Chelsea have now been in “direct contact” with a club’s “super boss” to discuss a move for a “fascinating” new signing in the final days of the market.

Blues' transfer activity hinges on outgoings

After a frantic start to the summer transfer window, there has been little recent activity at Stamford Bridge, with Todd Boehly focused on getting current players off the books before being able to bring in more new signings.

That has been the case for quite some time, with Fabrizio Romano nearly two weeks ago revealing the Blues are looking to sell both Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson before bringing in two new attackers.

Aston Villa have subsequently made Jackson their top target, while there is no shortage of interest in Nkunku, with Bayern Munich and Newcastle United being named as potential suitors.

Consequently, Enzo Maresca’s side should have little trouble sealing the departures of the two forwards, which would create space in the squad for both RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons and Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho.

According to an update from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, Chelsea have recently engaged in fresh talks over a deal for Simons, having been in “direct contact” with RB Leipzig “super boss” Oliver Mintzlaff.

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The Blues will “remain keen” on signing the Leipzig maestro right up until deadline day, and he is said to have agreed a deal until 2031, but the west Londoners are still waiting to finalize the sales of Jackson and Nkunku before advancing the deal any further.

"Fascinating" Simons could excel at Stamford Bridge

Given his fantastic goal and assist record in the Bundesliga, the Dutchman received high praise from scout Jacek Kulig during the 2024/25 campaign.

Not only that, but the RB Leipzig star, who is expected to cost £60m, has been lauded by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, who also revealed what he thinks the 22-year-old’s best position is.

Tuchel said: “I think his best position is half winger, half 10, so he can be free. He is technically strong, calm with the ball, and very good in front of goal.”

With Nkunku scoring just three Premier League goals last season, and Jackson massively underperforming his xG over the past year, Chelsea could do with a new attacker who is clinical in front of goal, and Tuchel seems to believe Simons fits the bill.

Chelsea must watch on from afar as a highly-rated former starlet aims to make a name for himself at Premier League rivals Liverpool, and those within Stamford Bridge were left ‘shocked’ after his departure.

The Blues’ penchant for attracting world football’s most dazzling young talents has been a key theme of their business in recent years.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Ever since Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital’s takeover in 2022, Chelsea have broken records for the number of youngsters in their squad, with OptaJoe revealing Enzo Maresca fielded the youngest ever starting eleven in Premier League history last season.

Despite some calls for Chelsea to sign players with more experience, this theme is unlikely to change any time soon. This window alone, Maresca has seen Dario Essugo, Estevão Willian, Mamadou Sarr, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Kendry Páez and Jorrel Hato join the club, with the oldest of them being only 22.

Chelsea are also in talks to sign both Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho, according to Sky Sports, while Football Transfers reported earlier this week that Maresca could sign another ‘exciting youngster’ too if one becomes available before the deadline.

BlueCo’s youth obsession is no accident – it’s their masterplan.

Chelsea have poured over £1 billion into signing the world’s brightest upcoming stars – stacking their future with talent before it hits peak value.

On the pitch, it means building a squad that can evolve together. The club’s average age will continue to be one of the lowest in Europe – with Maresca’s system set to potentially thrive on energy and development.

He’s now got a group hungry to prove themselves, not fading stars on bloated wages.

However, Chelsea’s desire to grow a roster rich with world football’s most promising starlets doesn’t mean everyone will be along for the ride.

Chelsea annoyed after losing Rio Ngumoha to Liverpool

Last summer, promising teenager Rio Ngumoha swapped west London for Anfield, and Chelsea were reminded of that fact when the 16-year-old scored a brilliant solo goal in the first of a double-header against Athletic Bilbao earlier this week.

The winger became Liverpool’s second-youngest ever senior debutant against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup last term, and many are wondering whether Arne Slot is planning a first-team role for him after an excellent pre-season.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to TBR Football, Chelsea have maintained a frustration after losing Nguhoma to Liverpool, and were left shocked by his move up north.

“Chelsea know how good Ngumoha is. They were annoyed to lose him. It was a real frustration for them to see him walk away,” said Bailey.

“They know losing players is part and parcel of the academy system now – you just have to make sure you have more wins than losses.

“However – within football – Ngumoha was a name that everyone knew about. He had offers from everywhere, but Chelsea were shocked that he left.

“Now he is impressing at Liverpool, it is fair to say that Chelsea’s annoyance is not going away – but to see him become a success is not a shock to anyone at Stamford Bridge.”

The London-born attacking gem is certainly one to watch, with John Terry once calling him a “top player” and tipping Nguhoma for stardom.

Giorgio Chiellini and Juan Mata have become the latest high-profile names to enter British football ownership, following in the footsteps of Luka Modric and Wrexham’s Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The pair have joined Mercury13’s investment in Bristol City Women, marking a significant new chapter as the legends turn their focus to shaping the future of the game.

Mata and Chiellini buy stake in Bristol City Women

Mata, currently with Melbourne Victory in Australia, and Chiellini, who retired after his spell at LAFC, have invested in the Mercury13 group. The company already owns Como’s women’s team in Italy and has now taken a majority stake in Bristol City Women. Both legendary footballers are now expected to play an active role, attending matches and offering support behind the scenes.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesUpwards trend of investing in English clubs

Their move is part of a growing trend of football stars investing in clubs, following Modric’s minority stake in Swansea, and the move made by Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney to purchase Wrexham in 2020. Mercury13 plans to inject £73 million into the women’s game, hoping to attract elite talent to their clubs. Bristol City Women now stand to benefit as they aim to compete with ambitious rivals like London City Lionesses, who recently made the climb up into the Women's Super League.

Mercury13 co-owner believes Mata and Chiellini will help growth

Victoire Cogevina Reynal, co-founder of Mercury13, said: “Yes, absolutely (they will attend some matches). They’re incredible footballers, but they’re also incredible human beings who truly believe in what we’re building. They’ve been very helpful behind the scenes for Como, and I’m sure they will do the same for Bristol City.”

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Getty Images SportBristol City Women: A growing force in WSL2

Mata and Chiellini’s presence at Ashton Gate will shine more light on the growth of women’s football in Britain. With significant investment promised, Bristol City Women could emerge as a serious force in the Women's Super League 2, emulating what the London City Lionesses and Tom Brady's Birmingham City Women achieved last season.

MatériaMais Notícias

Principal reforço do Fluminense na temporada, Marcelo deixou o gramado durante o primeiro tempo do clássico com o Flamengo, no Maracanã, ao sentir um incômodo muscular na panturrilha. Com isso, precisou ser substituído aos 38 minutos e deu lugar ao lateral Guga, no duelo válido pela ida das oitavas da Copa do Brasil.

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Após a partida, em entrevista coletiva, o técnico Fernando Diniz afirmou que o ala não teve lesão, mas que a substituição foi por precaução. Segundo o treinador, o ala “teve um enrijecimento da panturrilha”.

+ Confira a tabela da Copa do Brasil

O jogador já passou por algo semelhante na partida contra o The Strongest, da Bolívia, também no Maracanã, pela Copa Libertadores. Na ocasião, foi substituído aos 30 minutos depois de também sentir dores musculares. 

Vale lembrar que Fernando Diniz não pôde contar com o volante Alexsander, que sofreu um estiramento no ligamento colateral medial do joelho esquerdo. Além dele, Keno teve uma lesão na coxa esquerda e também desfalcou a equipe.

Essa foi a nona partida de Marcelo como titular desde que retornou ao Fluminense. Revelado nas divisões de base do clube carioca, o jogador fez sucesso no futebol europeu com a camisa do Real Madrid e permaneceu 17 anos no Velho Continente.

There was scrutiny around India’s move to bring on Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube during the fourth T20I against England, with England captain Jos Buttler saying after the match that this did not fit the definition of a like-for-like replacement. The television commentators who were on air at the time of the substitution – Kevin Pietersen and Nick Knight – had also questioned the swap. Dube did not take the field in the chase, after taking a blow on the helmet on his way to 53 off 34 balls.”It is not a like-for-like replacement. We don’t agree with that,” Buttler said after India completed a 15-run win. “Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25mph with the ball or Harshit has really improved his batting. It’s part of the game and we really should have gone on to win the match, but we disagree with the decision.”There was no consultation [with us]. That’s something I was thinking as I came out to bat – who is Harshit on for? They said he is a concussion replacement, which I obviously disagreed with. It is not a like-for-like replacement. They said that the match referee had made the decision. We had no say in it or any part of it. But we’ll ask Javagal [Srinath] some questions just to get some clarity around it.Related

• Suryakumar's India look to land one final blow on England

• Compromise may be needed with concussion subs to ensure player safety

• Dube's spin takedown and Hardik's masterful pacing a sight to behold

• Hardik, Dube, spinners hand India series win

“Like I said, it was not the whole reason why we did not win the match. We had our chances to win the game which we could have still taken. But I’d like to have a bit more clarity on that.”As per the ICC’s playing conditions for men’s T20Is, “The ICC Match Referee should ordinarily approve a Concussion Replacement Request if the replacement is a like-for-like player whose inclusion will not excessively advantage his/her team for the remainder of the match. In assessing whether the nominated Concussion Replacement should be considered a like-for-like player, the ICC Match Referee should consider the likely role the concussed player would have played during the remainder of the match, and the normal role that would be performed by the nominated Concussion Replacement.”Dube scored a half-century after walking in at 57 for 4 and stitched an 87-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Hardik Pandya. It allowed India to post 181 for 9. On the penultimate ball of the innings, Dube was hit on the helmet by Jamie Overton’s 141.5kph bumper.India had batting allrounder Ramandeep Singh on the bench, who might have better fit the definition of a like-for-like replacement for Dube. For a short while, Ramandeep came on as a substitute for Varun Chakravarthy.3:48

How allrounders test the limits of concussion sub rules

“He [Rana] is not the like-to-like replacement for Shivam Dube,” Pietersen had said on air. “You ask anyone in the world, and they will say the same thing. Dube is not a genuine pacer, but Rana is.” Knight also echoed these thoughts.India’s assistant coach Morne Morkel said: “Shivam came off the field in the innings break with mild headache symptoms. We took a name forward to the match referee in terms of a suitable substitution, and from there it is up to the match referee to make the decision. When the decision was made, Harshit was having dinner. So we had to get him ready as quickly as possible to go on the field and bowl.”It goes to the powers above me – match referee makes the decision. We can only take the name forward and from there it is out of our hands.”Rana, who was playing his first T20I, was brought into the attack in the 12th over and he struck with his second ball. He got a short-of-good-length ball to bounce extra to take the outside edge of Liam Livingstone, who had looked to guide it through third. Rana bowled his full quota of overs and picked up three wickets. He also was at short third to catch out England captain Jos Buttler, who walked back fuming and had a few words with head coach Brendon McCullum, perhaps regarding the approval of Rana as the concussion substitute.”Two overs into the chase, I was told [about being the concussion substitute],” Rana said after the match. “I have been preparing for a while, not just for this series. I have been waiting for this moment [his debut] to prove myself. When I got the chance, I did not think of the circumstances and just thought about delivering. I have experience of bowling at the death [for KKR in the IPL] and relied on that.”

Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Marseille was memorable for 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono, who made his Champions League debut and drew high praise from Federico Valverde. The midfielder called the Argentine wonderkid his 'little brother' and predicted he would score plenty of goals in the famous white shirt after joining from River Plate in the summer.

• Mastantuono’s big night at the Bernabeu

  After being left out of the weekend's game against Real Sociedad in La Liga, Mastantuono was handed a start on the European stage on Tuesday. He became the third-youngest foreign player to debut for Real Madrid earlier this season against Osasuna and followed that up by becoming the youngest player to start for the club in a Champions League game, breaking a record set by Endrick. The teenage-sensation played 63 minutes in the game as Madrid overturned Timothy Weah’s opener with two Kylian Mbappe penalties.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Valverde showers high praise on young Argentine

  After the game, the Madrid star spoke highly of the young Argentine and opened up about his relationship with Mastantuono. 

  "I'm happy things are going well for him and happy to have a close friend from Argentina. It's good to share training sessions and conversations with him. He's like a little brother to me," the Uruguayan said. “I'm going to try to support him and tell him that he'll always have many more opportunities with this badge, that he'll have thousands of chances to score, that he'll score thousands of goals and win millions of titles. Let him continue enjoying what he plays at the Bernabeu, because not everyone can play there."

• Mastantuono's rapid rise with club and country

  Mastantuono joined Madrid from River Plate this summer on a six-year deal, where he had already established himself as a top prospect. On the international stage, he became the youngest player to debut for Argentina at 17 years and 296 days and made history by wearing the iconic No.10 shirt in Messi’s absence earlier this month.

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  Mastantuono and Real Madrid prepare for Espanyol challenge

  Los Blancos will return to La Liga action against Espanyol on September 20, and the Argentine is expected to feature again as Xabi Alonso continues to integrate him into the first team. Still only 18, the midfielder has already broken records with club and country, and with the manager's backing, Madrid fans believe they have found another star for the future.

Glasgow Rangers are “among the admirers” to sign a highly-rated player this summer, according to an update from reliable journalist Alex Miller.

Rangers pushing for late-summer business

The Gers’ opening weekend 1-1 draw away to Motherwell was far from an ideal start to their Scottish Premiership season, with Russell Martin’s side immediately losing ground on rivals Celtic.

It is essential that more transfer business is done between now and the end of the window, in order for Martin to have a squad that is capable of both winning the title and holding its own in Europe, and players continue to be linked with moves to Ibrox.

One report has claimed that Rangers have joined the race to sign young Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein this summer, with a season-long loan move potentially on the cards. The 23-year-old is going to struggle for minutes at the Emirates in 2025/26, so a year in Scotland could be ideal for his development.

Elsewhere, the Gers are said to have held talks with Real Betis centre-back Nobel Mendy about a move to the club, and are happy to pay more than £1.7m for his signature. Now, a new update has dropped regarding another summer transfer target.

Rangers admire "excellent" Championship player; Chansiri to decide

According to Miller on X, Rangers are “among the admirers” in the battle to sign Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles, with the decision left up to controversial Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri.

“Any decision on whether Sheffield Wednesday cash-in on Pierce Charles will ultimately be made by Dejphon Chansiri, Henrik Pedersen has admitted. West Ham and Rangers among the admirers.”

Charles has been linked with Rangers already this summer, with the 20-year-old’s future at Wednesday in doubt, amid their dire financial situation and doubts over whether Chansiri is genuinely working towards a sale.

Pierce Charles’ key career stats	Appearances	Goals conceded	Clean sheets
Sheffield Wednesday	15	19	1
Northern Ireland	8	5	4

It is easy to see why the Gers are eyeing him up as a top-quality young option between the sticks, with the stopper already an eight-cap Northern Ireland international, also racking up 15 appearances for the Owls. He has admirers everywhere, including his international manager, Michael O’Neill, who has lauded him in the recent past.

The lure of the Premier League is clear for any player, so West Ham will be a threat to Rangers’ chance of signing Charles this summer, but the Scottish giants can offer him European football, which the Hammers cannot.

Wednesday’s aforementioned financial situation also means they may be forced to sell one of the best young players, and he has the ability to mature into a key man for the Gers for years to come, should they strike a deal for him.

Everton are “looking” to complete the signing of a “brilliant” Premier League defensive midfielder before the end of the summer transfer window.

Moyes delighted after historic Everton victory

The Blues’ first-ever competitive game at their new stadium couldn’t have gone much better, following a 2-0 win against Brighton in the league on Sunday afternoon.

It was a proud day for Everton manager David Moyes, in terms of being in charge of the opening match at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and he loved what he saw from his players and the fans.

“It was everything we wished for. We wanted a positive result today. We had a great atmosphere, a terrific new stadium. What I’m trying to do is hopefully give everybody a team which we can enjoy watching and be proud of. Today came close with their effort, their commitment.

“Some of the quality was very good, but there were other bits of it not so good. But, overall, really pleased with the result. [The atmosphere] was really good. I’ve got to say, we want to build on it. We have to build on it. We have to make sure that we’ve a stadium where, even when the game’s a bit lulled, the supporters keep with us all the way.”

Everton showed enough quality to suggest that they can enjoy a much-improved season in 2025/26, but that doesn’t mean that further signings aren’t needed this summer.

Everton "looking" to sign Yves Bissouma

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout turned transfer insider Mick Brown reports Everton still have Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma on their “radar” before the window closes next Monday.

“He’s a player Moyesy likes so I have no doubt he’s on their radar, especially if Tottenham are planning to listen to offers for him. I saw him play for Brighton against Wolves a couple of years ago and he didn’t put a foot wrong, he was brilliant and it was a really impressive performance. I don’t think he’s shown that since he’s been at Tottenham to be honest.

“Maybe the set-up there doesn’t work for him, I don’t know what it is. But a move somewhere like Everton might be what gets the best out of him, playing under David Moyes in more of a structured system. I think Tottenham have been open to letting him go, so if Everton are interested then there will be a deal to be done.

“They’re not the only side interested in him, but he’s also not the only player they’ve been looking at. If they decide he’s the one they want, it’s a deal that could work out for everybody.”

The £55,000-a-week Bissouma is now a hugely experienced player with 191 Premier League appearances to his name, so he could be a shrewd addition for Everton, with 35-year-old Idrissa Gueye not able to play every week now.

At 28, the Spurs midfielder is at a good age to come straight in as a key man for the Blues, and the fact that he is struggling to be a prominent figure in north London means a move away could appeal.

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Bissouma would be a slight risk, considering he has arguably tailed off at Spurs, as Brown alludes to, but if Moyes believes he can get the best out of the Mali international, The Freidkin Group should make a move for him.