target between now and when window shuts.
One of the biggest shock signings of the summer has been completed, with Spanish left back Marc Cucurella signing for Chelsea from Brighton for a reported $75 million fee ($66 million up front, with $9 million in add ons). Cucurella, 24, looked set to join Manchester City for most of the summer but the reigning PL champs baulked at the price Brighton wanted for him. So in stepped Chelsea. They have also sent promising young defender Levi Colwill to Brighton on loan as part of the deal.
Longtime Chelsea leader and captain Cesar “Dave” Azpilicueta is not going back to Spain after all.
The Osasuna academy graduate who then went to Marseille before moving to the Premier League was expected to sign for Barcelona but things have been drawn out when it comes to Barca opening up room for wages.
It’ll be a two-year contract for Azpilicueta according to several reports but Chelsea has not yet announced the move. It does feel right that the 32-year-old defender remain at Stamford Bridge deeper into his career, if not to the finish line.
Meanwhile, Football.London says that Brighton manager Graham Potter has removed Marc Cucurella from first-team training amid reports of a fee agreement with Chelsea.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Chelsea are considering a move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 33-year-old joined Barcelona in January but given the financial restrictions at Barca, plus the fact that they continue to sign new players, it appears that the Catalan club are offering up the Gabonese superstar. Why? Well, it is all about money. Per the report, Aubameyang’s wages will rise next year and Barcelona want to avoid paying that.
Would Aubameyang be a good fit for Chelsea? He would fit their system and we know he’s a great finisher. Aubameyang could also add plenty of experience to a very youthful attack and if he’s happy and teams are playing to his strengths. Thomas Tuchel will be wary of Aubameyang potential throwing his toys out of the pram like he did at Arsenal but the player and coach know each other extremely well from their time together at Borussia Dortmund, which was hugely successful for Auba.
Chelsea has added a pair of highly-rated teenagers this Tuesday.
A report from Sport in Spain says that Chelsea are pushing hard to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona. Per the report, Chelsea will also sell Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso to Barcelona and then spend $82 million on the Dutch midfielder. De Jong, 25, has been linked with a move to Manchester United all summer long but doesn’t appear to be keen on playing for a team not in the UEFA Champions League. Chelsea are of course in the Champions League and with N’Golo Kante and Jorginho coming towards the end of their careers, Thomas Tuchel needs to look to the future. The report also says Barca will make a move for Bernardo Silva if they sell De Jong, as the Catalan club have spoken glowingly about the Man City and Portugal star over the last few months.
Chelsea’s interest in Leicester City center back Wesley Fofana was first reported this week, and the Blues have reportedly decided to press forward in their pursuit of the 21-year-old Frenchman (not yet capped at senior level for France). A deal won’t come cheap for Chelsea, though, as David Ornstein reported on Sunday that Leicester value Fofana at $100 million, give or take a few million either way. Fofana burst onto the Premier League scene as a 19-year-old in his first season with the Foxes before suffering a broken leg on the eve of the 2021-22 season, keeping him out of action from August to mid-March.
Our partners in the UK at Sky Sports are reporting that Chelsea are interested in Leicester City center back Wesley Fofana. The French defender, 21, missed most of last season after breaking his leg in preseason but is highly-regarded as one of the top young defenders in Europe under the age of 22. Fofana only recently signed a new two-year contract extension at Leicester and it would take a pretty massive offer to sign him. Chelsea are desperate for central defenders, though, as Kalidou Koulibaly has arrived this summer but they lost Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on free transfers to Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.
Thomas Tuchel isn’t happy with the amount of players Chelsea have been able to sign this summer and now that it appears that Jules Kounde will be heading to Barcelona instead of Stamford Bridge, the race to sign defenders is well and truly on. A report from 90min says that Pau Torres, Josko Gvardiol and Milan Skriniar are three center back options Chelsea are looking at closely, while Bayern Munich duo Dayot Upamecano and Benjamin Pavard could also be options. Torres and Pavard seem the most likely signings for Chelsea from that lengthy list of defenders as Tuchel needs reinforcements in defense for Chelsea to have any chance of mounting a serious title challenge this season. Right now, Chelsea will line up with Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly and probably Cesar Azpilicueta at center back for the opening day of the season in their 3-4-2-1 formation. However, Azpilicueta could leave for Barcelona but if the Catalan club sign Jules Kounde ahead of Chelsea that could actually scupper Azpilicueta’s move to Barcelona.
Fabrizio Romano has indicated that Timo Werner could leave Chelsea this summer, with Juventus and RB Leipzig linked with a move for the German international. Werner’s comments during preseason upset Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, as the striker revealed he could be happy at whatever club he was playing at. After struggling for goals, and minutes, during the 2021-22 campaign, Werner’s playing time could be reduced further this season after the arrival of Raheem Sterling. Werner, 26, is loved by Chelsea fans for his work rate but he has scored just 10 goals in 56 Premier League games over the last two seasons and 23 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions. He has been guilty of snatching at big chances and not being clinical enough in front of goal.
CFC will submit official bid and send paperworks, after verbal agreement with Chicago: 10m plus add-ons.
A report from the Daily Mail claims that Chelsea have turned their attention to Serge Gnabry after Raphinha appears to be heading to Barcelona. Gnabry, 26, is valued at $53 million by Bayern Munich and the Germany international has just one year left on his contract, with Chelsea reaching out to Bayern about his availability. The silky winger creates and scores goals galore and with Chelsea set to add Raheem Sterling and chasing other forward options, it is clear Thomas Tuchel wants to freshen up his attack. Romelu Lukaku has been loaned out to Inter Milan, Hakim Ziyech could be leaving for AC Milan, while the likes of Christian Pulisic and Timo Werner have also been linked with moves away.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Napoli and Senegal center back Kalidou Koulibaly remains on Chelsea’s wish list as they aim to sign new center back. Negotiations for Nathan Ake are continuing too, as Thomas Tuchel looks to rebuild his defense. Matthijs de Ligt seems to be heading to Bayern Munich from Juventus, so Chelsea have given up pursuing the Dutch center back. Koulibaly has a huge contract offer on the table from Napoli but per the report, talks with his agent have continued and he is seen as a key man for the Blues.
David Ornstein is now reporting that Chelsea are even closer to signing Koulibaly for a deal worth over $40 million.
Now, N’Golo Kante is still probably in the top three defensive midfielders in the world when he’s fully fit, so why would Chelsea sell him? Kante, 31, has just one year left on his contract at Chelsea and it appears he may be ready for a new challenge. With that in mind, the Daily Star claims that Manchester United want to rival Arsenal to sign Kante this summer. Kante is currently in the UK and not on Chelsea’s preseason tour of the U.S. due to his vaccination status not allowing him to enter the United States of America.
Raheem Sterling has agreed to join Chelsea after seven seasons at Manchester City, according to multiple reports.
The 27-year-old England star would move with the World Cup coming up, and the move could alter the club futures for fellow international stars Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner, and Hakim Ziyech.
According to a report from A Bola in Portugal, Chelsea are set to bid for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes. Per the report, Chelsea will bid over $45 million to sign the silky, two-way central midfielder. Could that mean the likes of Jorginho (who was linked with Juventus) may leave Chelsea this summer? Thomas Tuchel and new chairman Todd Boehly — who is also acting as a temporary head of recruitment — are trying to make plenty of moves as they are chasing Nathan Ake, Jules Kounde and Matthijs de Ligt to strengthen their defense, plus chasing deals for Raheem Sterling, Raphinha and Cristiano Ronaldo. Apparently the idea of Nunes heading to Chelsea came up with Jorge Mendes (also Ronaldo’s agent) met with Boehly recently.
Benjamin Pavard is reportedly a target for Chelsea, according to the Daily Mirror. And our partners at Sky in Germany believe that the 26-year-old could move on from Bayern Munich this summer after the reigning German champs signed Noussair Mazaroui from Ajax. Per the report Chelsea believe that their main defensive target, Matthijs de Ligt, could be heading to Bayern instead so they are lining up alternatives. As for Pavard, he is a right back primarily but is very comfortable playing anywhere in defense and the French international has an eye for goal and can deliver real quality on the ball going forward.
A report from The Athletic claims that Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly has been in talks with Jorge Mendes about a potential deal for Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo, 37, has reportedly told United he wants to move on this summer and he did not turn up for the first day of preseason due to ‘family reasons’ as it appears his second spell at Old Trafford is coming to an abrupt end. Per this report, Chelsea are exploring if they could do a deal for Ronaldo but there are apparently some hestitations from Thomas Tuchel about Ronaldo being a good fit for the Blues.
Christian Pulisic has a big summer ahead of him as the USMNT star will be thinking long and hard about his future at club level. Should he stay at Chelsea? Should he leave? Where should he go? The latest report on his situation is from The Daily Mail, as they say Christian Pulisic wants to stay at Chelsea despite interest in him from Juventus. Per the report, Pulisic is not keen on a move to Juve.
Once a Chelsea prospect, Dutch defender Nathan Ake is wanted by Thomas Tuchel for the first team at Stamford Bridge.
The 27-year-old ex-Bournemouth star has not played as much as he’d like at Manchester City but the Premier League champions rate him much higher than the proposed Chelsea bid.
Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan confirmed: Lukaku’s second spell at Chelsea came to another unceremonious end on Wednesday, when Inter Milan re-signed the Belgian striker on a season-long loan.
The Todd Boehly revolution is well underway at Stamford Bridge, where Brazilian attacker Raphinha is set to arrive from Leeds United.
It’s a deal that could reach $80 million, according to Fabrizio Romano, and certainly loads up Jesse Marsch’s transfer kitty at Leeds.
This, of course, assumes that Chelsea can come to an agreement on a contract with Raphinha, who has also been linked with Barcelona and Arsenal.
Raphinha scored 11 times with three assists for Leeds last Premier League season, a year after scoring six times and adding nine assists following a transfer from Stade Rennais.
What a move this would be for a Chelsea team already loaded with attackers, just the latest sign that no one besides (probably) Kai Havertz and Mason Mount are safe in their status with Thomas Tuchel’s Blues. Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic, and others all could move by the end of the window.
Is there a winger Chelsea don’t want to sign this summer!? After being linked with moves for Raheem Sterling and Ousmane Dembele in recent days and weeks, our partners in the UK at Sky Sports are now stating that Chelsea want to rival Tottenham to try and sign Richarlison. The 25-year-old Brazilian is a man in demand and has apparently told Frank Lampard he wants to leave Everton this summer and wants to play in the Champions League. With Chelsea letting Romelu Lukaku leave on loan, plus the likes of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic all likely to move on this summer, it appears that Thomas Tuchel is seriously freshening up his attack as Chelsea’s new owners try to make a splash.
A report from The Telegraph states that Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has reached out directly to Raheem Sterling to discuss a possible move to Stamford Bridge this summer. The England international, 27, could well be surplus to requirements at Manchester City next season and Chelsea need to freshen up their attack. With Romelu Lukaku on his way to Inter Milan, Hakim Ziyech in talks over a loan move to AC Milan and Timo Werner likely leaving too, it’s clear that Tuchel wants to rebalance his attack and Sterling is one of his top targets. Per the report, City value Sterling at $61-73 million and Chelsea will now make a bid after Tuchel spoke directly with the player.
Yes, this is actually a real thing. And yes, Manchester United have denied it could happen. However, there is clearly a bit of a theme rumbling behind-the-scenes here. In the past week there have been reports suggesting Ronaldo is unhappy with the lack of new signings at United, plus there have been reports linking him with a move to Roma, his former club Sporting Lisbon and now Chelsea are said to be interested in signing the Portuguese superstar. According to The Athletic, new Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly discussed the availability of Ronaldo, 37, when he met with ‘super-agent’ Jorge Mendes.
Per the report, Ronaldo was discussed and Chelsea are interested in seeing whether or not he can be temped to west London. Given that he only has one year left on his contract and they’d be strengthening a direct top four rival, United would surely rather keep Ronaldo than sell him to Chelsea this summer. United have since briefed plenty of outlets, including our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, that Ronaldo is not for sale and will not leave this summer.
Juventus center back Matthijs de Ligt’s $126 million release clause and its expectation not to budge much from the price tag may not stop Chelsea, according to Sky Sports.
The Blues are pursuing the 22-year-old Dutch star, having lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this summer. Chelsea has to address the crew of Thiago Silva, Malang Sarr, and Trevoh Chalobah.
De Ligt cost Juventus about $79 million from Ajax. Amongst defenders, only Virgil van Dijk, Harry Maguire, and Lucas Hernandez have cost more than De Ligt’s transfer fee then and only four players have cost more than his current release clause, which expires in 2024.
Should it happen, this would be huge splash from new chairman Todd Boehly? (NM).
It appears that Richarlison is a man in demand this summer as The Daily Mail reports that Chelsea are set to battle with Tottenham and Arsenal for his signature. The 25-year-old looks likely to leave Everton and it is believed that Thomas Tuchel is a big fan of the Brazilian international. With Romelu Lukaku on his way out, plus doubts over whether or not Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner will stick around, Chelsea are set to freshen up their attacking options. They’ve already been linked with moves for Raheem Sterling and Ousmane Dembele this summer and bringing in a wide forward who is comfortable cutting inside seems a priority.
The Blues are getting going in the transfer market and a report from our partners in the UK at Sky Sports states that Chelsea want to sign Raheem Sterling. Per the report, it would take a bid of over $73 million for City to let Sterling go this summer. The England forward, still just 27 years old, is out of contract next summer and it seems like he could be set for a move this summer.
Would this be a good move for Chelsea, and Sterling? It seems like a pretty good fit and if Chelsea can drive down the price a little, they will go all-in for Sterling. That said, City could be selling to potential title rivals so they will want a big transfer fee.
According to Fabrizio Romano, a potential deal for USMNT goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, 18, is entering ‘important hours’ as Chelsea and Real Madrid are the frontrunners to sign him. The Chicago Fire goalkeeper has been a Chelsea target for many months and now they have their ownership situation figured out, they can start trying to sign players once again.
Andreas Christensen, Charly Musonda, Danny Drinkwater and Jake Clarke-Salter have all left Chelsea as free agents. After Antonio Rudiger left as a free agent and signed for Real Madrid, this quartet were also expected to leave at the end of their deals. Chelsea had been keen to keep Danish center back Christensen around but he is expected to join Barcelona this summer.
Thomas Tuchel is going to be remaking Chelsea’s defense this summer, but the attack may also see a shift In personnel as the Blues are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, and Christian Pulisic.
Of course, one of those names will jump off the page on this site. Pulisic, 23, has made no secret of his desire to play and there are plenty of clubs who’d welcome the chance to give him that opportunity.
Pulisic and Werner are on the list of CIES’ top 100 transfer values in the world, and could fetch a pretty penny for a Chelsea club who may also be losing a third name on that list: Romelu Lukaku.
Was he really underutilized last season, and is the same true for Werner? or Ziyech? Or Lukaku? We take a deeper dive here (NM).
PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea in reports that say the combative midfielder plans to be in the Premier League next season.
Sangare, 24, has a $44 million release clause and three years left on his PSV contract, having moved from then-Ligue 2 side Toulouse at the start of 2020-21 season.
It's really complicated deal as Chelsea paid €115m for Rom one year ago.
Credit: https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2023/01/31/newcastle-vs-southampton-league-cup-semifinal-how-to-watch-live-stream-link-team-news/
YBNL and EMPIRE signee, Ahmed Ololade Asake, popularly known as Asake, has released his first single of the year 2023 titled Yoga. The singer who has one of the greatest runs of a new artist in the Nigerian music industry shared the single along with a vibrant music video which depicts a deep and spirited message that is expertly interwoven into the song, and is sung primarily in Yoruba.
According to Asake, the song is about peace and zen. “The song is about minding my business and guarding my peace so no one can disrupt it,” Asake says. In Yoga, Asake uses his signature sonic blend of Fuji music, merged with spiritual affirmations. Following somewhat of a radio silence, Asake took to his social media in the early hours of January 30th, 2023, to share a snippet of the new record with his audience. The snippet was accompanied with the promise of another TG Omori directed video which got fans excited.
The music video, which saw Asake and reality TV figure Alexis Skyy explore Dakar, Senegal, boasts of colourful and vibrant imagery. Following his debut album Mr. Money With The Vibe, Asake set the tone for a streak of musical success. He featured on Tiwa Savage’s Loaded which was a part of EMPIRE’s Where We Come From (Vol. 1) compilation album and it seems like the holidays are over thanks to Yoga. Yoga, which was produced by Magicsticks, is a visual continuation of that search for much-needed tranquility.
This isn’t the first time Asake’s spiritual journey has been the centre of his art or even a post featured on his social media profiles. On New Year’s Eve, he wrote on Twitter, “Too many ups and downs, trials, and tribulations, but God is forever the greatest. Thanks to everyone who made 2022 awesome for me, Words can’t explain. May God bless 2023 for us. Blessings and Glory.”
Credit: https://culturecustodian.com/asake-shares-spirited-message-on-new-single-yoga/
