Chelsea

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Albania striker Armando Broja has completed a move to Burnley from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old has eight goals in 76 Premier League appearances across spells at Southampton, Everton, Fulham and Chelsea.

"I am really excited to be here as a Burnley player," Broja said. "I'm feeling good, I'm ready and I'm excited about the challenge of playing for this club.

"I can already feel the support from the fans – I can tell you all that I will be giving my all every time I pull on the famous Claret shirt."

"It's a really positive time to be joining this club ahead of the start of the new Premier League season. I can't wait to get going!

The forward is Burnley's ninth signing since returning to the Premier League.

You have been sharing your stories and photos about why you love Chelsea.

Here is a final selection of your submissions, but do make sure you scroll down this page to see all the best responses from throughout the week:

Brian: It was my friend Nick's eighth birthday and his parents bought him a Wolves kit. Magnificent all orange. He then declared his love for Wolves.

Not to be outdone, I went home to ask my dad who they were playing that Saturday. Yes, you guessed it. The Blues. Not being local to the club my dad could only take me to away games - Leeds, Huddersfield, etc.

In later life, I moved for career to Hampshire. This gave me ample opportunity to see the club and both Nick and myself have kept true to our teams.

We still chat today.

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We asked you how you feel about Levil Colwill being ruled out for the majority of the season with a serious knee injury and who Enzo Maresca turns to in his absence.

Here are some of your comments:

Tosh: Hopefully he can get back sooner rather than later. Wesley Fofana should be chomping to get on.

Stu: Losing Colwill is a massive blow. I wasn't convinced by him early last season but he grew as a leader and in confidence as the season wore on and was a big factor in our late season success. As much as I think Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo can do a job, Benoit Badiashile isn't good enough and Fofana is coming back from another long-term injury. We need to bring in a top centre-back - so Marc Guehi for me, please.

Dennis: Colwill was the pivot in defence during the Club World Cup. His presence was vital. It is a really big blow. At the moment, I can't see any of the current squad filling his boots.

Conor: Devastated for Colwill, who was finally showing he can be a great defender. However, this is not a reason for us to panic buy. We still have Fofana, Chalobah, Tosin, Badiashile, Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato to cover.

Ash: This is a massive blow, but there is a simple solution: Halt any interest in Alejandro Garnacho (we have enough quality and depth in our attacking areas) and go all in on Marc Guehi so that he can partner with Hato/Fofana/Chalobah. We'd then have a quality defence and depth to match our attack. Without Guehi - or a quality equivalent - I can see us letting in goals and struggling.

Tom: I think it is a good chance for our new signing Jorrel Hato to step up.

Chris: It's hardly surprising considering the extension to the season that the Club World Cup brought. I hope it's not a sign of things to come for the new season as players are being over-worked.

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has had surgery on a serious knee injury and is expected to miss most of the season.

The 22-year-old sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during his first training session after the Club World Cup on Tuesday, and has since had a scan and operation.

ACL injuries typically rule players out for between six and nine months.

How do you feel about the news and what does this mean for the Blues?

Get in touch with your views here

Bayern Munich have enquired about 24-year-old Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson, who Chelsea value at £48m, and is also a target for Newcastle United. (Sky Sports Germany), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea striker Armando Broja is expected to complete his transfer to Burnley in the next 24 hours.

The 23-year-old has taken a few days to weigh up the move and negotiate the terms of his contract after a club-to-club agreement thought to be worth up to £20m was made over the weekend.

Broja is excited about a first permanent move away from Stamford Bridge and keen to play regular first-team football.

It will be Burnley’s third signing from Chelsea this summer. Midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu joined this week and a loan move for Bashir Humphreys was made permanent for a combined £55m.

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos about why you fell in love with Chelsea.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Mick: I am a Chelsea supporter because of Terry Venables. As a nine-year-old, in March 1965, I was watching highlights of the FA Cup tie against Peterborough United in black and white. From a corner, and with his back to the goal, he crashed an overhead kick into the roof of the net. I turned to my dad and asked him who the player was and the name of the team. From that day I was hooked. Thank you, Terry. RIP.

Send us your pictures and stories here

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Manchester United want £50million for winger Alejandro Garnacho, who is attracting interest from Chelsea.

Garnacho is set to leave Old Trafford this summer and United have now set their asking price for the Argentina international.

Having already signed Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha this summer, United look set to complete a move for striker Benjamin Sesko from Red Bull Leipzig.

Given Garnacho is likely to find his game time limited at Old Trafford next season, he could leave this summer.

Chelsea registered their interest in Garnacho earlier this summer.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There are times as a reporter when being in the room is really important to check the tone of what a manager says.

Hearing Enzo Maresca talk about an injury to star defender Levi Colwill, you could tell there was an air of concern about the situation.

He said: "It was in the first session on Monday, just in the last minutes of the session. He felt something and, as I said, we need to wait and then we see.

"We don't know how long he is going to be out.

"I spoke with him yesterday and I told him that if we achieve what we achieved last year, it is also because of him - and he was a main player for us."

Maresca also hinted that if scans reveal a serious injury then they may need to go back into the transfer market for another option.

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Chelsea and England attacker Cole Palmer has been named as one of 30 Ballon d'Or nominees.

Palmer made 52 Chelsea appearances across all competitions last season, scoring 18 and assisting a further 14.

The winner of the Ballon d'Or, along with the other prizes, will be announced on Monday, 22 September 2025 during a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in central Paris.

Palmer's new team-mates Estevao Willian was nominated for the 2025 Kopa Trophy, presented to the best under-21 men's footballer. The Brazilian has joined up with the Chelsea squad this summer after a deal was agreed to sign from Palmeiras last year.

Chelsea were one of two English clubs nominated for men's club of the year, alongside Premier League champions Liverpool.

Finally, Enzo Maresca was also nominated for the 2025 Men's Team Coach of the Year Trophy.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There are many sides and characteristics to the Chelsea fanbase.

However, getting to know these people over 10 years covering the club, it would be fair to describe two uniting characteristics: relentless and demanding.

They sell out nearly every week for both men's and women's matches, and supporters turn out even at academy level.

Chelsea supporters are also very influential at the club. The fans uniquely own the pitch at Stamford Bridge - through the organisation Chelsea Pitch Owners - giving them some leverage when criticising the club, arguing for cheaper ticket prices and, most directly, an ability to control what happens with the stadium itself.

There is pride that protests at the stadium a few years ago led to the so-called big six making a U-turn on joining the Super League.

While the fanbase is among ones to put the most pressure on certain players or managers, that is out of a demand to win matches and trophies. It must be said, the atmosphere isn't always great at Stamford Bridge, which again is influenced by expectation and simply being a big club.

That is not to say there is any disloyalty. Blues fans travel in great numbers, with some supporters showing up even to follow the team in Kazakhstan during last season's Conference League campaign.

It will be louder next season as fans are increasingly convinced by Enzo Maresca and, to an extent, this project under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's ownership. They will also be back in the Champions League - and that's where the fanbase has always been at its best.

Some of the supporters I could highlight include Cathy, who has not missed an away match for 47 years, Terry Komatsu, who relocated from Japan to London purely to be close to the club, and Basil Goode, described as a Chelsea Women superfan on the club's own website and one you can hear chanting loudly at Kingsmeadow matches.

It is these people that make a matchday and enrich my role covering the club on a daily basis.

Send us your pictures and stories here

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before the upcoming friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan on Friday and Sunday respectively.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Defender Levi Colwill "felt something" in training on Monday and they do not know yet how long he is going to be out for.

• Wesley Fofana has returned to training. Maresca not expecting him to be fit enough for the two friendlies but he "should be available" for the first game of the season against Crystal Palace.

• Maresca said they "are going to try to share minutes" in pre-season because they have only just returned from three weeks off and have new players to integrate.

• On the new signings: "I feel very happy about them as they are the ones we were looking at. They need time because they have come from different countries and need time to adapt."

• He said he is "curious" to see how Chelsea's unprecedented summer schedule with the Club World Cup will impact the squad going into the new season. He added: "They have played over 64 games in a season, which has never happened before, so recovery has been the focus."

• On the rumours around Nicolas Jackson potentially leaving: "Nico's OK. When the transfer window is open, unfortunately or fortunately, anything can happen. This also involves Nico's situation. We also had two strikers arrive so we will see what happens."

• He said "the mood is much better" among the players after winning the Conference League and Club World Cup and "it will give the players more energy".

• On the 'bomb squad' and some of them moving on: "The situation is quite clear. They are training and they are waiting for a solution. I don't pay attention with the ones that are training and need to leave. I just focus on how to prepare the sessions. The news [of them leaving] comes from the club, not me."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Danielle Sarver Coombs

When it comes to our love for a football club, the answer to why we do lies in "both psychological and societal" reasons.

In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs spoke about the part that identity and tradition play.

And yet when we are caught up in the emotions of a tough defeat or nerves of an important match, we can often ask why we put ourselves through it.

"There are psychological processes at work and physiological ones in terms of how we respond and engage," Sarver Coombs said.

"An example that I always give is when I take the train to work, I go past Arsenal's stadium and I feel literally nothing other than: 'Oh, that's a big building'. Whereas on a train to Manchester, I went by Villa Park and my heart started pounding. I got all excited and was trying to take pictures out the window.

"I had a visceral reaction to this place. We can't pretend we don't have that sort of physical reaction because we do.

"When someone is talking about a controversial decision and I feel myself getting wound up, even though I intellectually know that I can't control it and that it's just a game, my body doesn't know that.

"My gut doesn't know that and so I have this really emotional response and we can't control that."

A 2023 book titled 'Football on the brain: why minds love sport, external' suggests it comes down to 'an understandable and logical consequence of the human mind's natural inclination to find meaning through beliefs... It's a religion as far as the brain is concerned'.

But it not just about what is going on inside the mind but outside influences too.

"There is a sociological element to it because the community part is such a huge driver and benefit for us," Sarver Coombs explains.

"Sociologically, we are driven to be part of communities. We are driven to find our groups that we can be members of. Sport provides a way to do that - this sense that I was chosen to be part of this community and it's something bigger than I am."

As the game expands, unrest among supporters seems to be increasing, but how does that impact this ingrained love for a club?

"You always go through these cycles when the game is changing," Sarver Coombs said.

"Despite all the changes, the traditions remain so strong and it's such a huge draw that it becomes really hard to actually separate yourself from it. Even if you do, it tends to be a short-term separation. You get sucked back in because something happens.

"People don't want that change, but then we adapt to it and continue moving forward."

Browse this page to see lots of fan stories for how you fell in love with your club.

And check out those from other Premier League teams over here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea captain Reece James praised Enzo Maresca's first-season impact as the Blues held an event at Stamford Bridge celebrating their recent success.

The men's team showed off their Club World Cup and Conference League trophies as the women's team also celebrated their domestic treble under Sonia Bompastor - as the two squads joined each other on stage on Wednesday.

When asked about Maresca delivering the two trophies, as well as qualification for the Champions League this coming season, James replied: "What he achieved for the club speaks for itself.

"When he arrived, we were in a difficult period of falling short and this season we have taken a big leap in the right direction.

"This is where Chelsea should be year in, year out. We have an amazing group who deserve to play in the best competitions."

James also said it was a "dream" for him to deliver trophies for his boyhood club, especially after his recent injury problems.

Maresca was also asked whether success was a surprise and he said: "It was something unexpected for most of us, but it is because of them [the players] this was possible and that we were able to finish very well.

"We feel very excited after two or three weeks off to recharge. We have some new players, so we are excited for the new season.

"We showed how strong we were last season, but in football it is never enough, and you have to do more. We have the same target this season: to improve the players and improve the team.

"The message, for me, is quite clear. The players need the fans, and it is important that they are always behind them."

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos for why you fell in love with Chelsea.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Nigel: My grandfather met me off the bus at Victoria for my first independent trip to London. We lined up in a courtyard just off the Fulham Road for seated tickets. Grandfather told me to wait in line while he went off to engage a policeman in conversation. Father said (later) this was typical of my grandfather. Ron Harris' brother, Allan, played at right back that day, so that would make it the 1965-66 season, when I was 13.

Roy: My great-great uncle George "Gatling Gun" Hilsdon joined Chelsea in 1906 (also played for England). The weather vane at the Bridge, which was lost then found again for our latter excellent period, was modelled on him. My family have been supporting ever since 1906 while my first home game, I seem to remember, was with my uncle in 1963 against Arsenal. I used to live near Wimbledon, an easy tube journey to the Bridge.

Send us your pictures and stories here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport Journalist

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Nicolas Jackson has been Chelsea's first-choice striker for the past two seasons but the recruitment of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap have left his future in doubt.

The 24-year-old would tick a lot of boxes for potential suitors, though he would not come cheap. Jackson's pace and work-rate make him a real threat on the counter-attack and he repeatedly stretches defences with runs in behind.

Last term, his average of 25.5 sprints per 90 minutes was the third-highest in the Premier League. He is also usually tidy in possession, completing 77.5% of his passes since 2023-24, despite often operating in congested areas.

Discipline and finishing are two areas with obvious scope for improvement, particularly given those dismissals against Newcastle and Flamengo at the end of last season. He has accumulated 17 yellow cards in the league, only three of which were for fouls against the opposition. The rest were for other infractions such as dissent, arguing and time-wasting.

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Another room for growth is his finishing. He has a solid scoring record of 24 goals from 65 Premier League appearances (59 of them starts) but he has underperformed his expected goals total by seven over the past two years, the second biggest negative difference by any player.

A key factor has been his record in what Opta define as 'big chances'. Jackson has just scored 18 of 61 such opportunities, a relatively low conversion rate compared to the league's top forwards.

The former Villarreal player has hit the woodwork nine times over the past two seasons, the joint-highest figure in the top flight. But whether he intends to fend off competition from Delap and Joao Pedro, or thrive at another top club, he will need a little more composure in front of goal.