Swansea stay patient as striker search goes on
But despite the vacancies created by the latest in a long line of summer departures, Swansea look unlikely to add to their attacking options before Saturday's Championship opener at Middlesbrough.Instead, their pursuit of a new centre-forward could continue until the back-end of the transfer window, which closes on 1 September.Swansea should have at least one fresh face in the squad for the Boro trip, with centre-back Kaelan Casey poised to join on a season-long loan from West Ham United.They are also in the market for two central midfield players, with at least one deal possible before the 2025-26 season starts, while a left-sided defensive option to provide back-up to Josh Tymon is also on Sheehan's summer wish list.Swansea have signed five players during the close season, with Swedish midfielder Melker Widell a sixth fresh face after his move was agreed in January.But 15 senior players have left the club this summer, with winger Josh Ginnelly another who seems likely to depart having been a fringe figure during pre-season.
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The Guardian
28 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Chelsea step up efforts to sign Garnacho and Simons in attacking reshuffle
Chelsea are to step up attempts to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United and Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig and could sell Nicolas Jackson, as they continue to reshape their attacking options. The club have brought in Liam Delap, João Pedro and Jamie Gittens, and moves for Garnacho and Simons are understood to be their priority. Garnacho has played no part in United's pre-season and is thought to be available for about £50m, although Chelsea are understood to be reluctant to pay that. The Argentina forward is believed to be keen to move to Stamford Bridge after Ruben Amorim made clear the 21-year-old is not part of his plans at Old Trafford. Chelsea have yet to make an official approach but are likely to do so, with United seeking to balance their books as they close on the signing of Benjamin Sesko from Leipzig. Chelsea are in talks with the German club over Simons, who is understood to have agreed personal terms despite interest from Bayern Munich. The 22-year-old, who can play in several attacking roles, joined Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain in January for €50m after two successful loan spells. He is expected to cost about €70m (£61m) and Leipzig are targeting Liverpool's Harvey Elliott as a potential replacement. Jackson is understood to prefer to stay at Chelsea despite the arrivals of Delap and Pedro dropping him down the pecking order, but Chelsea are believed to be willing to sell the Senegal striker for the right price. Newcastle could be an option if, as expected, they miss out on Sesko, and Jackson also has interest from Milan and other Italian clubs but Chelsea could demand £80m. Chelsea's 19-year-old Spanish striker Marc Guiu is poised to join Sunderland on loan having completed his medical on Wednesday, and Everton have completed the £28m signing of the midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall on a five-year contract. Burnley are closing in on signing Armando Broja for £20m and are likely to pay a similar fee for Lesley Ugochukwu. Borussia Dortmund are also in talks with Chelsea over a permanent deal for Carney Chukwuemeka, who spent part of last season on loan in Germany. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Chelsea have sold Kepa Arrizabalaga, Noni Madueke, Djordje Petrovic and João Félix for combined fees that could reach well above £100m. They are also hoping to offload Raheem Sterling, who spent last season on loan at Arsenal and has been linked with clubs in Turkey, together with Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, Christopher Nkunku and Ben Chilwell. The Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato became Chelsea's latest summer signing when his £37m move from Ajax was confirmed on Sunday.
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Rusty Viktor Gyokeres not a concern for Mikel Arteta after defeat
Within days of joining Arsenal, Viktor Gyokeres has broken records for the sales of his No 14 jersey once worn by the club legend Thierry Henry. On Wednesday night, supporters turned out in replica kit for their first proper look at the club's new £64 million striker, hoping that he will convert the chances that might have made a difference in last season's campaign, where they were Premier League runners-up and Champions League semi-finalists. Yet there is work to do with 11 days to go before Arsenal begin their new campaign at Old Trafford. Gyokeres looked understandably rusty, short of fitness and his team-mates were not always in sync with his direct runs as Arsenal lost 3-2 to Villarreal at Emirates Stadium. Juan Foyth, formerly of Tottenham, tackles Gyokeres MARC ATKINS/GETTY IMAGES The most notable names on the scoresheet did not include Gyokeres. Nicolas Pépé, the forward who in 2019 became Arsenal's record signing at £72 million, opened the scoring for Villarreal and Christian Norgaard showed he quickly adapted to Arsenal's trademark set pieces by heading in Gabriel Martinelli's corner at the far post. While Arsenal conceded three poor goals, Gyokeres's best chance arrived after half-time, when he was released at an acute angle and shot at Luiz Júnior's goal. Early on he could not climb enough for a cross and mistimed a scissor kick. Twice he drifted left to create space for a dribble and shot. Gyokeres had a frustrating summer as he worked alone to build up his fitness as Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon haggled over the £8.6 million in potential add-ons on top of an initial £54.8 million transfer fee. He has only had a few training sessions at Arsenal after meeting the squad during their tour in Asia. Mikel Arteta said he has no doubts Gyokeres will be mentally ready, at least, by the start of the season. 'Mentally and understanding what he needs to do, it will be 100 per cent or more because he's so willing and so confident as well that he can deliver straight away,' Arteta said. Pépé didn't celebrate at the Emirates after scoring the opening goal of the friendly EDDIE KEOGH/GETTY IMAGES 'I have no doubt that he will be in a really good place. I hope days [for team-mates to get used to him] and every day in training he's getting a really good feeling. His fitness level, he hasn't really trained with the team for two months.' Gyokeres will play in the friendly against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, although it is unclear whether a slight muscular issue will rule Kai Havertz out as it did last night. The 15-year-old Max Dowman impressed again as a substitute, winning a penalty that was converted by Martin Odegaard for 3-2. Gyokeres went off after 62 minutes and Arsenal searched for an equaliser with Mikel Merino up front, like last season. Pépé tapped home from close range after his initial shot rebounded off the post and Jakub Kiwior was outmuscled trying to clear the loose ball. Pépé's Arsenal contract was terminated in 2023, with a record of 27 goals in 112 games. Karl Etta Eyong converted from close range after David Raya parried Alberto Moleiro's shot. Arnaut Danjuma, the former Bournemouth winger, capitalised on further poor defending to fire across Kepa Arrizabalaga, who came on in the second half. 'The result is painful, we've been naive, especially defending open spaces,' Arteta said.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Premier League 2025-26 preview No 7: Chelsea
Guardian writers' predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not necessarily Michael Butler's prediction but the average of our writers' tips) Last season's position: 4th Securing Champions League qualification on the last day of the Premier League season and an unlikely Club World Cup triumph have transformed the club, their finances and ambitions for 2025-26. Chelsea stayed relatively under the radar for much of the Club World Cup – in part because of their relatively kind route to the later stages – but their commanding 3-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the final means they are again regarded as a potentially dominant European force and perhaps even as contenders for the Premier League title. That is if Chelsea are ready – mentally, physically and tactically – for the new season. By the time Chelsea played the Club World Cup final on 13 July, nearly every other Premier League side had started their pre-season. Since then, while Liverpool, Arsenal and co have been hard at work, the players have had three weeks off and returned on Monday, with two friendly matches, two days apart, scheduled before their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on 17 August. To say Chelsea are playing catch-up is a severe understatement. That said, this is probably the most exciting period for Chelsea since the Champions League triumph in 2021. With the exception of goalkeeper and possibly centre-back, Enzo Maresca has a claim to having two elite players in every position and he could yet add further depth with Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho heavily linked. Departures will be needed to trim the fat and balance the books – Chelsea were given a €31m (£27m) fine last month by Uefa for breaking financial rules – but few would argue against them having the deepest squad in the league and one of Maresca's biggest challenges will be maintaining harmony and continuity, on and off the pitch. Last season, the Conference League was a useful chance to rest and rotate players. The Champions League will not be so accommodating. As recently as April, Maresca was at odds with the Chelsea fans and appeared to blame a negative environment at Stamford Bridge for a 2-2 home draw with Ipswich that left top-five hopes fading fast. But five wins from the final six league games secured fourth place, saving Chelsea's season and possibly Maresca's job. 'They were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough,' he said. 'Unfortunately for them, they have all been wrong. So in English, how do you say? Eff-off to all of them.' Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph – and the tactical masterclass by Maresca in the final to neutralise PSG's front three and create pockets of space for Cole Palmer – means he will get a very different reception at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea's league opener. Chelsea's much-maligned financial gymnastics of recent years – the eight-year contract amortisation (a loophole closed by Uefa), the sale of their hugely successful women's team (to their own parent company) and their rampant use of multiclub ownership and the loan system – have infuriated rivals and allowed them to assemble one of the deepest, youngest, most talented squads around. In the Todd Boehly era, Chelsea have spent more than £1.5bn and the club face an additional €60m fine from Uefa if they fail to comply with regulations over the next four years. A bigger stadium would help, but what Chelsea do with Stamford Bridge remains unclear; the 40,044-capacity ground is not easily developed given challenges ranging from the freehold to a nearby railway line. A move to Earl's Court has been mooted. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Estêvão was courted by PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich and is widely regarded as the biggest talent to come out of Brazil since Vinícius Júnior. The 18-year-old's performances at the Club World Cup – including a brilliant strike for Palmeiras against Chelsea in the quarter-final – suggests that the summer arrival is already world class. Players swooned over the teenager at the final whistle in Philadelphia – 'I told Estêvão: 'We are excited for you to join' but he didn't understand a single word I said,' Palmer said after swapping shirts with the £52m signing. Capable off both wings or as a No 10, the slender Estêvão will want to impress the former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, now of Brazil, before the World Cup next summer. 'He potentially can be a top defender for this club,' Maresca said of Josh Acheampong after the defender's performances at the Club World Cup prompted whispers that several clubs in England and Europe were tracking the teenager. How the 19-year-old fits into Maresca's plans remains to be seen, but his versatility, 6ft 3in stature and composure enabled him to enjoy a breakthrough year with 13 first-team appearances. Naturally a right-back or a centre-back but capable of playing anywhere across the backline, Acheampong joined Chelsea as an under-eight and signed a new five-year contract in 2024. 'The clubs that were mentioned, they like Josh, but we also like Josh,' Maresca said. 'The best plan for Josh is to be with us.' Roméo Lavia. The 21-year-old's quality is not in question. Chelsea are a better side with Lavia, more fluid and press-resistant, and he was sensational in a 3-1 win against Liverpool in May when he completed 100% of his passes. Maresca even moved Moisés Caicedo to right-back to accommodate Lavia alongside Enzo Fernández at the back end of last season, but concerns remain over the Belgian's fitness. After a first year when he managed 32 minutes in 2023-24, another injury-hit campaign followed, starting 11 league games. Another year on the sidelines could spell trouble, particularly as Chelsea have Caicedo, Fernández, Dário Essugo, the impressive Andrey Santos and perhaps Reece James competing for two spots in defensive midfield in Maresca's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
