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Chelsea are preparing to travel to the Stadio Friuli on Friday to face Udinese. Manager Thomas Tuchel has overseen losses in both pre-season friendlies thus far.
Meanwhile, the Blues prefer to offload Cesar Azpilicueta to Atletico Madrid instead of Barcelona. Elsewhere, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has praised Tuchel.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on July 26, 2022:
Chelsea prefer to offload Cesar Azpilicueta to Atletico Madrid
Chelsea would prefer to sell Cesar Azpilicueta to Atletico Madrid instead of Barcelona, according to Futbol Total via The Hard Tackle.
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The Spanish defender is in the final year of his contract with the Blues and wants to leave for a new challenge this summer. Barcelona are the frontrunners for his signature, with the player also open to a move to the Camp Nou.
However, the London giants are unwilling to let Azpilicueta join the Blaugrana. Chelsea are annoyed with Barcelona’s attempts to hijack a move for Jules Kounde, who is wanted at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues don't want to do business with the Blaugrana, so they wish to sell Azpilicueta to the Rojiblancos instead. However, Atletico Madrid might not be too eager to sign the Spaniard, as they're set to welcome Nahuel Molina.
Jamie Carragher praises Thomas Tuchel
Jamie Carragher has praised Thomas Tuchel for his reaction to the 4-0 friendly defeat against Arsenal. The German manager expressed his displeasure at the end of the game, even though it was only a pre-season outing.
Speaking to talkSPORT, as relayed by Football 365, Carragher said Tuchel is attempting to instill a winning mentality in his team.
“I think it’s easy to downplay (friendlies) when they don’t go well; we all know that. But I’ve been a player, and we can say results mean nothing because it will be decided on the first game of the season. If you win, (a pre-season result) doesn’t matter. But as a player or a manager. there is nothing better than winning and playing well and building some sort of confidence,” said Carragher.
He added:
“You can see the reaction of Thomas Tuchel after the Arsenal game. I think (Jurgen) Klopp was a little different after Liverpool lost to Manchester United. It was slightly different, but I actually quite admired Tuchel’s reaction. You’re still playing for Chelsea; you’re playing Arsenal, and it’s a big game.”
Carragher continued:
“I know it’s a pre-season friendly, but you shouldn’t be getting beat 4-0, and I actually quite admired how seriously he was taking it. Because I don’t think they should massively be getting carried away, but I don’t think they should be getting massively beaten by Arsenal two weeks before the start of the season.”
Timo Werner should have joined Liverpool, says Fabrizio Romano
Acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano believes Timo Werner should have joined Liverpool instead of Chelsea. The German forward was linked with a move to the Reds during his time with RB Leipzig. Werner eventually joined the Blues in 2020 but has struggled to hold his own at Stamford Bridge.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano revealed that the London giants are eager to offload Werner this summer.
“Chelsea have twice tried to use Timo Werner in potential swap deals this summer, … Werner may remain an option on RB Leipzig’s list for a loan move despite the talks collapsing quickly for Nordi Mukiele, his old club remains interested in him. Juventus had discussed Werner in the negotiations for Matthijs de Ligt, and he remains a player appreciated by Massimiliano Allegri,” wrote Romano.
He added:
“In my opinion, Werner is a high-level player, but he needs a different style of play to shinel because of this, I feel a move to Liverpool instead could have helped him fulfil his potential. Unfortunately, Chelsea were quicker at the time, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp speaking to the player, but no direct talks between the Reds and RB Leipzig.”
