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Chelsea are arguably one of the most in-form teams in Europe at the moment. The Blues have turned a corner since their 2-0 loss to English champions Liverpool and have looked simply unstoppable in recent weeks. They've put together a string of impressive results and sealed their place in the next phase of the UEFA Champions League in the process, with two games to spare.
Their next challenge is an incredible showdown at Stamford Bridge against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. What makes it even more interesting is that it's a clash against their former manager and icon, Jose Mourinho, who has gotten Spurs off to a flying start. Here, we take a look at some of the latest Chelsea news.
Former Blues legend says Spurs are title favourites, not Chelsea
Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes that Tottenham Hotspur are better placed to win the Premier League title over the Blues. The two London sides have had spectacular starts to the league campaign and looked primed to challenge Liverpool for their English crown this year. Ahead of their blockbuster clash, Hasselbaink expressed;
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"They [Chelsea and Spurs] are very close to each other at the moment. Spurs have got the strongest team, the strongest squad that they’ve had in the last 10 years, or the last few years."
He continued,
"As a squad if [Tottenham] are not winning, or close to winning, the league this year then I think they will have under-achieved. I think Chelsea doesn`t need to win it. Frank is not there yet. If they win it of course they will take it with two hands."
The former Dutch international also praised Spurs' strength in depth, saying;
"On paper it`s the strongest, with (Harry) Kane, (Gareth) Bale who is not even firing on all cylinders yet, and Son (Heung-min), then you have Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn off the bench and Dele Alli who is not involved and Harry Winks on the bench. Their weakest area is the two centre halves."
Chelsea keen on Napoli trio amidst Partonopei's financial crisis
Chelsea are reportedly hoping to capitalise on Napoli's financial crisis and recruit three of their star players — Dries Mertens, Hirving Lozano, and Kalidou Koulibaly. The Blues were the Premier League's biggest spenders in the summer window seemingly have no plans to stop their massive squad overhaul with more high-profile acquisitions in the near future.
Reports have suggested that Chelsea will raid Gennaro Gattuso's side for three of their key players. While pricing away the two forwards might not prove to be a difficult task, a transfer for Koulibaly could prove to be a bit more challenging. The Senegalese is sought after by several of Europe's elite clubs, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United keen on his services. Manchester City came close to sealing a move for Koulibaly in the summer, only to divert their attention to Ruben Dias of SL Benfica.
It remains to be seen if Chelsea are successful in their attempt to raid the Partonopei. The Blues are also said to be interested in Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Gimenez and West Ham's Declan Rice.
