Chelsea 'facing administration', John Terry takeover BID, bidder Nick Candy EXCLUSIVE, Havertz' gesture – updates
CHELSEA beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in their FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday in what was a comfortable game throughout for the Blues.
The Blues board were condemned, following an attempt to make the case the game should be played in front of no fans, but Thomas Tuchel backed a U-turn.
The German said: "I think the proposal was withdrawn and it was absolutely the right thing to do, because that was from our side and hopefully it was not meant like this."
Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech scores Chelsea's goals in the clash.
Blues fans will now be waiting to see who their new owner will be, following final bids from prospective buyers on Friday.
Follow ALL of the latest updates and transfer gossip from Stamford Bridge right here…
- Sam Dymond
Blues facing frantic April schedule
Chelsea have 12 days in which to begin resolving their off field issues before the April action comes at them thick and fast.
Thomas Tuchel's team face five key games in the space of a fortnight that could make or break their season.
First up is a west London derby with Brentford at Stamford Bridge, four days before they welcome Real Madrid to the capital for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Then Blues then go to Southampton ahead of the return fixture in Spain, and then there's the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley.
- Sam Dymond
Consortiums to learn purchase failure
A number of consortiums are expected to discover this morning if their bids to buy Chelsea have been unsuccessful.
That's the understanding of The Independent's Miguel Delaney, who reports that the Raine Group view some of the offers received on Friday as being 'less serious' than others.
The bank intend to narrow the field with a shortlist of around four potential purchasers in the coming days.
American businessman Todd Boehly is currently seen as the favourite to take over ownership at Stamford Bridge.
- Sam Dymond
Nice one, Ma-son: Mount praises players
Mason Mount put in another top class performance as Chelsea saw off Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, and then afterwards praised the mentality of his teammates.
Despite the trials and tribulations off the pitch, The Blues reached their fifth FA Cup semi-final in six seasons as two Mount assists took his total goal involvements for the club to 50 (25 goals, 25 assists) in just 147 appearances.
Speaking at full time, the England midfielder maintained that Thomas Tuchel's squad were fully focused despite all the issues, and that they were confident they could maintain their impressive form. He said: "We have that winning mentality in the group.
"Any game, any competition, we want to win. Cup or league, we give it everything. It's been a tough couple of weeks, but we are focused and ready to play."
- Sam Dymond
FA demand assurances over agent payments
The Athletic report that the Football Association have written to agents to ensure that any money from Chelsea will not be going to those currently under government sanctions.
Agents and agencies connected to the club will receive their latest round of payments after the cash was released to the FA just days before restrictions were put in place.
In normal circumstances, the governing body would quickly distribute money to player representatives, but on this occasion they have contacted recipients for documented proof as to the finances' final destination.
- Sam Dymond
Broughton's Blues bid in doubt
Sir Martin Broughton's attempt to buy Chelsea could be scuppered if it emerges that Joshua Harris and David Blitzer are behind the bid, report The Telegraph.
The pair are currently shareholders in Crystal Palace, and, under Premier League rules, would not be able to hold stakes in both clubs due to a conflict of interest.
The identity of investors within Broughton's consortium are currently unknown, but Harris and Blitzer are understood to have close ties to the businessman.
Official offers for the football club were submitted to the Raine Group on Friday with bidders now expected to hear back in due course.
- Anthony Chapman
Good morning footy fans
Lionel Messi reportedly looks set to stay at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season despite talk he could return to Barcelona.
Messi has struggled for goals and was knocked out in the second round of the Champions League by Real Madrid.
However, according to Marca, Messi will stay at PSG beyond the end of this disappointing season.
After emotionally leaving Barca last year, he signed a two-year contract with Mauricio Pochettino's team.
And he is expected to see out his deal with the club, although there is currently no option of an additional year.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are set to pull Reece James out of the England squad due to injury – leaving Luke Shaw as the only specialist full-back.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel revealed the news after his side secured a place in the FA Cup semi-final by beating Middlesbrough 2-0 on Saturday.
He said: “The recommendation is that he does not go.
“He is still in individual training, otherwise we would have brought him to Lille and we would have brought him here for sure.
“There is no doubt about it. He needs one more week of rehabilitation and I think we can provide this much better.
“It is not the job of the national team to do this.”
Crystal Palace star Tyrick Mitchell is expected to be called up as his replacement.
In transfer news, Aston Villa are in pole position to snag Kalvin Philips from Leeds, reports suggest.
Villa are willing to pay the Whites £60m for the England and ace, according to the Times.
And Steven Gerrard's side plan to lure Philips with a huge salary, The Times claim.
- Kealan Hughes
Crazy scenes at Amsterdam Arena
A fire broke out at the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday afternoon prior to Ajax's game against Feyenoord.
The hugely anticipated Dutch clash saw scary scenes before kick-off when flares were set off at one end of the ground.
When they went out a blaze then ensued, with reports saying that flares caught a banner which fed the flames.
Thick black smoke engulfed a large portion of the fans behind the goal, before the fire was eventually put out.
It is unclear whether or not anybody was injured.
- Kealan Hughes
Piers Morgan slams Aubameyang exit
Piers Morgan took aim at Mikel Arteta over the manager's decision to let Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave the club, after the Gabonese forward scored twice in his first Clasico for Barcelona.
He tweeted: "A free transfer. WE GAVE HIM AWAY".
"Another brilliant goal by Aubameyang – this time in El Clasico.
"He’s been the world’s most lethal goal machine since joining Barcelona… and with every goal he scores, he makes Arteta look more absurd for giving him away."
- Kealan Hughes
Forest rue bad cup luck
Nottingham Forest were left fuming after being denied a late penalty in their FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.
Ryan Yates burst through on goal in the 85th minute looking to net a dramatic equaliser.
He tried to knock the ball around Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, who stretched wide in vain after rushing out from his station.
And a full-throttle charge from both men saw Yates go down in the box.
The Forest star and his teammates wildly protested to the referee that it should be a penalty.
However, VAR entered the chat as Stockley Park officials reviewed the footage.
And replays suggested that although Alisson’s decision had been rash, there was minimal contact between him and Yates, who also appeared to drag his leg out.
- Kealan Hughes
United receive midfielder transfer boost
Manchester United and Liverpool are on alert after Monaco reportedly dropped their asking price for midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
Previously, reports have put Tchouameni’s price tag at £50million.
Goal, who cite reports in France, provide an update on the star’s future – and it is good news for the potential suitors.
The report claims Monaco will now accept bids worth £42m. The reason for the price drop is not given though.
- Kealan Hughes
Fans fume over El Clasico
Football fans were left fuming after tuning into El Clasico to discover BOTH sides had opted for strange kit choices.
Usually, regardless of whether the match is played at the Bernabeu or Nou Camp, traditionally teams would wear their home jerseys.
However, rather than wear their traditional white kit – Los Blancos opted to debut a black ensemble designed by Yohji Yamamoto that's celebrating the 20th anniversary of Adidas x Y-3 and 120 years of Real Madrid.
While Barcelona went with their yellow away kit with three red stripes across the chest.
Those choices did not sit well with the football purists, who slammed their chosen outfits on Twitter.
One viewer wrote: "Just turned on Real Madrid v Barca – neither team wearing their home kit, game is well and truly gone."
- Kealan Hughes
Beckham shows support for Ukraine
David Beckham's Instagram account has today been taken over by a doctor in Ukraine in a bid to show the reality of their struggling medical facilities.
The Man United legend issued a heartfelt plea to his followers to support the "incredible people" working in "appalling conditions".
He praised the head of the regional perinatal centre and child anesthesiologist Iryna before handing over his social media account to her on Sunday.
The dedicated doc detailed her plight caring for newborn babies and their mothers in Kharkiv as the war in Ukraine rages on.
Iryna told how on the first day of the devastating conflict, pregnant women and mothers had to be "evacuated to the basement".
- Kealan Hughes
Frank Lampard fumes at performance
Everton boss Frank Lampard has slammed his stars after they were humiliated by Crystal Palace.
The Toffees were thrashed 4-0 at Selhurst Park on Sunday and missed out on a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Afterwards, the irate manager laid into his flops – asking if they had the "b* to play."
Lampard said after the final whistle: "There is only so much you can keep trying to butter someone up to get confidence.
"You’re playing at the cut-throat end of football; this is the FA Cup quarter-finals. If you haven’t got the confidence to play, you can flip it and say: ‘Have you got the bollocks to play?’ Apologies but that’s the football term.
"We didn’t play that badly today, Palace didn’t play that well. It was a lack of confidence, and a lack of what I just said. It wasn’t tactics. Palace couldn’t get out of their half in the first 20 minutes."
- Kealan Hughes
Tuchel still eyeing Prem title
Thomas Tuchel is refusing to rule Chelsea out of the Premier League title race – despite admitting that it’s almost Mission Impossible.
Chelsea, with a game in hand on both, currently sit 11 points behind leaders Manchester City, but even though he knows it is a long shot, 48-year-old Tuchel is refusing to throw in the towel.
He said: “The problem is they are both also on a run for what feels like a long time. It feels like it’s been three years that they’ve both been on a run. And it feels like our 13 games is not enough.
“We have to be honest, but we will never admit anything before it’s decided. We’ll always push ourselves to the limit.
“We cannot do anything else and we should not get carried away. Two teams took advantage of our problems.
“Full credit to them and they deserve where they are. We need to make sure we catch as many points as possible.”
- Kealan Hughes
Abraham creates history in Rome
Tammy Abraham smashed a record set by Gabriel Batistuta as he helped Roma thrash bitter rivals Lazio 3-0.
He has further cemented his status as a fan favourite as his early double helped claim the bragging rights in the Rome derby.
And, incredibly, those two strikes were enough for him to surpass a tally set by the club’s legendary former Argentinian hitman Batistuta.
The icon and Vicenzo Montella both previously held the record for the most goals scored in a debut season for Roma, each registering 21.
Now the 24-year-old has surpassed that tally as he moved on to 23 for the campaign.
- Kealan Hughes
Son Heung-min hurt by ball
Spurs forward Son Heung-min was hilariously mocked for going down after a ball was kicked against him by West Ham's Kurt Zouma.
Having already found the net in the 24th minute, Son was already a thorn in the Hammers side.
However, later on he was ridiculed for feigning injury during a heated incident at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
When Spurs won a corner and the players were getting ready in the box, West Ham defender Kurt Zouma innocuously kicked the ball towards the corner flag.
The ball struck Son, who for some reason decided to collapse to the ground writhing in agony.
- Kealan Hughes
Chelsea fans face nervous wait
Chelsea fans are waiting to find out whether or not the club will be allowed to sell tickets for their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium.
The Blues have been drawn against Patrick Vieira's side in the last four and are set to face them on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of April.
SunSport understands a decision on Chelsea's ticket allocation will be made during the international break.
But the decision will be made by the government and not the FA as the sanctions imposed on Chelsea are from Downing Street.
Only 600 Chelsea fans were present for their quarter-final tie away at Middlesbrough on Saturday after the sanctions were placed upon them
- Kealan Hughes
Bad week for Kurt Zouma
West Ham defender Kurt Zouma scored an unfortunate own goal against Spurs in their clash on Sunday.
The former Chelsea defender, 27, deflected the ball into his own net from a Harry Kane cross after sliding in the box to stop Son Heung-min from scoring in the London derby.
Zouma's bad luck came just days after he was charged by the RSPCA for a video showing him kicking his cat across a kitchen floor.
The clip has caused a public outcry since it was revealed by The Sun last month.
Last week, the RSPCA announced they had charged Zouma, who is now set to appear in court on a date that's yet to be set.
Zouma's brother Yoan, 23, has also been charged for allegedly filming the incident.
- Kealan Hughes
Gareth Southgate makes Eagles swoop
Crystal Palace star Tyrick Mitchell is set to be confirmed as part of England’s squad for the very first time.
The 22-year-old left-back is due to get the call-up from Gareth Southgate within the next 24 hours.
Mitchell has shone for the Eagles this term, and after helping them to reach the FA Cup semi-final by thrashing Everton, his displays will be rewarded on the international level, claims the Mail.
It comes after Chelsea confirmed they are set to pull Reece James out of the England squad due to injury – leaving Luke Shaw as the only specialist full-back.
Mitchell is one of three Palace players to be called up along with Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher, who is on loan from Chelsea.
- Kealan Hughes
Steven Gerrard eyes Kalvin Phillips
Aston Villa have reportedly emerged as favourites to sign Kalvin Phillips and are willing to pay an ‘enormous’ salary to get him.
The Leeds United and England midfielder, 26, has won a host of admirers over the past two seasons in the Premier League.
Phillips is under contract at Elland Road until 2024.
But that has not stopped Steven Gerrard from identifying him as a ‘key target’ for this summer’s transfer window.
And The Times claims that the Villa are 'ready to pay £60million' to get him plus give him huge wages.
West Ham and Newcastle have also been linked with moves for Phillips but Villa are now frontrunners for his signature.
- Kealan Hughes
FA Cup semi final draw
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest or Liverpool
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
- Kealan Hughes
Pogba set for Nou Camp?
Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Paul Pogba from Manchester United.
The midfielder, 29, is set to leave Old Trafford for free at the end of this season when his contract expires.
He was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in October last year, but they were unable to meet his high wage demands at the time.
However, last week the club landed a huge sponsorship deal with Spotify worth around £237million.
The agreement means that their famous home will be renamed to Spotify Camp Nou.
It also revives the fortunes of the Spanish giants – who almost went bankrupt last year due to overspending.
- Kealan Hughes
Messi set for PSG stay
Lionel Messi reportedly looks set to stay at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season despite talk he could return to Barcelona.
Messi has struggled for goals and was knocked out in the second round of the Champions League by Real Madrid.
However, according to Marca, Messi will stay at PSG beyond the end of this disappointing season.
After emotionally leaving Barca last year, he signed a two-year contract with Mauricio Pochettino's team.
And he is expected to see out his deal with the club, although there is currently no option of an additional year.
- Kealan Hughes
Scouse pride for Wayne Rooney
UFC London stars Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann were congratulated by Wayne Rooney after their stunning wins at the O2 Arena.
The proud Liverpudlians beat Kazula Vargas and Luana Carolina on the main card of the MMA promotion's long-awaited return to the UK.
And they were congratulated backstage by the Derby County manager, who hugged the pair and said: "Well done."
The Manchester United legend then revealed he immediately planned on attending the show after finding out they'd feature on the card.
He said: "I went when Crocop got fought years ago. [The] first time I went to a [UFC event].
"The last time I went to a UFC, I obviously saw what you were [both] doing and I thought, 'I need to come.'"
- Justin Lawrence
Tone it down
Ivan Toney appears to have disrespected Brentford again in a viral TikTok video that has sparked outrage.
The striker, 26, took part in a viral series hosted by TikTok star @callmetoksy, who finds people driving expensive cars and asks them their occupation – former Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has previously featured in a video.
Toney and the TikTokker begin by talking about cryptocurrency with Toney suggesting Ethereum is the best coin on the market.
@callmetoksy then asks the Bees star what he does for a job with Toney replying he is a professional footballer.
But when asked who he plays for Toney answered: "Nowhere exciting."
He then breaks out in laughter as the video ends.
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