It promises to be a very exciting summer transfer window at Chelsea, with plenty of comings and goings. Who will be the next player to join the west London club? Who will be heading out the Stamford Bridge exit door?
Let’s take a spin through the latest transfer rumors and gossip making the rounds on the internet today.
In Chelsea transfer talk right now, it all starts at the top- who will replace Antonio Conte as manager?
Maurizio Sarri has emerged as the clear favorite right now, apparently leaving Laurent Blanc in his dust. Some reports even indicate that Sarri will bring up to four of his current players with him to Stamford Bridge.
A few outlets, including the Daily Express are citing CalcioMercato journalist Matteo Pedrosi, who reported that “the Napoli chief is set to be appointed this week.”
–Alessandro Florenzi will have no shortage of potential suitors, should he decide to leave AS Roma, and that scenario seems to be increasing in likelihood given how talks over a contract extension have broken down between the club and the Italian international’s agent.
Chelsea have been linked to Florenzi in the past, writes SB Nation’s We Ain’t Got No History website, and the Blues will reportedly be in the mix again this transfer window. Chelsea being linked to a player from manager Antonio Conte’s home country? how novel! (as We Ain’t Got No History rightfully point out)!
Stamford Bridge will reportedly be rivaling Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester United and others for the right to sign Florenzi.
ESPN FC reports that: “The 27-year-old only has one year remaining on his contract and with negotiations hitting the buffers, a move away this summer is probable. The Blues would gladly meet the €4m-per-year wage request, reports Gazzetta dello Sport, while Juventus and Inter Milan would also be happy to weaken a direct rival in Serie A.”
-Finally, Fernando Torres broke the Chelsea record when he switched to Stamford Bridge in 2011. That transfer also set the record for the most expensive Spanish player of all time. Obviously, he won’t cost the anywhere near the same amount this time around, but it won’t be long until we finally know his next destination.
He has been heavily linked to the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, a narrative strongly powered by the fact the Fire are managed by Torres’ former teammate, Veljko Paunovic.
Other outlets have been strongly linking Torres to Rafa Benitez and Newcastle United, but Torres’ father says his next team won’t be in Europe, and much farther away.
Torres’ dad says he still doesn’t know where his son will be play next now that he has left Atletico Madrid, but he knows the decision will come in the next two weeks, and will likely be somewhere in Asia or the United States. The Daily Express has much more on this.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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