The Pride of London

Chelsea's win over Leeds United in the FA Cup semi final means their Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur will be rearranged.

The Blues beat Daniel Farke's Whites 1-0 at Wembley on Sunday to set up a showpiece final against Manchester City on May 16.

The upcoming cup final has forced the FA to reschedule Chelsea's penultimate league game against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The fixture was originally due to be played on May 17.

Although a reschedule date has yet to be confirmed, it is likely to take place after West Ham travel to Newcastle United, meaning the Lilywhites could be in a very unusual position by the time they play Chelsea.

Tottenham Hotspur thrown curveball in race for Premier League survival

Following West Ham's dramatic last minute win over Everton last weekend, Tottenham Hotspur are currently two points from safety with just four games to play.

The Hammers will play Newcastle United in their penultimate league game before hosting Leeds United on the final day. This fixture is almost-certain to take place before Tottenham Hotspur take on Chelsea following the Blues' FA Cup semi final success.

Should Spurs fail to make ground up, and results go West Ham's way, the Lilywhites could already be relegated before they play their rearranged clash against Chelsea.

This would be a unique situation that neither club has found themselves in before.

Chelsea's motivation must remain their own

For Chelsea, although sealing their rivals' top-flight fate will be it's own motivation, they might still have a chance of securing European qualification, so it could be all to play for at Stamford Bridge later this month.

Calum McFarlane, who is standing in until the end of the season following Liam Rosenior's sacking, has got off to a winning start but the Under-21's boss must not get embroiled in his rivals' relegation battle.

Instead, the Blues must focus on winning all of their five remaining fixtures, including their upcoming FA Cup final.

Tottenham Hotspur have their own problems to worry about, and regardless of their status by the time the two sides meet, Chelsea's primary objective — while sitting eighth in the table — must be to take maximum points.

The Blues host Nottingham Forest on May 4 before the side travel to Liverpool just five days later. They will then play their rearrange game against Tottenham Hotspur before ending the season away to Sunderland on May 24.

Chelsea’s struggles with injuries, especially at the back, are nothing new. Even before the beginning of this season, Levi Colwill sustained an ACL injury, which will keep him out for most of the campaign, if not all of it.

Recently sacked manager Enzo Maresca had requested a new centre-back as a backup in the summer, but it was overlooked by the club management, who appeared to believe that they already had enough players to cover for the English defender’s absence. Well, with the first half of the season now over, that hardly seems to be the case, as Chelsea have struggled defensively throughout.

With that in mind, it appears Chelsea are finally looking to bring in a new centre-back, if reports are to be believed. They are already keeping an eye on a highly-rated youngster for this winter transfer window.

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are one of the clubs to have sent scouts to watch Udinese defender Oumar Solet. But Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a winter move for him.

Chelsea send scouts to monitor top Serie A defender wanted by multiple clubs

Solet has gathered a lot of admirers with his recent performances. The French youth international is a regular in Udinese’s backline and has made 21 appearances in all competitions for the club so far this season.

So, needless to say, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur aren’t the only teams linked with the player, with other top clubs like Barcelona, Manchester United, and Crystal Palace are also reportedly in the race to sign the 25-year-old. Additionally, a move to a Serie A giant like AS Roma, Inter Milan or AC Milan isn’t ruled out either.

As a result, Chelsea might have to shell out a fair bit of money if they indeed intend to go after the player, as there’s a possibility of a tug-of-war situation unfolding. Apart from Solet, there are other options the Blues might pursue. Interestingly, one of the Premier League's best defenders, Marc Guehi, could leave Crystal Palace soon, and fans wouldn’t mind seeing the Cobham graduate back at Stamford Bridge.

We know about a few players Chelsea tried and failed to sign in the recently concluded summer transfer window. One of them is Xavi Simons, who had been linked with the Blues for weeks and even agreed on personal terms with them, only to join Tottenham Hotspur late in the window. On the other hand, it looks like the Club World Champions wanted one of Spurs' midfielders, if reports are accurate.

Chelsea have an exceptional midfield department right now. Moises Caicedo is probably the best defensive midfielder in the world and while Enzo Fernandez's overall game has faced some criticism, nobody can argue with his recent output. Romeo Lavia is a phenomenal talent but continues to struggle with fitness issues and Andrey Santos will be hoping to establish himself after an excellent loan spell at Strasbourg. Dario Essugo impressed in pre-season but has had to undergo surgery.

So, with that much depth, one would not imagine that Chelsea would try to go out and sign another defensive midfielder. Yet, it appears that that is exactly what they might have done.

As reported by Foot Africa, a significant knee injury ultimately decided the immediate future of Yves Bissouma, ensuring he will remain with Tottenham Hotspur beyond the summer transfer window. The player attracted concrete interest and received several offers from a number of Premier League clubs, including Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, West Ham United, and Chelsea.

Chelsea reportedly made offer for Tottenham Hotspur player this summer

Well, Bissouma is a decent player for sure. But is he someone that Chelsea need at this point in time, considering their lack of depth in other areas of the pitch?

Bissouma does have that Brighton & Hove Albion connection though, something that Chelsea clearly value a lot. And understandably so, Caicedo is amongst the best defensive midfielders in the world. Joao Pedro has been brilliant since coming in. Marc Cucurella has been immense at left-back.

So, while Chelsea's signing players from Brighton & Hove Albion has become a bit of a joke on the internet, nobody can deny the quality of the players that they have brought in. The Seagulls clearly have an eye for talent. Before moving to Tottenham Hotspur, Bissouma was playing his football at Amex Stadium.

We have already seen Tottenham Hotspur swoop in and sign one Chelsea target in recent times. For several weeks, it had looked like Stamford Bridge was the only destination Xavi Simons was interested in ending up at, having agreed personal terms with the Blues. But things changed later in the summer window.

Either Chelsea pulled out of the race, or they lost out. Whichever may be the case, Simons ended up joining Tottenham Hotspur. And now, it looks like Spurs have their eyes on another of the Blues' targets.

As reported by TheBoyHotspur, Tottenham have identified Morgan Rogers as a key midfield target and are preparing a bold move in the upcoming January transfer window. Spurs are now considering a £60 million opening bid to test Aston Villa’s stance, who are believed to be looking for close to £100 million.

Chelsea remain interested as well and are monitoring the situation of Rogers closely. But at this point in time, their London rivals, Tottenham, appear to be taking more concrete steps.

Tottenham preparing £60m bid for Chelsea target in January

Rogers recently won the PFA Young Player of the Year award. And Aston Villa did well to keep him at the Birmingham club this summer.

That being said, it feels like it is only a matter of time before Rogers ends up leaving for one of the 'Big Six' or a top European club outside of England. Let's see what the future holds for him.

He is believed to be Chelsea's top target moving forward as well. Although we do have some doubts about where he would fit in this team. It is hard to imagine that the Blues would spend a significant transfer fee north of £60 million to sign a backup option to Cole Palmer.

For now, he remains an Aston Villa player. But what does the future hold? Will Rogers move to Chelsea, Tottenham or somewhere else?

Manchester United have not made the start to the season that they would have been hoping for. The recent win against Burnley, thanks to an added-time winner from Bruno Fernandes, will give Ruben Amorim some relief. But there is a lot more work to be done and it looks like they have a former Chelsea player on their radar ahead of the summer transfer deadline.

Most Manchester United fans want to see the club bring in a new goalkeeper as Andre Onana's struggles have continued, with the performance against Grimsby probably the lowest point of his career. Another midfielder appears to be on the wishlist as well.

As reported by CaughtOffside, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are keen to sign Conor Gallagher. Atletico Madrid have given an asking price of £45 million.

However, it appears that Tottenham Hotspur are the ones preparing a bid and leading the chase for his signature. One source said to the outlet:

"The club see Gallagher as a perfect fit … Spurs are preparing a bid in the region of £35–40 million."

Manchester United want to sign former Chelsea player in £45m transfer

It was just last summer that Gallagher left boyhood club, Chelsea, in order to join Atletico Madrid. But things do not seem to have gone as smoothly in Spain as hoped for and the La Liga side are already willing to part ways with the England international.

It is not hard to see why clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur might be interested in Gallagher. He is a Premier League-proven midfielder, who brings work rate in the middle of the park and has an eye for goal as well.

Gallagher was one of Chelsea's best performers during the Mauricio Pochettino era and even captained the side on numerous occasions. So, there would be very little risk involved in signing someone like him.

Yes, Gallagher is never expected to be one of the best players in the world. But he is the kind of steady presence in the middle of the park that every team could do with.

While Chelsea are set to sign Alejandro Garnacho, it is unclear what their plans are when it comes to Xavi Simons. For weeks, the Blues had been linked with the Dutchman. Personal terms were agreed and the wait was for Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to leave. But with Tottenham Hotspur now not only entering the race but making an offer for the RB Leipzig ace, things are suddenly up in the air.

All this while, it was believed that Simons only wanted to join Chelsea. But recent reports suggest that he is open to Tottenham Hotspur as well. To be honest, it is not hard to understand why, considering the delays he has faced with the Stamford Bridge switch.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Simons and Chelsea. But if reports coming out of Spain are accurate then the Blues might have turned their attention already.

As reported by SPORT, Chelsea, determined to sign Fermin Lopez, have increased their initial proposal of €58 million to €65 million. A very serious figure that, according to the outlet's sources, the London club would be willing to pay in a fixed payment and without variables.

Chelsea make €65m for alternative as Tottenham try to sign Xavi Simons

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Lopez. Such an offer might very well be enough to change Barcelona's mind about an exit.

It is no secret that Barcelona have been dealing with financial issues for many seasons now. So, receiving €65 million for a rotational option would be a great deal for them, no matter which way you look at it.

Chelsea would be paying for potential, but they are used to do that. Of course, it is risky move for them as well, as there is no guarantee that Lopez would be able to adjust to the Premier League. We have seen plenty of technical players from La Liga come to England and struggle with the pace and physicality of the English top flight.

We are in the final week of the summer transfer window. The time has just flown by Chelsea started fast and got four deals done quickly, bringing Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Jorrel Hato to the club. They are still looking to make a few more additions, namely Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho, but need to move other players on first before they can complete those signings.

Another position where Enzo Maresca seemed keen for Chelsea to make a signing is centre-back after Levi Colwill got injured. The situation seems complicated though and it is unclear whether a move will be made or not.

The media briefing has been that the club are happy with their current options at centre-back. There have been some suggestions that somebody like Josh Acheampong could want to leave if another addition is made in that area of the pitch. He has been linked with top clubs like Manchester City already and is highly-regarded.

That has not stopped Chelsea from being linked with a few quality centre-backs though. One of them is Piero Hincapie. And almost out of nowhere, it looks like he has become available in the final week of the summer transfer window, opening up a window of opportunity for the Blues to swoop in.

Tottenham Hotspur make €60m offer for Chelsea target

Other clubs are trying to sign the Ecuadorian international as well though. As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur have approached Bayer Leverkusen with a loan plus obligation to buy proposal worth €60 million but to be sealed from 2026. Arsenal have spoken to the Hincapie's camp as a potential option.

In the past, it has been claimed that Chelsea could consider signing a centre-back this summer, if the right opportunity becomes available. If you ask us, this does feel like one.

Hincapie is considered one of the top rising centre-backs in world football today. Chelsea simply do not have a player of that profile right now. The likes of Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo are good. But are they players with whom you can challenge for the Premier League and the Champions League? Most probably not.

When it comes to the transfer market, it is important to get things done as early as possible. Otherwise, there is always the risk of someone swooping in and signing your targets. Tottenham Hotspur learnt that recently. For weeks, they were in the driving seat in a deal for Eberechi Eze. But Arsenal made a last-minute attempt and were successful in signing him. Could Spurs try to do the same with Chelsea?

Earlier, we had talked about Tottenham Hotspur's reported interest in Christopher Nkunku. But he is not the only player that they are believed to be having a look at, after missing out on signing Eze.

Incidentally, another one is a player the Blues want to bring in to replace Nkunku. As reported by Mail on Sunday (via Sky Sports), Chelsea are expected to hold further talks with RB Leipzig over a deal for Xavi Simons despite late interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea have been trying to sign Simons for several weeks and for a while, it has been believed that a move is close to completion. Personal terms are not a problem and an agreement can be found with RB Leipzig as well. But first, the Blues will need to clear up space and raise funds by parting with players. The likes of Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson are prime candidates to help facilitate it by completing exits.

Tottenham Hotspur interested in late move for Chelsea target

Generally. Chelsea have been very swift when it comes to engineering exits for their players. But they have struggled to find new homes for the likes of Nkunku and Jackson.

It has not been for a lack of suitors. All summer, they have been linked with a long list of clubs. But it appears that there is a gap between what Chelsea want and what clubs are willing to pay to sign them.

As we get closer towards the end of the transfer window, interested parties will be hoping that Chelsea reduce their transfer expectations. Let's see if the Blues are ready to budge.

In recent times, we have seen plenty of players move from Chelsea to Arsenal. Just this summer, both Kepa Arrizabalaga and Noni Madueke took that journey and there have been plenty of high-profile names before them, including club legends like Petr Cech, Willian and more. Moves to Tottenham Hotspur have been much less common though.

In fact, the last first-team player to move directly from Chelsea to Tottenham Hotspur is Carlo Cudicini. That was way back in 2009. Of course, some will point towards Jude Soonsup-Bell's switch in 2023 but he made only one senior appearance for the Blues and never featured for Spurs.

This summer, that long run could come to an end though. It looks like a Chelsea player is on Tottenham's radar after they missed out on Eberechi Eze, after it had looked like they had a deal all but agreed. Even more agonising for Spurs fans is the fact that he is heading to Arsenal.

As reported by TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur are exploring a potential move for Christopher Nkunku after missing out on Eze. No formal approach has been made, but the Frenchman is firmly on Spurs' radar.

Tottenham interested in blockbuster move for Chelsea player

When Chelsea signed Nkunku, the expectation was that he would become one of the faces of the team and one of the best players in the Premier League. Neither of those things has happened.

Nkunku's time at Chelsea has been characterised by injury problems and a lack of chances. And after two disappointing seasons with the Blues, he is expected to depart this summer although an exit has not materialised yet.

The move would suit both the club and the player. For Chelsea, it is a chance to free up space in the squad and fund new signings. For Nkunku, it would be a chance to bring his career back on track. He is a cover option at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham's situation is good news for Chelsea as well. With time running out in the summer transfer window, Spurs do not have too many options left and that could help bolster the transfer fee they might be willing to pay to sign Nkunku.

Chelsea have parted ways with plenty of players in recent days. The club's striker department seems to be undergoing plenty of change right now. Marc Guiu moved to Sunderland on loan. On the other hand, Armando Broja has joined Burnley on a permanent basis. And there are believed to be talks over David Datro Fofana's exit as well.

Of course, the big-name Chelsea striker who could leave the club this summer is Nicolas Jackson. In recent times, he has been linked with plenty of top teams including Manchester United, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, Juventus and more.

There were uncertainty around the future of Jackson. But in recent days, it has become pretty clear that it is highly likely that he will leave Chelsea this summer, after seeing Joao Pedro and Liam Delap move ahead of him in the pecking order.

As reported by The Standard, Tottenham Hotspur are known to be fans of Jackson. But they would only consider a move for him should Richarlison leave the club this summer.

Tottenham will make move for Chelsea player only on one condition

Of course, with Manchester United set to sign Benjamin Sesko, it is highly unlikely that they would still want Jackson. On the other hand, one would imagine that any move from Newcastle United would depend on what happens with Alexander Isak, who is wanted by Liverpool and clearly wants to depart.

Let's see how this entire situation plays out over the coming weeks and months. It would be surprising though if Jackson is a Chelsea player come the end of the transfer window.

Will Chelsea try to sign another forward this summer, if Jackson leaves? That is also an interesting question worth asking. Just having two options, Pedro and Delap, would not be ideal by any means.