Inside Chelsea Transfers - The Latest
Our insider looks at all the potential arrivals and departures as we look to January and beyond...
Chelsea are coming off the back of their most lucrative transfer window since the good ol’ days of 2004/05 when Roman Abramovich laid down his intention of putting Chelsea Football Club in the upper echelons of world football. Has that stopped the Chelsea fans from wanting more in the next window(s)? Not a chance.
There are many credible outlets reporting daily news on just who Chelsea’s next incoming targets are, and who may be departing the club in order to make room for these new recruits. I will give the latest updates on those names all over our Twitter accounts, and how likely these deals are…
The ins:
Declan Rice - 21 Years Old, West Ham United, CDM/CB
The heavy-linked, confirmed #1 target for Frank Lampard is West Ham’s, former Chelsea Academy prospect, Declan Rice. Despite significant interest from Chelsea in the recent summer, a bid was never submitted to West Ham, due to Chelsea’s inability to sell any of their players in order to trim the squad and financially balance the books.
However, with continued interest, this particular saga has a matter of “when not if” about it. I updated the Chelsea fanbase extensively on this particular deal, luckily being well-sourced/connected with this one, and will continue to do so. A deal in January has been rumoured, however, I personally find this difficult to fathom as of now, for reasons such as West Ham’s reluctance to sell as of now, Chelsea needing to sell players on, plus agreeing on a reasonable price. The summer may be a better time for the London clubs to strike this particular deal.
Verdict: When not if. I think we will see Declan back in SW6 eventually, for a fee lower than the £80m reported fee. Patience is a virtue. To Happen: 9/10
David Alaba - 28 Years Old, Bayern Munich, LB/CB/CM/LM
The flavour of the month amongst German media and now Chelsea fans, David Alaba, who is entertaining offers from the world’s best as he nears the end of his current contract. Ahh, that game.
Alaba has attracted interest, and rightfully so from the Madrid’s, PSG’s and Chelsea’s of this world. However, we are still unsure as of now if this entertainment of offers is a genuine move to leave the German Club, or will this act as leverage to negotiate a new, lucrative deal with Bayern. From what I have been told thus far, this deal seems unlikely for Chelsea, and talks between the club and Alaba’s agent have not happened. Whilst this one will get the fans excited, there is a long way to go, with plenty of twists and turns before any concrete advancement in a potential deal can be believed/confirmed.
Verdict: Personally don’t see this one happening. The agent is playing the game, the player has openly spoken on his desire to perhaps renew or play in Spain. Early days, stranger things have happened (Fabregas). To Happen: 4/10
José Gimenéz - 25 Years Old, Atletico Madrid, CB
Another transfer window, another huge name linked to Chelsea Football Club. If there’s a club that knows how to defend, it’s Atletico Madrid. Jose Gimenez, the 6”1 defender from Toledo, Uruguay, has been a mainstay in the resolute Atleti defence for the best part of seven years. A physical presence, accompanied by significant comfortability on the ball, Gimenéz provides a desirable all-round package for the modern-day centre back.
Rumours of Chelsea’s confirmed interest first surfaced in the last window. Frank Lampard is a fan of the player, the club too, although probably not a fan of the £80m reported release clause in Gimenéz’s current contract. Chelsea are looking for a new centre back in the next window(s), despite the obvious success of the partnership between Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma. Gimenez is a top target for the club still, seeing as he fits in the criteria of “young and experienced” of which Chelsea are specifically looking to sign.
Verdict: A confirmed target for the club, however, I do feel the release clause may provide a problem for Chelsea. Atletico are tough negotiators and won’t want to lose the player either. To Happen: 6/10
** Other names to keep an eye on at Centre Back - Dayot Upamecano, 22-Years-Old, RB Leipzig & Merih Demiral, 22-Years-Old, Juventus.
The outs:
Olivier Giroud - 34 Years Old, FWD, Interest from France, Italy
The matchwinner, big-game player, Olivier Giroud. Our current third-choice center forward has been reportedly linked yet again with a move away from West London, due to his desire to play more, with the Euros coming up where he will look to represent his native, France.
Giroud’s agent has come out recently and spoken more openly than ever on Giroud’s current situation. Michael Manuello stated that Olivier has been unfairly treated by Frank Lampard, and deserves more opportunities to play, particularly citing Giroud’s significant influence at the end of last season. Olivier himself has been rather coy on the situation, maintaining his image as the model professional, often backed by his manager and teammates.
Verdict: I understand the player and agent’s frustrations. I reported back in the summer he would stay until at least January, of which he did. As of now, this could go either way. There is significant interest, and Didier Deschamps has been very stern in telling Giroud he needs to play. Lampard will try to convince him to stay, I’d say 50/50 as of now. To Happen: 5/10
Marcos Alonso - 29 Years Old, LB/LWB, Interest from Italy/Spain
Another matchwinner in his own right, perhaps at the expense of his defensive duties, we have Marcos Alonso. We haven’t seen much of Alonso since his bust-up with Frank Lampard at half-time of the West Brom game in September. We also haven’t heard much from/about Alonso since the rumours linking him out of the club in the summer, where the club was willing to let him go if a significant offer came in.
It is clear to see Marcos Alonso has been frozen out the first-team picture, albeit he is still training with them, and Emerson Palmieri now the solidified second-choice left-back behind new-signing Ben Chilwell. It feels like only a matter of time before Marcos leaves the club, especially with three current left-backs in the first-team squad.
Verdict: Similar to Declan Rice, just going the other way, this appears to be when not if when Marcos Alonso departs West London. I am told the situation hasn’t improved to the point where Alonso will be a long-term player at Chelsea. Where he goes is the next question? There is interest in Italy, and also his native Spain. Inter Milan are continuing to sniff around our left-back situation, lets see… To Happen: 7.5/10
** Special mention - Emerson Palmieri. Similar situation to Alonso above, except the fact Emerson is currently the second choice left-back, and in good enough standing with Frank and the club in general. However, he wants to play more, in line with his own aspirations to solidify himself in the Italian National team. Interest from Italian clubs as well.
Fikayo Tomori - 22 Years Old, CB, Interest from England/France
One of our five current first-team centre back options, Fikayo Tomori has found game time hard to come by this season, despite significant time last season and also at Derby both led by Frank Lampard. Frank has always spoken highly of Fik and his abilities, however, he has grown annoyed by Tomori’s failure to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines in recent times. Alongside this, Frank believes Tomori needs to improve his positioning and other game-specific qualities in order to find himself as a starting centre back at Chelsea, instead of relying on his pure pace and power.
As already widely-reported, Tomori was close to agreeing on a deal with a few clubs back in the summer to head out on loan. Everton, Rennes, and finally West Ham all were interested/came close to signing Tomori, however, a deal was never struck due to Tomori’s reluctance to leave if not guaranteed first-team football on loan.
Verdict: With how little game time Fikayo has got thus far, plus the recent reports of further interest from clubs in England and France (most recently Newcastle), I have heard a loan deal could materialise in the near future. I believe this will be welcome for all parties involved, as we hopefully see a better version of our academy graduate sooner rather than later. To Happen: 7/10
** Other names to keep an eye on for potential departures - Jorginho, 28-Year-Old Centre Midfielder, Kepa Arrizabalaga, 22-Year-Old Goalkeeper, Danny Drinkwater, 30-Year-Old Centre Midfielder.
That’s it for now people. I will continue to bring updates here on our all-new platform, plus you can find transfer updates and more on my Twitter account: @MaccaSport.
Until next time. I’ll see you on the platform, give our podcast a listen as well aye and make sure you subscribe for free email alerts on our site!
Dan McCarthy