“I really like Chelsea” – Todd Boehly set to pay £42 million for star who admitted he likes Chelsea
With the help of co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea president Todd Boehly has additional plans to enhance the team under new head coach Enzo Maresca.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Guiu’s contracts with Chelsea are announced.
In the first few weeks of this transfer window, Chelsea has been among the busier teams in the Premier League, having already completed four transfers in order to support Maresca ahead of the upcoming campaign.
After signing a free transfer to Stamford Bridge from west London rivals Fulham, Tosin Adarabioyo was shortly joined by Aston Villa sensation Omari Kellyman, but left-back Ian Maatsen left in a different transaction.
Chelsea then agreed deals to sign both young striker Marc Guiu from Barcelona and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City, who come as their latest acquisitions, but only two of the aforementioned four new faces appear destined to bolster Maresca’s first team.
Kellyman has just 35 Premier League minutes to his name so far, despite his promise, while the 18-year-old Guiu is perhaps unlikely to be Chelsea’s sole striker signing this summer.
Chelsea have Napoli star Victor Osimhen on their list of striker targets, while it is believed that Maresca could look to sign another defender after Tosin. Indeed, Fabrizio Romano claims the club could make two centre-back additions over the coming weeks. “It will continue to be a busy summer at Chelsea,” wrote the reporter in a Dailybriefing.
“It won’t be completely crazy but they will try to make smart things happen, including a new goalkeeper and I expect them to try for at least one new centre-back, but it could be two. I also expect Chelsea to be busy with the striker position.”
Veteran centre-back Thiago Silva has been a crucial presence at the heart of Chelsea’s backline for years, but the Brazilian left upon the expiry of his contract to rejoin boyhood club Fluminense.
It is now up to Chelsea to replace Silva’s undoubted influence. They’ve been targeting a few interesting names, including Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, but one who has emerged very recently is Bologna starlet Riccardo Calafiori.
Chelsea will submit rival bid for Calafiori after admission
As per TEAMtalk, Chelsea are set to rival Arsenal and submit a bid for Calafiori, who they are “very keen” on.
The 22-year-old impressed under former boss Thiago Motta at Bologna last season, and has gone that one step further with a string of accomplished performances for Italy at Euro 2024. Reports suggest he could cost around £42 million, and other reports say Chelsea have been weighing up a Calafiori move after he left Cobham scouts impressed with his Euros performances.
“My dream would be to play in the Premier League,” said Calafiori in 2022, via the TEAMtalk report.
“I really like West Ham or Chelsea.”