Chelsea

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Kepa Arrizabalaga at Chelsea was simply the victim of his £71m price tag.

He was deemed the best possible option when Thibaut Courtois forced his exit from the Blues in 2018.

Chelsea had gone for Alisson but he chose Liverpool with Kepa deemed the next best option, however, Athletic Bilbao forced the Blues to pay his full release clause.

After his wobble early in his Blues career, the Spain international quickly proved not to be worth either the fee or his previous £190,000-a-week wages.

Yet, he was still highly respected behind the scenes and was deemed a top professional, good squad member and a positive character, despite his strange episode in refusing to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final in 2019.

Aside from that uncharacteristic episode, the 30-year-old has been an absolutely top professional at Chelsea and has proven capable of being a number one or number two between the sticks at Premier League level without causing disruptions.

He has always been a good option but not one to command a world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper, which he still holds to this day.

Kepa could be a great asset to Arsenal and should push current starter David Raya hard.

Image source, Getty Images

Kepa Arrizabalaga says he is leaving Chelsea with "a heart full of gratitude" after seven years with the club.

The 30-year-old, who remains the world's most expensive goalkeeper after his £71m transfer to Stamford Bridge in 2018, is moving to London rivals Arsenal for £5m.

Kepa fell out of favour at Chelsea over the past two seasons, heading out on loan to Real Madrid and Bournemouth.

The goalkeeper had a mixed time with the Blues, playing 163 times and winning four trophies, including the Champions League and Europa League.

However, he also came in for criticism from fans for costly errors, and had some particularly notable moments in cup finals - having refused to be substituted in 2019 League Cup defeat by Manchester City and missing his penalty in the 2022 edition against Liverpool.

Posting on his social media,, external Kepa said: "Thank you, Chelsea. "After seven unforgettable years, the time has come to close a very special chapter in my life.

"Chelsea was my home, my family, and the place where I grew both as a footballer and as a person.

"I arrived full of dreams and I leave with unforgettable memories: titles like the Champions League, Europa League, Uefa Super Cup, Club World Cup... but above all, moments shared with incredible people on and off the pitch.

"Thank you to the coaches, the staff, my team-mates, and most of all, to you, the fans. Wearing this badge has been an honour and a source of pride.

"Now a new chapter begins, and I face it with the same passion and commitment as always. I leave with a heart full of gratitude."

How do you feel about the £71m goalkeeper being sold for £5m to the Gunners? Could he have still had a future at Stamford Bridge? Or was his race run with the Blues?

Let us know here

Pat Nevin
Former Chelsea and Scotland winger

Image source, Getty Images

While Paris St-Germain cruised in the second half against Inter Miami at the Club World Cup, Chelsea could have done without the extra stress of a two-hour storm delay, then extra time against Benfica.

Chelsea look more mature and controlled with each passing game right now - even if Enzo Maresca was less composed post-match, infuriated by the weather delay.

It does underline that if this is a dry run - oops, wrong phrase - trial run for the World Cup next season, then the organisers have unearthed plenty of problems from substandard pitches, limited local interest and potentially lethal weather.

Now the Club World Cup has reached the knockout stages, interest has risen, albeit only 26,000 turned up for the heavyweight battle between the Blues and Benfica.

It does beg the question: would there have been as many complaints had the tournament started here, with a 16-team straight knockout competition?

Football organisations are addicted to these group formats - or more specifically for the 'content' these games create for TV and thus the increased revenue for them.

However, a simple knockout competition, with the jeopardy turned up to 11 right from the start, is a huge draw.

Naive though it would sound to those obsessed with squeezing every cent of revenue from the game, it might just get more fans on board quicker.

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It is the old football cliche: take it one game at a time.

But it is often hard to believe that players, managers and clubs do not look ahead to what might be coming up - particularly in knockout competitions.

Chelsea's first thought will be with their quarter-final opponents Palmeiras, who they face in the Fifa Club World Cup on Saturday at 2:00 BST.

But with the last-16 exits of Inter Milan and Manchester City, the Blues could be forgiven for having one eye on who they might face next should they get past their Brazilian opponents.

Many had anticipated an all-European or all-English semi-final on this side of the draw, but Fluminense and, perhaps more surprisingly, Al-Hilal have put paid to that.

So what does a route to the final look like for Chelsea?

If - and it is a big if having already lost to one South American side in this competition - the Blues were to get past Palmeiras in their quarter-final, they would then face either Fluminense, who are captained by former defender Thiago Silva, or Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, conquerors of City.

That game would be played on Tuesday, 8 July (20:00 BST).

And if the west London club were to get past that test, it could set up a titanic Champions League-style battle in the final.

The other semi-final, 24 hours later, would see Paris St-Germain or Bayern Munich potentially play Real Madrid, if Xabi Alonso's side get through the next two rounds that include Juventus and possibly Borussia Dortmund.

It could provide a dress rehearsal for what is to come next season when Enzo Maresca tries to guide his side through the league phase of Europe's elite club competition.

Chelsea hope to raise about £35m from the sale of forward Christopher Nkunku this summer. (Metro), external

West Ham would be open to offers of about £60m for 24-year-old Ghana forward Mohammed Kudus, who has attracted interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle. (Guardian), external

Ipswich Town have registered interest in a potential loan deal for Chelsea striker Marc Guiu, 19, after selling Liam Delap to the Premier League side this summer. (The Athletic - subscription required), external

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Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on whether Chelsea's reported £60m agreement for Brighton forward Joao Pedro is good business.

Here are some of your comments:

Azzan: While we could use defensive enforcements, the ownership dishes out £60m on another striker. He is a phenomenal player but he is surplus to requirements and for the fee, is not worth it.

Lewis: Completely unnecessary. Especially after Jamie Gittens joins. Our recruitment is starting to resemble Arsenal, where we buy more and more of the positions we don't need and don't recognise our weaknesses. I am surprised he came as he won't play. Brighton have done us again.

Simon: If they can offload the players not in their plans, keep the rest happy being consistently rotated and having enough playing time, keep the manager and stick to the plan, Chelsea may become a decent team in a couple of years time. But this is Chelsea, so disaster is imminent.

Ayoola: Chelsea's project has become chaotic: too many signings and a backlog of unused players. We need to clearly define our goals, maximize the potential of the current squad, and then strategically fill any gaps.

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James: Very pleased with this one. Thirty goals in 70 games is a good return and Pedro can take a penalty too. Very creative player who can only improve and is Premier League ready. Can see it being difficult to move players on. However, considering the long contracts and high wages, presumably the club will be looking for permanent exits rather than paying a portion of a salary for them to play elsewhere.

Ricky: Baffling. We have three forwards already, now a fourth? Even with potential player sales, why is another striker needed?

Stevie: Pedro will certainly help elevate our strike force if the stories about him joining Chelsea are true. Clearly some players will need to be moved on or sent to gain experience on loan. All we need to recruit now is a top goalkeeper and someone to deputise for Marc Cucurella.

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea are expected to buy Joao Pedro in a deal worth £60m, helped in part by the healthy funds brought in from taking part in the Club World Cup.

Their likely new signing brings some interesting dimensions. The radar chart below, using Opta data via FBref.com, compares Joao Pedro's performance against fellow Premier League forwards - and the results are quietly impressive.

To understand the significance of this graphic, it is important to unpack what "percentile" means. Each stat shows how a player compares to others in his position. So, if Pedro sits in the 80th percentile for a certain metric, it means he has performed better in that area than 80% of Premier League forwards. It is a relative measure - not raw totals, but performance in context.

And with that in mind, Joao Pedro excels in certain areas.

He ranks particularly highly for fouls drawn that lead to a goal, a sign of his sharp intelligence and ability to manipulate defenders in the final third. For a Chelsea side that struggled to unlock defences last season, Joao Pedro's knack for inviting pressure in dangerous areas and turning it into goalscoring chances could prove invaluable.

His contribution to shot-creating actions (SCA) also stands out. This metric counts the two attacking actions leading to a shot, such as a key pass or dribble. Pedro ranking highly here suggests he is regularly involved in build-up, whether drifting into pockets of space or linking play with midfield runners. That skilset fits a fluid, possession-oriented system.

His goals minus xG - a metric that compares actual goals scored with expected goals - is also well above average. This indicates a forward capable of finishing at a level above the norm, whether through superior technique or instinctive play in tight spaces, with the caveat being there is room for regression here.

Meanwhile, his percentile in progressive passes received demonstrates his ability to stretch opposition defences and become a dynamic option between the lines - something Chelsea have often lacked in transition phases.

While his shot on target percentage sits slightly below elite levels, perhaps this is a trade-off for being involved across different phases of the attack. Pedro is not merely a finisher - rather he's a facilitator, disruptor, and spatially intelligent forward who enhances those around him.

In short, the data shows why Chelsea were willing to pay a premium. Pedro is not just a £60m investment in goals - he is a player who embodies the modern, multi-functional forward, and could quickly become a central figure in Enzo Maresca's attacking blueprint.

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea and Manchester City are already quids in from playing in the Fifa Club World Cup - and they could yet end up earning loads more.

Chelsea's win over Benfica in the last 16, worth about £9.6m, takes their prize pot to more than £40m.

There is a further £15.3m at stake if they are able to get past Brazilian side Palmeiras in Saturday's quarter-final.

Meanwhile, Manchester City have earned prize money of roughly £37.8m so far, with their last-16 tie against Al-Hilal still to come on Tuesday.

City bagged the most of any team during the group stage as the only side to win all three of their matches.

Enzo Maresca's side were beaten by Flamengo in Group D, a defeat which cost the Blues about £1.5m.

It is less than four weeks since Chelsea paid £30m to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, who scored in their 3-0 win over ES Tunis. But that transfer fee has probably been paid off already - or near enough - by the Blues' prize money.

Or else it has pretty much covered the £29m they will pay for Palmeiras winger Estevao Willian after the Club World Cup.

Arsenal have joined Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt's 23-year-old French striker Hugo Ekitike. (Sport Bild - in German, subscription required), external

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Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

With news of a £60m deal being agreed with Brighton for Joao Pedro, supporters of other clubs might well be thinking 'not another Chelsea transfer' or 'not another striker'.

The Blues have again moved aggressively and decisively in this transfer window to add two more forwards in Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro, having also signed Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m.

It looks like Chelsea are stockpiling more talent, having spent about £170m on young players this summer, including Portuguese midfielder Dario Essugo and French defender Mamadou Sarr.

However, the Blues believe there is space for all the attackers to thrive, especially in a season where they will return to the Champions League following this lucrative Club World Cup campaign.

Pedro's arrival is expected to lead to an exit for Christopher Nkunku as they are similar types of versatile forward.

Meanwhile, Gittens will replace Jadon Sancho, who returned to Manchester United for a £5m penalty fee following his recent loan spell, with Mykhailo Mudryk still provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test.

Delap bolsters an attack that lacked a suitable option when Nicolas Jackson was unavailable, while Noni Madueke could also be moved on following the arrival of 18-year-old Brazilian Estevao Willian from Palmeiras.

Having done a lot of deals already, sources say Chelsea will now slow their activity on incomings and focus on the difficult task of player sales.

The one weakness with this approach is clubs interested in their fringe or wantaway players could try to force cheaper deals.

Joao Felix, Raheem Sterling, Armando Broja and Carney Chukwuemeka are not with the squad in the United States and set to be offloaded.

However, it would be unfair to say Chelsea do not have a plan and their embarrassment of riches in attack is something their supporters can be pleased about as they pursue success next season.

What do you make of the move for Pedro? Are you happy with what he would bring to the Chelsea attack, and how do you see the forward line looking next season?

Get in touch with your thoughts here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter in Charlotte

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea captain Reece James has lauded his team-mates after the club survived a “disruptive”, nearly two-hour, extreme weather delay at the Club World Cup.

James opened the scoring against Benfica in the 65th minute and the Blues looked on course to win before the lengthy stoppage, and Benfica returned to score a penalty through Angel di Maria.

However, after a red card for Gianluca Prestianni, Chelsea then scored three goals in extra time.

James was critical of the difficult conditions in Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium but praised his team-mates: "It wasn't probably the most difficult [game] for 85 minutes and then we had to sit and wait for I don't know how long," James said.

"It took a lot out of the players. We cooled down and it was quite disruptive when you're in the flow of the game. We needed to restart the engine.

"We were keeping the legs going on the bike - a little bit of stretching, some music to keep the vibes there. It was in the back of my mind that the game wouldn't be completed.

"It was difficult. The climate was very hot and humid. The pitch wasn't the best but we got the job done.

"We came so close the end and it was difficult to get that kick in the teeth, but to go on and score three goals probably shows how far we have come. The red card probably helped with that, but we did well to get over the line."

Chelsea next face Palmeiras in Philadelphia in the quarter-final on Friday and James added: "They're amazing players and a good side. We're going to set out to win.

”We have confidence in what our goals are going into the game, how we want to play, our structure, defensively and offensively. I think that's more important to us. We have our structure right and we'll achieve what we want to achieve."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Chelsea's Club World Cup last-16 win over Benfica on Saturday.

Here are some of your comments:

Dan: We play so slowly. Zero attack, unless it's a blatant chance which we don't often create. Really boring stuff. I still can't believe this is our best 11 after spending £1bn plus.

Michael: I thought Chelsea were dominant. Benfica really were never in the game If there was any criticism it would be that they weren't finished off before the very harsh free-kick that led to quite a harsh penalty being awarded. The referee wasn't very good.

George: Chelsea were fortunate again to win the game in extra time by what appears a huge margin between the two teams. The game was, until the last 10 minutes of extra time, much closer than the score suggests. Take away the fabulous free-kick from James and there was little else in the 90 minutes from them. We can blame the heat, but talented players like Palmer and Neto seem to have lost their flair.

DR-T: Considering Chelsea restricted Benfica to only one shot on target (and that was a penalty), the weather, the soft refereeing decisions and the soft local attitude to the weather - it was a pretty solid performance in the end. I'm most worried about how tired the squad will be when the new Premier League season starts.

Ahmed: A very good display by the players, though the subs seemed to be clumsy and worrisome at first. The weather impacted the whole thing and is the major concern. I see Chelsea playing in the semi-finals already and hopefully the final.

Freddie: Solid performance from the team all round, especially given the weather conditions. We controlled the game but dragged it out by not converting chances, which was a mixture of us and their goalie having a great game. Thought the new formation worked a treat and (apart from Badiashile) I could see that working well for us going forwards. COYB!

Dave: I thought Chelsea played quite well. I think Delap will become good but needs to get up to speed tactically with the rest of his team-mates. Moises will be a big miss next game which I think could be a tough one. The ridiculous two-hour stoppage can't happen again - people just won't bother watching this tournament or the World Cup.

CL: We played well and controlled the game but there were some pretty awful and very risky passing, in particular from Cucurella. Appreciate that it's been a long season and he's one of the players that's played in each CWC game (I think), but too many were to Benfica players or to no-one. If we're to fight for the title then we need to be better at passing, especially considering these Maresca tactics. Our passing needs to be more direct and urgent. Too often we're passing side to side, hoping for an opening - but organised teams won't give much away when the ball is going side to side!

Image source, Getty Images

"This is not football."

The words of Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca when asked about how the one-hour-53-minute stoppage impacted their Club World Cup last-16 tie against Benfica.

Blues defenders Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo were furious when pulled off the pitch - as was Maresca - having been on course to win with only five minutes of normal time remaining.

After re-entering the operations and dressing room area, players took turns to cycle on exercise bikes to keep their muscles warm and did kick-ups to stay fresh at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Maresca explained the mood and why it impacted performance, adding: "So two hours inside - people speak with the family outside [to check] if they were good with the security. People eating, laughing, talking on their mobiles. It was two hours. That's why I said it's not football."

Captain Reece James added: "It was quite disruptive when you're in the flow of the game. Lots of substitutions - trying to get warm and stay warm. It was difficult and the climate was very hot and humid."

A senior Chelsea official admitted to confusion and relief around the senior staff after the match.

"You cannot be inside for two hours. It is something completely new," Maresca said.

"I can understand that for security reasons you suspend the game. But if you suspend six, seven games that means that probably is not the right place to do this competition.

"This is a fantastic competition. The Club World Cup is top; we are happy to be in the last eight.

"It's not normal to suspend a game. In a World Cup, how many games are suspended? Probably zero. In Europe, how many games? Zero."

What did you make of Chelsea's display and what are the talking points?

Come back to this page on Sunday for a selection of your replies

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter in Charlotte

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea's news conference with Enzo Maresca - in addition to chats with three players - to preview the Club World Cup last-16 match against Benfica was all a bit rushed.

The Blues flew in late from their training base on the south beach in Miami having pre-booked it in the hope they would win the group.

However, a 3-1 defeat by Flamengo meant Chelsea finished second, despite victories in the other two Group D matches against Los Angeles FC and ES Tunis.

That has led to a Champions League-style matchday - the Blues flying into Charlotte for just one night, with the preview activity done at 20:00 local time (the equivalent of 01:00 BST) and then playing the game at the Bank of America Stadium.

Chelsea were previously based in Philadelphia, where they played two matches. They would return there for their quarter-final should they beat Benfica on Saturday, but they will not switch their base back to the city.

Instead, they will stay in Miami before potentially basing themselves in New York for the semi-final and final if they go deep into the tournament.

This is the best way for Chelsea to manage a challenging post-season tournament in significant heat, as staff just attempt to get their players through each round and see how far it takes them.

Similarly, Benfica manager Bruno Lage was talking up the challenges of the tournament, from the heat to the travel and the workload on his players after a long season, and how it will impact their 2025-26 campaign.

All the European clubs involved are trying their best to cope with these challenges and are maybe not the best versions of themselves.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter in Charlotte

Image source, Getty Images

Benfica manager Bruno Lage has described Chelsea's Joao Felix as a "special player" amid links of a move back to his boyhood club for the forward.

The Portugal international was not selected by manager Enzo Maresca to play in the Club World Cup and is expected to be sold this summer.

Felix, who spent last season on loan at AC Milan, has struggled since leaving Benfica for Atletico Madrid at the age of 18 for £113m - the fourth-most expensive transfer at the time.

The 25-year-old attended one of Benfica's group games in Miami last week and when asked about the prospect of Felix returning, Lage said: "We have talked about Joao Felix [coming back] since he left Benfica.

"He is a special player for Benfica, for me, and he is on his holidays. He is maybe asleep now because he is on the other side of the world. It's important to be focused on the players who are going to play against Chelsea."

Lage also said the player workload issues of competing in the Club World Cup are "very hard" and praised Pedro Neto, who he managed when in charge of Wolves and has two goals in two matches at the tournament.

"For me, he is one of the best wingers in the world. They are very good, but they also know that we are a good team. I expect an excellent game.

"When I look to my players, they give me the reasons to believe that it's 50-50. So, we go with that ambition [to win]."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter in Charlotte

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has ruled out any potential sale of teenage defender Josh Acheampong.

The 19-year-old signed a contract until 2029 in December, but was linked last week with moves to Tottenham, Newcastle or Borussia Dortmund.

However, Maresca is a huge fan of Acheampong, who started against ES Tunis in the final group game at the Club World Cup, and ruled out his sale before Saturday's last-16 tie against Benfica.

"The clubs that you mentioned, they like Josh - but we also like Josh," Maresca said. "Any club likes good players. My plan with Josh is quite clear. I said many times that I really like Josh.

"He potentially can be a top defender for this club. It's on him to have the right timing to do the things. We are full of young players here, full of talented players - even defenders.

"The best plan for Josh is to be with us and I'm very happy if he's going to be with us."

The Italian was less strong when asked if Chelsea could sell fellow defender Trevoh Chalobah, though.

He added: "All the players that are here with us, I don't want to lose them. But then we said many times that when the window is open, unfortunately, anything can happen - to buy a player or to sell a player.

"Trevoh came back to us in January. We made the Champions League spot in the top four and that's also because of Trevoh. He helped us a lot. In this moment, he played also some games here.

"He is with us. We are happy with him. When the window is open, anything can happen - but not only for Trevoh, also for the 25 players of the squad."

With the knockouts about to begin, the Opta supercomputer, external has predicted who is now the favourite to win the Club World Cup and broken down every team's chances.

According to Opta's model, Paris St-Germain are the most likely victors but only by 0.2% with Manchester City, who have the tournament's only perfect record so far, just behind them.

PSG will face Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the last 16, while Pep Guardiola's men will go up against Al-Hilal after both topping their groups.

Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Chelsea make up the rest of the top five, with the Premier League side having the most difficult route to the quarter-finals as they face Benfica in the next round.

Should both Chelsea and Manchester City keep winning, they will face each other in the semi-finals at 20:00 BST on Tuesday, 8 July.

Real Madrid are in sixth with just a 9.7% chance of securing the trophy.

Take a look below to see the full break down of every team's chances...

Image source, Opta