A View From The Bridge
Lampard at odds with Chelsea board regarding £80m star target
Frank Lampard at odds with the Chelsea board over signing Declan Rice
According to the Athletic’s David Ornstein on Youtube, it would appear that Chelsea and Frank Lampard do not see eye to eye regarding their pursuit of Declan Rice.
The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for the West Ham United star. The 21-year-old was on Chelsea’s rolls before being released at the age of 14.
The player for his part is also keen to return to Chelsea. However, it would appear the intent to sign him is not unanimous at the Bridge.
Lampard for his part is a huge fan of the 21-year-old English international. The same cannot be said of the board, who have reservations.
They remain unconvinced if the youngster has the required quality and has the ability to step up to a Champions League level side. The Blues are also concerned by West Ham’s massive asking price for Rice. (h/t The Express)
With three years left on his current deal, West Ham hold the aces when it comes to negotiations. Given Rice’s performances so far this season, there is no reason for them to lower their asking price.
Valued at around £80m, the Blues will have to break their transfer record to land Rice. Our other big-money signings Kepa Arrizabalaga, Timo Werner, and Kai Havertz haven’t exactly set the ball rolling. The club’s hesitation is perhaps understandable.
With just one win from their last six Premier League games, Lampard is under pressure to turn the team’s fortunes around.
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The Blues have a sketchy record when it comes to making big money moves. While Rice is definitely a player who has his best years ahead of him, double guessing before meeting his massive asking price is only being pragmatic.
It remains to be seen if the board will eventually accede to Lampard’s wishes if he manages to successfully turn our season around come next summer.
A View From The Bridge
“Karius wearing a mask” – Some fans react as Chelsea star makes yet another blunder in goal
Chelsea fans react on Twitter as Kepa Arrizabalaga makes yet another blunder against Luton Town
It would appear that Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga cannot catch a break in the Blues goal.
Making his sixth appearances of the season, the Spanish goalkeeper has once again found himself at the centre of a storm, for all the wrong reasons.
Chelsea welcomed minnows Luton Town in their FA Cup fourth round fixture at Stamford Bridge. Tammy Abraham put the Blues up 2-0 before Jordan Clark reduced the deficit at the half hour mark.
The Luton ace’s strike was straight at Kepa but somehow managed to squeeze in between the goalkeeper’s hands. While errors happen, Kepa has been making them on a consistent basis.
The 26-year-old has a save percentage of 58.8 percent since the beginning of last season. It is the worst among all Premier League goalkeepers with 20 plus appearances.
A lot was expected of Kepa after Chelsea paid a club-record fee to purchase him in 2018. While he has had his moments, the transfer has to be considered a massive flop.
Kepa is by no means a bad keeper. But it would appear his time at Chelsea has run its course. A move away would be the best bet for both him and Chelsea going forward.
The Spaniard tp his credit did redeem himself with an excellent save from Harry Cornick in the second half. Thankfully Kepa’s mistake did not come to haunt us as Tammy Abraham finished off Luton with his third on the night in the 74th minute.
Twitter reacts as Kepa makes yet another Chelsea blunder
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Chelsea beat Luton Town 3-1, with Abraham completing his hat-trick in the second half. We will now be facing Barnsley in the fifth round.
A View From The Bridge
Transfer News: Chelsea to battle Real Madrid for impressive 20-year-old Ligue 1 starlet
Chelsea target AS Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni
According to ESPN, Chelsea are set to rival Real Madrid for AS Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
The 20-year-old spent the better part of his formative years at Bordeaux. It was here that he transcended from the youth level to the first-team. Aurelian eventually moved to Monaco in 2020.
He has since established himself as a regular in Les Monegasques lineup. So far, he has made 19 appearances this season, making two assists. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Aurelien’s performances have seen a number of Europe’s top clubs sit up and take notice. One of them is Real Madrid.
Rather than a priority, Los Blancos view the 20-year-old as an alternative to Rennes wonderkid Edouardo Camavinga. Given the youngster’s potential, the comparison can be considered a compliment. (h/t The Metro)
Chelsea are keen to strengthen their midfield in the summer, irrespective of whether Frank Lampard remains the manager or not. This has seen them keep a close eye on Aurelian’s development at the Stade Louis II.
A central and defensive midfielder, Aurelian could set the stage as Chelsea’s next top midfield prospect. N’Golo Kante is not getting any younger, while Jorginho’s lack of pace is a real issue.
Bringing in a young mobile player such as Aurelian makes sense going forward. With Billy Gilmour already at the club, the Blues could form an impressive young midfield duo that can develop together.
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The last defensive midfielder we signed from Monaco was Tiemoue Bakayoko. The Frenchman failed to reach the same levels at Chelsea and never quite settled in.
Currently on loan at Napoli, his time at Chelsea appears to be coming to a close. If it were to happen, we hope Aurelian fares better.
A View From The Bridge
[Image] Chelsea flop underlines unfulfilled plan that led to him joining the club
Danny Drinkwater reveals why he left Leicester City for Chelsea
Danny Drinkwater has revealed on Instagram that he left Leicester City to play alongside N’Golo Kante at Chelsea.
Both players formed a formidable duo in midfield as Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City pulled off the impossible by becoming Premier League champions in 2016.
Kante moved to the Bridge that very summer with Drinkwater following him a season later, interestingly for a higher fee. He never quite impressed for Chelsea and has so far made just 23 appearances.
Drinkwater lamented the fact that he and Kante were not deployed together. He went on to add that the pair played together just once, in our 5-0 win over Stoke City in 2017. The midfielder grabbed his lone goal for Chelsea in that game.
He is however incorrect in the statement that it was the only time both players started together for Chelsea. They have in fact played together from the start six times. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Chelsea won three of those games, drawing two more and losing just once – the 2-1 reversal to Manchester United in 2018. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Drinkwater has not made a senior appearance for us since 2018. The club was keen to sell him in the summer but was unable to find any takers. Unlike him, Kante has established himself as a world-class midfielder at Chelsea.
Currently on loan at Turkish side Kasimpasa, Drinkwater has an opportunity to revive his career. Still only 30, he has years of football left in him.
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An impressive player at Leicester, Drinkwater’s regression has been sad to witness. It is fair to say that the player did himself no favours with his off the field antics either.
Drinkwater will go down as one of our biggest transfer misses in recent years.
A View From The Bridge
Transfer News: Bavarian giants enter the race for this impressive young Chelsea target
Bayern Munich to rival Chelsea for French ace Dayot Upamecano
Speaking on Bild Live (h/t The Daily Mail), Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed that the Bundesliga giants will rival Chelsea for Dayot Upamecano.
The 22-year-old is one of the best upcoming defenders in Europe. He has emerged as a key part of an RB Leipzig side that is emerging as a major force under Julian Nagelsmann.
With Bayern set to lose David Alaba on a free this summer, Rummenigge is keen to bring in Upamecano to strengthen the German giants’ backline.
Upamecano signed a new contract with Leipzig only last summer. However, he is expected to move on at the end of the season. The defender has a rather reasonable £38million release clause, making him a potential bargain signing.
Despite bringing in two centre-backs in the summer, the Chelsea defence remains a cause for concern. Thiago Silva has been impressive but is not a long-term option. Meanwhile, Malang Sarr is one for the future and will need time to develop.
Of the players at the club, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger have fallen down the pecking order this season. It is clear that a defensive upheaval is on the cards.
The likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid are also in the race for the Frenchman this summer. Both teams are also in need of strengthening defensively and Upamceano will be an asset wherever he ends up.
With a number of clubs in the fray, the decision as to where he ends up could fall on the player’s shoulder. Where the 22-year-old decides to go remains to be seen.
More Chelsea News
- Tony Cascarino believes Chelsea will not back Frank Lampard in the January transfer window
- Chelsea star Ben Chilwell reveals how a visit to Cobham changed his future in the game
- Thiago Silva reassures Chelsea fans amidst a shocking run of form
Chelsea are serious about landing the 22-year-old and have also sounded out their intentions to his representatives.
Having successfully brought in Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, the Blues can make it a hattrick pf big buys from the Bundesliga.
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