CHELSEA are reportedly willing to speed up a move for Rafael Leao by clearing his owed compensation to former club Sporting.
The AC Milan ace is claimed to be have paying the Portuguese side approximately 20% of his salary after terminating his contract back in 2018 following a bust-up at the training ground.
Meanwhile, the Blues have received a huge boost in their pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Barcelona are now reported to be willing to sell the former Arsenal captain for just £12.5m as they become increasingly desperate to raise funds to register former Blues captain Jules Kounde.
However, the Catalan club will want that sum to be fixed, rather than dependent on add-ons.
Elsewhere, SunSport can reveal the Blues have given up on signing Wesley Fofana after Leicester rejected their bid of £70m plus add-ons.
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- Sam Dymond
Taps on? Another target emerges
Chelsea have held internal talks about making a move for Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba.
Stamford Bridge officials have begun discussing alternative centre-backs if their swoop for Wesley Fofana fails to materialise.
And Sky Sports Germany understand that the 23-year-old Burkina Faso international is top of the Blues' secondary shortlist.
The six foot four defender moved to Leverkusen in 2020 for a fee in the region of €18m plus add ons.
- Sam Dymond
Chelsea want permanent Ziyech sale
Chelsea and Ajax have been locked in discussions this week regarding the return of Hakim Ziyech to the Dutch champions.
However, talks are understood to have hit a stumbling block with the Blues only interested in the permanent departure of the Moroccan star.
And currently the Amsterdam club believe that Chelsea's asking price is too high for the 29-year-old.
Dutch journalist Gerjan Hamstelaar reports that Ajax are prepared to look elsewhere if the Premier League outfit fail to lower their valuation.
Ziyech scored 49 goals and registered 81 assists in 165 appearances for the Eredivisie giants between 2016 and 2020.
- Sam Dymond
Blues may turn to Maguire
Chelsea have once again been linked with a shock swoop for Manchester United's Harry Maguire.
The Evening Standard report that the Blues will make an approach for the England international if they fail to land Leicester's Wesley Fofana.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have this week had a third bid for the French defender rejected.
Ironically, the Foxes are demanding a fee equivalent to the world record £80m that United paid them for Maguire in 2019.
Maguire was dropped by the Red Devils for Monday night's win over Liverpool.
- Kealan Hughes
Good morning Chelsea fans
Chelsea will travel to Manchester City in the pick of the Carabao Cup third round ties.
And Callum Hudson-Odoi is close to joining Bayer Leverkusen after Chelsea sanctioned a loan move.
The winger has found game time difficult to come by at Stamford Bridge and is yet to make an appearance this season.
Therefore the Blues are willing to let him leave on loan but remain determined to keep Hudson-Odoi for the future.
Chelsea are also keen to bolster their wide options with the additions of Anthony Gordon and Rafael Leao, making Hudson-Odoi surplus to requirements, for now.
Wesley Fofana has been forced to train with Leicester's Under-23s after he failed to turn up to training one day last week.
His manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed that he has been banished from the first-team amid the player wanting to leave for Chelsea.
SunSport revealed that the Blues are now pulling out of the deal after seeing a third bid of £70million rejected.
Leicester are holding out for a reported £85million.
- Jack Figg
Cup for it
Chelsea will travel to Manchester City in the pick of the Carabao Cup third round ties.
Elsewhere, Liverpool will host League One Derby County, with Manchester United at home to Aston Villa in an all-Prem clash.
The Red Devils' date with Steven Gerrard and Co is one of seven all-Prem ties.
These include Tottenham's trip to Nottingham Forest and Arsenal's Emirates clash with Brighton.
- Jack Figg
Eur in luck
Thursday’s Champions League group-stage draw in Istanbul will only bring home to fans just how much a test of strength even only the FIRST half of the campaign is going to be.
Tottenham’s return to the Euro elite will have a major knock-on effect for N17 finances while Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been finalists over the past two years.
But with surprise Prem pace-setters Arsenal, as well as Manchester United, having to wait an extra 24 hours before discovering their Europa League schedule, all of England’s Big Six — plus potentially West Ham — will be plunged into a fixture list like they have never known.
The winter World Cup means that the domestic campaign will be split in two, with 16 Prem games by November 13 – a six-week break – and then 22 more matches from Boxing Day.
Yet it has also forced Uefa to redraw its normal timetable, meaning an unprecedented programme from the start of next month.
The six Champions League group games – starting on September 6 – will be compressed into just 57 days, six midweeks out of nine.
Two of the other midweek slots are taken up by the lone international break before the World Cup, when England must take a minimum of four points from matches with Italy and Germany to have any chance of avoiding Nations League relegation.
With boss Gareth Southgate looking to fine-tune his Qatar preparations, there is not much chance of players being rested.
And the ‘spare’ dates, October 18-20? A chance for respite, possibly?Nope. That has a full Prem fixture programme, including Liverpool hosting West Ham, Manchester United against Spurs at Old Trafford and City’s visit to Arsenal.
And between the weekend before the start of Europe, when Arsenal travel to United, to the one after it is over – with Spurs playing Liverpool and Arsenal at Chelsea – there will be 12 Big Six Prem clashes.
- Jack Figg
Sambuca
Samuel Umtiti is reportedly set for a loan move to Italian minnows Lecce.
The defender is out of favour at the Barcelona after several injury-plagued seasons.
And Fabrizio Romano claims Umtiti is now on the verge of a move to Serie A with newly-promoted side Lecce.
Last season’s Serie B champions have endured an awful start to the new campaign.
They were first knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Cittadella before losing league games to Inter Milan and Sassuolo.
And club chiefs hope Umtiti will be the man to revive their fortunes as he prepares to undergo a medical this week.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd have all been linked with the Frenchman before but non of the Premier League trio made an approach for him.
Credit: Reuters - Jack Figg
ICYMI
Champions League group stage draw TOMORROW
The group stage draw for the iconic tournament is set to take place TOMORROW – Thursday, August 25.
It is scheduled to get underway from 4:45pm UK time – 5:45pm local time.
The Champions League draw will be broadcasted LIVE on BT Sport 1.
- Jack Figg
Port of call
Chelsea are considering a swoop for Porto ace and Arsenal target Pepe.
But the Blues have been informed that the Brazilian is not available for less than his £59million release clause.
The 25-year-old has previously been the subject of a £25.3m offer from the Gunners.
And now Record report London rivals Chelsea have sent inquiries to the Primeira Liga side
- Jack Figg
Au-most there
Chelsea are very close to signing Barcelona star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
That is according to Rudy Galetti, who claims a deal to take Aubameyang to the Blues is “imminent”.
Galetti tweeted the clubs have reached an agreement over a fee of just under £17million, plus bonuses which would see the former Arsenal star make a quick return to the Premier League.
The Gabon international only joined Barca in February after his well-publicised disciplinary problems at the Gunners
- Jack Figg
Cal up
Chelsea are close to loaning Callum Hudson-Odoi to Bayer Leverkusen, according to reports.
The winger, 21, has found game time difficult to come by at Stamford Bridge and is yet to make an appearance this season.
Chelsea are also keen to bolster their wide options with the additions of Anthony Gordon and Rafael Leao, making Hudson-Odoi surplus to requirements.
The youngster is close to completing a season-long loan to Bayer Leverkusen, with his representatives in advanced talks with the German club, report Sky Sports News.
Newcastle have also shown an interest in the England under-21 international but his £100,000 salary has proved a sticking point.
Hudson-Odoi was subject to a bid from Bayern Munich two years ago but now looks set to move to the Bundesliga after all – despite signing a new contract when Chelsea rejected the German champions.
Credit: Getty - Jack Figg
El of a price
Chelsea have been warned they must splash out an astonishing £126.1million to land Rafeal Leao.
The Blues are desperate for a striker after letting flop Romelu Lukaku leave for Inter Milan on loan.
But respected Italian sports daily La Gazzetta Dello Sport have now claimed that Milan will demand £126.1m (€150million).
That staggering fee is in part because Leao owes his former club Sporting Lisbon £13.85m after terminating his own contract.
Leao tore up his deal with Sporting in 2018, after fans attacked the players at the club’s training ground.
The Portugal star then join Lille on a free transfer, before moving on to Milan in 2019.
- Jack Figg
Tu are to blame
Thomas Tuchel was “quite clearly” responsible for his touchline tear-up with Antonio Conte.
And Tuchel deserved his looming one-match ban because he was “significantly more culpable” than the Spurs boss, according to the FA disciplinary panel which heard both cases.
Tuchel’s appeal against his suspension and £35,000 fine will be heard before Saturday’s Premier League game with Leicester, while Conte accepted his £10,000 punishment.
But in their written reasons, the panel, headed by former England and Blackburn winger Stuart Ripley, made it clear they felt the Chelsea chief was the more guilty party when the post-match handshake sparked a melee involving players and staff.
Ref Anthony Taylor said he had shown red cards to both men because the “prolonged physical contact” led to “an aggressive confrontation” and then a “further mass confrontation”.
Both managers accepted the charges and apologised, with Conte telling the FA beaks he was “both surprised and unhappy” that Tuchel’s handshake “caused me to be pulled back with such physical force”.
Credit: Rex - Jack Figg
Pie chart
The price of pies in the Premier League has been revealed with a newly-promoted side charging more than anyone else.
Just three games into the new season and things such as VAR, referees, the price of pints, and now how much a pie costs have all come into question.
And according to Betting.com, newly promoted Fulham charge the most in the Premier League for a pie.
The Cottagers charge a whopping £4.50, 50p more than second placed Brighton.
Tottenham, Manchester City, Leicester City and Crystal Palace all charge £4.
West Ham, who had many furious furious at £7.30 for a pint, have set a price of £3.90 for a pie.
Manchester United and Arsenal charge the same as the East London side.
Leeds are middle of the pack, with a pie costing £3.80 at Elland Road.
Newcastle and Aston Villa aren't too far behind on £3.60.
Southampton, Chelsea, Brentford and Bournemouth all charge £1 less than Fulham.
- Jack Figg
The Real deal
are more likely to be drawn against Real Madrid than any other pot one team in Thursday's Champions League draw, data has shown.
Carlo Ancelotti's side knocked the Blues out in the quarter-finals of last season's competition, winning a thrilling tie 5-4 thanks largely to Karim Benzema.
Madrid then went on to lift the trophy for a record-extending 14th time, beating Manchester City in the last four and Liverpool in the final.
Now Chelsea could be set to meet them again – but this time much earlier in the tournament.
Thomas Tuchel's men are in pot two for the draw and will face one of Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto or Ajax in the group stage.
They cannot be drawn with Man City as teams from the same country cannot come up against one another until the quarter-finals.
But according to Footantic on Twitter, 60,000 simulations of the draw have been conducted and in 16.5 per cent of them Chelsea have been grouped with Real Madrid.
- Jack Figg
Zi you later
Chelsea ace Hakim Ziyech’s brother has dropped a major hint that he could be set to return to Ajax.
Abdullah Ziyech took to Instagram to post an image of Hakim in the Ajax jersey.
The 29-year-old is unhappy at Stamford Bridge due to a lack of minutes and he wants a move away this summer.
Since making the move to West London back in 2020 for £36million, the winger has scored 14 goals in 84 matches.
At the Eredivisie champions, the Moroccan’s record is much improved with 49 goals and 81 assists in 165 games.
The former Morocco international was a fan favourite at Ajax winning a league title and a domestic cup while also playing an integral role in the club’s run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019
Credit: Getty Images – Getty - Alex Cole
Lukaku back to the Bridge for crunch match?
Pot three also has some very difficult sides which the Blues could come up against.
Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Sporting Lisbon are all in that pot of eight.
As are Inter Milan – a fixture which would see Romelu Lukaku return to Stamford Bridge just months after leaving on loan.
- Alex Cole
Pot 1 and 2 probabilities for Chelsea
According to Footantic on Twitter, 60,000 simulations of the draw have been conducted and in 16.5 per cent of them Chelsea have been grouped with Real Madrid.
They are narrowly ahead Frankfurt and PSG, with AC Milan thought to be the least likely of the seven teams to face Chelsea.
- Alex Cole
Blues most likely to face Real Madrid in group stage
Chelsea are more likely to be drawn against Real Madrid than any other pot one team in Thursday's Champions League draw, data has shown.
Carlo Ancelotti's side knocked the Blues out in the quarter-finals of last season's competition, winning a thrilling tie 5-4 thanks largely to Karim Benzema.
Now Chelsea could be set to meet them again – but this time much earlier in the tournament.
Thomas Tuchel's men are in pot two for the draw and will face one of Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto or Ajax in the group stage.
They cannot be drawn with Man City as teams from the same country cannot come up against one another until the quarter-finals.
- Alex Cole
Champions League group stage draw TOMORROW
The group stage draw for the iconic tournament is set to take place TOMORROW – Thursday, August 25.
It is scheduled to get underway from 4:45pm UK time – 5:45pm local time.
The Champions League draw will be broadcasted LIVE on BT Sport 1.
- Alex Cole
ICYMI – Chelsea reportedly PULL OUT of Fofana deal
Chelsea have pulled the plug on their bid to sign Wesley Fofana after Leicester City threw out a THIRD bid worth £70million including add-ons.
SunSport understands Thomas Tuchel, who was desperate to land the 21-year-old French sensation, will now turn his attention to alternative targets.
Frustrated Chelsea chiefs feel the Foxes have priced Fofana out of his dream move after digging in for a joint world record fee of £85million for their star defender.
Even the big spending Blues – bankrolled by ambitious new owner Todd Boehly – believe that's way too rich for a 21-year-old.
Chelsea were prepared to offer £60million with a further £10million in add-ons.
However, Leicester felt the incentives were far from realistic and refused to budge.
- Alex Cole
Alright Pal
West Ham have completed the signing of Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri.
The Hammers began chasing the signature of the out-of-favour left-back earlier this month.
And manager David Moyes has got his man – who has inked a four-year contract at the London Stadium – after finally agreeing a suitable contract with the full-back.
- Alex Cole
Lampard on Gordon release
Frank Lampard is aware that Chelsea are after his wonderkid Anthony Gordon.
But he admitted that he will not make it easy for them to sign Gordon.
After winning 1-0 to Fleetwood on Tuesday night in a Carabao Cup tie, he told talkSPORT: "He’s our player and the latest is the same as what I said after the game against Nottingham Forest – he’s our player and he’s got three years left on his contract.
“We’re aware of the interest of Chelsea as the world is now.
“This situation has to be right for Everton Football Club and for me as the coach of the team so we’re in the same position that we were a few days ago.”
“We’ve had some players coming in and probably a couple of more players to come in for sure that we’re looking at."
- Alex Cole
Port of call
Chelsea are considering a transfer swoop for Porto ace and Arsenal target Pepe.
But the Blues have been informed that the Brazilian is not available for anything less than his £59million release clause.
The 25-year-old has previously been the subject of a £25.3m bid from the Gunners.
And now Record claim London rivals Chelsea have sent inquiries to the Primeira Liga side.
- Alex Cole
Blues may switch Gallagher or Broja for Gordon
Chelsea might have to sacrifice either Conor Gallagher or Armando Broja in a loan deal with Everton to get Anthony Gordon.
The 21-year-old has told Everton he wants a move to Stamford Bridge, but the Toffees are so far refusing to sell.
according to talkSPORT, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel might need to sweeten the deal with player to finally get his man as the transfer window edges closer to an end.
They report that the Merseyside club are ready to renegotiate as long as either Conor Gallagher or Armando Broja are included in the deal.
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