The Pride of London

Right now, Chelsea are on a roll in the transfer market and it feels like they are agreeing new deals every day. £29m package for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, £20m-plus for Lesley Ugochukwu, and around £20m for Armando Broja as well, it all seems to be happening at once. And somehow, there are plenty more players who could leave the club before the end of this summer window.

Chelsea are one of the best in the world when it comes to transfer exits. We have already seen Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga join Arsenal. Now, could someone be headed to their other London rivals?

Christopher Nkunku is someone who has been linked with a move away from Chelsea for months. An exit has not materialised, even though he has been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and more.

James Maddison has recently picked up an injury and the extent of it is unclear. To the Lane and Back have suggested that Tottenham Hotspur should make a move for Nkunku this summer and they believe he would be a good fit in Thomas Frank's system.

Tottenham Hotspur tipped to make move for £52m Chelsea player

Chelsea had paid around £52 million to sign Nkunku from RB Leipzig. But his time at Stamford Bridge has been characterised by injury problems, inconsistent form and lack of opportunities.

Nkunku did impress at the Club World Cup though and there have been some rumours that Enzo Maresca might be open to the prospect of him remaining a part of this team. But considering how the last two years have been, it is pretty likely that he wants to leave.

It is hard to imagine that any club would come anywhere near the £52 million that Chelsea had shelled out back in 2023. But considering some of the fees the Blues have been able to negotiate, never say never.

Chelsea have been focused on signing top young talents from around Europe since their change in ownership, largely overlooking experienced players in the process. The fans are hoping that that stops soon because this team clearly needs some experience and leadership if they want to compete for the biggest prizes in football. Yet, if the recent transfer rumours are anything to go by, it looks like the Blues are content with their strategy.

This summer, we have seen them sign Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, while a Jamie Gittens deal is agreed as well. And now, it appears they could look into signing a 19-year-old Dutch midfielder.

As reported by TBR Football, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are among the sides trying to sign Kees Smit. The likes of Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Marseille have an eye on him as well.

Smit is believed to have a contract with AZ Alkmaar until the summer of 2028. But when Premier League clubs come calling, that rarely matters. The same can be said about teams like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Chelsea and Tottenham keen to sign Dutch midfielder

Capable of playing in several positions across midfield, it was last season that Smit broke into the first-team picture at AZ. Of course, his numbers at the senior level won't be catching any eyes just yet but clearly he has shown enough potential to draw the attenion of some of world football's biggest teams.

When it comes to Chelsea, one always has to question where the place is in the team for a player like Smit. They have played like Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Cole Palmer, Andrey Santos, Joao Felix, Christopher Nkunku and more for the three midfield spots.

Chelsea do not always sign players with the aim of them making it to the senior team though. If things don't work out at Stamford Bridge, they can still be moved on at a transfer profit on the back of positive loan spells.

Chelsea have already completed a handful of acquisitions during this summer transfer window, making them one of the busiest clubs in the Premier League. Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Mamadou Sarr, Dario Essugo, and Kendry Paez have all moved to Stamford Bridge. A move for Jamie Gittens is a matter of time. However, Estevao will join after his participation in the FIFA Club World Cup is over. Incidentally, he will be playing for Palmeiras on Friday against the Blues for a place in the semi-finals.

Despite this, the Blues don't appear to have any intention of stopping their transfer operations here. It looks like they are still considering a move for Mohammed Kudus of West Ham United.

In the summer of 2023, Kudus was on Chelsea's radar, but he left Ajax for West Ham. He immediately adapted to English football and was a revelation in his first season in the Premier League, contributing 14 goals and 6 assists across all competitions. His second campaign has not been as strong but the talent is clearly there.

He is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur. But as reported by Mail Online (via football.london), Chelsea have not ruled out a potential move for Kudus this summer.

Chelsea could 'hijack' Tottenham Hotspur transfer move

Kudus has a contract with West Ham untll the summer of 2028, and his £85 million release clause is in effect from July 1 to July 10, a brief period that may result in significant offers. Of course, no club is expected to trigger that, so the Hammers will need to negotiate. They are believed to be open to listening to 'reasonable offers'.

Due to the PSR constraints, it is rumoured that an offer of around £60 million might be sufficient to persuade West Ham to make a deal. But Chelsea are not the only team interested in Kudus. Tottenham, Manchester United, and Newcastle have also expressed interest.

It is also suggested that Chelsea will need to sanction exits before pursuing a deal for Kudus. Some obvious candidates include Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, and Armando Broja.

Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix are two further major names for whom they could consider offers, while Djordje Petrovic's future looks to be away from Stamford Bridge. Although Premier League rivals Newcastle and Arsenal have expressed interest in Noni Madueke, the Blues should keep him until we see how Estevao fits in the English game.

Chelsea's London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, are coming off one of the most interesting seasons in English football history. They finished 17th in the Premier League, something that you never expect from a club of that size. But then, they won the UEFA Europa League, ending a 17-year wait for a trophy. Yet, a couple of weeks after achieving that feat, Ange Postecoglou was sacked.

Now, Tottenham are looking to make a fresh start. They have brought in Thomas Frank as their manager after his incredible run with Brentford. And it looks like a Chelsea player is on their radar.

Chelsea have a habit of developing some of the best full-backs in the country. Reece James is elite when fit. Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento should have long and successful careers ahead of them. And at 28 years of age, Ola Aina is finally getting flowers.

Whatever Chelsea are doing at their academy in terms of full-backs, it is working. Josh Acheampong is considered the next big thing in that respect. But with James and Malo Gusto also at the club, there are some suggestions that he could be on his way out this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur want to sign £35m Chelsea player

As reported by the Independent, there is a belief among clubs that Chelsea may be willing to part with Acheampong for £35m. Borussia Dortmund are exploring a deal for him. Inter Milan have also been linked with him. Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also among those interested in the full-back.

Acheampong impressed many with his recent performance for Chelsea. He was given a rare start against ES Tunis and made the most of the opportunity.

There are many Chelsea fans who believe that Acheampong should now be ahead of Gusto in the pecking order. The Frenchman was phenomenal under the management of Mauricio Pochettino but seems lost in Enzo Maresca's system. This might be the right time to transfer him, rather than wait and see his valuation go down further. It is the academy graduate who seems to have the brighter future in this setup.

With the transfer window reopening, rumours involving Chelsea have been coming in from all directions. The Blues are in the market for players in multiple positions, especially at left wing. However, they have also been in talks with players for other roles across the pitch as they appear to have a long list of targets.

Recently, it was reported that Chelsea have held discussions with West Ham United over a possible move for Mohammed Kudus. Interestingly, Tottenham Hotspur have also been monitoring the Ghana international. Following Timo Werner’s exit and the uncertain future of Son Heung-min, Spurs are also looking to strengthen on the left wing as well.

As a result, Chelsea may have to fend off competition from their city rivals to secure the signature of the player. However, reports suggest that the Blues have a major advantage over Spurs.

As reported by Goal, Tottenham Hotspur have a desire to sign Kudus, although they have yet to meet their £65m price tag and would rather pay closer to £50m. However, acrimony exists between the Spurs and West Ham boardrooms, and the two clubs often refuse to do business together.

Chelsea handed major Kudus boost over Tottenham

Kudus might be looking to switch clubs after a subpar season in which he registered just nine goal involvements. Chelsea are yet to make a concrete decision regarding the 23-year-old, as they have prioritised the signing of Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund.

If Kudus does join the Blues, it might be hard for him to get regular minutes, with Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto currently occupying his preferred roles. While there's a possibility of him playing on the left wing if the Gittens deal falls through and Chelsea fail to sign a dedicated left winger, the chances of that happening appear slim.

At this stage, nothing is being ruled out, and we'll need to wait and see how the situation develops in the coming weeks. Let's see how things play out.

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