Chelsea Transfer News Today: Neto MEDICAL, Osimhen wants MOVE, Chalobah EXILED

Robin Bairner

Updated: 10 Aug 2024 22:02 BST
7 min read

The latest Chelsea football transfer news updates, with the hottest updates on all the potential new signings and sales at Stamford Bridge, including Victor Osimhen, Nico Williams and Romelu Lukaku.

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Osimhen has made transfer request

Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has confirmed that Victor Osimhen wants to leave the club.

Speaking after the striker was dropped for Saturday's Coppa Italia match against Modena, he said: “Victor is a player who wants to leave and last year there was already a situation in place. We are calm because we have guys in the squad to replace him.

“Osimhen is a strong player but we want to give integrity to the group and we prefer to protect the group. We will see what happens in the next 20 days.”

Arsenal have moved to re-ignite a deal for the striker, according to Sky Sport Italia.

Chelsea still want to sign Victor Osimhen and make him their first-choice striker for the new season, potentially relegating forthcoming €40m addition Samu Omorodion to second or even third choice at Stamford Bridge.

The Athletic FC podcast states that Chelsea continue to track the Nigeria international forward, although Fabrizio Romano says that the Blues will not spend “crazy money” on the striker.

Napoli have been insistent that clubs meet the €120 valuation of the player’s release clause to sign him, a stance that has put off Arsenal, while PSG have been unwilling to match this price, despite agreeing terms with the player.

Current ETV

Victor Osimhen

F (C)

Napoli

Victor Osimhen

F (C)

Napoli

ETV Range

€53.3M - €88.9M

Chelsea agree €63m deal to sign Pedro Neto

Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Wolves winger Pedro Neto, according to a report from Fabrice Hawkins of RMC Sport, which was subsequently confirmed by a string of major journalists, including Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein.

The attacker has been the subject of rampant speculation for months after an impressive Premier League season, though few would have expected him to end up at Stamford Bridge.

Neto had been linked with Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Tottenham, but associations with the west London giants were few and far between. Now, however, he is apparently close to joining Chelsea.

According to Ornstein, Chelsea will pay a whopping €60 million plus €3m in add-ons for the Portuguese attacker, who will pen a long-term contract with his new club shortly. Neto is already in London for his medical.

Current ETV

Pedro Neto

F (C)

Wolverhampton

Pedro Neto

F (C)

Wolverhampton

ETV Range

€16.3M - €27.1M

Chalobah banished

According to The Telegraph, Trevoh Chalobah has been barred from entering Chelsea's first-team facilities as the club attempt to force him out.

Chalobah has been forced to train with the youth teams after being omitted from the squad for the US pre-season tour. Even with the team now back, the 25-year-old is not allowed to train with Maresca's men.

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are interested in the versatile defender.

Sterling enquiry

Juventus have enquired about Raheem Sterling, according to Di Marzio. There is a belief at Juventus and other clubs, including in the Premier League, that Sterling could be attainable following the news of Neto's impending signing.

The winger arrived from Man City for €56m in 2022 but has failed to consistently impress at Stamford Bridge.

Barca want Chukwuemeka

Sport reports that Carney Chukwuemeka has become Barcelona's top target for the midfield should they decide to dip into the market for that position.

This, however, appears highly unlikely for the foreseeable future, with Hansi Flick recently insisting that this is not an area that needs any more strengthening.

Noni Madueke exit rumours

Newcastle are in need of a new winger and are ready to turn to Chelsea’s Noni Madueke to help fill a void for them.

NUFCblog claims that the Magpies will seek to sign the former PSV wideman on a loan deal with an obligation to buy.

It is claimed that it could all fall into place when the Blues complete a deal to sign Pedro Neto.

Madueke has typified the difficulties Chelsea have had with their transfer policy of buying youngsters, playing only 46 games for the club while contributing nine goals.

READ MORE: Latest Chelsea transfer rumours

Current ETV

Noni Madueke

M (R)

Chelsea

Noni Madueke

M (R)

Chelsea

ETV Range

€18M - €30M

Gallagher deal all-but confirmed

Atletico Madrid have all but made Conor Gallagher’s transfer from Chelsea official.

The Spanish side have posted an image of the England midfielder at the Metropolitano.

Gallagher is part of a remarkably triple deal that will see Atleti sign Julian Alvarez from Manchester City, while the Blues are set to sign striker Samu Omorodion from Los Colchoneros.

Conor Gallagher visitó el Cívitas @Metropolitano mientras Atlético de Madrid y Chelsea FC ultiman su traspaso. pic.twitter.com/yKDEl9v3LA
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) August 9, 2024

Carragher makes Maresca sack prediction

Jamie Carragher doubts Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will last the season and will become the latest casualty of BlueCo’s ruthless policy with regards bosses.

“The way Chelsea’s pre-season has gone… they’ve got Man City first game of the season… I’ll be surprised if Maresca is still the manager come the end of the season, very surprised,” the former Liverpool man told The Overlap.

Chelsea won only one of their five pre-season matches, including a 2-2 draw against Wrexham and a 4-1 loss against Scottish champions Celtic.

Are Chelsea crazy, clever or crazy stupid?

Chelsea’s transfer policy has once again come under the microscope as they seek to complete a double deal that will see Samu Omorodion move to Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid with Conor Gallagher going in the opposite direction.

Omorodion has already agreed terms with the Blues and is considered to be a player with the “potential to be a top Premier League player” but needs to be developed in the right context.

With 33 players on the club’s pre-season tour, Duncan Castles revealed on The Transfers Podcast that he has spoken to one sporting director who branded Chelsea “either crazy, clever or crazy stupid”.

Jonathan Northcroft of The Sunday Times replied: “It’s another summer of collecting potential and collecting talent, then chucking people out the door and starting again.

“What happens now? How do you make sense of this squad? How do these players develop?”

“That’s the thing. For talent to develop, it needs stability and there needs to be a play, an individualised plan for a player, and there needs to be players on the pitch who are around them who are secure in their roles and positions who can help younger players learn the ropes.

“None of that exists at Chelsea. It didn’t exist last season. You’re watching a whole group of players trying to develop together at the same time.

“Only Cole Palmer was able to come in and do it straight away.

“Nicholas Jackson spent the whole season almost trying to learn how to score and he was kind of getting the hang of it by the end of the year. Now what happens to his development?”