Real Betis are holding out for £35m as Chelsea step up their interest in highly rated Spanish winger Jesus Rodriguez, 19. (Mail), external
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Image source, Getty ImagesChelsea boss Enzo Maresca, speaking after the Blues' 3-0 win at Legia Warsaw: "We planned the game to try to have our best players for this game, and to give a chance to rest players and recover energy.
"It was a professional performance and a good result. We were much better in the second half, for different reasons. We need to learn to play different times of games.
"When they sit back, you have to be quicker on the ball. You have to shoot from outside the box because they are all inside the box. If you don't shoot, it's difficult. The first goal came from Reece shooting outside the box, and Ty [George] was there for the rebound.
"From television you can say lack of tempo, but it's not easy. You have to find solutions. It's a different game. You have to learn to play games against teams that sit back. For sure you can take more risks, or take more shots when you arrive at the edge."
On Tyrique George scoring his first senior goal for the club: "I am really happy for the Chelsea Academy, first of all. He is one of our boys from the Academy. I'm very happy for him.
"He was quite good first half. He took responsibility. Second half in the middle he was a bit better."
On the performance of Josh Acheampong: "The one I fell in love with tonight was Josh Acheampong.
"For me potentially he can be a fantastic player for this club and in football in general.
"Since we started, I am in love with him, but tonight he showed he can be a very good player for this club.
"A good player shows you they can play in different positions.
"He was full-back good, midfielder good, central defender good. It's not about playing in that position, or that position. If you are a good player, you can play in different positions.
"He can be good in different positions. The best thing about Josh also is he is open. He wants to learn. Full-back? Okay, no problem. What do I have to do? Perfect. Midfielder? What do I have to do? This is a player who wants to play in all positions, who wants to learn. Josh is doing that since we started."
Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, ReutersTyrique George has played in 10 European games for Chelsea this season
It was a night 19-year-old winger Tyrique George would always remember as he grabbed his first senior Chelsea goal as the Blues looked to have continued their routine progress through Europe's third-tier competition.
Enzo Maresca's side have been tipped to win the Conference League right from the start of their campaign and they cruised to a 3-0 away win over Polish side Legia Warsaw in the first leg of their quarter-final to ensure next week's second leg should be a mere formality.
After a poor first half, Chelsea only needed four minutes of the second to open the scoring with George reacting quickest to convert the rebound after Reece James' effort had been parried.
George, who has been with the club since he was eight, was understandably delighted and Chelsea legend Joe Cole, speaking on TNT Sports, said: "What a moment for the young man. It's beautiful to see when an academy player scores their first goal."
Two goals for Noni Madueke, the second coming shortly after Christopher Nkunku had seen his penalty saved, completed the convincing 3-0 victory to take Chelsea a step closer to getting their hands on a European trophy this season.
Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?
Have your say on Chelsea's performance
Come back to this page on Friday to find a selection of your replies
Image source, Getty ImagesChelsea and Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson had a difficult start to life in English football but he has impressed this season and, after an injury lay-off, has recently been described in the UK media as "indispensable" to Enzo Maresca's team.
So, as he returns to full fitness just in time for the Blues' crucial run-in to the end of the campaign, World Football's John Bennett, football journalist Rahman Osman and BBC Sport's football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella discuss Jackson's journey from The Gambia to the Premier League and whether he is now - along with Cole Palmer - most crucial to Chelsea?
Plus, will he be first choice next season or will the club bring in a new number nine to replace him?
Image source, Getty ImagesChelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall says he "thrived" on playing in the atmosphere created by Legia Warsaw fans on his previous visit to the stadium.
The 26-year-old is the only member of the squad to have previously experienced playing at Stadion Miejski Legii Warszawa when he visited with Leicester in the Europa League in 2021.
Supporters of the Polish club have built a reputation for creating a hostile atmosphere for visiting sides.
Despite suffering a narrow defeat with his former team at the stadium, Dewsbury-Hall is relishing being in the atmosphere again when the Blues take on Legia Warsaw in the their Conference League quarter-final first leg on Thursday.
"It is definitely an atmosphere you have to experience as a player because it gives you the added little motivation. The home fans will help the home side but I feel like we can use it to help us," he said.
"It was a little bit hostile [the atmosphere], but in a good way. There were a lot of passionate Polish fans and they really support their team. I'd not experienced it before but that's the amazing thing about playing in Europe, you get to experience different atmospheres.
"It's something I'm really thankful for and it definitely helped me when I made my progression to play in the Premier League. It helped me to get used to different environments and for when the fans are being loud and getting right behind their team. It gave me a good base to kick on, and it's nice that I can come back and experience it again.
'When I played here before, it was something I thrived on - even though we lost the game [with Leicester] - and I'm looking forward to experiencing it again."
Chelsea are willing to pay 120m euros (£102m) to sign 24-year-old Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, as their star summer signing. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Chelsea and Newcastle United are interested in 26-year-old Benfica and Greece forward Vangelis Pavlidis for 100m euros (£85m), but face competition from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. (Record - in Portuguese), external
The Blues are leading the race to sign 19-year-old Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham, ahead of Arsenal, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Tottenham. (Caught Offside), external
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Conference League quarter-final first leg against Legia Warsaw (kick-off 17:45 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Maresca confirmed that they have "good news" on striker Marc Guiu, stating he "looks good and quite better" and "can be back before the season finishes".
The Chelsea boss also said they will "support" Wesley Fofana after hamstring surgery ruled him out for the remainder of the season, but is hopeful they can get Romeo Lavia "back soon" as he "looks quite good".
On whether Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson will start on Thursday after being left out of the starting XI against Brentford: "Probably from outside, you receive in the wrong way the reason why Cole and Nico didn't play. It wasn't because we wanted them to play tomorrow. It was to start the game in one way and finish in another."
On whether the draw at Brentford was a setback: "Since day one, we have been top four. For part of the season, we have been second and now we have seven games to go, and we hope to finish where we are at the moment."
Maresca believes the "improvement is already there" in his side as that is what has taken them to the position they are currently in in the Premier League.
On the atmosphere they will face in Warsaw: "First of all, we try to show them some of the environment in this stadium so they can adapt and be ready. Always everywhere the environment in England is nice and tomorrow will be the same. We try to always give them the big picture, not only what they can do on the ball but off the ball."
He added: "We need to experience this kind of game, this kind of moment. After tomorrow, we will be a better team, we need this."
On if the atmosphere will impact his team selection with young players: "They are ready. Ty [George] is ready, Josh [Acheampong] is ready. The young players are ready. Josh played two Premier League games in a row. Ty exactly the same. They are ready to play from the start."
Adam Millington
BBC Sport journalist
Coaching on a matchday is a team affair for Thomas Frank. He has no qualms with stepping back to analyse the game and allowing the rest of his backroom team to deputise.
Frank constantly shifted back to the bench with his notepad in hand to speak to colleagues before stepping back to convey information to the players on the pitch.
He seemed to prefer the slightly higher vantage point from the bench. It also gave him the ability to intently watch replays of what was happening on the pitch, assess the game in real time and make any needed adjustments.
Enzo Maresca, however, was the polar opposite. He rarely retreated to the bench, instead spending the game pacing up and down - and often outside of - his dugout.
Maresca was regularly animated, shouting instructions towards his players and running backwards and forwards. Frank, meanwhile, was quiet and pensive in his technical area.
Napoli and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 26, favours a move to Juventus or a Premier League club once his loan spell at Galatasaray ends. Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are all interested in the forward, who is available for 65m euros (£55.7m). (ESPN, external)
Boss Enzo Maresca is planning for life without Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk, 24, and France forward Christopher Nkunku, 27, in his Chelsea squad next season. (Sun Club - subscription required, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesDefender Benoit Badiashile has said Chelsea are "ready to meet expectations" by winning the Conference League this season.
Chelsea will play in the first leg of their quarter-final against Legia Warsaw on Thursday.
"Chelsea is one of the best clubs in the world, so people expect you to win it and we're comfortable with that," Badiashile told the club website., external
"We've been aware of that since the start of the tournament and we're ready to meet those expectations.
"It's been going really well. We've won every game. The start of the competition has been flawless so far - despite the fact that we could have played some games slightly better. But ultimately, the win is what counts.
"We are really pleased with our performance so far, but it's not over yet. We still have a lot of games to go before we can win the trophy. We're going to give everything we've got to win it because it's an important objective for us.
"I'm going to give my all with the team to win this trophy, because we have what it takes."
Will Faulks
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesIt is now April - the end of the season is in sight - yet it still feels difficult to know where this Chelsea side are in terms of its development.
Are they a good team who have been unlucky with injuries since the turn of the year? Or are they a bad team who rode a wave of freshness and momentum when everyone was available in the autumn?
Even their stats are hard to interpret. On the one hand, they have conceded just two goals in their past seven games. On the other hand, they have only won one away game since December - and that was in the Conference League.
Their league position is just as inconclusive. They were fourth after Sunday's draw at Brentford, but are just two bad results away from being eighth.
This final run of games will hopefully produce some definitive answers.
While Wesley Fofana has now been ruled out for the season, the rest of Enzo Maresca's favoured XI are back fit and they have competitive games against strong teams still to come, in which they can prove they are as good as they looked earlier in the campaign.
By all accounts, Maresca's job is safe and the ownership are happy with the progress of their project throughout this season. However, it is the fans who are, largely, much less sure about the direction things are heading.
As ever in football, narrative and recency bias control a lot of the sentiment around a team, and going into the summer on an upward trajectory like they did last year will be vital for creating an optimistic mood at the club.
The Conference League and Club World Cup will also be hugely important in proving that there has been progress since August.
While other teams are starting to think about their holidays, to some extent the season is really just getting started for Chelsea.
Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external
Chelsea's sale of the club's women's team made the club compliant with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules, says BBC Sport football reporter Nizaar Kinsella.
The Premier League has yet to approve the sale of the women's team to the club's parent company BlueCo through their 'fair market value' rules.
The valuation attributed to the women's team is under scrutiny and could prove significant.
You can listen to Nizaar and the team on Monday Night Club debate the move below or listen to the full show here
Chelsea are no longer interested in signing Napoli and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 26, this summer, leaving Manchester United as his main suitor. (CaughtOffside), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
