Chelsea transfer rumours: First Tuchel signing identified, Declan Rice setback, Gilmour loan
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Chelsea spent over £220million during the summer transfer window but that was not enough to keep Frank Lampard in a job, with The Blues manager sacked on Monday morning.
His replacement will almost certainly be German Thomas Tuchel who will have the tough job of leading Chelsea from 9th to a minimum requirement of the Champions League places.
Whether Tuchel will want the same players Lampard was hoping to bring in is up for debate but the German is sure to want to bring in some of his own men in order to get the team playing the style of football he wants to see from his new side.
With that in mind here is a roundup of the latest Chelsea related transfer rumours:
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Dembele still in sight
Ousmane Dembele was reported to be a Chelsea target following a breakdown in his contract negotiations with Barcelona and he is still a player on Chelsea’s radar.
The World Cup winner would have plenty of friends in the Chelsea dressing room having played alongside N’Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud for his national team and Christian Pulisic at former club Borussia Dortmund.
The 23-year-old was signed by the Catalan giants for£135.5m in 2017 but has yet to live up to the price tag. With his contract due to expire in 2022, Barcelona will be keen to either recoup some of their money or tie him down for the long-term.
Having managed Dembele at Dortmund Tuchel will know exactly the type of player he is.
Gilmour loan
Frank Lampard admitted in his final press conference as Chelsea manager that young midfielder Billy Gilmour could leave Chelsea on loan for the remainder of the season.
However, the Daily Mail reported there were no immediate plans for this to happen.
With Lampard no longer at the helm Tuchel’s opinion of the Scot is unknown and with interest sure to be high Gilmour would not struggle to find regular football elsewhere.
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Declan Rice interest
Lampard was a known admirer of the young English defensive midfielder.
However, this admiration caused friction at the club and was a factor in the manager’s dismissal according to London Football News.
With Lampard no longer at the club, it seems West Ham will be able to keep their prize asset for the foreseeable future.
Tuchel’s long-term transfer plans are not known at this stage but with figures at the club keen on Rice, the Blues may well be back for their midfield target in the summer.
Thomas Tuchel agrees to become new Chelsea manager, as Anthony Barry leads training
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Chelsea sacked Frank Lampard this morning, and as it so often happens, we did so with a replacement fully in mind and lined up. We’re nothing if not efficient in this process after the last decade and a half. (Getting to this point probably contributed to the shocking timing of it all, less than 24 hours after our third win in the last four games.)
As per reports, it’s former PSG, BVB, and Mainz head coach Thomas Tuchel who will be taking over, about a month after his own sacking at PSG. Getting sacked is part of a football manager’s job description, after all.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the agreement over his appointment has been reached, and it’s gotten the “here-we-go” stamp.
Thomas Tuchel is the new Chelsea manager after Lampard sack, confirmed. Announcement expected soon. The agreement reached has been reached and here-we-go. #CFC #Chelsea https://t.co/kAdAptlNzb — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 25, 2021
Our efficiency could face a hurdle from the outside however, with special considerations having to be made for COVID-19 protocols and quarantines.
So while Tuchel’s appointment may be announced as soon as tonight or tomorrow, he might have to get stuck in quarantine for about ten days, unless granted a special exemption from the UK government. (Which he probably will get, it should be noted.)
Thomas Tuchel currently in Germany: subject to negative #COVID19 test should be in London within 48 hours. #CFC working on quarantine situation but hope he’ll be exempt as joining elite sports environment. Announcement likely Tuesday @TheAthleticUK #CFC https://t.co/1o20jd0Xs8 — David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) January 25, 2021
With Jody Morris also leaving alongside Frank Lampard, it was coach Anthony Barry, a summer arrival, who reportedly led training ground.
Maybe he will be leading the team on Wednesday as well as we take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Bridge?
Report: Lampard wanted Chelsea to sign 28-year-old PL defender, but board declined
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Frank Lampard wanted to sign James Tarkowski for Chelsea but was prevented because of a deteriorated relationship with Marina Granovskaia.
The Athletic reported that Lampard was eager to sign the Burnley defender as part of his defensive overhaul but was met with resistance by the Chelsea director.
This was given as one of several reasons behind Lampard’s sacking, which was confirmed by the club after tales of his departure were seeped out by the media.
Lampard wanted to make room for Tarkoswki and his number one target Declan Rice by removing the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Marcos Alonso and Antonio Rudiger from his roster.
SEVILLA, SPAIN – DECEMBER 2: Marcos Alonso of Chelsea during the UEFA Champions League match between Sevilla v Chelsea at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on December 2, 2020 in Sevilla Spain (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
The Athletic also suggested that Lampard had toyed with the idea of releasing captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
Only Tomori surfaced as a successful transfer, meaning there was little space in the squad for extra bodies.
MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 23: Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan reacts during the warm up prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Atalanta BC at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on January 23, 2021 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
Having spent over £200m (BBC Sport) in the previous window, Chelsea’s hierarchy were reluctant to splash anymore cash unless further funds were raised through the sales of aforementioned players.
Granovskaia was apparently not keen on Tarkoswki anyway, causing further friction between herself and Lampard.
The 28-year-old has played well over 100 games in the Premier League and has been capped twice by the England national side.
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – JANUARY 09: James Tarkowski of Burnley during the FA Cup Third Round match between Burnley and Milton Keynes Dons at Turf Moor on January 9, 2021 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Paul Greenwood – CameraSport via Getty Images)
The Telegraph reported that Tarkoswki had refused to sign a new Burnley contract last November as his current contract nears the end of its tenure.
Himself and Rice are not the only deals that have caused discontent with the ex-Blues manager and his board.
According to the Athletic, Ben Chilwell was the only signing from last summer that Lampard himself wanted. Considering they brought in the highly sort after Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, among others, this is a startling admission of unrest behind the scenes.
Thomas Tuchel will take over from the rut that Chelsea currently find themselves in and will attempt to soften the displeasure that was left for him.
The Chelsea Chronicle View
I’m not sure what else there is to say on this sad matter. It was clear for a long time that Lampard’s position was in peril and it was just a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
Nothing has felt quite at ease since the rumours began to swirl around his future. Results on the pitch have been poor which has clearly been caused by turbulence off the field.
I wish all the best for Lampard and thank him for what he’s done for Chelsea. Here’s hoping Tuchel can steady the ship.