Author: Adam

Chelsea Football Club have confirmed the signing of N’Golo Kante from defending Premier League champions Leicester City for a fee believed to be around £30 million.

The defensive midfielder cost the Foxes £6 million when they brought him in from the French club Caen during the summer. He made 40 appearances in all competitions for Leicester as they went on to become surprise champions of the English top-flight.

The 25-year-old was instrumental in Leicester’s incredible league success and also impressed for France during this summer’s European Championships. The host nation reached the final of the competition before being beaten by Portugal and was part of the French squad throughout.

Speaking to Chelsea’s official website Kante said, “I am so happy to have signed for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. It’s a dream come true for me. The opportunity to work with Antonio Conte, a brilliant coach, and some of the best players in the world was simply too good to turn down”.

Conte’s friend and fellow Italian Claudio Ranieri, who was Chelsea manager during the initial phase of Roman Abramovich’s ownership of the West London club and who led Leicester to title success last season, was disappointed to lose Kante and did everything he could to keep him. An official statement from the club said, “Despite the offer of a substantially improved, long-term contract, it became apparent that N’Golo’s wish was to join Chelsea”. The Foxes received a club record fee for the player.

The Foxes have found numerous members of their title-winning squad come under offer from fellow Premier League teams. Jamie Vardy, the Leicester City striker, turned down a move to Arsenal earlier this summer and the club’s mercurial winger Riyad Mahrez is also believed to be being chased by a number of top teams.

Chelsea’s Technical Director, Michael Emenalo, is delighted that the Blues have been able to sign up Kante who he believes is a ‘fantastic signing with exceptional quality’. He said, “He is a perfect fit in terms of Antonio Conte’s philosophies and the style of football he wants to play. For a player of his age he has already built up a wealth of experience and his exceptional quality will without doubt be a great addition to the team”.

Kante himself confirmed on the social networking site Instagram that it was the chance to work with Conte, along with the Italian’s words, that persuaded him to make the move to West London in spite of the fact that Chelsea have no European football to offer. He posted, “It is a great club, which has just recruited a great coach and want to reach high ambitions I share. The club’s project and the coach’s speech have convinced me to join this new ambitious adventure. I am now waiting to see my new club and give everything for a successful summer… And season of course!!”

The French player also paid thanks to his former club, saying, “This season, I…discovered the Premier League with @lcfc. I want to thank the leaders, my team-mates and Claudio Ranieri for this fantastic season that saw us winning the title of England. Their confidence and also the fans will forever remain in my memory. And I again thank you all”.

The 25-year-old was Claudio Ranieri’s first signing as Leicester boss and has become Antonio Conte’s second major signing of the summer, coming after the Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi was signed from Marseille. He made the most tackles and interceptions in the Premier League last season and was part of the PFA’s Team of the Year.

Chelsea will be the fourth professional club that Kante has played for and he told the club’s website, “My first season in English football was very special and now I hope to go on to achieve even more during my time as a Chelsea player. I am looking forward to meeting up with my new team-mates and helping the club achieve a lot of success”.

Chelsea’s new boss Antonio Conte, who was appointed by the club as a permanent replacement for José Mourinho after the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was sacked in December last year, has said that he wants to keep hold of Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado.

The 28-year-old was signed by Chelsea from Fiorentina in February of 2015 and made thirteen appearances for the Blues but failed to score in any of them after his £23.3 million move to Stamford Bridge. He was signed on the back of an impressive performance in Serie A during the previous campaign and some excellent performances in the 2014 World Cup, but didn’t settle in England.

The Colombian was loaned out to Juventus last season and played under Chelsea’s new manager during a campaign in which The Old Lady won a league and cup double. Conte confirmed he’ll be happy to see him return to Stamford Bridge, saying, “I wanted him when I was Juventus coach. He will come back very soon and train and play with us”.

Cuadrado scored four goals in twenty-eight appearances for Juve after joining The Zebras when Pedro arrived in West London from Barcelona, making him surplus to requirements. He left just five days after the arrival of the Spaniard and was a crucial part of Conte’s success with Juventus last term. During this summer’s Copa America Cuadrado helped his home nation Colombia finish in third place.

Conte made clear that, for the time being at least, Cuadrado is not going anywhere. He said, “Now, he’s a Chelsea player and he’ll stay with us. If something changes you’ll know”. The Colombian will be like a new signing for the Blues, given that he already knows and understands Conte’s methods. He will join up with new boys N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi as part of the Italian manager’s new look Chelsea side.

Chelsea’s new manager has given his first press conference since being officially appointed at the West London club and declared that he is a ‘tailor’ who will make the ‘best dress’ to get the club back into the Champions League.

Conte, who arrived at Stamford Bridge earlier this week after his Italy side got knocked out of the European Championships in France by Germany, has also confirmed that current Chelsea captain John Terry will maintain the armband for next season. The former England captain looked as though he was on his way out of the club when the Blues failed to offer him a new deal, but they changed their mind in May and he signed a new one-year deal.

Conte confirmed that he was part of the decision making process to offer Terry that new contract, saying, “I repeat, John Terry is an important player for me, the club and the fans. He signed a new contract in May and we took the decision together. We were very pleased and very happy he signed a new deal. I spoke to him at different times and he was very happy to sign”.

With Terry as the club’s captain the Italian believes Chelsea are in an excellent position to push on in the 2016-2017 season, recovering from their disastrous 2015-2016 campaign in order to return to the Champions League. He said, “Chelsea belongs in the Champions League and we must stay there. I know only the road to take the club back to competing and winning the title – work, work, work. The coach is a tailor who must make the best dress for the team. Last season in 10th was a bad season, but we must think to the present”.

Conte, who turns 47 later this month, took charge of his first training session with the Blues on Wednesday. He was pleased with the spirit he saw from his players and believes that they have what it takes to match his work ethic. He refused to be drawn on the notion of the Premier League being a battle ground for the world’s best managers, instead suggesting it’s about the players and teams in the league.

Answering a question about whether he’d like a name similar to how José Mourinho called himself ‘The Special One’, Conte said, “I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing but I have a great passion for football, for my team, for my work. I like to stay with my players in training – to play with them, to lose with them. I have great passion and I want to transfer that to my players and fans. In this tournament it is not a challenge between managers. It is between great teams and great players. These are the most important things”.

Conte won’t be afraid to ask for advice from former Chelsea manager and fellow Italian Claudio Ranieri, who won the Premier League with Leicester City last season. He said, “He is a lovely man and I will ask him for a bit of advice”. He also denied that he would be under any pressure, despite the fact that the bookmakers think he’s more likely to be sacked before the end of the season than to win the title with the West London club.

Conte said, “I suffer during the game and I won’t let my players see this, or the fans see this. I hope there is a small flame flickering that can eventually grow into a blazing inferno. The pressure for me is not important. I was born with pressure. It’s the norm when you are a player or manager of a great club. We must fight for the title, we belong in the Champions League and we must stay there. Every manager has his own idea of football and I want to transfer my ideas to the players”.

Regarding transfers, Chelsea have made one big appointment with the signing of the Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi for £33 million. The youngster signed a five-year contract and Conte thinks he’ll be important for Chelsea’s future. He said, “He’s a young player but very strong with good technique. He uses two feet, a great talent. I am very happy that Batshuayi stays with us. You don’t need to take just the champions, you need to take those who can adapt to our football and our philosophy”.

Eden Hazard’s brother Kylian has attempted to end speculation surrounding the Belgian’s future by declaring that he is committed to Chelsea Football Club.

The forward struggled for form last season and was blamed by some sections of the Chelsea fans for the team’s under-whelming league campaign. Hazard and his teammate Diego Costa found themselves targeted by some supporters when the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, decided to sack José Mourinho for the second time.

It was Hazard who went down injured in the then defending Premier League champion’s first game of the season against Swansea City, causing the club doctor, Eva Carneiro, to run on to the pitch and treat him. Mourinho was furious with her and demoted her and the physio Jon Fearn from first-team duties. Hazard went on to struggle to hit the heights he’d achieved the previous season when he was named Chelsea’s player of the year.

He did seem to find a degree of form towards the end of the season, particularly at Anfield when Chelsea played Liverpool in the Reds’ final home game of the campaign. He caused all sorts of problems for Jürgen Klopp’s men, causing some Chelsea fans to believe he was playing for a move to one of Europe’s biggest sides.

The player himself denied that he was hoping to get a move to Paris Saint-Germain before he joined up with the Belgian squad ahead of the 2016 European Championships in France. He seemed to carry his end of season form into the tournament, though he couldn’t help Belgium avoid defeat to Wales in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Now his brother has re-iterated his desire to stay at Stamford Bridge and work under the new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte. Speaking to Goal Kylian Hazard said, “He will stay at Chelsea, he is happy at Chelsea,” Kylian told Goal. “He loves London. It is good for him there and he says the facilities are great. It is one of the biggest teams in the world. He will be special again for them next year”.

Kylian Hazard also thinks that his brother will be able to strike up a good attacking relationship with Chelsea’s new signing, Michy Batshuayi. Batshuayi was also part of Belgium’s squad at the Euros and becomes the third well-known Belgian to sign for the West London club, joining Hazard and Thibaut Courtois in Conte’s squad.

Batshuayi signed for Chelsea from Marseille for £32.2 million and Kylian Hazard said, “Chelsea is a great team for Belgians at the minute. You see it with another Belgian arriving in Michy Batshuayi as well as Thibaut Courtois. Batshuayi will do really well at Chelsea and he can help Diego Costa, including times like last season when he was injured, and score goals. He will work with Eden well just as they did for Belgium. They know each other now and we have talked about Michy’s move. We think he will be really good”.

Chelsea Football Club have today confirmed that their Brazilian forward Willian has signed a new four-year contract with the West London club.

The 27-year old was signed from the Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala for £32 million in August 2013 and has so far made 140 appearances for the Blues, scoring 19 goals. He has put pen to paper on a deal that commits him to the club until 2020.

The talented forward was voted as Chelsea’s player of the year for the 2015-2016 season by both supporters and his fellow players. He arrived a Stamford Bridge in the same summer as José Mourinho began his second spell in charge of the club. Under the management of the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ he went on to win the Premier League and the League Cup in only his second season in England. Now he’ll be hoping that he can add to his trophy haul.

He told the club’s official website, “I’m very happy to sign a new contract with Chelsea. It’s a dream to continue with this club and over the next four years I will try to help the team win more trophies. It’s been an amazing time for me since I joined the club three years ago, I’ve won titles and last season I was named Chelsea Player of the Year. I hope to be able to stay at that level during the coming seasons and achieve more success”.

Chelsea’s technical director, Michael Emenalo, was delighted to get Willian’s long-term future sorted out this summer. He said, “We are very pleased to agree a new long-term deal with Willian who has proved himself to be an important player for the team since he arrived here”.

Emenalo also hinted that new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was a big part of the reason why Willian has agreed to the new deal. He said, “We are looking forward to seeing his continued impact as we begin an exciting new campaign under first-team head coach Antonio Conte”.

Last season was Willian’s most successful for the London club, with the forward scoring 13 goals in 59 appearances, firstly under José Mourinho and then under the management of Guus Hiddink when the Dutchman took over after the Portuguese manager was sacked by the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich.

Willian had two years left on his previous deal, which would have seen him remain with Chelsea until 2018. The new contract extends that by two more years and sees Willian receive a pay increase. He will be hoping that his continued work with Chelsea sees his appearances for his international side continue to take place. He’s so far earned 30 Brazil caps since he made is debut for his national team in 2011. He’s scored six goals for the Verde-Amarela.

Chelsea Football Club have this week confirmed the signing of the Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi from Marseille for a fee believed to be in the region of £33 million or €40 million.

The 22-year-old has become Antonio Conte’s first official signing since agreeing to take over the manager’s job at Stamford Bridge, despite the fact that he’s only just left France where he had been managing the Italian national side in the European Championships.

Batshuayi joined Marseille from Standard Liege back in 2014, making his international debut the following March in a 5-0 win over Cyprus in a Euro 2016 qualifying game. He scored 23 goals for the French side last season, leading many clubs to keep close tabs on him.

The Belgian striker scored in his country’s last-16 match against Hungary, helping them earn a quarter-final draw with Wales. Sadly he was unable to aid the Belgians in their quest for Euros glory, even though he came off the bench in the match that the Red Devils eventually lost 3-1 to Gareth Bale and his teammates.

He is not the only Belgian player to be on the books of the West London club, of course. Both Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have been out in France with him and have apparently been telling him all about life at Stamford Bridge. He said, “I am delighted to sign for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have told me many good things about the club, and with Antonio Conte coming in, it’s an exciting time to become a Chelsea player”.

He will be hoping that he can continue his good relationship with Hazard. He came off the bench during Belgium’s game against Hungary and scored a goal with his first touch after a brilliant cross was played to him by his new Chelsea teammate.

Everton’s striker, who is rumoured to be being chased by Chelsea this summer, has told Sky Sports that his agent is in charge of decided his future.

The Belgian striker is enjoying a fine European Championships tournament with his country. He joined Everton from Chelsea in 2014 for a club record £28 million but is reportedly unhappy with his life at Goodison Park. In the spring he let it be known that he favours a club that can offer him Champions League football, something that the Toffees can’t do.

His agent, Mino Raiola, has spoken highly of the ‘Goodison Project’ recently, perhaps in case the 23-year-old ends up staying on Merseyside under new manager Ronald Koeman. He is quoted in Sportwereld as saying, “Everton don’t need the money anymore but Romelu wants to play for a club that can win trophies. [But] something’s changed at Everton. There’s a new project. If he leaves, it has to be a good deal for all parties”.

Raiola has suggested that only the richest clubs in Europe will be able to pay an amount of money that Everton would find acceptable. That has meant that Chelsea have become favourites, even though his old club won’t have Champions League football next season.

For the player himself the most important thing at the moment is Belgium’s progress through the Euros in France. He said, “It’s my agent who is dealing with that aspect [of my career]. I’m just focused on Belgium, and the most important thing is helping my team”.

Lukaku’s Belgian team-mate Radja Nainggolan has also been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. Between the two of them that have scored three of Belgium’s four goals so far in the tournament. Asked about the possibility of extending his contract with Roma he said, “I said I love where I’m playing so why not?The Premier League is another good competition, but I think sometimes in life you need to make choices. I don’t know what will be my future but I just can say that where I am I’m happy”.

Chelsea’s Under-21 midfielder Lewis Baker is set to return to Vitesse Arnhem, the Dutch club, on loan this summer.

Baker joined Chelsea as a 9-year-old but has yet to make a senior start for the club. He did get an appearance from the substitute’s bench in an FA Cup match against Derby County in the 2013-2014 season, though.

The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem and made 34 appearances. He scored five goals including one that was given the club’s ‘Goal Of The Season’ award. Before heading to Holland he also enjoyed loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and MK Dons.

Speaking about his decision to head back to the Eredivisie side Baker said, “There was interest from several other clubs last summer but, together with my family and Chelsea, I have discussed the options and we all believed that another year at Vitesse was the best option. After the season I was allowed to participate in the Toulon tournament, which was a success. I want to hold that form and take it into the next season. I want to keep developing myself and improve to hopefully play a good season. And I hope to contribute to the success of the club”.

Chelsea have a good relationship with Vitesse and Baker isn’t the only player heading back to the Dutch club for a second season. His youth team-mate Nathan will also be spending another season at the GelreDome after agreeing a loan-renewal with the side.

Chelsea’s youth goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney has agreed to head to Crawley Town on loan until the 3rd of January 2017, it has been confirmed.

The 20-year-old has yet to appear for Chelsea, though he did spend some time at Newport County on loan last season. He was on the bench for the Blues’ Premier League game with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge earlier this year, as well as during the club’s 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in December of 2014.

Dermot Drummy, the Head Coach at Crawley Town, worked with Beeney during his time at Chelsea’s Youth Academy. That included a period when Chelsea won the Under-21 Premier League in 2014, with Drummy as their head coach and Beeney as part of the team.

Speaking to the Reds’ official website, Drummy said, “I know Mitch well from my time at Chelsea and he is a great addition to our squad. He’s got lots of experience at under-21 level both here and overseas but he needs to get Football League experience and this is his opportunity, to fight with Yusif Mersin and of course Glenn Morris for the goalkeeper’s spot. We look forward to seeing him next week when we report back for pre-season and to him making a big contribution for us next season”.

Beeney’s career began at Gillingham in 2004 where he spent three years as part of the youth academy. He was signed by Chelsea in 2007 and joined the Under-18 squad before gaining a place in the Under-21 side. He made four appearances whilst on loan at Newport County.

Beeney is the eighth new player to arrive at Crawley Town so far this summer, with more expected.

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague believes that a whole host of top clubs throughout Europe are interested in signing Chelsea’s defender Cesar Azpilicueta.

The 26-year-old has been with the West London club since 2012 when he moved there from Marseille. Chelsea aren’t too worried about losing the player but Balague feels certain that they will play hard-ball over the fee they expect to receive for him, with Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all chasing his signature.

Speaking to Sky Sports Balague said, “Some of the top clubs in Europe are after Azpilicueta’s signature, not least because of his versatility in being able to play in both full-back positions with equal confidence”.

The Spaniard appeared 38 times for Chelsea during the last campaign, a campaign that saw the then defending Premier League champions get off to their worst start in the top-flight since the 1960s. It also saw the departure of José Mourinho from the manager’s dugout and the arrival of Dutchman Guus Hiddink on an interim basis for the second time in his career. Chelsea missed out on Champions League football, meaning that some players might be looking to move on before the start of next season.

Balague continued, “If Chelsea were willing to sell, the front runners would be Atletico Madrid, although they have recently coolled on the idea, turning their attentions instead to Croatian full-back Sime Vrsaljko, who will soon confirm that he is moving to the Spanish club. There are, however, a host of clubs and top-flight managers that would love to see the Pamplona-born defender join their ranks, not least Unai Emery who is…on the very verge of taking over from Laurent Blanc at PSG”.

Barcelona are reportedly in the market for a versatile defender, believing that they can persuade Hector Bellerin to swap The Emirates for Camp Nou. Arsenal are keen to hold on to the defender, though, meaning that Barca see Azpilicueta as a good plan B, though they’re not happy about paying the £14 million Chelsea are likely to want. Bayern Munich are also keen on him and Athletic Bilbao would also love to take him to San Mamés.

Balague doesn’t think Chelsea will let him go to another Premier League side, with their former boss Mourinho now installed at Old Trafford. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ knows his former defender well, but, according to Balague, “Whether or not Chelsea would be prepared to sell Azpilicueta – at any price – to the club of their former manager and to a rival in England is another matter altogether”.

Though the Blues know how much they want for him and won’t be willing to let him go for less than that, it’s unlikely that they will stop him from going if the right sort of offer comes in. Balague said, “Chelsea will…stick to their valuation primarily because they would be quite happy to see him stay at the club, although they wouldn’t stand in his way if they received an offer that they felt they couldn’t refuse”.