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Chelsea lock horns with Newcastle United at home on Monday, March 9, in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino’s side are 11th in the standings after 26 games.
Meanwhile, the Blues are interested in Newcastle United centre-back Sven Botman. Elsewhere, the London giants are not targeting Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on March 9, 2024:
Chelsea want Sven Botman
Chelsea are planning to move for Sven Botman this summer, according to TEAMtalk.
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The Blues are expected to invest in a new centre-back at the end of this season, amid the uncertainties surrounding Thiago Silva. The Brazilian’s contract expires in less than six months, and he's likely to leave. Meanwhile, Wesley Fofana is a forgotten man due to his injury issues, while Trevoh Chalobah’s future remains up in the air.
Botman has emerged as an option to reinforce Chelsea’s backline ahead of the new season. The Dutch defender has been quite impressive for Newcastle United this campaign, but he has had a knee injury.
Nevetheless, the 24-year-old has still managed 20 appearances across competitions, turning heads at Stamford Bridge. The Magpies could be forced to offload their prized asset to raise funds for the summer.
Blues not eyeing Viktor Gyokeres, says Fabrizio Romano
Chelsea are not in talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres, according to acclaimed transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
The Swedish forward has exploded onto the scene at Sporting this season, registering 32 goals and 11 assists in 36 outings across competitions. The Blues are expected to sign a new No. 9 this summer and have been linked with Gyokeres recently.
However, speaking to Caught Offside, Romano said that Victor Osimhen remains the Blues' priority target for this year.
“They always want the entire release clause to let a player go when he is a superstar, like in this case with Viktor Gyokores. I am sure they will ask for the release clause, €100 million.
"This is what they did in January when some clubs started to enquire about the situation. I’m sure it is going to be difficult, but I’m also sure there will be interest,” said Romano.
He continued:
“From what I’m hearing in this case, Chelsea were already rumoured as a potential destination in January, but the information I got is that Chelsea never started a conversation for him in the January window, with Sporting or with the player.
"I think there is other names for Chelsea as priority, with (Victor) Osimhen and others.”
The Napoli striker signed a new contract in December but is expected to leave this summer.
Thomas Tuchel unlikely to take charge at Stamford Bridge
Thomas Tuchel is unlikely to return to Stamford Bridge this year, according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs.
The Blues could be on the market this summer for Pochettino’s replacement unless the Argentinean turns things around at the club. Tuchel will leave Bayern Munich at the end of this season and has been linked with the Blues.
However, in his column for GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs added that neither the German manager nor Jose Mourinho are likely to be options for the London giants.
“A Thomas Tuchel return is unlikely, even though the current Bayern boss is a free agent this summer.
"Tuchel’s return would prove very popular amongst the fanbase, but his exit in September 2022 was down to not being deemed a strategic or personality fit rather than based on football reasons alone,” wrote Jacobs.
He continued:
“Behdad Eghbali, in particular, would need to change his mind on Tuchel and tweak the highly collaborative model to suit Tuchel’s needs and style.
"It’s not thought this will happen. There is some talk of a Jose Mourinho return as well, which would be another PR win, but several of Chelsea’s hierarchy feel the move could backfire in the long term.”
Mourinho is yet to take up his next assignment after parting ways with AS Roma earlier this year.
