With the exception of Belarus, South Korea and Germany, global football is currently on pause. The Premier League has been given the all clear by the government to restart sometime in June, with matches being played behind closed doors. Chelsea began training, albeit in small groups, this week.
Still plenty of questions regarding Project Restart, but there is confidence that the EPL will return. Until football returns, we do actually have transfer talk to cover. So let’s take a spin through the Chelsea FC rumor mill in cyberspace.
Phillippe Coutinho could be going back to his parent club, FC Barcelona, as Bayern Munich let their option to buy, for €120 million, expire without exercising it. Said Bayern boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to Der Spiegel:
“The option expired and we haven’t activated it. We’re going to plan our squad for next season and we’ll see if he still has a role to play with us or not.”
It doesn’t sound like Coutinho will be staying, and Barca needs to raise some money, so it’s likely the 27-year-old moves on. The Brazilian is wanted by Chelsea, arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur and others.
Speaking of Brazilian wingers wanted by Tottenham, it appears that re-signing Willian will be a major challenge.
“It’s a difficult situation because Chelsea offered me two years and they are not going to change what they offered. I said I wanted three more years,’ the 31-year-old told Brazilian outlet Esporte Interativo.
“The situation is difficult because of this. I really don’t know if it will be possible [to stay]. My goal is to continue working and focus on the remainder of the season, so that Chelsea can continue winning games.”
“I have a clear head and I’m focused for the rest of the season that we have left. I think it’s difficult [to stay]. Let’s see what happens.”
Willian has been linked with several clubs, but a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Tottenham seems the most likely destination.
Finally, Bayer Leverkusen striker Kai Havertz, 20, continued to show the world today why all the big clubs are keen on him.
Bagging a brace against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, he now has now scored six times and registered three assists during his past half-dozen appearances.
Reportedly, valued at around €100 million, he’s wanted by United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, pretty much everybody in the big six, now that Manchester City have also now entered the fray.
That’s according to The Sun today.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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