Hello and welcome to today's football.london live Chelsea blog!
It's the day after a great win for the Blues, taking all three points from London rivals Tottenham in a 2-0 win.
Hakim Ziyech and Thiago Silva both found the net in a third win over Spurs this month to take Thomas Tuchel's side within ten points of league leaders Manchester City.
The side will now have a break from Premier League action, though they do have an FA Cup tie coming up.
Off-the-pitch Tuchel will also have a focus on the transfer window, with the January market reaching the final few days.
A left wing-back is said to remain a priority for the team, though they could strengthen elsewhere.
With that in mind, sit back and let football.london bring you all the latest news as it happens.
ICYMI- Manchester United and Aston Villa leading Chelsea in transfer race for Declan Rice alternative
Manchester United and Aston Villa are both leading Chelsea in the transfer race to sign a player who could prove to be a viable alternative to Declan Rice in the form of Boubacar Kamara.
Kamara, 22, sees his contract in Ligue 1 expire at the end of the season, with Marseille considering cashing in this month on the former Blues target and a trio of Premier League clubs said to be interested.
But as Fabrizio Romano has hinted, despite the interest of Man United and Aston Villa, a summer transfer is what is on the player's mind - which could keep the current European Champions in the race for now.
He said on United fan channel The United Stand: "Yes, there is interest around the player for a long time.
"We said in December, he's a player that is appreciated by United but I want to be clear- I'm told that there are no negotiations between Manchester United and Marseille.
"The players priority would be to stay until the end of the season and then leave as a free agent in the summer, as he would be able to pick his favourite destination in the summer."
Will he pick Chelsea though?
Read more here.
Chelsea vs Manchester City U23s player ratings as Josh Brooking and Xavier Mbuyamba impress
Teddy Sharman-Lowe
Produced another solid performance in the Blues net and stood up well to some strong Manchester City efforts. 8.
Xavier Simons
Produced an unreal ball for Jude Soonsup-Bell in the first half and had a solid defensive performance on the right side of defence. Was able to get forward more in the second period and delivered a perfect curling cross for Charlie Webster. 7.
Josh Brooking
Formed a comfortable partnership with Xavier Mbuyamba and was a really strong communicator with the players in front of him. Showed some great composure when one-on-one with City's attackers. 8.
Xavier Mbuyamba
The Dutch defender was proactive in his work and was unafraid to nip in front of a forward to win the ball. One of his more reassuring displays this term. 7.
Lewis Hall
Showed his quality on the ball and in defence against a tricky opponent in Kayky. The 17-year-old's confidence really stands out even at left back. 7.
Read more of the ratings here.
Andreas Christensen to leave
It seems as though the Kounde update could coincide with this latest update on the Danish international.
Chelsea 'seem close' to Jules Kounde transfer
Chelsea 'seem close' to Jules Kounde summer signing, Sport Witness reports.
Now that doesn’t mean that the interested clubs won’t start moving for a summer transfer. And that’s what Chelsea are already doing, according to today’s report from Tutto Mercato Web.
The website writes that the Blues are coming ‘with strength to try to close the operation’. With Marina Granovskaia leading the attempt, they’re said to be offering an initial payment of €55m plus €5m in bonuses.
Tutto Mercato Web claims the agreement between the clubs ‘seems close’, and the defender could indeed leave Sevilla to join the Blues next summer.
Manchester United and Aston Villa leading Chelsea in transfer race for Declan Rice alternative
Manchester United and Aston Villa are both leading Chelsea in the transfer race to sign a player who could prove to be a viable alternative to Declan Rice in the form of Boubacar Kamara.
Kamara, 22, sees his contract in Ligue 1 expire at the end of the season, with Marseille considering cashing in this month on the former Blues target and a trio of Premier League clubs said to be interested.
Alongside the aforementioned duo, Newcastle United have also reportedly registered an interest for Marseille's No.4, but nothing concrete has come from the Magpies thus far.
Therefore this has allowed the Red Devils among other clubs to move ahead of the competition in the race for Mateo Guendouzi's club teammate.
Fabrizio Romano said on United fan channel The United Stand: "Yes, there is interest around the player for a long time."
Read the full story here.
'Top-class': 22-year-old Chelsea loanee has already really impressed his new teammate in training
MK Dons captain Dean Lewington has applauded Jamie Cumming for his impact after arriving on loan from Chelsea earlier this month, The Chelsea Chronicle have reported.
As quoted by the MK Citizen, Lewington noted the goalkeeper’s quality after only spending a few training sessions together.
Cumming joined the Dons just over a week ago, having spent the first half of the season with relegation threated Gillingham.
Chelsea in action
Welcome to football.london's live coverage of Chelsea under-23s vs Manchester City under-23s.
The Blues welcome the Citizens for their latest Premier League 2 clash as they look to bounce back from their 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace last time out.
The visitors sit second in the table behind only West Ham in the development league following three wins in a row over Manchester United, Blackburn and Brighton. Andy Myers' side will have to put in a stellar defensive performance to slow down City's league assist leader Oscar Bobb and the youngster who has combined for the most goals and assists this term, James McAtee.
Chelsea sit 11th and will be able to move ahead of Leicester and Everton with a win.
The game is due to kick-off at 7pm.
Follow all of the action below with football.london's Chelsea writer Scott Trotter.
20 minutes in at it's 0-0... follow along here.
Armando Broja to West Ham update
The talkSPORT journalist tweeted out on his personal account that Southampton are ‘not concerned’ and that the player is ‘committed at least until the end of the season.’
He did acknowledge West Ham’s interest though and said ‘let’s see what happens after that’ – suggesting a move in the summer is possible.
Chelsea dressing room 'improved'
Chelsea have expanded the away team dressing room at Stamford Bridge following complaints from rival teams over COVID-19 concerns, The Athletic have reported.
The renovations were made in time for Sunday’s visit of Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League was made aware of Liverpool and Brighton’s concerns following their visits to south west London over the festive period.
It is understood that Liverpool aired their concerns after their trip to Stamford Bridge on January 2 which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Chelsea vs Man City and it's live!
Some Premier League 2 action for the young Blues tonight.
Thomas Tuchel faces difficult Plymouth decision with key Chelsea duo unable to take time off
Thomas Tuchel has made no secret of the fact his Chelsea players have been pushed to their mental and physical limits over the past seven weeks.
Since the last international break in November, no Premier League club has been in action on more occasions across various competitions than the Blues. And that is with injuries to key players being sustained and positive Covid cases further reducing Tuchel's options.
Yet this week comes welcome respite for Tuchel and the majority of Chelsea's players, who have been given the opportunity to go away and switch off from the demands of the Blues' 2021/22 campaign.
"Not the injured players or the players coming back from injury but everybody else will be off," the Chelsea head coach confirmed ahead of the win against Tottenham.
Read more here.
Former Blues player on the move
Jeremie Boga has moved to Atalanta.
Boga versus Tammy Abraham in Serie A will be an interesting battle...
Departure confirmed!
Carly Telford’s five hugely successful years with Chelsea come to an end at the conclusion of her second spell at the club, She Kicks has reported.
The Chelsea goalkeeper, who was named in the squad for the final time with the Blues yesterday against Brighton, will head to the United States to join San Diego Wave.
The 34-year-old departs Chelsea having made 76 appearances and won a host of trophies, as well as having taken up part-time coaching last year in offering support to the club’s U-16 and U-18 goalkeepers.
On Telford’s Chelsea departure, Emma Hayes commented: ‘Carly has been a fantastic servant to the club across two different spells. A big character in the dressing room and a hugely valued member of our squad.
Seven word Thiago Silva message proves Marina Granovskaia's Chelsea transfer masterstroke
Former Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris has delivered a glowing verdict on Thiago Silva after the Spurs win that once again proves Marina Granovskaia's transfer masterstroke in bringing the centre-back to Stamford Bridge.
Silva, 37, validated his world-class status once more with his display in Chelsea's battling 2-0 victory over Antonio Conte's Spurs outfit- a victory that put the European Champions on the right track once more in the Premier League after a tough spell in recent weeks.
His know-how to earn a foul from Harry Kane's disallowed goal in the first half coupled with being able to earn his side a two-goal buffer was his headed effort from Mason Mount's free-kick meant a strong showing in football.london's player ratings from proceedings in SW6.
He tweeted on his Twitter account @morriskid when reflecting on Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham: 'How good is Thiago Silva???
Read the full story here.
Thomas Tuchel's £34million Chelsea transfer mistake summed up by Robert Lewandowski comparison
Chelsea's transfer mistake in allowing striker Tammy Abraham to leave in the summer is being highlighted once again, with the England international matching Bundesliga great Robert Lewandowski over the last three months.
Abraham, 24, has hit the ground running since making his £34million switch to Roma and his latest double against Empoli has proved that point whilst his successor Romelu Lukaku was left frustrated again in not finding the net at the weekend against Tottenham Hotspur.
"Very good, very good performance, He was very reliable, put in a huge effort. It was a good match," Tuchel said in his post-match interview on Lukaku.
"It's a bit story for our team - we work hard off the ball, sometimes not in full confidence, in calm state of mind when it comes to the opponents box. But the effort is something we define, benchmark and standard."
Read more here.
Former Chelsea manager has been sacked
Watford have sacked head coach Claudio Ranieri after just over three months in charge, the Athletic have reported.
The Premier League club have now started the search for his replacement.
His dismissal follows Friday night’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of relegation rivals Norwich City, which leaves Watford in 18th, just three points off the foot of the table.
Watford are now searching for their third permanent head coach of the season, after Xisco Munoz was removed by owner Gino Pozzo on October 3, with the Hertfordshire club then 14th in the league.
Gary Neville makes bold claim about Chelsea's midfield options
Gary Neville remarked on the number of quality players that Chelsea either subbed on or left out against Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, the Chelsea Chronicle have reported.
Speaking on Sky Sports after the Blues beat Spurs 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, Neville made a point of listing the wealth of names Thomas Tuchel didn’t include in his initial XI.
“I named at the end, there were four people left on the bench that would be in any other first-team probably in the country. And that’s having made three substitutions,” explained Neville.
“An unbelievable squad. They’ve got a massive squad. I just read them out at the end there who was left on the bench, having played 11 players a made three substitutes
“They’ve still got Pulisic, Werner, (Trevoh) Chalobah and (Ross) Barkley and Havertz on the bench, that’s five.
“That means they played the team that started and they brought on Kante, Alonso and Saul.
“What a squad. That’s like two world-class teams. So, I just don’t feel that’s an excuse when you’ve got the squad of Chelsea.”
Thomas Tuchel's clever tactic vs Tottenham unlocks Chelsea 'new signing' who demands an apology
Your apology needs to be as loud as the disrespect was' following Hakim Ziyech's stellar display on the biggest of stages as he reignited his flame at Chelsea.
The 28-year-old, who had become a square peg in a round hole for much of this season, has finally found his groove under Thomas Tuchel as he reminded the Blues fans what he could do.
Time froze as he caressed the ball as if it were on string beyond Hugo Lloris into the top corner, illustrative of Eden Hazard's magical effort against Spurs nearly six years ago to hand Leicester City the Premier League title.
But, as Ziyech sent Stamford Bridge into pandemonium, large sections of the Chelsea fan base ate their hat, quickly scouring through their social media channels to delete any trace of disrespect towards the playmaker who had proved them wrong.
Read more here from our fan brands team.
One year of Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea boss almost a year ago - have your say on his time so far and where he ranks as a Chelsea manager
Chelsea can complete five-year transfer mission for £36m Arsenal target as Hazard alternative
Chelsea do not appear likely to seal an emotional return for Eden Hazard in the January transfer window.
Whilst the Blues’ hopes of securing a deal for their former hero seem remote at the current time, it appears that they are exploring alternative avenues in an attempt to bolster their wide options.
According to Spanish outlet Defensa Central, the reigning European Champions have lodged an enquiry into the status of Spanish international Marco Asensio, who appears likely to leave Real Madrid.
The 26-year-old has been in and out of the side at the Bernabeu this season, starting just 11 of 32 games in all competitions, although he has been relatively productive in his limited outings with seven goals thus far.
Read more here.
Sule to Chelsea?
Andreas Christensen replacement already lined up? Transfer domino effect incoming?
Sule requests to leave Bayern Munich
Chelsea have been handed a major boost to their hopes of signing centre-back Niklas Sule.
The German is out of contract at the end of the season and has reportedly told Bayern Munich that he wants to leave.
Vitor Pereira considering by Everton
Everton are reportedly looking to interview Portuguese boss Vitor Pereira as they attempt to find Rafa Benitez's replacement.
The former Olympiacos and Fenerbahce head coach was reportedly considering by the Blues before their decision to appoint Frank Lampard in 2019.
Read more about his potential Premier League appointment here.
Chelsea hold Barkley talks with Newcastle
Chelsea have reportedly held talks with Newcastle United regarding the future of Ross Barkley according to reports.
According to 90min, the Blues have been in discussions with the Magpies regarding a deal should they fail to secure the signing of Jesse Lingard from Manchester United.
Find out more here.
Chelsea backed to lose money on Lukaku
Chelsea have been backed to lose money on under-performing forward Romelu Lukaku.
That is according to former West Ham man Paolo di Canio, who suggests that the Blues will struggle to recoup the huge fee that they paid Inter Milan for his services.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia: “Chelsea paid more than €100m to sign Lukaku and must recover him. Right now, it’s difficult to imagine somebody paying €100m to sign him. However, nothing is preventing him from succeeding again in the future.”
Sergino Dest boost
Chelsea have potentially been handed a major boost to their hopes of signing Barcelona defender Sergino Dest.
According to Marca, the Calatan giants are eyeing a left-back ahead of next week's transfer deadline which could see the American fall down the pecking order at the Camp Nou.
Read the full story here.
West Ham enter Broja race
Amid Southampton's interest in sealing a permanent deal for Chelsea forward Armando Broja, the Saints appear to have competition from elsewhere in the Premier League.
According to Football Insider, West Ham United are also interested in the forward and it is suggested that they will attempt to seal a deal in the closing days of the January transfer window.
Read more here.
Atletico Madrid eye left-back
Atletico Madrid appear unlikely to pursue a move for Chelsea's Marcos Alonso this window as they edge towards sealing a deal for Reinildo Mandava.
The Lille man is apparently in Madrid to undergo a medical ahead of a move to the Wanda Metropolitano.
Chelsea 'tracking' Dembele
Some more developments on the future of Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele now as the Evening Standard claim that the Blues are 'tracking' the Frenchman ahead of his Camp Nou departure.
As per the reports, any deal to take him to Stamford Bridge is likely to be a loan deal.
Read the full story here.
Spurs set to restart Adama Traore talks
Tottenham Hotspur appear likely to sign Chelsea target Adama Traore this window.
Antonio Conte has seemingly identified the Spaniard as an ideal addition to his squad, amd according to Fabrizio Romano, talks are set to get underway once more.
The Wolves man has of course been linked with the Blues in the past.
