It’s been a less than optimal summer for Chelsea FC, but there is still plenty of time to get things right, transfer window wise. The summer window doesn’t close until Sept, so the west London club has a few weeks to sign a couple more players.
Some of Chelsea’s preseason friendly results have left a lot to be desired, and while those are only exhibitions, you still don’t want to see that. No time to really ruminate on it now though, as the matches will start counting for real in a few days, when the Blues take on good old friend Frank Lampard and Everton this weekend.
We’ll have match preview material on that later this week. In the meantime, let’s do so some transfer talk, (for part two of today’s Chelsea transfer rumors go here) focusing on Stamford Bridge hijacking (don’t you love when the media uses that term? “hijacking”, like they are terrorists on an airline or something) some potential deals of the Manchester clubs.
But first, they’re moving quickly to finalize and announce the acquisition of a promising young American goalkeeper. Yes, as we scooped everybody else on, Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina, 18, of the Chicago Fire, will join Chelsea on the first of the year.
Here’s more on the $10 million deal that will be made official very soon. Chicago Fire manager Ezra Hendrickson gave some indications, on Saturday night, the deal will soon be done.
Chelsea FC 2022 Summer Transfer Window Summary
Incomings
Raheem Sterling – Manchester City, $56.3m
Kalidou Koulibaly – Napoli, $39.1m
Gaga Slonina – Chicago Fire $10m (story we scooped 2 weeks ago, but not officially announced yet)
Outgoings
Romelu Lukaku – Inter Milan (loan, and $8.1m loan fee)
Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid (free)
Andreas Christensen – Barcelona (contract expiration)
Danny Drinkwater (contract expiration)
Elsewhere, Frenkie de Jong has been Manchester United’s top transfer target this summer. Will he finally leave FC Barcelona and move to Old Trafford? Maybe, I don’t know, but this narrative had been oversaturated with media coverage enough already.
But wait, there’s more. Now Chelsea are going all in on the 25-year-old Dutchman too. A report from Sport in Spain says the Bridge are willing to sell Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso to Barcelona plus hand over $82 million to the Catalan club, in order to obtain the holding midfielder.
Seems a bit far-fetched, but okay, I guess this narrative is real?! Maybe? Doesn’t sound realistic.
Finally, about that other Manchester club hijacking. City badly need a new left back, and Marc Cucurella, of Brighton & Hove Albion, has handed in a transfer request to his current club. When City manager Pep Guardiola was questioned about Cucurella, he answered best he could, but said very little.
“He’s a Brighton player, I cannot say anything else,” The Catalan responded. Chelsea are now said to be interested as well. Brighton reportedly want $60 million for him, and City are said to not be interested in paying it.
Here is the latest on the situation, via transfer guru Fabrizio Romano:
Chelsea are pushing to hijack Marc Cucurella deal! Direct talk today with Brighton – Levi Colwill could be part of the negotiation. ?? #CFC
Personal terms negotiation, in the next hours. Man City will not improve last bid: £40m, rejected by Brighton.
First call @CraigHope_DM pic.twitter.com/Md7hJpAFkU— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 1, 2022
Maybe will Chelsea will meet them at that amount? Maybe? Looks like a bidding war is on!
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) 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 appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.