The Chelsea Chronicle

Chelsea completed the signing of Jorrel Hato from Ajax last Sunday, but they did not get a free run at the defender.

Arsenal and Liverpool were also said to have been interested in Hato before his move to Stamford Bridge, and it has now emerged that another one of the Blues’ rivals actually made an enquiry for the player.

Hato is unlikely to be the last signing Chelsea make, with the club also interested in Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho.

It has been claimed that Chelsea have held talks with Garnacho’s entourage about a transfer this summer.

Tottenham made Jorrel Hato enquiry

Had Tottenham Hotspur been a bit quicker, Hato may have ended up in north London instead of west London.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, the Europa League winners made an enquiry to sign the 19-year-old from Ajax after Chelsea had already made their move for him.

Speaking on Last Words On Spurs, Jacobs said: “Nothing came of it but very soon after Chelsea came formally to the table for Jorrel Hato, Tottenham put in an enquiry to Ajax as well. It didn’t lead to anything.”

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

Hato will still get a chance to play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when Chelsea travel there in November.

Before then, Hato and his new side have London derbies against Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Fulham, all of which come in their first three games of the new Premier League season. They also take on Brentford before their trip to north London.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has lauded Hato, claiming that he is a “top signing” for Enzo Maresca‘s team.

Enzo Maresca told Jorrel Hato’s best position

Chelsea want to use Hato at left-back, which is not a surprise. It is the position he played at Ajax last season, while the Blues have lacked cover there.

However, Winston Bogarde, who has worked with the player, does not think it is his best position. When Bogarde spoke about Hato in 2024, he said: “His best position is left centre.”

Hato could get opportunities to play in central defence, especially considering Benoit Badiashile’s injury record. But Maresca really needs an alternative to Marc Cucurella in the left-back position after a campaign where the Spaniard made 54 appearances.

Chelsea watched one of their transfer targets join Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month and could witness the same thing happen again before the window closes.

Chelsea wanted to sign Mohammed Kudus while the attacker was still at West Ham United.

Instead of Stamford Bridge, though, Kudus ended up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Spurs agreeing a £55m deal with West Ham to sign the 24-year-old.

Another Premier League star could now be about to follow Kudus to north London despite interest from Chelsea.

Tottenham ready to pay £60m for Illia Zabarnyi

In May, it was claimed that Bournemouth were reluctant to sell Illia Zabarnyi amid interest from Chelsea.

However, according to CaughtOffside, the Cherries have placed a valuation of around €70m (£60m) on the central defender and Tottenham are willing to meet it.

The same outlet says that Zabarnyi is on Chelsea’s shortlist but did not state whether the Club World Cup winners are also willing to pay that price.

It means that Spurs could beat Chelsea to Zabarnyi’s signature, just as they did with Kudus. Enzo Maresca is not exactly light in the centre-half position, though.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

The Chelsea manager currently has Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile to call on.

Why Chelsea missed out on Mohammed Kudus

Kudus is a very versatile attacker with Premier League experience, so it is not hard to understand why Chelsea wanted him.

Even so, Chelsea reportedly cooled their interest in Kudus after learning that the Ghana international wanted to play centrally.

With Cole Palmer being the team’s first-choice No.10, it was obviously not something that the club could guarantee him.

Ultimately, from Kudus’ perspective, joining Spurs may work out better for him. At Chelsea, he would have been competing against Palmer, Jamie Gittens, Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian for a place in Maresca’s starting XI.

It will now be interesting to see whether Zabarnyi makes the same move this summer.

Chelsea were interested in signing Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United, but the versatile attacker has ended up at Tottenham Hotspur instead.

The Chelsea Chronicle was told that Chelsea offered West Ham some of their players in a bid to land Kudus; however, the Hammers always preferred a straight cash deal.

The above is not the only reason why the Blues were unable to sign the 24-year-old from their London rivals, though.

It has been claimed that Kudus made one demand that Chelsea were not interested in entertaining.

Mohammed Kudus wanted to play centrally at Chelsea

While Kudus can play anywhere across the frontline, it looks like the Ghanaian wanted to be used in a central position at Chelsea.

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Kudus was keen to start there, but Chelsea envisioned him on the right.

As a result of that and his price tag, Chelsea “pulled away” from a transfer, Phillips shared on Si Phillips Talks Chelsea.

With Cole Palmer being the team’s first-choice No.10, it was obviously not a guarantee that the Blues could give Kudus.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

Palmer proved why he is the first-choice attacking midfielder at Stamford Bridge in the Club World Cup final last Sunday as the Englishman helped his side to beat Paris Saint-Germain.

Palmer scored twice before setting up new signing Joao Pedro, with both players bagging three goals each at the tournament.

Pedro Neto can soften Mohammed Kudus blow

Chelsea have Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian for the right flank, so missing out on Kudus is not the end of the world.

Neto was exceptional at the Club World Cup. If the Portuguese can replicate the form that he showed in America next season, then Chelsea fans will quickly forget about Kudus.

In the six appearances that Neto made at the tournament, the 25-year-old managed to score three goals. He is a big reason why Chelsea went on to win the whole thing.

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur could find themselves going toe-to-toe for one forward this summer.

Chelsea have already recruited Liam Delap from Ipswich Town but still appear to be in the market for a No.9.

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro is attracting interest from Chelsea; however, the 23-year-old is not the only Brazilian forward who is currently being linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

If the Blues do go on to sign another striker, then Nicolas Jackson could depart. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Jackson could move to another Premier League club if his current employers receive a suitable proposal.

Tottenham want to convince Rodrigo Muniz to join them instead of Chelsea

In April, it was claimed that Chelsea had met with Rodrigo Muniz’s agent, with the Fulham striker seemingly on their radar.

According to GiveMeSport, the Blues are still showing interest in the Brazilian but could face competition from London rivals Tottenham for his signature.

The same outlet states that Spurs are also keen on Muniz and want to see if they can convince him to join them instead of the Conference League winners. It is thought that the 23-year-old will cost £50m.

Tottenham and Chelsea have seen first-hand what Muniz is capable of. He scored against both clubs last season, including a last-minute winner at Stamford Bridge.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike is also believed to be on Chelsea’s shortlist, but his current price tag makes a deal very unlikely. Eintracht value Ekitike at around £86m.

What former Chelsea star Willian has said about Rodrigo Muniz

If Muniz does join Chelsea this summer, one person who is likely to be happy is former Blue Willian.

Willian played alongside Muniz at Fulham and is a huge fan of his compatriot. “He’s always tried to work hard,” the Brazil international told TNT Sports last year. “Before he had a difficult time to adapt but when he started to play more, he started to score goals.

“We are really happy for him and I think he can improve even more. He’s only 23 and for me, he will be one of the best strikers in the Premier League for sure.”

When asked if Muniz could compete with the likes of Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah for the Premier League Golden Boot in the future, Willian went on to add: “I think so. He’s got the quality, he can score goals, he’s strong and I’m sure he can be one of the best in the league.”

Whoever gets the ex-Middlesbrough loanee, should he leave Craven Cottage, will be acquiring a talented forward with a lot of potential.

Before Chelsea take on Real Betis in the Conference League final, their Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will face off for the Europa League trophy.

It is a game that is likely to be of great interest to Enzo Maresca, as the final result could impact Chelsea‘s transfer plans.

The Blues are expected to bring in a new striker when the transfer window opens this summer.

Chelsea could sign Benjamin Sesko following RB Leipzig’s failure to qualify for European football, but there is also interest in Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.

Europa League final outcome could decide Liam Delap’s future

Chelsea are very keen on Delap, but they are not the only Premier League club chasing the 22-year-old’s signature.

Manchester United are also targeting Delap, whose future could be decided by the outcome of Wednesday night’s Europa League final.

According to ESPN, if United fail to win the trophy and qualify for the Champions League, Chelsea will strengthen their position in the race to land the Englishman.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

With that in mind, while most Chelsea supporters will want to see their London rivals Tottenham lose, Maresca is going to be hoping for a United loss.

Maresca has already confirmed that he wants to bring in a new striker, and the 45-year-old is a huge fan of Delap after working with him at Manchester City.

What Enzo Maresca has said about Liam Delap

Delap has impressed many this season, scoring 12 goals in 36 Premier League appearances, which is not bad for a forward playing for a relegated team.

However, Maresca was already aware of his talent and spoke very highly of him before Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Ipswich back in December.

When Maresca was asked about Delap, he replied: “Liam is a fantastic player. Also for his age, we spent one year together. I think in that season, he scored 22 or 24 goals.

“This is a very good striker — as I’ve said many times, England are quite lucky because they have very good players, very good strikers, and it is working hard off the ball, on the ball he understands the game and he can score goals. Because of his age, I think he can be an important player for England.”

The two could now reunite at Stamford Bridge, but Maresca may need a favour from Ange Postecoglou if that is to happen.

Again, Chelsea fans will not want to see their London rivals end their trophy drought, but it could actually benefit the Blues.

Moises Caicedo has been speaking in the build-up to Chelsea’s London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night.

Chelsea have already beaten Ange Postecoglou’s side this season, winning 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson back from injury, Blues supporters will be optimistic about a repeat of what happened in north London.

That day, they played a huge part in the team’s victory, according to Caicedo, who has now spoken about that game.

Moises Caicedo on Chelsea fans’ support in Tottenham win

Chelsea found themselves 2-0 down the last time they played Tottenham, with Marc Cucurella slipping twice to aid two devastating Spurs attacks.

However, they were able to fight back and win the game after goals from Jadon Sancho, Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez.

Palmer will be looking to humiliate Tottenham again after scoring twice at their place, including a Panenka penalty. He was key to the victory, but Caicedo says it was Chelsea fans’ support that inspired the team’s comeback.

In an interview for Chelsea’s latest matchday programme, which has been shared by Chelsea’s official website, the midfielder said: “I think the last game, away, was a good one because we were losing 2-0 but the team came back and it was a good performance from the boys.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

“The Chelsea fans were crazy in that game and they supported us a lot, and that’s why I think we felt we could come back and win the game.”

Being one of the most important players in Enzo Maresca‘s side, Caicedo will be expected to start in the reverse fixture.

With Romeo Lavia ruled out, a midfielder of his profile will be needed even more now for such a clash.

Moises Caicedo on run-in

Caicedo has also discussed Chelsea’s run-in, with the Blues having some really tough games left at this stage of the season.

After Tottenham, they have a couple of more London derbies against Brentford and Fulham. Maresca’s men also have to play the likes of Newcastle United and Liverpool before the campaign concludes.

Caicedo, though, is not fazed by the challenge, which you would expect. The 23-year-old is a battling and combative midfielder from South America; there probably is not much that scares him.

“This is a very big club and it deserves a lot,” Caicedo said. “The team is working hard until the end of the season because we know we have something to fight for and we are concentrated on doing our best every single day. We are looking forward to it.”

Between now and the end of the season, there is so much for Caicedo and his teammates to play for.

The striker position has been a problem area for Chelsea in recent years, but it certainly wasn’t an issue when former Blues star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink led the line at the start of the 21st century.

Retired centre-forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, now aged 53, enjoyed an incredible playing career. In particular, he had a golden spell at Chelsea between 2000 and 2004.

Without a doubt, the current Blues squad would be drastically improved with a prime Hassselbaink in their ranks.

Hasselbaink is included in the list of Chelsea’s greatest ever strikers. Unfortunately, he left just before an era of dominance for the Blues under Jose Mourinho’s management.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored the perfect hat-trick without realising against Tottenham

On 13 March 2002, Chelsea recorded an emphatic 4-0 home win over London rivals Tottenham in the Premier League. Hasselbaink stole the headlines by scoring a hat-trick, while a young Frank Lampard was also on the scoresheet.

Hasselbaink completed the footballing feat of a perfect hat-trick, which is scoring with both feet and your head. It turns out that he only learned afterwards what he had done, though.

During an interview in 2023 with FourFourTwo about his career, Hasselbaink explained that he hadn’t even realised he had scored a “very special” hat-trick until after the match.

The former Chelsea striker said: “I scored a hat-trick against Spurs – left foot, right foot and a header. When I was told after the match that I’d scored a perfect hat-trick, I didn’t know what that was, I just thought a hat-trick was a hat-trick. But when they explained, that made it very special too.”

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

It’s a timely reminder of Hasselbaink’s achievement just before Chelsea host Spurs on Thursday night in an important league meeting.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is impressed by Chelsea, even though their form has been shaky in 2025. Let’s see if anybody can step up and write their name into the history books with a major performance.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink part of rare Chelsea group that includes Cole Palmer

There are only six players that have ever scored a perfect hat-trick in the Premier League while playing for Chelsea.

Until last year, Hasselbaink was one of five Blues stars in history to achieve the incredible feat.

However, current talisman Cole Palmer joined the club when he netted a perfect hat-trick against Everton in April 2024. It’s one of countless records that the youngster has broken already during less than two years at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca was asked about Jadon Sancho in his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea versus Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite Chelsea having an obligation to buy Sancho at the end of the season, his long-term future at Stamford Bridge is in severe doubt.

Chelsea can get out of their agreement to sign Sancho permanently by paying a penalty fee to Manchester United.

Maresca was coy about his future when asked about it on Wednesday, but the 45-year-old was clear about one thing.

Enzo Maresca has not sugar-coated Jadon Sancho’s poor record

At the start of the season, Sancho looked like he was going to be a real asset to Chelsea. In his first three Premier League games, the winger managed to register as many assists.

December then saw Sancho put his shooting boots on, with the Englishman scoring in back-to-back games against Southampton and Tottenham.

However, he has not netted since then, going on a run of 14 top-flight matches without a goal. In that time, Sancho has also only managed to record one assist.

Maresca, after giving an injury update on Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, has now told the former Borussia Dortmund star that he should be doing better in front of goal.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

Speaking in his latest pre-match press conference, the Chelsea boss said: “To be honest, probably you have more news than me in terms of Jadon. For me, Jadon’s situation doesn’t change. It is exactly the same. For sure, in terms of numbers, he could do better, no doubt.”

With an xG of just 1.74 this season, according to WhoScored, it is no surprise that Sancho is not scoring at the minute.

Sancho is also averaging just 0.8 shots per game, which is nowhere near enough for an attacking player at a club like Chelsea.

What Jadon Sancho has said about his form

In Sancho’s defence, the England international at least knows that he needs to do better.

Before Maresca’s latest assessment, Sancho admitted that he could improve in front of goal and overall.

“I know I can do better, especially in front of goal, it’s annoying not to score, but I know it’ll come,” the Chelsea wide man said.

Sancho now needs to start showing that improvement; otherwise, he will be heading back to Old Trafford once this campaign concludes.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has given an injury update on Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.

Palmer missed the Blues’ 1-0 loss to Arsenal just before the international break, while Jackson has not played since the start of February.

However, before Maresca‘s pre-match press conference for Thursday’s Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, Palmer was spotted training.

Jackson had also been seen on the grass at Cobham, and Maresca has now given an update on both players.

Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson both available for Tottenham game

In a huge boost for Chelsea, Palmer and Jackson are set to be available for the massive game against Tottenham.

In his pre-match press conference, Maresca said: “Cole Palmer is back, he is okay. Noni Madueke is better. Nico Jackson is better. They are all good.”

Palmer was not in the best of form before his injury. Last month, Joe Cole discussed Palmer’s dip, claiming that he needs a more senior player around him to give some support during this difficult period.

Whatever the case, the attacking midfielder is still Chelsea’s best player, so Maresca will be pleased to have him back.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

As for Jackson, the Chelsea head coach will also be glad to welcome the 23-year-old back. In his absence, the Blues have not had too many other striker options.

Pedro Neto has had to play up front, with Marc Guiu also being out injured. Christopher Nkunku has experience in the centre-forward position, but Maresca has preferred him on the left.

Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson’s records against Tottenham

Palmer scored two goals in Chelsea’s last outing against Tottenham, a 4-3 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both were penalties, including a Panenka, and saw the England international take his record against Spurs to three goals in three games.

Regarding Jackson, he has managed four goals in three appearances versus Chelsea’s fierce rivals, scoring a hat-trick in north London last season.

With Chelsea in a real battle to qualify for the Champions League, April is going to be such a huge month for Enzo Maresca’s men.

Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League table, but they have played one game more than Newcastle United, who are just two points behind them.

Fifth place should also ensure Champions League qualification this season, but there is no guarantee that the Blues finish there either.

Ultimately, with so many teams gunning for a spot in the top five right now, Chelsea need a successful month. With that in mind, here is what a perfect April could look like for Maresca.

Cole Palmer guides Chelsea to victory against Tottenham

Chelsea begin their April with a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

Cole Palmer has returned to training after a small injury, so he should be available for the match. The attacking midfielder humiliated Spurs when Chelsea travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December.

Palmer scored a Panenka penalty that day as the Blues went on to win 4-3. Maresca will now be hoping that the England international can inspire his side to another victory over Ange Postecoglou’s men.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

Chelsea win all three of their London derbies

Following their game against Tottenham, Chelsea have two more London derbies to play before April concludes.

The Blues travel to the Gtech Community Stadium to take on Brentford before another west London derby against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Maresca’s men were able to beat Brentford 2-1 in the reverse fixture, with Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson scoring on the night, but they lost to Fulham by the same scoreline at the Bridge.

Chelsea get their revenge against Liam Delap and Ipswich

Ipswich Town were also able to defeat Chelsea earlier in the season, winning 2-0 at Portman Road.

Liam Delap opened the scoring with a penalty after winning a very controversial spot-kick before former Chelsea player Omari Hutchinson doubled the home side’s lead.

Delap’s goal was controversial because, simply put, he dived to win his team the penalty. Filip Jorgensen, who was between the sticks that day and conceded the spot-kick, will not forget that.

Jorgensen and the Ipswich star could actually be teammates next season, with Delap a target for Chelsea.

All in all, get wins against Ipswich, Fulham, Brentford and Tottenham, and Maresca will be a very happy man going into May.