7am Chelsea news LIVE: Werner transfer could force Kante sale, Hudson-Odoi and Tomori OUT vs Villa, Havertz LATEST – The Sun
CHELSEA are ready to go ahead of their big game at Aston Villa on Sunday.
And they are putting exciting plans in place for next season with Timo Werner joining Hakim Ziyech as confirmed Blues players for 2020/21.
Follow all the latest transfer updates and gossip from West London below…
GOOD MORNING BLUES FANS
Frank Lampard has told Chelsea’s young hopefuls to get used to scrapping for their futures after splashing the cash on Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.
The Blues are also keen on Leicester’s Ben Chilwell while Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz remain big-money targets.
Lampard said: “I don’t feel the need to have to address every player if a player comes in who might challenge their position at a club like Chelsea, because that’s what it’s about.
“It’s been about that in its most successful years, in recent years in the Roman Abramovich era.
“I’m happy to have options and we have options in forward areas. And we must have competition for places. So I’m pleased with the idea of that.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s hopes of signing Borussia Dortmund's Roman Burki have been quashed after the keeper signed a new deal.
Lampard is in the market for a new No1 to replace out-of-favour Kepa Arrizabalaga.
SunSport exclusively revealed how Burki was a target for the Blues as they plotted a £15million raid on the 29-year-old Switzerland international.
Chelsea were hoping for a cut-price deal for the stopper with just a year left on his deal.
But they will have to look elsewhere with Dortmund confirming that their No1 has put pen-to-paper on a two-year contract extension.
Finally, Bayer Leverkusen may have to drop their valuation of Chelsea target Havertz by as much as £20m.
If the Bundesliga side fail to reach the Champions League they will lose out on significant income next season and need to raise funds elsewhere.
The Telegraph detail how Havertz's £90m price tag is outside of Chelsea's own valuation of the 21-year-old.
And a failure to reach Europe's top club competition could push Bayer towards the Premier League side's £70m estimation.
WILD THING
Chris Wilder confirmed Sheffield United are ready to take legal action if their ‘ghost goal’ costs them European football against the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal.
The Hawk-Eye cock-up against Aston Villa robbed his Blades of going fifth — a Champions League spot if Manchester City are banned.
Sports Lawyer Nick De Marco QC feels the club may have a case for compensation if they miss out.
And boss Wilder hinted they may take action ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Newcastle.
He said: “I’ve not had anything back off the board or CEO. There will obviously be a discussion above me about the situation.
“That’s only right and I think everybody would expect that.
“I suppose we will only know after our final game at Southampton.”
FREE AND EASY
Premier League clubs are in talks with BT Sport to show games for FREE to season-ticket holders for the rest of the 2019/20 campaign.
So, if you're a season-ticket holder at a club and one of their home games is on BT Sport, you could be able to watch it at no cost – even if you are not a subscriber.
A statement read: “BT Sport is working with Premier League Clubs to offer their season ticket holders free access to home Premier League matches, broadcast on BT Sport, for the remainder of the 2019/20 season.
“The BT Sport Match Pass is for eligible season ticket holders of participating clubs who do not already have BT Sport.
“We are speaking to all clubs to put in place the processes to make this happen.
“The Clubs will be communicating directly with their eligible season ticket holders.”
LEAGUE SCUPPERED
The League Cup is set to lose the top seven Premier League clubs next season as fixture congestion reaches “critical levels”.
The dates for two rounds of next term's Champions League and Europa League are likely to clash with the competition.
As reported by The Times, the League Cup faces the prospect of playing without seven of the top Premier League sides as the coronavirus crisis continues to wreak havoc on the football calendar.
The EFL is weighing up all its options and is yet to make a final decision – but it seems almost certain that the top clubs will be ruled out of the Cup in order to compete on the European stage.
GIFT OF GAB
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's desire to revamp his defence has suffered a blow after Gabriel Magalhaes reportedly agreed to join Napoli.
Chelsea were also tipped for a move yet the French outfit have agreed a deal to sell Gabriel, according to FootMercato.
A five-year contract worth £1.8m-a-season is said to have been agreed between the player and his new club, who will pay around £20m for his services.
NO KIDDING
Frank Lampard has told Chelsea’s young hopefuls to get used to scrapping for their futures.
Lampard said: “I’ve spoken to Tammy Abraham before about the idea of competition and I don’t feel the need to have to address every player if a player comes in who might challenge their position at a club like Chelsea, because that’s what it’s about.
“It’s been about that in its most successful years, in recent years in the Roman Abramovich era.
“Tammy has had a very good season for us this season. He has to sustain and improve on that because at Chelsea we have demands.
“I’m happy to have options and we have options in forward areas. And we must have competition for places. So I’m pleased with the idea of that.”
TELE-MISSION
The Government will reportedly demand EVERY Premier League match be shown live on TV until fans can return to stadiums.
But the move is set to put them on collision course with Sky Sports and BT Sport.
The Government wants to ensure matches are made available to as big an audience as possible, with fans not allowed to go to stadiums.
But, having shelled out £5bn between them to broadcast games between 2019 and 2022, BT Sport and Sky Sports fear they will lose subscribers if fans cancel their accounts and watch the free-to-air matches only.
LOT TO WERN
John Barnes reckons Timo Werner is not a classic number-nine forward and can play alongside Tammy Abraham
He told BonusCodeBets: “Werner is not a classic number-nine. He plays like a Salah, or Mané and comes in from wide positions.
“He doesn’t have his back to play a whole lot. And isn’t one of those to bring people into play.
“You can see him playing better alongside Abraham and you may even see Chelsea play more of a 4-3-3 formation with Calum Hudson-Odoi also.
“You need a big squad, but I don't think that Werner is necessarily coming replace Abraham.”
BE PATIENT
John Barnes reckons Chelsea signing Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner is a step in the right direction, but they’re still way off challenging for the Premier League
He told BonusCodeBets: “Well first of all, they’re already thirty odd points behind the Liverpool. I don't think they're going to close that gap just because they’ve signed Ziyech or Werner.
“What will happen is they will become more competitive and being competitive for Chelsea means challenging for the top four spots. I still believe Man City and Liverpool are well clear ahead of everybody else.
“Now of course what you have to do you have to try to improve. And that's what they will do next year by signing players of real quality.
“I do expect them to make more of a challenge next year, but do I expect them to win the title? No, of course not. They still have a way to go.”
PIZZA THE ACTION
Football fans couldn't wait to get stuck in on Wednesday – with Just Eat recording a staggering 1,300 orders PER MINUTE for the return of the Premier League.
Orders on the Just Eat app revealed the peak time for orders was 6.15pm – shortly after kick-off between Aston Villa and Sheffield Utd, as 1,300 people ordered a takeaway every minute.
They then had a 33 per cent increase in orders from the Birmingham area as players went in for half-time at Villa Park.
As Man City went into half-time ahead of Arsenal at 9pm, there was a 15 per cent increase in orders.
The peak time was between 6pm and 7pm as takeaway fans placed an incredible 76,000 orders.
Pizza was the most popular meal throughout the evening, followed by Chinese and Indian.
Making up the top five most popular orders across the UK were chicken and kebabs.
FELIX FINE
Atletico Madrid rejected a £136million bid for Joao Felix from a mystery unnamed Premier League club before lockdown, according to reports.
The reportedly serious bid would have seen the youngster move at the end of this season but the Spanish outfit immediately rejected the approach, claim Goal.
Atletico paid £126m for his signature last summer using money made from Antoine Griezmann's departure for Barcelona.
But he is yet to pay back Atletico's huge investment with just eight goals and three assists from 29 league games this campaign.
KANTE BELIEVE IT
Chelsea are willing to sell N'Golo Kante to fund a fresh splurge this summer.
The Blues have already confirmed the £53million signing of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and are also keen on landing Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell.
The club are understood to be enforcing a new 'one-in, one-out' transfer policy with Ajax star Hakim Ziyech also arriving this summer in a £37million move.
And the Telegraph claims Kante – who has been courted by Real Madrid and French champions Paris Saint-Germain – could be the next out the door.
NEW START
Bayern Munich are reportedly willing to sell David Alaba this summer if he does not sign a new deal.
Chelsea and Man United have previously been linked with the Austrian star but PSG are also keen.
Alaba, a self-professed Arsenal fan, is out of contract in 2021 and yet to agree an extension despite lengthy ongoing talks with Bayern.
His ability to play as a left-back, centre-back and midfielder makes him an incredible asset to any top European squad.
And the Telegraph claims Bayern will demand a hefty fee from any interested parties.
Chelsea and United might be able to afford Alaba but it is unlikely Arsenal will have enough cash for his services.
TAKE IT EASY
International players’ union FIFPro has called for a proper summer off AND a winter break to protect players from injury after the post-Covid shutdown.
FIFPro said: “The impact of COVID-19 means the match schedule will be even more intense over the next two years.
“Based on medical advice, we advocated for an off-season break of five to six weeks.
“In this unique situation, at the very least, the minimum contractually-agreed holiday periods need to be respected – in most countries this is at least three weeks.
“This should be followed by a retraining period to avoid injuries.”
DOR SHUT
Chelsea’s hopes of signing Borussia Dortmund's Roman Burki have been quashed after the keeper signed a new deal.
Boss Frank Lampard is in the market for a new No1 to replace out-of-favour Kepa Arrizabalaga.
SunSport exclusively revealed how Burki was a target for the Blues as they plotted a £15million raid on the 29-year-old Switzerland international.
Chelsea were hoping for a cut-price deal for the stopper with just a year left on his deal.
But they will have to look elsewhere with Dortmund confirming that their No1 has put pen-to-paper on a two-year contract extension.
PLAN AHEAD
Need to sort out this week's football schedule?
Hopefully you'll find this handy graphic helpful.
CONVERSION AVERSION
Chelsea create more chances than every other team other than Liverpool and Manchester City.
But they are 15th when it comes to chance conversion.
Their conversion rate is comparable to Norwich in 15th.
So it’s clear where Timo Werner will make a huge difference!
YIPPEE KAI YAY
Bayer Leverkusen may have to drop their valuation of Chelsea target Kai Havertz by as much as £20million, according to reports.
If the Bundesliga side fail to reach the Champions League they will lose out on significant income next season and need to raise funds elsewhere.
That may turn Blues fans into overnight Borussia Monchengladbach supporters as Die Fohlen battle with Leverkusen for the final qualification spot.
The Telegraph detail how Havertz's £90m price tag is outside of Chelsea's own valuation of the 21-year-old.
And a failure to reach Europe's top club competition could push Bayer towards the Premier League side's £70m estimation.
PASS 'NGO AND COLLECT £M
Chelsea are willing to sell N'Golo Kante to fund a fresh splurge this summer.
The Blues have already confirmed the £53million signing of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and are also keen on landing Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell.
Werner, 24, has 11 goals in 29 international appearances for Germany and has penned a £9million-a-year contract with the West Londoners worth £170,000-a-week.
But Frank Lampard does not want to stop there and the club will continue to pursue Bayer Leverkusen's Havertz and Chilwell from Leicester.
However, the pair will not come cheap and the Blues will consider letting French star Kante, 29, leave in order to fund other moves, according to the Times.
The club are understood to be enforcing a new 'one-in, one-out' transfer policy with Ajax star Hakim Ziyech also arriving this summer in a £37million move.
LET THE BUTTON BASHING BEGIN
FIFA 21 will be released October 9 – and you can get your hands on a series of incredible bonuses if you pre-order.
With the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X coming out later this year, EA Sports have revealed FIFA 21 will be available on both current and next gen consoles.
But if you buy it then decide to upgrade your console, there's a neat little perk for you.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE INFO ON THE NEW EDITION OF FIFA
HAS A RING TO IT
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jurgen Klopp, Frank Lampard, Mikel Arteta and Jose Mourinho have all been rendered in a hilarious Lord of the Rings parody to celebrate the Premier League restart.
The video was mocked up by Norwegian channel TV2 Sporten.
SARRI STATE
Former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri is under huge pressure to save his Juventus job as the players have reportedly stopped following him.
Fans are also said to have lost patience after his side lost the Coppa Italia final to Napoli on Thursday.
Napoli legend Diego Maradona led the celebrations as his former side beat Juventus 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in normal time.
And 61-year-old Sarri has now lost the backing of his players and the Juventus fans, according to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport.
Sarri is yet to win a major trophy in his homeland as Ronaldo failed to add the Coppa Italia to his trophy cabinet.
MORE ON TOMORI
Hudson-Odoi, Mount and Abraham have arguably been the poster boys of Frank Lampard's youthful English revolution.
But it is defender Tomori who brings the most to the side according to the detailed objective analysis.
The 22-year-old has made 15 Premier League appearances and nabbed a goal in his breakthrough season at centre-back.
It sees his Intrinsic Value at £43.3million.
Abraham is behind on £38.2m despite an impressive haul of 13 goals, midfielder Mount on £33m and right-back Reece James on £23.7m.
Hudson-Odoi, who was given a massive new contract in September last year for fear of losing him to Bayern Munich, has a value of just £18.1m.
TOP STAR OF TOMOR-ROW
Fikayo Tomori is Chelsea's most valuable English academy star, putting headline grabbers Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham in the shade.
An exclusive study shows that at Arsenal, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is a more valuable asset than fellow homegrown talents Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson.
Meanwhile at Manchester United, a slightly more predictable result reveals that Marcus Rashford outdoes Jesse Lingard, Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood.
SunSport teamed up with Carteret Analytics, a London-based investment company who work closely with football clubs around the world.
HAV A LOOK AT THIS
Kai Havertz fuelled transfer speculation as he appeared to 'like' a tweet demanding Chelsea to sign him.
The Blues look set to battle it out against the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United for the 21-year-old's signature this summer.
But judging by Havertz's latest social media activity, Frank Lampard's side have the upper hand over their rivals.
Chelsea tweeted out some comments from Timo Werner after his £53million move to the club was confirmed.
In response, one fan commented: “Announce Havertz.”
And the Bayer Leverkusen star sent fans into meltdown after he 'liked' the tweet from his official page.
Source: Read Full Article