Welcome to our football.london CareFree Chelsea daily news round-up. Maybe not the first, we've definitely done transfer round-ups before, and European round-ups, so I guess in some ways it's not that new at all.
Chelsea keen on keeping hold of Vale
The Athletic have reported that Chelsea turned down a bid from Huddersfield Town to loan academy player Harvey Vale. The Championship side enquired about the player but could sign his teammate Tino Anjorin instead.
Vale’s contract ends in 2023, but Chelsea are keen to integrate the youngster into the first-team squad and could be in contention to start against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup.
This all may just persuade the 18-year-old to put pen to paper on an extension to stay at Stamford Bridge and fight for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s first-team squad.
Our take: It’s good to hear that Chelsea want to incorporate academy players into their first-team squad, and it will be a great opportunity for Vale to prove himself.
Raphinha only available in the summer
Chelsea has been interested in Leeds United’s Raphinha for some time now, but it’s unlikely that Chelsea will be able to make a move for him on the final day of the January transfer window.
But, it’s been reported that an opening could be there for Thomas Tuchel in the summer. The Brazilian international has been a key player in Marcelo Bielsa’s side, scoring eight goals this season.
The winger has also caught the eye of David Moyes and West Ham, who wants to make the player a ‘priority signing’ per the report.
Chelsea still keen on Dembele
Chelsea is reportedly ‘willing to’ sign Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona. They sure will be cutting it close if they want to put pen to paper in January as the clock ticks down on the current transfer window.
Spanish newspaper Sport via SportWitness has said that the Blue’s are keen to sign him in the next 48 hours. But, they’ll face tough competition as the forward has been linked with other clubs like Manchester United and Paris Saint Germain.
Our take: This will be an interesting one to watch before the window slams shut tonight. I still feel a player needs to leave before this one happens.
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