Chelsea are off until December 27, when they’ll take on AFC Bournemouth in a Premier League fixture. As we wrote last weekend, their break comes at just the right time.
They need some time to regroup, because their season is not in a good place right now. Perfect time to talk transfer narratives, and this is a midfielders only edition.
We start with The Next Big Thing, Jude Bellingham, a transfer target of not just Chelsea, but also both Manchester clubs and Real Madrid, with Liverpool said to be in pole position right now.
ICYMI, Borussia Dortmund Chief Executive Officer Hans Watzke said a couple days ago that they will let Bellingham leave this summer, should he desire an exit.
These comments put everyone chasing the English midfielder on notice.
Bellingham has an estimated transfer value of €202m, according to the CIES Football Observatory, who placed an estimated transfer value on every player at the 2022 World Cup, deriving the figure from something referred to as a bespoke algorithm, whatever that is supposed to be.
Bellingham topped their charts, which they posted earlier today.
Also valued pretty high on that list, is a national teammate of Bellingham, Mason Mount, who is projected to be worth €100m.
He’s been linked in what would potentially be a blockbuster swap deal, going to Liverpool, with Naby Keita going the other way.
Liverpool is not the only club that wants Mason Mount, as The Guardian claims Juventus are keen as well.
Getting any deal though will be a challenge as Chelsea leadership reportedly view him as a potential captain one day.
The report goes on to say that the southwest London club will be looking to extend Mount.
Paul M. Banks is the Owner/Manager of The Sports Bank and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly contributed to WGN News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.