Chelsea

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  1. Chelsea near Anselmino signingpublished at 16:33 30 June

    Nizaar Kinsella
    BBC Sport football news reporter

    Aaron Anselmino in action for Boca JuniorsImage source, Getty Images

    Chelsea remain in advanced talks to sign Boca Juniors defender Aaron Anselmino.

    The deal for the 19-year-old centre-back is largely believed to be either close or done depending on who you speak to on the Argentine side, but there has yet to be confirmation from the Blues.

    It feels like the focus at Stamford Bridge is resolving the opportunities for incomings and outgoings on the Premier League's profit and sustainability Sunday, which is a key date for clubs to balance the books - like a mini-transfer deadline day.

  2. Unofficial transfer deadline looms for clubs to comply with PSRpublished at 12:34 30 June

    Nick Mashiter
    BBC Sport Football News Reporter

    General view of Premier League ballImage source, Getty Images

    Premier League clubs have been preparing for what has been described as the 'unofficial transfer deadline day' on Sunday.

    To avoid charges and possible points deductions clubs must be compliant with profit and sustainability rules (PSR) - and 30 June is a key date.

    Officially the summer transfer window does not close until Friday, 30 August but, as Nottingham Forest discovered to their cost last season, some Premier League clubs need to get business done now.

    What deals are already done?

    Villa and Everton have done business with each other, Lewis Dobbin moving to Villa Park and Tim Iroegbunam joining the Toffees, each for reported fees of about £9m.

    Villa have also sold Omari Kellyman to Chelsea for £19m two years after signing him from Derby for £600,000. The midfielder made six appearances for Villa.

    Ian Maatsen, meanwhile, Chelsea’s defender who spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund, has moved to Villa for £35m.

    Who else could move?

    Douglas Luiz's players-plus-cash transfer from Villa to Juventus is expected to go through soon.

    Villa had medicals booked in for Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea this week, while Luiz's was scheduled for Las Vegas on Thursday as he is away with Brazil for the Copa America.

    Leicester - who are already facing one charge for an alleged PSR breach - were put under a transfer embargo by the EFL in March but that ended once they became a Premier League club, following the top flight’s AGM earlier this month.

    Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall represents their best sellable asset, given he came through the club’s academy and will generate pure profit.

    Chelsea have had a bid rejected but talks are ongoing, and Brighton also have an interest.

    Everton also rejected a £35m bid from Manchester United for defender Jarrad Branthwaite earlier this month.

    Villa reportedly turned down £20m plus Giovani lo Celso from Tottenham for Jacob Ramsey, while Southampton and West Ham are discussing a move which would see Saints defender Kyle Walker-Peters move to the Hammers and midfielder Flynn Downes head in the other direction.

    Read more from Nick on the unofficial transfer deadline day

  3. Chelsea offer for Dewsbury-Hall turned downpublished at 13:53 28 June

    Nizaar Kinsella
    BBC Sport football news reporter

    Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in action for LeicesterImage source, Getty Images

    Chelsea have made an offer for Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall but it has fallen short of the Foxes' valuation.

    Talks remain ongoing between the two parties, with an openness at Stamford Bridge to include various players in a potential swap or send them on loan to King Power Stadium.

    Strikers Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana are reportedly being discussed as options, but the players are reluctant to be involved in such a deal, while midfielder Cesare Casadei, who spent part of last season on loan at Leicester, could also be offered.

    Dewsbury-Hall has turned down the chance to move to Brighton but remains open to either moving to Chelsea or staying at his boyhood club Leicester.

  4. Which Premier League teams have the most players still at Euro 2024?published at 13:29 28 June

    A general view of the UEFA Euro 2024 footballImage source, Getty Images

    Managers will always outwardly support their players on the international stage, but you can be sure one or two will privately be hoping for an early exit from Euro 2024 for a few of their star men.

    International tournament summers disrupt pre-season for managers.

    Various players from different nations return to their clubs at different times, sometimes with injuries, holidays get postponed and rescheduled. As a general rule, the best players are more likely to play for the best nations and therefore go further in international tournaments.

    The Euro 2024 final will take place on 14 July. Over half of Premier League clubs already have a pre-season fixture scheduled within 10 days of that.

    Of English clubs, unsurprisingly, Premier League champions Manchester City have comfortably the most players in the Euro 2024 knockouts. The best represented Premier League side at the start of the competition have a full line-up of 11 stars still in Germany.

    They are followed by the rest of last season's top three - Arsenal and Liverpool - who have eight and seven respectively. Manchester United also have seven while Brentford - aided by their healthy Danish contingent - have six and Crystal Palace five.

    Championship play-off winners Southampton's three representatives were all eliminated at the group stage, while fellow newly promoted side Ipswich have not seen their summer impacted at all by players at Euro 2024.

    Of the Championship-winning Leicester squad, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and defenders Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard remain in Germany - as does Turkey's Yunus Akgun, who spent last season on loan with the Foxes.

    This data was provided by Opta and counts the clubs where players finished at the end of the 2023-24 season.

  5. McNulty Q&A: Is it time for Mainoo, Palmer and Gordon to start?published at 12:29 28 June

    Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer and Anthony GordonImage source, Getty Images
    Chief football writer Phil McNulty byline banner

    Before England's Euro 2024 last-16 tie against Slovakia on Sunday, the BBC's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering readers' questions on all things Three Lions.

    Mike asked: Do you see the previously benched players who made an impact in the last game (Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon) starting against Slovakia? Or do you feel their positive impact was as a result of the time they came on?

    Phil answered: I can see at least two [of Mainoo, Palmer and Gordon], or possibly all three, starting against Slovakia. Mainoo gave the team some urgency against Slovenia, while Palmer looked confident and creative when he came on as a substitute in the second half. Gordon only a got a couple of minutes - but he has a chance because England look unbalanced on the left flank, which is his natural position.

    Read Phil's other responses and the rest of Friday's football news

  6. Dewsbury-Hall wanted by Chelsea and Brightonpublished at 09:23 28 June

    Nizaar Kinsella
    BBC Sport football news reporter

    Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in action for LeicesterImage source, Getty Images

    Chelsea have made a move to sign Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who Brighton are also interested in.

    Albion are keen to sign Dewsbury-Hall in a cash-plus-player swap deal involving Poland midfielder Jakub Moder.

    Moder is ready to switch but there are concerns that Chelsea's enquiry, made on Thursday, could cause Dewsbury-Hall to reject the move to the south coast.

    Chelsea believe they would be the preferred choice for the 25-year-old, particularly as they can offer the chance to link up with manager Enzo Maresca, who joined the Blues this summer after delivering Leicester's Championship title and promotion to the Premier League last season.

    The situation is complicated further by Dewsbury-Hall's general reluctance to leave his boyhood club, who he joined when he was eight.

    In an interview with BBC Sport this week, Dewsbury-Hall said: "I have been here since I was a kid. I love everything about the club. I grew up and managed to play in the first team. I am happy.

    "I have never said I am actively wanting to leave. That sort of stuff is not up to me. You never know with football - the season is about to start, so we will see."

    The Foxes, who hired Steve Cooper to succeed Maresca, are in a poor position under the Premier League profit and sustainability rules and it is thought they need to sell the academy graduate to satisfy the regulations.

    Brentford are also reportedly interested in Dewsbury-Hall.

    Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall stats graphic showing: Games 49, Goals 12, Assists 15, Goal involvements 27, Goal involvements per game 0.6
  7. Gossip: Blues may use Chalobah in deal for Murillopublished at 07:38 28 June

    Gossip graphic

    Chelsea want Nottingham Forest's 21-year-old Brazilian defender Murillo, who the City Ground side value at £70m, and could offer Trevoh Chalobah as part of any deal. (Guardian), external

    The Blues have contacted Leicester City about signing 25-year-old English midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who is understood to only want to move to Stamford Bridge if he leaves the Foxes. (Athletic - subscription required), external

    Romelu Lukaku is ready to open talks with AC Milan and Napoli over a transfer, but the striker will cost £25m. (La Gazetta dello Sport, via Football Italia), external

    Meanwhile, Chelsea have joined Tottenham in the race to sign English midfielder Archie Gray, 18, from Leeds United. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

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

  8. Ipswich begin talks to sign Chelsea's Hutchinsonpublished at 18:51 27 June

    Nizaar Kinsella
    BBC Sport football news reporter

    Omari Hutchinson in action for Ipswich TownImage source, PA Media

    Ipswich Town have opened talks to sign Chelsea winger Omari Hutchinson on a permanent deal.

    The 20-year-old is free to leave Stamford Bridge and is keen to return to Portman Road.

    Hutchinson got 10 goals and six assists in 44 appearances and built a good relationship with manager Kieran McKenna while achieving promotion from the Championship on loan at Ipswich.

    The former Arsenal academy player, who has made two appearances for Chelsea, was considered one of Ipswich's main targets upon achieving promotion to the Premier League.

    As first revealed by BBC Sport, Chelsea exercised an option in Hutchinson's deal to extend his contract until 2026 in May, helping to increase their leverage in securing a good fee.

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  9. Spend big or learn from the past? Your suggestions for Euros recruitmentpublished at 16:49 27 June

    Your views banner
    Riccardo Calafiori in action for ItalyImage source, Getty Images

    We asked for your views on which Euros player would be a good fit for Chelsea.

    Here are a few of your suggestions:

    Josh: I think the return of Guehi, or Bologna's Calafiori would be great options for Chelsea. Both already have lots of experience and are young and would strengthen our back line.

    Martin: Do not buy a player based on performances in a summer tournament. We did it with Enzo. Don't do it again. Would you buy Foden, or Bellingham, or Saka based on their performances? Exactly. What happens in a tournament bears no relation to how they'd perform in the Premier League.

    Ian: Joao Cancelo is the ideal fit in the Chelsea defence for me. He has lots of experience and is an ex-Man City player who would fit in nicely with Maresca's style of play.

    Bob: We turned down an opportunity to sign Olise, but there's a much better winger available in Nico Williams. He'd be a perfect fit.

    Colin: We are in need of a centre-back and if I were buying for Chelsea I'd go for Dayot Upamecano.

    Nick: Who should Chelsea buy after the Euros? Nobody. International tournament football is different from club football. You can't judge a player's quality, and how well they may do in the Premier League, on a few good games at the Euros. Example? Chelsea buying Enzo for over £100m because he impressed when Argentina won the World Cup. Turned out to be decidedly average.

  10. Williams heads on loan to Burtonpublished at 09:03 27 June

    Nizaar Kinsella
    BBC Sport football news reporter

    Dylan WilliamsImage source, Getty Images

    Chelsea defender Dylan Williams has agreed to join League One Burton Albion on a season-long loan deal.

    The 20-year-old has already completed his medical and, once the transfer goes through, will effectively leave Chelsea permanently as there is an obligation-to-buy clause included.

    Williams joined Chelsea after making nine appearances at Derby County in the Championship but did not play for the first team at Stamford Bridge despite being named on the bench on multiple occasions.

    The move will see him link up with former Chelsea Under-21s manager Mark Robinson amid major changes under Burton's new owners, Nordic Football Group.

    Robinson has also signed midfielder Charlie Webster from the Blues.

  11. 'So many imbalances about the team' - Rooneypublished at 08:00 27 June

    Phil Foden and Kieran Trippier look on for EnglandImage source, Getty Images

    Former England captain Wayne Rooney feels there are "so many imbalances" in the Three Lions team, with the left side being an "issue".

    Given Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw is still not fit, Newcastle United's Kieran Trippier has been deputising on that side of defence.

    Without a naturally left-footed player in that position and Manchester City's Phil Foden being played on that side of midfield, England have struggled to generate width or create chances from the left.

    Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, ex-striker Rooney said: "At the minute, it's Tripper or [Joe] Gomez, for me, who should play there. I was very surprised and really shocked that Ben Chilwell didn't get picked - just for the balance of having a left-footed player there.

    "He plays at Chelsea and has played well for England in the past. He's a good left-back - he's been in tournaments as well - so I was really surprised he wasn't selected."

    Gomez, who has yet to feature this tournament, regularly covered for Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson when he was injured last season.

    "So do you play Tripper or Gomez there? Do you bring Kyle Walker across?" Rooney continued. "Over the past few years, Kyle has been the best right-back in the world. Do you take that away from him and put him at left-back? There's so many imbalances about the team.

    "Should Foden play on the left, on the right, or as a 10? There are so many questions."

    Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

  12. Which Euros star should Chelsea sign?published at 16:37 26 June

    Have your say banner

    As the Euros group stage comes to a close, how's your scouting report gone?

    Who has caught your eye as a perfect signing for Chelsea?

    And how would they fit into Enzo Maresca's starting XI?

    Give us your suggestions here, external

  13. Palmer and Gordon add a spark - Shearerpublished at 11:47 26 June

    Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon of England look on as they sit on the substitutes bench during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Denmark and England at Frankfurt ArenaImage source, Getty Images
    BBC Sport columnist Alan Shearer byline banner

    It is difficult to judge players properly when they come on late in a game, but Cole Palmer did well against Slovenia, and England looked more of a threat.

    It was the same with Anthony Gordon, who had a couple of runs down the left. With him on the pitch, we probably looked more dangerous down that flank in the final five minutes as we did in the rest of the three games combined.

    The move right at the end that started with Jude Bellingham and Gordon on the left and ended with Palmer's shot being saved was probably the best thing England did all night.

    It was the only time at these Euros that I saw us move the ball from left to right with pace, and it caused the opposition problems.

    We need to see much more of that. Palmer and Gordon could be the key to providing the spark and energy we have been badly missing.

    That is what gives me the most hope because there has not been very much else to get excited about.

    Palmer and Gordon have given Gareth Southgate something massive to think about - and he has got some huge decisions to make.

    One tiny positive from our tournament is the side of the draw we are now on - avoiding Spain, France, Portugal and Germany has done us a huge favour - but I'm not sure we can go into any game right now feeling confident about winning.

    Normally I would say that our tournament starts here, but I do not really know what to expect in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday, whoever we end up facing.

    Read more from Shearer here

  14. 'Palmer has to start' - pundit reaction to cameo rolepublished at 10:53 26 June

    Cole Palmer and Gareth SouthgateImage source, Getty Images

    England manager Gareth Southgate felt Cole Palmer showed "calm" and "composure" against Slovenia as calls grown for him to start in the next match.

    The Chelsea midfielder was handed his first major tournament minutes for the Three Lions when he came off the bench in the final group game.

    Palmer scored the most Premier League goals of any England player last season and made an impact with his direct play and had the side's best opportunity of the second half late on.

    "He [Palmer] did look sharp. That is what we have seen in the last few days in training," Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live.

    "We have got good players in the squad and I don't think we should hesitate to use them. He showed real composure, he has a real calm manner about him and I think that showed in the way he and Kobbie [Mainoo] came into the game as two very young players."

    Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart agreed, saying: "It was exciting to see the guys come on. Anthony Gordon didn't get much time, but Cole Palmer looked really cool – what a lovely player.

    "He really makes things happen without looking like he's making any effort - he is exceptional to watch."

    The 22-year-old, who came on for Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, had a 100% pass accuracy during his time on the pitch.

    Ex-England striker Chris Sutton said: "One thing we have learned from this match is Cole Palmer has to start."

    Former Everton defender Izzy Christensen was more cautious however, adding: "The cry will be Palmer has to start. But I think the thinking is much deeper than when he has had an impact for 20 minutes.

    "The thinking is - what does the next opponent look like? Who have we got? How do they play? And that is Gareth Southgate's and his technical coaching staff's job to pick the right XI with the best tools to unlock that team."

    Listen to the full Football Daily on BBC Sounds