Good morning and welcome to the football.london Chelsea liveblog for Sunday, August 7.
Chelsea got off to a winning start in the Premier League with a 1-0 win against Everton yesterday but the game only reinforced Thomas Tuchel's desperation to bring in more transfers in the final three and a a half weeks of the summer window.
He admitted that the midfield was not the priority for new faces but that hasn't stopped the interest in Frenkie de Jong, though centre-back Wesley Fofana is the number one target for the rest of the window, football.london understands.
He will be taking the place of Marcos Alonso as the Spaniard was confirmed as being on his way out, whilst Tuchel's decisions regarding nine first team players yesterday has only furthered speculation.
Sit back and enjoy your Sunday on our liveblog in the knowledge that Chelsea have done all they can for this week.
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What Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta did to Yerry Mina as Chelsea captain vindicates contract
Yerry Mina altercation
Jorginho earned Chelsea their win with a well-taken penalty but the events around it were almost as interesting. As the Italian prepared with the ball at the spot, Yerry Mina made sure to make a nuisance of himself. The Colombian international jibed in the Chelsea stars' ear and stayed in close proximity for as long as he could get away with.
It was not the referee who resolved the situation but Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta who came barging in to protect his teammate, making sure Mina knew that he could not bully his way into a result. Reece James soon joined his teammate pushing Everton's charge away from Jorginho as more bodies arrived and Mina eventually picked up a yellow card. It was clear to see that Azpilicueta remains a key leader for the Blues and he will bring some stability following his contract extension in a tumultuous summer.
Jorginho managed to keep his composure and diverged from his usual style of penalty to put the ball past Jordan Pickford, who had foiled him in the past. The fact did not go unnoticed by the England international who joked with his adversary following the game, with Jorginho noting it was not by accident.
Read more here.
Ian Wright delivers Todd Boehly's £300m transfer plan verdict amid Man City and Liverpool threat
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright believes Chelsea and their new owner Todd Boehly will have to spend 'more' if they are to close the gap this season at the top of the Premier League to both Man City and Liverpool.
"Well I think they are going to have to, especially when you look at what City are doing and how strong Liverpool are," he told BBC Match of the Day when asked about the big spending and whether it needs to continue. "I think they are going to have to spend more."
Read the full story here.
Chelsea were previously linked with Sangare
The main Frenkie de Jong transfer alternative is no longer available!
Wesley Fofana for Callum Hudson-Odoi swap deal talks?
This is the line coming out from the Daily Express this morning.
Certainly one to watch out for as this all develops.
Armando Broja to leave still?
Maybe a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrival could spell bad news in this situation!
Former Dutch star says Chelsea must overcome Barcelona 'blackmail' to sign Frenkie de Jong
Barcelona's treatment of Chelsea target Frenkie de Jong has been described as a "monstrosity" as the Spanish club continue to pressure their midfielder into staying at the club, but on their terms.
De Jong has also received support from former PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus, who said: "I can no longer hear the slogan 'Més Que Un Club' (more than a club). Barcelona are a commercial monstrosity, in my eyes it symbolises everything that makes modern football so ugly."
Speaking to Algemeen Dagblad he said: "The way in which they are now blackmailing Frenkie is a striking example of this. I hope he keeps his footing and stays unless they harass him more and he smashes his own windows for the World Cup. Then he better go to United, where he’s wanted anyway."
Read the full story here.
Why Thiago Silva shouted at Kalidou Koulibaly as Chelsea beat Everton but prepare for Spurs test
For large parts of the afternoon, Koulibaly lived up to the billing. He left Anthony Gordon with little place to turn in one-on-one situations, had the presence of mind and agility to nip in with clever touches and even had a Cruyff turn to ensure Chelsea's own play remained fluent. The strength in his challenges more than showed the quality he will bring over the course of this season.
While the season is underway, the 31-year-old remains a work in progress for the Blues, however. Koulibaly is still learning his role and even after a superb last-ditch tackle in the opening half that saw Chelsea's lines cleared, he was lectured by Thiago Silva about how to position himself within the back three. A stare and lots of gesturing made sure that his teammate knew where to move as the Blues moved upfield.
Read the full story here.
Alonso to Barcelona update- 'matter of time'
Here's what Thomas Tuchel said on the Spaniard in his post-match press conference.
Todd Boehly picks 'first choice' target to lead Chelsea transfer transformation amid Liverpool record
Todd Boehly has identified his own long-term successor at Chelsea already as the new Clearlake Capital consortium looks to completely revamp the structure in place at Stamford Bridge.
At the top of his to-do list will be to employ a full-time specialist director of football, and he already has his sites on one of the best in the business. Speaking to NBC Sports, the Athletic's David Ornstein revealed Boehly's target, saying, "In time Boehly will bring in a sporting director, their first choice at Chelsea is Michael Edwards but we're not sure if he would want to go there. There is so much going on."
The former-Liverpool director was in charge of the analytics-led changeup on Merseyside that bought about Jurgen Klopp's recent success, but the 42-year-old left his role this summer and Boehly has previously stated his interest, saying, "If you look at the models that are very successful, Liverpool is a great model. They generate a couple of hundred million more revenue than Chelsea and they generate earnings."
Read the full story here.
Was this the reason he wasn't in the squad yesterday for Everton?
It seems as though Hudson-Odoi's time at Chelsea is coming to an end.
Chelsea 'make £85m Wesley Fofana decision' as problem in Barcelona transfer emerges
Wesley Fofana pursuit continues
Chelsea's pursuit of Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana looks set to heat up heading into next week.
It was claimed that Todd Boehly and co recently submitted a £70m bid for Fofana, who Leicester hold in high regard.
The Blues are reportedly ready to test Leicester's resolve for the French defender, with the Guardian's Jacob Steinberg claiming Chelsea are willing to go to £85m for Fofana.
There's no doubt the 21-year-old central defender is a talented prospect with plenty of potential, but it must be said £85m is an astronomical sum of money.
And while it's a position the Blues do need to strengthen, it remains to be seen whether or not spending £85m on a defender with just 35 Premier League appearances is a prudent way to operate.
Read more of the transfer rumours this morning here.
New season, same Chelsea
New season, new Chelsea? Not exactly. At least not based on the performance Thomas Tuchel’s side produced against Everton. But a victory on the opening day of the Premier League season is nothing to quibble about – even if it did only come courtesy of a Jorginho penalty.
There were bright spots at Goodison Park, a stadium the Blues hadn't won at since 2017. Raheem Sterling, who arrived in the summer from Man City for £47.5million, was the standout attacker. Inventive, composed, and demanding, Sterling brought so much the frontline has lacked over the last two years.
At the opposite end, on the left of the Blues’ defence, Kalidou Koulibaly was dominant. Yet the Senegal international also played the best pass of the match to unlock the Everton backline and find Ben Chilwell. He was tripped, a spot-kick was awarded, and it proved Chelsea’s winner.
Read the full story, here.