Zouma slapped by Chelsea team-mates, Chelsea midfielder to join PSG or Lyon, as Marina makes first move to secure key summer signing
Unusual celebration after Kurt Zouma’s goal
The Frenchman has made goalscoring something of a habit this season. In fact, no defender has found the net on more occasions in the Premier League than Zouma (5) since the start of the campaign.
His goal at Selhurst Park came in the first half and with Chelsea already two goals ahead. Mason Mount delivered a free-kick into the Crystal Palace penalty area and Zouma rose above former Blue Gary Cahill and planted his header beyond the stranded Guaita.
Zouma headed off to the corner flag to celebrate only for Cesar Azpilicueta to halt the centre-back and embrace him on the byline. He was soon joined by several of his Chelsea team-mates, but they weren’t quite as loving.
Antonio Rudiger was first to arrive and he playfully slapped Zouma square in the face. Mateo Kovacic then leant over the crowd of players and clipped the 26-year-old on the back of the head before Jorginho and Rudiger continued to kindly hit the France international.
The ‘celebration’ was then finished off by Mount who followed suit with a slap to the back of Zouma’s head. With friends like these.
Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko has been offered to PSG and Lyon.
The France midfielder, 26, has spent the last three seasons on loan following his £40million arrival at Stamford Bridge from Monaco in 2017.
Napoli have decided against pursuing a permanent deal, apparently partly because the Blues value him at £15million.
Now Foot Mercato reports Bakayoko’s advisors have contacted French champions PSG and Ligue 1 leaders Lyon about a potential summer move.
The Paris-born anchorman has a year left on his Chelsea contract but seemingly has no future under Thomas Tuchel.
Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia makes first move to secure key summer transfer
According to The Athletic, Chelsea are working on soothening the tensions between the club and super-agent Mino Raiola as a move for Erling Haaland is lined up.
Raiola has developed a reputation of being too difficult to work with. However, his clientele boasts of some of the biggest stars in football such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku as well as Haaland, who is being chased by the who’s who of Europe.
Chelsea, too, are keen on signing Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, following the impact that he has made in sixteen months in Germany. However, things haven’t been all too well between the Blues and the striker’s agent, Raiola. (h/t Football.london)
It is claimed that the Italian talked up a return to Chelsea for Lukaku back in 2017, only to arrange a transfer to our rivals Manchester United at the last moment. This led to frosty relations beween the club and the super agent.
However, heading into the summer transfer window, Chelsea are aware that they will need to set things right with him if the club is to have a chance of signing Haaland from Dortmund.
To that end, Chelsea transfer chief Marina Granovskaia is already said to have taken steps to soothen any lingering tensions as the club lines up a summer move for Haaland.
With Timo Werner struggling, Tammy Abraham out of favour under Thomas Tuchel and Olivier Giroud not getting any younger, someone like Haaland could turn un into an unbeatable unit.
So, signing him should be a top priority. Even if it means that the club has to put with the drama that comes along with Raiola.