Chelsea

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The winner of the newly expanded Club World Cup will secure up to $125m (£97m) in prize money, Fifa has announced.

The overall prize pot, shared between all 32 teams based on different factors, will be $1bn, with about half that figure divided between all participating clubs and $475m awarded on a performance-related basis.

As a result, Manchester City and Chelsea - the two Premier League sides in the competition because of their recent Champions League wins - could pocket the biggest prize money ever awarded in club football over a seven-game format.

In a statement, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said: "Fifa will neither retain any funding for this tournament, as all revenues will be distributed to club football, nor will it touch Fifa's reserves, which are set aside for global football development through the 211 Fifa Member Associations."

Despite Chelsea not being in fantastic form, it could still be an exciting end to the season for Blues fans.

Enzo Maresca's side are fourth in the Premier League and have the potential of silverware still to play for with Legia Warsaw awaiting in the quarter-finals of the Conference League.

But you know your club best, so tell us what's slipping under the radar? What's the one thing - good or bad - that nobody is talking about in relation to Chelsea?

Let us know here

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After our Chelsea fan writer suggested supporters will be hoping to see more from Levi Colwill in this final part of the season, we asked for your views on the defender and if he needs to step up more.

Here are some of your comments:

Stu: Levi Colwill has disappointed this season, however, it is down to Enzo Maresca and his coaching team to develop players and we have not seen any of that with any player this season. It will not have helped that Maresca has been changing his defensive line up regularly and playing players out of position too. For me, Maresca has to take a lot of the blame but Colwill also needs to step up.

PhilC: Personally, I think he has listened to all the hype from his time at Brighton and thinks he has made it. For a central defender, he is knocked off the ball far too easily and then wants to claim a foul every time. Not convinced about his positional sense or his distribution either. I think he has the potential to become a good, even great, defender but he must keep working on his game and get back to the basics of defending.

JJ: I totally agree with the fan writer, 100%. I don't know, it just used to feel so strange seeing him play left-back or right-back.

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Chelsea captain Reece James says the club will arrive in the United States for the newly expanded Fifa Club World Cup with the intention of winning the trophy.

Previously an annual tournament contested by the top seven teams, the Club World Cup will now feature 32 teams and occur once every four years.

Chelsea have qualified by virtue of them winning the 2021 Champions League and have been drawn in a group with Flamengo, Esperance Sportive de Tunisie and Club Leon.

"Everyone at the club is excited," said James. "The best players want to play against the best. It should be an exciting tournament.

"It's great to interact with fans across the US and outside the UK. We do a little bit of it during pre-season, so it's great to be back and competing for an actual competition and trophy.

"It could be difficult because we're used to playing against teams in and around Europe. So, the style is going to be different - how they prepare, how they set up. It will be tough."

The Blues have won the Champions League, Europa League and Uefa Super Cup in the past six years and are favourites to win this season's Conference League to complete a clean sweep of every European trophy available.

"The goal for any competition is to win," James added. "We have an amazing squad, amazing team, amazing manager, and our goal is to win.

"Any trophy of this significance is a huge honour for the club and, obviously, the first time would go down in history."

Will Faulks
Fan writer

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Levi Colwill is a player Chelsea fans have been excited about for a very long time.

He shone in the academy, emerging as a perfect model of a modern centre-back: quick, elegant, comfortable on the ball, and left-footed.

His successful loans raised the excitement levels further. Even as a teenager in the Championship, he held his own physically and displayed great maturity.

Last season, he started to become a regular for Chelsea, but injuries and regular usage at left-back disrupted his progress a little. This was supposed to be his real breakout season, and under Enzo Maresca he has been consistently first choice and played every minute when available.

However, despite finally getting into the rhythm of playing every week, his form has been somewhat disappointing.

It has not helped that he has not had a regular partner at the back, and he does not have a reliable goalkeeper behind him. But even beyond those valid excuses, his performances have not reached the levels hoped for by most Chelsea fans.

All of that potential and class that scouts, coaches and supporters fell in love with is still there - it just needs to be seen more consistently.

With Wesley Fofana back and fit to play alongside him for the run-in, this is an important period.

Finish the season strongly and Colwill can continue to consider himself one of the first-team fixtures for 2025-26 and beyond. If there are more patchy performances, however, doubts about the projections of his ceiling as a world-class defender will only continue to grow.

Do you agree with Will? Do Chelsea need more from Colwill? Or is there another player who needs to step up in the closing stages of the season? Let us know here

Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Thomas Tuchel is a huge admirer of Reece James, who was a key element of his Chelsea side that won the Champions League in 2021.

And the German confirmed this by bringing the 25-year-old defender straight into his first England squad as soon as he was confident of his return to fitness following the latest in a succession of serious hamstring injuries.

James also wasted no time in proving his quality, albeit against low-calibre opposition, with a display of physical power and quality that will stake a serious claim for England's right-back slot.

He is the identikit player and personality Tuchel wants to build his England around, with the physicality that makes him comfortable at the elite levels, but also the technical ability.

James demonstrated what he can offer with an early challenge that left a Latvian dazed then, more significantly, with the perfectly delivered free-kick that finally broke the deadlock just as England were starting to show their frustrations.

If James can stay fit, Tuchel is likely to make him a central figure in his bid to win the World Cup next year.

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Former England goalkeeper Rob Green, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live:

"I love Reece James. He's a brilliant footballer. There are question marks over both right-backs.

"Where will Walker be in a year's time? What stage in his career, what shape are we looking at going into the World Cup?

"Nobody doubts James' quality, mentality, intelligence. He's a fit guy and his body lets him down now and again.

"If you could take Walker's fitness and put it into James' body you've got someone who can be there at end of the World Cup and who can match anyone in the world."

Tuesday's back pages are emblazoned with pictures of Reece James after the Chelsea captain scored his first international goal on his first start for England since September 2022.

The 25-year-old curled a stunning first-half free-kick into the top corner to break the deadlock in Monday's 3-0 World Cup qualifier win over Latvia, and played the full 90 minutes.

"It's been a long time. I've had a frustrating two and a half years and I was so happy to get called up for my country again," James told ITV Sport.

"I saw the wall and I felt I could bend it around, and thankfully I managed to hit the back of the net."

James won the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea in 2021 and says the new England boss has been direct about what he expects from his squad during the qualification process and beyond.

"His ideas are clear, his goals and his targets," he added.

"He set them out from the minute he came in, and we have one objective. It starts with this international and we have to keep on building right up to the World Cup."

Tuchel was also full of praise for James: "I know Reece and I know the quality the boy has.

"He is amazing. He has every right to be proud and happy and satisfied with his performance."

Did you know?

• James became the first player to score a direct free-kick for England at Wembley since John Barnes in April 1993.

How England's players rated

The future of Andrey Santos at Chelsea is uncertain, but the midfielder hopes to reunite with fellow Brazilian Estevao Willian - who arrives from Palmeiras in July - at Stamford Bridge after his loan spell with Strasbourg. (Evening Standard, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has said he and majority ownership group Clearlake Capital could "go different ways" if they cannot agree on plans to either develop Stamford Bridge or relocate to a new stadium.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, the US billionaire said: "We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out.

"That's where we either align or ultimately decide to go our different ways."

However, Boehly also said in the interview at the Milken Institute Global Investors' Symposium that the "status quo is just fine".

A rift between Boehly's camp and Clearlake Capital, which owns 61.5% of Chelsea, became public in September 2024.

Clearlake founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano have been claiming power which once belonged to Boehly behind the scenes.

They have increasingly guided the stadium project, with previously appointed architect Janet Marie Smith, who worked with Boehly on the Dodgers Stadium, being replaced by the firm Populous.

It is unclear exactly what part of the stadium plan could cause a divide, and Chelsea continue to explore all options under the leadership of the club's president, Jason Gannon.

There is an acceptance from all parties that any plans to build what they hope will be the best stadium in the UK is incredibly difficult. The rising costs of building a stadium, the intricacies of working in an expensive part of west London and fan pressure make this situation a uniquely difficult one.

In the Bloomberg TV interview, Boehly added: "Obviously, inside of London, it's really complex. It's not as if we're building something in the middle of a rural environment.

"We have a lot of constituencies to make sure that we care about. Certainly the Chelsea fanbase is one."

Neither Boehly nor Clearlake have yet responded to requests for a comment.

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We asked for your views on Jadon Sancho's future after it emerged Chelsea can pay a £5m fee to Manchester United to avoid making his loan move permanent in the summer.

Here are some of your comments:

Alison: We should keep him. Mykhailo Mudryk's immediate future is still unsure, Sancho's form was great when he arrived and only dropped off when the team's did. He'll come good. He's a Chelsea fan, needs an arm round his shoulder and someone to believe in him.

Colin: I would pay the £5 million and send him back. He is not very consistent and when he gets his crosses over he doesn't seem to look where his team-mates are. One good game in 10 isn't good enough.

Stuart: I appreciate paying to not sign someone sounds bizarre, but Sancho has not been good enough often enough to warrant signing permanently. Better to send him back to United rather than lumber ourselves with an inconsistent performer on a long-term contract.

John: At the moment it's hard to tell if its the players or Maresca's crushingly dull way of playing. Sancho started well but like the rest of our creative players now looks stifled into a style that doesn't suit them. Keep Sancho, sack Maresca.

Richard: Sancho has flattered to deceive. Never tries to beat his man. I think he has the ability but seems like he doesn't want to risk getting tackled. We should send him back.

Charles: Like most of the team, Sancho was excellent before Christmas, but he's faded of late. If he could get back to how he played away at Spurs and Palace he should stay.

Daniel: I love Jadon Sancho and was very excited when Chelsea brought him in but it's just not worked for him. I think for his sake he should go to Dortmund as something about that club seems to bring out his best! So yeah, pay the £5m penalty.

JJ: Buy him - he's played well in a few of the games that I've watched so no matter what the price tag is he's definitely deserved his place. He'll only improve if Maresca stays beyond this season.

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As revealed on Monday, Chelsea can reportedly opt not to turn Jadon Sancho's loan from Manchester United into a permanent deal - but it would require paying the Red Devils £5m.

It was announced at the time of signing that Sancho's season-long loan included an obligation to buy the 24-year-old for between £20-25m in the summer, but it has now emerged the Blues may not need to follow through on this if they pay a compensatory fee.

The England international has registered two goals and four assists in 23 Premier League games this season, but has no goal involvements in his past nine appearances.

So what would you do with Sancho?

Worth following through to sign him or should the club pay to avoid a permanent deal?

And if he does head back to Old Trafford, why has it not worked at Chelsea?

Let us know here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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The Chelsea Foundation's new chief executive Laura Cordingley revealed the club's new strategy around its charitable arm.

Cordingley was speaking at the launch of the new Blue Creator Fund exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, which saw five winning artists exhibiting at an event celebrating the 120th anniversary since the club's founding.

But the event also offered a chance to explore changes to the Chelsea Foundation after Roman Abramovich sold the club to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022.

Cordingley, who joined from cricket charity Chance to Shine in September, said the club want to be "more impactful and hyper focused on communities in the south west of London and Surrey, where we have a natural footprint."

She added: "We are identifying what are the greatest challenges for those communities.

"Hammersmith and Fulham has the highest suicide rate in in London. And in Kensington, Chelsea, you can take a bus from the south to the north and life expectancy actually decreases by 19 years, just in one borough."

Cordingley said the foundation will focus on "supporting communities to improve tolerance, inclusion and cohesion" and also on the futures of young people "around their employment and education".

She added the foundation receives a donation of £2m a year from the ownership.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

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"He is a once-in-a-generation kind of talent."

There are big expectations on 17-year-old Geovany Quenda.

Having burst on to the football scene over the past 12 months with Sporting and on the international youth stage, a move away from Portugal was always likely to be on the cards.

That move had expected to be a reunion with his former boss Ruben Amorim at Manchester United. However, the recruitment team at Stamford Bridge swooped in first.

But, excited Blues fans will have to wait to see the teenage talent in a Chelsea kit with Quenda to stay with Sporting until the summer of 2026.

"He had a 100m euro release clause but Chelsea and Manchester United knew that with 50m, 55m, 60m euros that Sporting would agree to sell because he is a very young player. He has a lot of potential," Portuguese football journalist and pundit Mariana Fernandes told BBC Sport.

"With Sporting having almost another season and a half with the player, this did the trick for Chelsea to seize the opportunity.

"He has a good story, is very young and he exploded with this in-fashion coach in Amorim. He is going to a team that explores youth and young players and I think that is what Chelsea saw, a chance to seize an opportunity to sign a player who in two seasons' time would be double the price and much harder to sign."

Quenda recorded 20 goal contributions in 33 appearances for Sporting's under-23s last season and has 10 goals involvements in 44 games this campaign.

He is impressing with his pace, strength and technical ability already, but is he ready to step up to Premier League level?

"He is a generational talent," Fernandes says.

"Here in Portugal, there is a common theme with Sporting fans, Benfica fans, Porto fans, all the football fans, that we are not going to get a lot of Geovany Quendas every year. He is a once-in-a-generation kind of talent.

"I think the mentality of Quenda is already there. He is already a principal main team player even though he is only 17 years old.

"He will need to adapt to playing in a bigger league, a bigger club, with bigger challenges and bigger opponents - but the quality is there, the mentality is there, he just needs to put in the work. I think he is ready."

With the Premier League top two fairly set in stone and the relegation places all but decided, we asked former England midfielder Fara Williams to pick her final table from third down to 10th.

Nottingham Forest will hang on to third based on what they have built this season in terms of being defensively hard to break down and playing in transitions very well. They are finding ways to win games by playing to their strengths.

I do not think Chelsea are good enough to secure fourth. I have put Manchester City there because they have enough firepower and always seem to finish Premier League seasons really well. They have not been in good form but they have that know-how and still a bit of a fear factor against some of the teams they play.

I have Chelsea in fifth because if Cole Palmer can refind his form they will have a good run of games. Newcastle in sixth - where they currently sit - as I think they will continue on the same trajectory with their run of fixtures.

The rest is really difficult. I have put Bournemouth seventh as their pressing and high-intensity play will see them pick up form again and rise a few places.

I have Aston Villa eighth as their focus will be on the Champions League, then Brighton ninth and Fulham 10th as I do not think their form will improve significantly. They are still impressive finishes.

Having said this, it has never been so close in this area of the table from what I can remember. These teams are likely to finish within one win of each other so much can change on one result.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are all preparing summer moves for Ajax and Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato, 19, but will face competition from Real Madrid. (Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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In part two of our special Q&A with BBC Sport football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella, he looks at the job Enzo Maresca is doing, potential stadium redevelopment and possible transfers at both ends of the pitch.

Daniel asked: Chelsea's form earlier this season was good, but everything at the moment seems very risk averse, with low xG. I know Enzo Maresca relies heavily on getting his wingers in one-v-one situations, but do you know what he is actually trying to achieve, in an attacking sense?

Nizaar: Great question. The point about wingers is interesting because I don't think Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto or Christopher Nkunku are doing what Maresca's wingers did at Leicester City. Noni Madueke is looking a more important player than ever and there has been a lack of movement in behind since he and Nicolas Jackson got injured.

So I think he is having to reinvent his attacking system - and it has not worked while Madueke and Jackson have been injured. He can revert to his old way of attacking after the international break, but you have to question whether he can adapt to problems amid this bad run - especially when injuries have taken hold.

Of course, the display at Arsenal saw Chelsea register their worst expected goals under Maresca's tenure, but I expect an improvement as injured players return.

• Not a Blues fan? Find and follow your team here

Anthony asked: Did Maresca saying Chelsea are not in the title race affect the mentality of the players, in the sense that they lost the hunger to perform?

Nizaar: Maresca is nothing if not consistent in his news conference messaging. I must admit, I thought Chelsea were in the title race then.

At the time, the messaging from the players was similar, plus the ownership's aim has been qualifying for the Champions League rather than challenging for the Premier League title in the Italian's first season.

It may all be 'not very Chelsea', but I actually thought it was a strategy to take the pressure off a young group of players. I don't think those comments were a misstep, but that is not to say there is not work to do on building a winning mentality, which will have to be a whole club effort.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Here are some more of your Chelsea questions for BBC Sport football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella.

Michael asked: What is happening about the new stadium that was promised by the new owners?

Nizaar: It's fair to say the new stadium development has barely made any progress under this ownership. The reasons are:

• It is incredibly complicated and expensive;

• There is a sense Chelsea should wait and see what happens with a potential site at Earl's Court;

• There has been a change in leadership involved in the stadium.

Chelsea recently held an in-person consultation with a group of fans about the stadium where few updates could be offered.

All options are being considered. They have spoken to architect firms but must labour over the biggest decision of all: whether to stay at Stamford Bridge or move to a new location.

There is no perfect answer and Chelsea have been overtaken by Manchester United because of one simple fact: there is no place more difficult to build a stadium than in London, especially in a very expensive part of west London.

Chris asked: Does the manager have any plans to purchase a world-class striker and goalkeeper in the summer and stop looking at his midfield options?

Nizaar: I expect Chelsea will look at signing a striker, having been open to doing a deal in that position last summer. Of course, they negotiated for Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who is now on loan at Galatasaray, on deadline day.

As for a goalkeeper, so far the word is that Chelsea will not be signing one in the summer and will pick two of Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen and Djordje Petrovic to continue working with.

Also, do not forget Mike Penders is also highly rated. He is joining from Genk for £18m, but I suspect he will go on loan to build experience.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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BBC Sport football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella has been answering your questions. In this first of a two-part Q&A, he looks at the importance of Champions League football to the club's accounts and the Stamford Bridge recruitment policy.

David asked: How long can Chelsea afford not to be in the Champions League?

Nizaar: Well, the Club World Cup is a bit of a 'get out of jail free card' for Chelsea this summer. They are expected to make about £50m, although revenue distribution for the new summer competition is not yet fully established.

However, the big issue with Chelsea and not getting Champions League is how it impacts the search for a front-of-shirt sponsor. The Blues had a temporary deal with Infinite Athlete and opted against finding a partner despite negotiations with multiple potential sponsors. They are being cautious as they look for a long-term partner at a high rate, but they need Champions League football to improve their negotiating position.

In terms of PSR, Chelsea have clearly used the sales of academy players to fund their lavish spending - the sales of homegrown players count as pure profit on the club accounts - but they have fewer and fewer assets to keep using this strategy with Levi Colwill, Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah the last three such players of substantial value.

• Not a Chelsea fan? Find and follow your team's page here

Bryn asked: With the confirmed summer signings what are the club plans for further recruitments and what players are no longer in the club plans? If the club doesn't qualify for the Champions League will we be looking at another new manager for next season?

Nizaar: Chelsea have confirmed a lot of summer signings already. Do not forget that Estevao Willian, Kendry Paez, Mike Penders and Dario Essugo are all joining the club in the summer, with Geovany Quenda following in 2026.

Chalobah is likely to be sold in the summer and Mathis Amougou will probably join Strasbourg. I suspect Omari Kellyman and Aaron Anselmino will go out on loan. You have to wonder whether Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will be sold having been linked with moves away in January. There is also a "substantial" penalty clause in Jadon Sancho's loan deal from Manchester United, according to sources at both clubs. But the chance of it being activated is being played down at the moment.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Here are some more of your questions put to BBC Sport football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella.

Andy asked: What will happen to all the players currently on loan? When they come back to Chelsea in the summer, who is destined to leave permanently and who is likely to stay in the main squad?

Nizaar: There is a growing feeling that midfielder Andrey Santos will at least get a look in during the Club World Cup. The one-time Brazil international has been sensational at partner club Strasbourg in their surprise push to qualify for Europe. Beyond that, there are more players who will be pushed out for sale than brought into the fold.

I expect Chelsea to try to sell Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Raheem Sterling, Armando Broja and Alex Matos. Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has a chance of returning from Strasbourg but could also be sold at the right price as interest mounts. Renato Veiga's situation is similar to Petrovic's while on loan at Juventus.

There is also Joao Felix, who is unlikely to join AC Milan permanently but may struggle to find a buyer. He could be reintegrated on that basis.

Ahmed asked: I am pleased we have owners keen to invest in the squad. But what is the value in only buying youth, especially if cost saving is clearly not a driver?

Nizaar: Few fans would complain if their owners spent over £1.5bn in five transfer windows on new players, albeit with substantial player sales funding that business. Chelsea have produced world record transfer windows, in terms of spend and number of transactions as the club is transformed.

What is the value? Well, Chelsea believe young players signed on low wages are a low risk. They are likely to increase in value, even if they don't play a lot - or you can find ones like Cole Palmer, who explode and become superstars.

In essence, that is the strategy. It is designed to avoid failed deals like Kepa and Romelu Lukaku - though, of course, there are plenty of potential weaknesses in it too.

Come back to this page later on Thursday for part two, which looks at the job Enzo Maresca is doing, potential stadium redevelopment and possible incomings at both ends of the pitch.

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We asked for your views on Chelsea signing Sporting midfielders Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo for a combined fee of around £62.4m.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Garry: Will either of them play in goal or as a striker then? I thought not. This is just more pointless stockpiling of young talent, with a view to cash in on potential demand further down the line. We are slowly becoming irrelevant as a club. I can't even be bothered to get annoyed with it all anymore.

Ashlie: They will probably never make a first team appearance, spend the whole of their contracts out on loan and then be sold to another club where they will blossom.

• Not a Chelsea fan? Find your club page here

Tom: Why do we keep signing midfielders when we are crying out for a striker? Where are all of these midfielders going to play?

Clive: Off the back of rumours that we are going to be selling Enzo Fernandez, we have signed two more midfielders. That is OK, but where is the experienced and proven striker who is able to back up Nicolas Jackson and help his decision-making and scoring skills?

Naomi: What a waste on more midfielders that we don't need! Please just focus on getting a top striker.

Nicholas: It's building a portfolio of players not building a team. I've become numb to the players coming into the club.

Tristan: These latest deals have summed up the Boehly ownership era, showing a lack of direction. When you think we are done spending too much money on young players, Boehly comes up trumps and spends insane amounts on players. Our ownership and management are equally poor - dramatic change is needed now.