Chelsea

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Following Wednesday's big news about Aston Villa agreeing a £35m- £40m fee for Chelsea defender Ian Maatsen, there have been discussions on personal terms.

The 22-year-old is open to the move given Villa's status and their qualification for this season's Champions League.

However, it is not a given that he will sign at Villa Park, given Maatsen last year turned down a move to Burnley.

He had been hoping for a move to Borussia Dortmund but they could not agree a fee below their £35m option to buy and have ultimately been priced out of the market.

It will be a tense few days for Villa as Maatsen decides his future while having a huge match on the horizon - Netherlands v France at Euro 2024.

If he agrees personal terms, he would then complete a medical after the tournament in Germany.

Chelsea are interested in both Atletico Madrid's Spanish striker Samu Omorodion and Aston Villa and Colombia forward Jhon Duran, but will only sign one of the 20-year-olds. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Liverpool are aiming to beat Chelsea and Manchester United to the signing of French winger Michael Olise, 22, from Crystal Palace. (Football Transfers), external

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

The fixtures for the new Premier League season are out and we asked you for your predictions on where Chelsea will be after 10 games.

Here is a selection of your comments:

Sono: Tough first game, the next seven we should be winning and if we can get three points out of the last two then we should be in the top four. But chopping and changing managers and buying players all the time means we are likely to be eighth.

Harvey: Top five is a safe bet. It will be a tough start, but the fixtures could have been worse for Enzo. You'd struggle to imagine a Guardiola apprentice to be mid/bottom half of the table 10 matches into a season with a squad of Chelsea's quality.

Alex: We have a very tricky first three games, with Manchester City, Wolves away and Crystal Palace, who finished the season in great form. Mid-table is most likely.

James: I'd be happy with seven wins and three draws. Whether that happens who knows? Changing managers again doesn't help, so let's see. I predict we will be top four after matchday 10. Here's hoping...

JB: We're going to be top of the league.

Laurence: I expect Chelsea to be about sixth after 10 games but no higher. They will have to get used to a new manager and way of playing and goals will probably still be hard to come by. They still need a goalscoring forward to complement Cole Palmer. They also need a much more disciplined defensive structure.

Chelsea are interested in signing RB Leipzig's 24-year-old Belgium striker Lois Openda. (Teamtalk), external

Forward Mykhailo Mudryk could leave Stamford Bridge as the Blues pursue Crystal Palace and France Under-21 winger Michael Olise, 22. (Football Insider), external

Chelsea are set to reject a bid from Atletico Madrid for midfielder Conor Gallagher. (Sun), external

Gallagher has told the club he will not be forced out this summer, amid interest from Atletico, Tottenham and Aston Villa. (HITC), external

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

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea duo Andrey Santos and Angelo Gabriel have been told to prepare for the the club's pre-season tour of the United States.

The Brazilians both spent last season on loan at Strasbourg, Chelsea's partner club in France.

Santos, 19, is believed to have a good chance of making the squad of new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who is keen to use the tour to look at loanees and youngsters.

The Italian has given feedback on each player, including those in the academy, but is not involved in the day-to-day transfer activity at Stamford Bridge.

Angelo, also 19, was signed from Santos last summer for £13m but faces an uncertain future after Chelsea were given permission to speak to Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea and champions Manchester City will open their Premier League campaigns with a meeting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, 18 August.

Chelsea are winless in their past six Premier League meetings with City (D2 L4) since a 2-1 away win in May 2021, but contributed to a thrilling 4-4 in this same fixture last season.

Since losing 1-0 in the Champions League final in May 2021, City are unbeaten in their past nine meetings with Chelsea in all competitions (W7 D2) - their joint-longest run without defeat against the Blues in their history (also nine between 1936 and 1949).

Enzo Maresca's first game in charge of the Blues will be the first time Chelsea have begun a top-flight campaign with a match against the reigning champions since 1971-72, when they lost 3-0 against Arsenal at Highbury.

City have won their opening Premier League match in 12 of the past 13 seasons, with the exception being a 1-0 loss at Tottenham in 2021-22.

Now the fixtures for the new Premier League season are out, it is time to start looking ahead to your club's 2024-25 campaign and all the key matches.

So, where do you think Chelsea will be after the first 10 games?

Let us know, external

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, PA Media

Enzo Maresca gets a fitting start to life as a manager at Chelsea as he welcomes his former club Manchester City.

The Italian, 44, built his reputation as Pep Guardiola's assistant and their connection, his past and his ability to compete with his former mentor will come into focus.

Chelsea are also gunning for City by building a multi-club model as they attempt to reach the summit of English football again under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership.

A big defeat could, however, put Maresca under early pressure as he then faces matches where he is expected to win against Wolves, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and West Ham.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea's Premier League fixtures for the 2024-25 season have arrived and if you haven't seen them yet you can find them here.

The Blues have early home games against champions Manchester City and Crystal Palace, and host local rivals Fulham on Boxing Day.

The reverse fixture at Craven Cottage is scheduled for 19 April.

Enzo Maresca's side end with games against Newcastle United, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.

Fixtures for the Premier League opening weekend have been released.

The 2024-25 season will begin at Old Trafford with Manchester United welcoming Fulham.

Ipswich Town's 22 years away from the top flight will come to an end with a visit from Arne Slot's Liverpool, while fellow newly promoted sides Southampton and Leicester will visit Newcastle and welcome Tottenham respectively.

Elsewhere, champions Manchester City will begin their quest for a fifth Premier League title in a row by travelling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in Enzo Maresca's first game in charge.

The games will take place between 16-19 August.

Chelsea will begin their 2024-25 Premier League campaign against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

The match will take place on Sunday 18 August at 16:30 BST.

You can find all of Chelsea's fixtures here

Atletico Madrid have made a move for 24-year-old Chelsea and England midfielder Conor Gallagher. (Relevo - in Spanish), external

Gallagher might reject a move to Aston Villa as he is not keen on joining the club. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Brazilian winger Estevao Willian has passed a medical with Chelsea, who agreed to sign the 17-year-old from Palmeiras last month. (Standard), external

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

Image source, Getty Images

The 2024-25 Premier League fixtures are being released on Tuesday at 09:00 BST - and you will see them on the BBC Sport website and app as soon as they are announced.

What should you look out for?

By chief football news reporter Simon Stone

Matches around European games

This will be even more keenly assessed than usual given the four clubs in the Champions League and two in the Europa League will have eight first-phase games rather than six. Long trips before or after European games do not go down well with managers.

Matches around internationals

There are international breaks in September, October, November and March. In Europe, the first three of those are for Nations League fixtures. World Cup qualifiers in Europe start in March 2025, though in South America and Asia they are being played in all four windows.

England managers tend not to be keen on blockbuster league matches immediately before a break and club bosses are equally unhappy at having to play key matches after them when so many players get back on Thursday or Friday.

Festive fixtures

To allow for a mid-August start, there will not be a winter break this season. The Premier League has assured clubs they will not be asked to play twice in less than 60 hours at any point over Christmas and New Year. That rules out any club playing on 26 December also having a game on 28 December. There will be no Christmas Eve fixture in the 2024-25 season.

As the FA Cup third round has been moved from its traditional home on the first weekend of January to the second, it does seem there will be four rounds of fixtures over the festive period - starting on 21 December and ending on 5 January.

New managers

Four Premier League clubs already have new managers - Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton), Enzo Maresca (Chelsea), Arne Slot (Liverpool) and Julen Lopetegui (West Ham) - with a fifth to come at Leicester. So that's a new era beginning at 25% of clubs before a ball has been kicked. Russell Martin will take charge of a top-flight game for the first time after Southampton's promotion.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves are set to sign teenage defender Pedro Lima from Brazilian second-tier club Sport Recife in an £8.5m deal.

The 17-year-old will not be confirmed as a Wolves player until his 18th birthday on 1 July, but an agreement on a five-year contract with an option for an extra year has been reached.

The West Midlands club are set to sign the young defender from under the noses of Chelsea's partner club Strasbourg, who had thought they tied up a deal last week.

A Sport Recife statement read: "Sport Club do Recife announces that it has signed a binding agreement to transfer the economic and federative rights of Pedro Lima to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"The agreement is subject to customary conditions, including the athlete's approval of medical examinations conducted by the English club.

"President Yuri Romao and the football management committee will detail the operation in a statement when all acts related to the business have been completed."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea winger Tyrique George has renewed his contract until 2027, with an option for a further year.

The 18-year-old is regarded as one of the top attacking talents in the club's academy and he has opted to stay at Stamford Bridge.

The England Under-18 international made the bench multiple times under former manager Mauricio Pochettino, but he is yet to make his senior debut.

George is expected to join the club's pre-season tour of the United States, with many senior players expected to have their summer disrupted by involvement in international football.

New manager Enzo Maresca is expected to give several academy players a chance to impress in the build-up to next season.

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham's Jarrod Bowen and Chelsea's Conor Gallagher are "growing into" their England roles, according to former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

The two midfielders were second-half substitutes in Sunday's 1-0 win over Serbia at Euro 2024, coming on at a time when Gareth Southgate's side were struggling to match Serbia, and both made instant impacts.

Gallagher added energy and intensity into the centre of the pitch, while Bowen created a chance for Harry Kane to score England's second goal, only for the captain to be denied by a superb save from Predrag Rajkovic.

"The game was screaming out for a change. Jarrod Bowen came on, it was a big moment for him coming on in a major tournament and straight away he created that chance for Harry Kane down the right-hand side," said Hart on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily.

"Conor Gallagher, I thought he was exceptional. He was everywhere, the energy he brought, the second balls and the fouls he won were so important in this victory.

"We just looked a little bit leggy and the distances between us and Serbia grew and we just lost control of the game. [Southgate] could have made the changes earlier, but when they came on they had a great impact."

Both players were included in the squad after playing integral roles for their clubs last season.

"Jarrod Bowen is just so direct, there is no thrills. He gets the ball, he wants to drive at defenders and hurt them and he did that straight away," added the ex-England number one.

"I think they [Gallagher and Bowen] know their places at the moment and it is a good place. They are growing into it. They will have aspirations of course, everyone has aspirations and wants to be on the pitch at the start of the game, but they know what their role is at the moment and they want to grab it, develop it and move with it and that is the strength of a really good squad."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Bayern Munich's pursuit of Levi Colwill has gone cold, with the German side considering any potential transfer fee for the defender to be too high. (Sky Sports Germany), external

Aston Villa are also in daily contact with the Blues over a move for full-back Ian Maatsen. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier has been "surprised" by the leadership of the young players in the England squad.

Euro 2024 will be the right-back's fourth major tournament with his national side, having been called up for the past two Wold Cups in 2018 and 2022, as well as the last European Championship in 2021.

At 33, he is one of the more experienced players in a young Three Lions squad that has travelled to Germany.

"I've been there for a long time now, so I came through the transition from when Harty [Joe Hart] was here, Gaz Cahill, the leaders of the group," Trippier told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"You don't have to be my age to be a leader. You can be 18, 19, 20, and lead in different ways. It doesn't have to just be the older players.

"But we understand that there's so many new faces here, so it's our responsibility - myself and the older players - to make all the younger players feel at ease."

Of Gareth Southgate's 26-man squad for the tournament, 12 players are at a major tournament for the first time, but Trippier has been impressed by the younger members.

"People forget how young Declan [Rice] is, for example. He's very vocal," he added.

"You have Bukayo [Saka], who is so young and still is very vocal. Even Cole [Palmer] - people might not see it, but all the young players, they're vocal and on the training pitch, which is really good to see.

"A lot of them have surprised me. I'm very happy for them and they have settled in very quickly."

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

This summer's prominent Premier League transfer saga appears set to centre around Crystal Palace's Michael Olise.

Alex Howell has reported Chelsea, Newcastle United and Bayern Munich have all contacted Palace to register their interest in the 22-year-old winger, who the Eagles will only part ways with for at least £60m.

Olise is a rarity in modern football - a true flair player with the end product to match. A player whose output matches their creativity.

As an attacking threat it is difficult to identify a weakness, with the inconsistency of his youth giving way to sustained high-level performances when fit last season.

His versatility allows him to seamlessly drift between operating as a number 10 or on the right-hand side.

Cutting inside from the right and whipping shots into the far corner has become a trademark, but his unpredictability means he can thread through balls and run at defenders whilst maintaining the threat of letting fly from distance.

His 10 goals and six assists in just 19 Premier League games reveal a player whose vision and playmaking ability match his ruthlessness in front of goal.

As a dribbler, few can match Olise's capacity to slow a defender down before breezing past them with his silky style. His exaggerated body movements and feints have embarrassed some illustrious opponents over the past few seasons - just ask Manchester United who he cut apart in May.

The former Reading man also possesses a wicked delivery, both from open play and dead-ball situations, and has scored two direct free-kicks for Palace, including a stunning last-minute equaliser against United in 2023.

The composure in his play is matched by a persona in interviews that can border on indifference. Flappable Olise is not.

With three excellent Premier League seasons under his belt, and an age profile that means he will only get better, it is easy to see why England and Europe's elite are chasing his signature.

Chelsea were third to contact Crystal Palace regarding 22-year-old French winger Michael Olise, approaching them on Thursday. (Mirror), external

Newcastle United and Bayern Munich were the first clubs to approach Palace as they also look to sign Olise. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Olise is believed to have a £60m release clause in his contract but Chelsea may not be able to activate it as it only applies to clubs who have qualified for the Champions League. (Times - subscription required), external

Chelsea's Noni Madueke is on Newcastle United's shortlist as they look to target a new right-winger in the transfer window. (i Sport), external

Aston Villa want £40m for striker Jhon Duran, with Chelsea in talks to sign the 20-year-old Colombia international, who has made just three Premier League appearances since joining in January 2023. (Times - subscription required), external

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