The Chelsea Chronicle

Some Tottenham Hotspur supporters will not be happy with James Maddison after his praise of a Chelsea legend.

Maddison was recently asked to pick two players from a list of 15 to join the Premier League‘s Hall of Fame.

The first name that the attacking midfielder picked was former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. The other was an absolute Chelsea icon.

He is the sort of player Enzo Maresca would love to have now, especially with Cole Palmer out injured.

James Maddison lauds Eden Hazard as ‘one of the best’

After all of the goals that he has scored against them, Tottenham supporters will not appreciate Eden Hazard, who cost Chelsea £32m when he joined from Lille in 2012.

Maddison, however, remains a fan of the Belgium legend, hailing him as “one of the best players” to step foot in the Premier League.

Explaining why Hazard should be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, Maddison said: “Eden Hazard, got it, for me he’s one of the best players to ever play in the Premier League, I have his shirt on my wall and it’s probably one of my favourite ones on there.”

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As well as Hazard, Cesc Fabregas has also been nominated after his success at Chelsea.

At Stamford Bridge, the retired midfielder was able to help the Blues win two Premier League titles.

Eden Hazard just wanted to have ‘fun’ on the pitch

Maddison is not the only member of the Eden Hazard fan club. Former Aston Villa and England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is also an admirer of the retired winger.

Agbonlahor recently shared a story about Hazard where the 34-year-old told him on the pitch that he just wants to have “fun”.

“This player, I had the privilege of playing against him,” Agbonlahor said. “He once said to me on the pitch, ‘Gabby, just have fun. I just want to have the ball and have fun’. Eden Hazard.”

Chelsea’s current attack is faltering right now, though they are not being helped by the red cards being picked up in the backline.

Nevertheless, six games into the season, Maresca has not got enough goals from the likes of Pedro Neto, Estevao Willian and Jamie Gittens.

Everyone needs to step up — as Hazard often did — in the absence of Palmer. The Englishman is not expected to return to action until after the October international break.

Chelsea were in hot pursuit all summer, but he ended up at Spurs and now his agent has disclosed why a deal could not be reached.

Xavi Simons was Chelsea’s main target in the final weeks of the transfer window.

As the days and weeks passed, it was assumed that Chelsea were focusing on their outgoings, but with a move for the RB Leipzig attacker on the back burner.

It then emerged that Spurs agreed terms with Xavi, and the Blues didn’t get back in the race.

It was a disappointing outcome, missing out on one of Europe’s best young talents. Now, Xavi’s agent has revealed why he chose Spurs.

Agent Ali Barat reveals why Chelsea’s move for Xavi Simons didn’t progress

It’s not like Chelsea are short on attacking options, but when the initial links to Xavi emerged, it got fans excited. This is an extremely technical, individualistic player who could have added another dimension to Enzo Maresca’s attack.

But there was a roadblock, and Xavi’s agent Ali Barat discussed this in an interview for RMC sport.

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He revealed: “Tottenham and Chelsea are both fantastic clubs with solid projects, and there was real interest from both sides.

“But Chelsea was always clear with us, they had certain constraints that made it difficult to move forward with discussions.”

The constraints he refers to likely centre around Chelsea’s wage structure, which puts less emphasis on base salary and more on performance-based incentives.

The figure floated after his move to Spurs was £195,000 per week. That does not comply with BlueCo’s policy for young players, as evidenced by Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, two other young attackers who signed deals worth £110,000 per week.

Even star man Cole Palmer earns a wage of £130,000. Simons clearly felt he deserved more and this was a non-negotiable.

The decision not to compromise for Simons is understandable; however, seeing him play for a London rival will have some Chelsea fans pulling their hair out nonetheless.

Ali Barat shares more on the Nicolas Jackson loan

As well as discussing Simons, Barat brings up Nicolas Jackson, whom he also represents.

He shared more details on the loan deal that sent Jackson to Bayern, saying: “They have a mandatory purchase option if he plays 40 games, but they also have a €65 million option (if not).”

The obligation is worth just shy of £70 million, dependent on the Senegalese striker making 40 appearances. But if he doesn’t reach that quota, the German champions still have a £57 million option.

Barat, unbiased of course, thinks Bayern would be getting a good deal at the option price: “So I think if Nico Jackson performs this season, given the current market price for strikers, at €65 million in my opinion, they should buy him. Again, it all depends on how Jackson fits in and performs.”

Chelsea will want him to do well, especially now that they have faced Bayern. It would save them the job of finding a new suitor next summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are now eyeing Chelsea target Xavi Simons ahead of next Monday’s transfer deadline.

After failing to sign Eberechi Eze, who has moved to the other side of north London, Tottenham are now interested in Simons.

The RB Leipzig star has been a key target for Chelsea for much of the transfer window, but the Blues have failed to strike an agreement with their German counterparts for his signature.

Tottenham have now sensed an opportunity to sign Simons, who has reportedly not shut the door on a switch to Thomas Frank’s side.

Xavi Simons is open to joining Tottenham

Last week, it was claimed that Simons only wanted to join Chelsea, but that stance seems to be softening amid the Club World Cup winners’ failure to agree a deal to sign him.

According to talkSPORT, the 22-year-old is open to moving to Tottenham before the transfer window closes on September 1.

If Simons does go on to sign for Spurs, Chelsea could turn to Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez as an alternative.

It has been alleged that Enzo Maresca has already spoken to Lopez about a move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

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One player who looks like he is on his way to Chelsea is Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho. On Wednesday, it emerged that Chelsea were close to agreeing a fee with their Premier League rivals for the winger’s signature.

Chelsea still Xavi Simons’ preference despite Tottenham interest

While Simons may be open to joining Tottenham, it is thought that Chelsea remain his preference ahead of deadline day.

In terms of playing time, though, a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium may actually be better for the Dutchman.

Simons’ preferred position is the No.10 role, which Cole Palmer currently occupies at Chelsea. Simply put, the Netherlands international is not going to get too many starts behind the striker.

Chelsea’s pursuit of RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons is really starting to drag on now.

As early as June, it was reported that Chelsea were interested in signing Simons from Leipzig. However, they have been unable to agree a fee with their German counterparts so far.

Since then, their London rivals Arsenal have signed Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace in a £67.5m deal.

It is a transfer that could now indirectly impact Chelsea and their mission to bring in Simons ahead of deadline day.

Tottenham eyeing Xavi Simons hijack after Eberechi Eze failure

At one stage, Eze had actually looked destined for a move to Tottenham Hotspur instead of Arsenal.

In the end, though, their deal to sign Eze from Palace was hijacked by their north London and Premier League rivals, forcing them to turn to alternatives.

Simons now appears to be one of them, with CaughtOffside claiming that Tottenham are currently exploring the possibility of signing the attacking midfielder while Chelsea hold off on a deal.

The outlet claims that the Blues are prioritising exits first, which could give Spurs a window of opportunity to swoop in and land Simons.

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Chelsea are in the process of offloading some of their unwanted assets, however. Axel Disasi could join Bournemouth in the coming days, for example.

Ben Chilwell is also attracting interest from Coventry City, who are now being managed by his former manager Frank Lampard.

Why Chelsea will still be confident about Xavi Simons deal

There is no reason for Chelsea fans to panic just yet. Tottenham’s interest in Simons is not new.

Last week, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano discussed Tottenham and Simons, claiming that Spurs had already made contact to sign the 22-year-old but were unlikely to be successful, as he only wants to join Chelsea.

Chelsea’s acquisition of Cole Palmer in 2023 seems to be causing problems for their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea signed Palmer from Manchester City in a transfer that will haunt the former Premier League champions for a long time.

Palmer struggled against Crystal Palace over the weekend, but he has been a revelation for the Blues overall since joining. In 98 appearances, the attacking midfielder has scored 43 goals.

City now look determined not to sell another one of their rising stars to a Premier League rival.

Manchester City don’t want Cole Palmer repeat with Savinho

Tottenham have made Savinho a key target and are trying to sign the Brazilian before the transfer window closes in September.

However, so far, City are preventing Savinho from joining Thomas Frank’s side because of Palmer.

According to the reliable Fabrizio Romano, someone very important at the Etihad is blocking Savinho’s move to Tottenham after watching Palmer’s success in west London. They do not want a repeat of that.

On Spurs’ interest in Savinho, Romano said: “There is someone specific, very important at Manchester City, blocking the deal for Savinho to Tottenham.”

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The Italian journalist later went on to add: “There is someone in the management of Manchester City — on the board of Manchester City — with a strong desire to keep the player, probably also because we all saw what happened with Cole Palmer.

“Man City did fantastic this year in terms of transfer strategy, signings, sales and all the rest, but Cole Palmer to Chelsea remains something that is still in the eyes of people in Manchester City.”

Palmer is payback for Kevin De Bruyne’s own success at City. While Chelsea did not sell the Belgian playmaker to the Citizens, he was once on their books before landing at the Etihad after a couple of spells in Germany.

In April, it was claimed that Chelsea were thinking about re-signing De Bruyne this summer, but the 34-year-old left City for Napoli instead.

Cole Palmer’s stance on rejoining Manchester City one day

There have been some rumours about City being interested in bringing Palmer back to the Etihad, but that chapter appears to be closed for the 23-year-old.

Last month, it was reported that Palmer has no intention of returning to City and is enjoying proving his former club wrong at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer has a contract until 2033, so even if he did fancy rejoining Pep Guardiola’s team, Chelsea are under no pressure to sell.

Chelsea’s transfer window has very much been seen as a success so far, however reports have stated it could have been even stronger after they missed out on a key signing to one of their rivals.

The frontline at Stamford Bridge has undergone major changes for the 2025/26 campaign, with a completely new look to the number nine role.

Joao Pedro and Liam Delap are now up front for Chelsea, with it looking likely that Nicolas Jackson will depart after two seasons as the first choice at the club.

Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian have also made their move, all of whom featuring at some stage during the 0-0 draw on the opening day of the season against Crystal Palace.

Chelsea had agreed personal terms with Mohammed Kudus before Tottenham move

Reports have linked them to plenty of other attackers this summer too, with one of them being Mohammed Kudus.

Chelsea were pushing hard to sign Kudus from West Ham at the time, with the attacker making it clear that he wanted to leave the London Stadium.

However, he ended up joining arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur for around £55m, and despite seeming very comfortable there it could have been a very different story this summer.

According to The Sun, Kudus had actually agreed personal terms with Chelsea before eventually joining Spurs.

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The report goes on to say that the Blues’ best offer was a player plus cash deal involving Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who ended up joining Everton instead.

Kudus off to electric start at Spurs

Spurs ended up putting in one of the more impressive performances on the first weekend of the season, beating Burnley 3-0.

Kudus picked up two assists in the game, and looks set to be a regular starter under Thomas Frank following his appearance in the UEFA Super Cup against PSG too.

As Chelsea have been forced to look to a future without him, they are still looking at adding new attackers before the transfer window comes to an end.

Silverware for London clubs has become a bit of a common feature of the last few months, however Chelsea’s biggest rivals just threw away a massive chance to make a statement to the rest of the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur lined up against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final last night, with the Champions League holders playing their first competitive game since Chelsea destroyed them in the Club World Cup final.

The Europa League winners found themselves in a brilliant position, being 2-0 up with just five minutes of normal time to play.

However, two late goals and a defeat on penalties later, the narrative had shifted very quickly back towards a more typical Spurs performance.

Enzo Fernandez makes dig at Tottenham straight after Super Cup defeat

Chelsea found themselves in a similar position against their rivals back in December, being 2-0 down in a game many had tipped them to win based on the recent form.

However, a comeback inspired by Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez saw them run out 4-3 winners, much to the delight of Enzo Maresca.

Just minutes after Wednesday’s game was over, Chelsea put out a social media post reminding everyone of their victory against PSG last month.

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Fernandez took to his Instagram story to share the post, leaving a reminder of Chelsea’s ability to get the job done in a big game.

Fernandez loves playing against Spurs

The World Cup winner has faced Spurs four times since making his big-money move to Stamford Bridge, and since the nightmare 2022/23 season, has been on the right side of the result every time.

He picked up an assist when Chelsea became the first side to beat them in the 2023/24 campaign, winning a penalty converted by Palmer.

Fernandez then scored in both games last season, proving to be crucial in single-goal victories that helped them towards their goal of finishing in the top four.

The Argentine is no doubt desperate to get going again as the Blues look to build on their two-trophy campaign, as well as mount a more serious title charge.

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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.