Latest in Blues’ transfer plans | OneFootball

Chelsea’s new owner, Todd Boehly, has several major decisions to look forward to over the next couple of months. Petr Cech has exited his position and new talent management will be needed. The pursuit of Koundé is on the backburner, and it’s since come to light that head coach Thomas Tuchel wasn’t all that interested in the French international, to begin with.

The transfer window is a period of constant change, and live betting odds are reflecting the shifting fortunes of teams and players. Here’s all the latest transfer news from Stamford Bridge, including recent updates regarding the management of Koundé’s contract negotiation.

Sevilla’s Jules Koundé has set his sights on a move to Barcelona, stating that he is willing to wait as long as it takes to sign on with the Spanish team. For all intents and purposes, the lengthy negotiations between Chelsea and Sevilla appear to have come to a close, and the Blues are switching focus to prioritize alternative transfer options.

According to multiple sources, when chairman Bruce Buck and director Marina Granovskaia stepped down, interest in Kounde dwindled significantly. Newcastle is offering to pay any amount for the Frenchman, and Sevilla and Chelsea have been unable to agree on a fee. Combined, these signs and others all point to Boehly and Tuchel refocusing their efforts elsewhere.

The recent takeover spurred multiple exits, and Chelsea’s new leadership is under pressure to deliver results in the not-too-distant future. Boehly will be paying close attention to the advice of Tuchel and the rest of the management. The squad is lacking in talent in several key areas, but it’s nothing that a few well-made decisions can’t solve.

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The Blues’ head coach has had his eye on Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, who he plans to exchange for Timo Werner. Werner’s time with the Blues has been tumultuous, to say the least, and this move could be worthwhile for all parties involved, so long as the initial offer can be adjusted to make it more appealing to the Serie A team.

With Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen heading to La Liga teams and Romelu Lukaku on loan at Inter Milan for the next year, Chelsea needs to acquire both offensive and defensive players. Seeing as pre-season preparations are already underway, time is of the essence for ‘Boehly and Co’.

Defensive players appear to be the priority for the moment, but it’s well-known at this point that Boehly met with Christiano Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, last week. However, Manchester United has quashed any transfer rumors with a recent statement, declaring that Ronaldo is integral to United’s plans for the upcoming season.

Unlike Ronaldo, Raheem Sterling could well be Chelsea’s latest acquisition. The Manchester City forward is in his last year with the club, and City has stated they would welcome a reasonable bid of around $60 million, which is expected to be delivered by the Blues within the coming week. Sterling is more than happy to get the opportunity for more playtime, but the England international is still in the process of weighing his options.

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Out of all the players Chelsea is actively pursuing, Ousmane Dembele is the acquisition facing the most competition. Barcelona’s winger has been linked with at least four EPL clubs, including Chelsea and Liverpool. The Reds have made a significant offer for Dembele, but if the Blues can obtain Sterling they have a worthy alternative.

With Petr Cech’s position now open, Boehly is reportedly aiming for Michael Edwards as his ideal replacement. Liverpool’s former head of talent acquisition was instrumental in the Reds’ astounding transformation. Working together with Jurgen Klopp and Mike Gordon, Edwards crafted one of the strongest squads Anfield has ever had.

Chelsea and Manchester United are both interested in Edwards, but no offers have been made public as of yet. Rumors also suggest that Edwards could move to a La Liga team, but like the EPL-related hints, any concrete information is unavailable at this point. Time is a critical factor here. The sooner Boehly can find a replacement for Cech, the more effective further acquisitions will be.

Evidently, the rest of the transfer window will be a rather chaotic period for the Blues, and it remains to be seen whether or not the next month leads to some much-needed stability. Historically, Chelsea has proven its resilience more than once, and the challenges of new leadership can be adapted to well before the season commences, provided the aforementioned stability can be obtained within the next couple of weeks.