Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge; summer transfer window opens on June 10 and closes at 11pm on September 1
Wednesday 29 June 2022 08:08, UK
Wrapping up the Chelsea transfer news, rumours and gossip in the 2022 summer window.
Chelsea are in talks with Leeds over a deal for Raphinha, with the Blues prepared to pay in excess of £50m to get the deal done.
Chelsea's bid has at this point trumped Arsenal, who had an opening bid rejected but are expected to go back in with an improved offer. Chelsea are also in for Raheem Sterling with Manchester City expecting to field a bid for the England international after Thomas Tuchel engaged Sterling over how he would fit in at Stamford Bridge.
Barcelona are also understood to want to sign Raphinha, whose agent is the former Barca player Deco.
Raphinha has been Leeds' outstanding attacking player since joining two seasons ago, scoring 17 Premier League goals.
Romelu Lukaku landed in Milan to complete his loan move to Inter Milan.
The Chelsea striker flew into Milan Linate airport at around 6.20am local time and posed with an Inter scarf before boarding a car.
"I'm so happy to be back," he said.
He will undergo a medical with Inter on Wednesday ahead of being officially announced as a new Inter player.
Inter will pay Chelsea a loan fee of £6.9m plus £3.5m in bonuses if they win the Scudetto, and will cover all his wages this season.
Manchester City are expecting to field an opening offer from Chelsea for Raheem Sterling after Thomas Tuchel engaged the England international over how he would fit in at Stamford Bridge.
The forward heads a shortlist of the manager's attacking targets and enters the final year of his contract with the Premier League champions, who are grateful for his service and will not obstruct his desire for greater minutes and status elsewhere.
Pep Guardiola has repeatedly stated "I don't like to keep players that are unhappy" and is open to allowing Sterling's exit this summer, even to a rival, on condition that an acceptable bid in the region of £50m is tabled.
Chelsea are considering rivalling Tottenham for Everton's Richarlison.
The Blues are interested in the Brazil striker as a potential replacement for Inter Milan-bound Romelu Lukaku, but he is one of several options the club are looking at to improve their front-line.
However, Tottenham are targeting a package deal for both Everton's Richarlison and Anthony Gordon.
Thomas Tuchel could sign as many as three new forwards, with interest in Man City's Raheem Sterling and Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele, who is soon to be out of contract.
Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale and Manchester United expect him to remain at Old Trafford, despite reports linking the Portuguese star with a sensational move to Chelsea.
United's failure to qualify for the Champions League and lack of signings so far this summer has led to reports that Ronaldo may want to leave.
His agent Jorge Mendes met Chelsea's new co-owner Todd Boehly last week and Ronaldo was mentioned during the meeting, but new United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Ronaldo is part of his future plans.
Ronaldo returned to United last summer, 12 years after originally leaving the club for Real Madrid, and netted 24 goals in 38 games to finish as the club's top scorer in all competitions.
Chelsea are willing to pay €45m (£38m) plus Timo Werner to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus while Hakim Ziyech is in talks with AC Milan, reports Sky in Italy.
The 22-year-old Netherlands defender has a £103m (€120m) release clause in his Juventus contract, which is due to expire in 2024, and the club will only entertain offers close to that mark.
Ziyech moved to west London from Ajax in a £33m deal two years ago but has failed to transfer his impressive form with the Dutch champions.
Ziyech could become the third Chelsea player in the last 12 months to join AC Milan with Olivier Giroud and Fikayo Tomori making the switch to the Italian giants last summer.
Chelsea are expected to engage Michael Edwards over their sporting director vacancy with owner Todd Boehly previously referencing Liverpool as a "great model" for success.
The man who helped reshape the recruitment of the Merseysiders and constructed Jurgen Klopp's world-class squad with smart, analytical-powered transfers, departed Anfield this summer after 11 years.
A source close to Edwards has told Sky Sports News that since the 42-year-old's decision to leave was made public last November, he has been approached by Europe's powerhouse teams - Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain specifically - as well as hedge funds and billionaires wanting to buy clubs and have him run them.
Chelsea are interested in Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, reports Sky in Italy.
The 22-year-old Netherlands defender has a £103m (€120m) release clause in his Juventus contract, which is due to expire in 2024, and the club will only entertain offers close to that mark.
Juventus club chiefs met with De Ligt's agent Rafaela Pimenta on Thursday, mainly to speak about Paul Pogba's potential return to Turin.
Chelsea are looking for defensive reinforcements in this transfer window, having seen Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave upon the expiration of their contracts.
Michael Edwards, the architect of Liverpool's recent successes in the transfer market, is among the options being considered by Chelsea to become their new sporting director (The Times, June 22).
The new owners are set to splurge around £200m with Sevilla's Jules Kounde, Brighton's Marc Cucurella and Manchester City pair Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling on a hitlist that also includes Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele - (The Sun, June 10).
Chelsea target Ousmane Dembele will decide on his future in the next 72 hours. Dembele is one of the most sought-after players in this summer's transfer window because his contract with Barcelona is due to expire on June 30 (Daily Mirror, June 27).
Chelsea could be in line for a busy transfer window as Thomas Tuchel eyes a summer clear-out following the completion of the club's takeover (Daily Mirror, June 10).
New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly was permitted to hold back more than £100m from his purchase of the club amid concerns they will be hit with costs over liabilities from the Roman Abramovich era. (Daily Telegraph, June 9).
Seven Chelsea players could find a new club during the transfer window to earn head coach Thomas Tuchel a £170m windfall. (Daily Mirror - June 6).
Oleksandr Zinchenko - Chelsea are considering a stunning triple swoop from title rivals Manchester City, with the Blues adding Oleksandr Zinchenko to their transfer wishlist (Daily Mail; June 28)
Raphinha - Chelsea are poised to make Brazilian star Raphinha their first signing under new ownership and will also make a move for Raheem Sterling this week, costing new chairman Todd Boehly £105m-plus for the glittery pair of wingers (Daily Mail, June 29).
Raheem Sterling - Chelsea are ready to back up their interest in Raheem Sterling by slapping in a formal bid of around £50m to Manchester City in the next couple of days (The Sun, June 28); Chelsea have made the first move in their bid to buy Raheem Sterling after they contacted Manchester City to inform them of their desire to sign the England winger (The Times, June 28).
Nathan Ake - Chelsea have opened talks with Manchester City over the prospect of a double move for Raheem Sterling and Nathan Ake. Tuchel was interested in signing Ake while he was in charge of Borussia Dortmund and the fact the 27-year-old can slot in to the left side of a back three to replace Antonio Rudiger, as well as fill in at left-back and in midfield, is particularly attractive (Daily Telegraph, June 28).
Richarlison - Chelsea are considering rivalling Tottenham for Everton's Richarlison (Sky Sports News, June 27); Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea are in a three-way battle for Brazilian stars Richarlison, Raphinha and Gabriel Jesus (The Sun, June 23); Chelsea players have urged boss Thomas Tuchel to make a £50m transfer move for 'fiery' Everton striker Richarlison to replace Romelu Lukaku (The Sun, June 22); Chelsea are set to join the race for Everton forward Richarlison as Thomas Tuchel plans an overhaul of his attacking options next season (Daily Mail, June 20).
Matthijs De Ligt - Chelsea have resumed talks with Juventus over a potential swap deal involving Christian Pulisic plus cash for De Ligt (Daily Mail, June 29); Chelsea will also carry on spending with Matthijs de Ligt keen on a move to Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old Dutch defender who is on around £ 200,000 a week and his wages and current deal is one of the reasons why Juventus are open to letting him go for around £70m (Daily Mirror, June 28).
Neymar - Thiago Silva insists PSG forward Neymar 'has to' join him at Chelsea (The Sun, June 29); Chelsea are favourites to sign Brazilian superstar Neymar (The Sun, June 23).
Ousmane Dembele - Chelsea could be set to land Barcelona flop Ousmane Dembele on a free when his contract expires next week (Daily Star, June 27); Chelsea transfer target Dembele has reportedly told Barcelona boss Xavi that he would like to stay at the Nou Camp (The Sun, June 22); Barcelona have asked Chelsea target Dembele again to delay the decision over his future while they raise the funds to keep him (Sky Sports News, June 21); Dembele is ready to join the Chelsea revolution - but refuses to watch it from the bench (Sun on Sunday, June 19).
Cristiano Ronaldo - Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Ronaldo. Talks are understood to have taken place with Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes although Manchester United expect the 37-year-old to stay at Old Trafford (Telegraph, June 25).
Gabriel Jesus - Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea are in a three-way battle for Brazilian stars Richarlison, Raphinha and Jesus (The Sun, June 23); Chelsea are one of the clubs to show an interest in Jesus (Sky Sports, June 17).
Yannick Carrasco - Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham are exploring the prospect of signing Atletico Madrid star Carrasco this summer after his release clause emerged, according to reports in Spain (Daily Mirror, June 23).
Christopher Nkunku - Nkunku has signed a new four-year deal at RB Leipzig - that includes a £51.6m release clause - despite reported interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United (June 23).
Allan Saint-Maximin - Newcastle could have to sell their prized asset Saint-Maximin in a bid to raise funds and offset their spending - with the Magpies struggling to offer the frustrated Frenchman a greater wage, leaving Premier League rivals such as Tottenham and Chelsea on alert (Daily Mail, June 22).
Alessandro Bastoni - Chelsea and Tottenham have learned their centre-half target Bastoni plans to stay at Inter Milan (Daily Star, June 21).
Jules Kounde - Chelsea have reportedly been warned by Sevilla defender Kounde's representatives that they must begin to make more of an effort to sign him as talks continue to stall due to differences in transfer valuation (Daily Express, June 20); Barcelona are set to deal Chelsea a massive blow by hijacking their long-time efforts to sign Kounde, with local reports suggesting talks are already at an advanced stage (Daily Mail, June 16); Sevilla are privately fuming that big-money Chelsea transfer target Jules Kounde played for France in the Nations League and has since been forced to undergo pelvic surgery on an old injury which flared up again (The Sun, June 15).
Kalidou Koulibaly and Matthijs de Ligt - Chelsea will also carry on spending with Matthijs De Ligt keen on a move to Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old Dutch defender who is on around £200,000-a-week and his wages and current deal is one of the reasons why Juventus are open to letting him go for around £70m (Daily Mirror, June 27); Chelsea have been handed a double blow in their pursuit of a new centre-back this summer, with Juventus set to bring Napoli's Koulibaly to the Old Lady - the move would signify a further blow for the Blues, with Juventus keen to pair Koulibaly with fellow target De Ligt (The Sun, June 19).
Milan Skriniar - Chelsea have enquired about Inter Milan defender Martin Skriniar in a swap deal that could involve striker Romelu Lukaku returning to his former club in Italy (Daily Mail, June 18); Chelsea have made Inter Milan star Milan Skriniar a top target this summer and are reportedly prepared to offer players in exchange to sign the defender (The Sun, June 14); Chelsea want to sign Skriniar from Inter Milan and would favour a swap deal to minimise spending, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek among those being considered (Daily Express, June 13).
Robert Lewandowski - Robert Lewandowski has rejected the chance to join Chelsea this summer with the Bayern Munich striker targeting a dream move to join Barcelona (Daily Mail, June 18).
Denzel Dumfries - Chelsea are set to rival Manchester United for Inter Milan's Netherlands defender and make a £21m offer (Daily Mail, June 16).
Thomas Strakosha - Chelsea are considering a move for goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha on a free transfer should Kepa Arrizabalaga exit Stamford Bridge this summer, according to reports (Daily Mail, June 15).
Rayan Ait-Nouri - Wolves want £45m for French left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri - with Manchester City and Chelsea in the battle (Sun on Sunday, June 19); Chelsea have added Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri to their list of targets to replace Marcos Alonso, who seems increasingly likely to leave this summer with Barcelona a likely destination (Daily Mail, June 14).
Gabriel Slonina - Chelsea are edging closer to the signing of highly-rated Chicago Fire goalkeeper and reported Real Madrid target Gabriel Slonina ahead of next season, according to reports (The Sun, June 14); Chelsea are set to rival Real Madrid in the battle to sign highly-rated Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, an 18-year-old who could cost in the region of £8m (The Guardian, June 13).
Presnel Kimpembe - Chelsea hope Thiago Silva's friendship with Presnel Kimpembe will tempt the Paris Saint-Germain defender to move to Stamford Bridge this summer (Daily Express, June 11).
Ibrahim Sangare - Chelsea and Manchester United are interested in signing PSV midfielder Sangare this summer (Sky Sports, June 8).
Marc Cucurella - Chelsea must pay at least £45m to win the race for Brighton defender Cucurella and will have to see off competition from Manchester City and Tottenham to land the Spanish left-back (The Sun, May 27).
Sergino Dest - Chelsea are ready to renew their interest in Barcelona full-back Dest and could use the Catalan club's interest in Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta to get a deal over the line as they will need to make significant room for those players on their wage bill (Daily Mail, June 1).
Wesley Fofana - Leicester City are attempting to fend off interest from Manchester United and Chelsea in their centre-back Fofana (Daily Express, June 9).
Emerson Palmieri - Lazio are reportedly set to open talks with Chelsea over a move for Emerson (The Sun, June 23).
Romelu Lukaku - Petr Cech is leaving his role as technical and performance advisor at Chelsea after making it clear that the club should have kept Lukaku for another season rather than remarkably loaning him back to Inter Milan - a move that should be confirmed this week (Daily Telegraph, June 27); Chelsea are holding out for €10m as a loan fee for Lukaku and want Inter Milan to pay his wages, but the Italian club have so far increased their offer from €5m to €7m plus add-ons (Sky Sports News, June 20); Inter Milan believe they are close to agreeing a deal to re-sign striker Lukaku on loan from Chelsea (Sky Sports News, June 19); Lukaku is set to secure a return to Inter Milan on loan after a fee of £8.5m plus add-ons was agreed in a move that will kick-start Chelsea's summer spending spree, with Raheem Sterling at the forefront of Thomas Tuchel's plans (Daily Mail, June 19).
Armando Broja - West Ham are set to bid in the region of £30m for Chelsea striker Broja (Sky Sports News, June 20).
Cesar Azpilicueta - Cesar Azpilicueta is under pressure to slap in a transfer request - or risk his dream move to Barcelona (The Sun, June 18); The defender will hold talks with Chelsea next week over his future (The Sun, June 11).
Reece James - Manchester City and Real Madrid are on red alert with Chelsea yet to approach James over a new contract despite becoming a key member of their first-team squad (Daily Mail, June 10).
Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech - Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is willing to listen to offers for big-money signings Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech this summer as part of a significant squad overhaul (Daily Telegraph, June 10).
Christian Pulisic - AC Milan and Juventus are keeping tabs on Chelsea winger Pulisic after he admitted to being concerned over his playing time at Stamford Bridge (Daily Mail, June 4); Pulisic has admitted he wants more playing time at Chelsea next season and is excited for the club's future after Todd Boehly's takeover was concluded (Daily Mail, June 3).
Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour - Frank Lampard hopes he can use his connections at Chelsea to bring Gallagher and Billy Gilmour to Everton, according to reports (Daily Mail, June 4); Thomas Tuchel will meet with Gallagher to talk about the midfielder's Chelsea future but is still unsure whether to keep him at Stamford Bridge next season. (Fabrizio Romano, May 28).
N'Golo Kante - Manchester United are considering making a bid for Chelsea midfielder Kante as he approaches the final year of his contract (The Guardian, May 28).
Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante - New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is watching Mount's contractual situation at Chelsea carefully as he considers a shock move for the England midfielder (The Sun, June 1).
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - Inter Milan are interested in taking Ruben Loftus-Cheek on loan from Chelsea as they look to regain their Serie A title next season (Daily Mail - June 6).
Will appear here.
Antonio Rudiger - Real Madrid, free
Andreas Christensen - released
Danny Drinkwater - released
Charly Musonda - released
Jake Clarke-Salter - released
Lucas Bergstrom - Peterborough, loan
Sam McClelland - Barrow, loan
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 10 and closes at 11pm on September 1?
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
