The Chelsea Chronicle

Any Chelsea fans hoping to see the club sign Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen next year may be concerned about links with Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham already beat their Premier League and London rivals to one signing during the summer after landing Xavi Simons.

Simons was high on Chelsea’s shortlist but ended up joining Thomas Frank’s side instead.

Since then, Ter Stegen has been linked to both London clubs, but a switch to Stamford Bridge looks more likely at this moment in time.

Ter Stegen doesn’t fit goalkeeper profile Tottenham are looking for

Chelsea reportedly view Ter Stegen as an upgrade on Robert Sanchez, who is currently their first-choice goalkeeper. With that being the case, it makes sense that they are considering the 33-year-old.

Tottenham, though, do not appear to be in the market for an upgrade on their No.1, Guglielmo Vicario.

Journalist Dean Jones has told TEAMtalk that Tottenham do not want to sign a big-name goalkeeper to replace Vicario, but rather someone with a lesser reputation who can compete with the Italian.

He has also claimed that Chelsea could very well make a move for Ter Stegen, especially if a short-term deal is possible.

All of the above means that if the Blues are seriously interested in signing the German next year, Tottenham should not cause them any problems.

Chelsea’s future No.1 is already clear

With Ter Stegen now in his 30s, if the Germany international does arrive at Stamford Bridge, the likelihood is that he will only be a short-term option for Chelsea.

It is pretty obvious that Mike Penders is going to be the club’s permanent No.1 in the near future as he continues to impress at Strasbourg.

After saving a penalty against Lyon, Chelsea fans are already calling for Penders to start in goal next season.

Sanchez has not made any huge errors lately, but everything is pointing towards him being replaced at some point.

Chelsea’s focus should be on the upcoming cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers, even though a crucial trip to Tottenham lies just around the corner.

The Blues travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup. Afterwards, Enzo Maresca’s side go across London to play away at rivals Tottenham in the Premier League.

Chelsea enjoyed success in cup competitions last term, winning both the Club World Cup and Conference League. Hopefully, they can follow that up with more success, starting with the League Cup.

Danny Murphy claims Chelsea’s inconsistency will continue because of their young squad, but they will still be favourites to win midweek at Molineux Stadium.

It would be great to safely get through the cup tie against Wolves before turning attention to Spurs.

Theo Walcott predicts Tottenham vs Chelsea

Former Premier League star Theo Walcott has made his early prediction for this weekend’s London showdown between Spurs and Chelsea. Interestingly, he’s gone with a 2-1 away victory for the Blues.

Speaking on The Overlap US, Walcott said: “I will go 2-1 Chelsea at Tottenham. Tottenham weren’t great against Everton. Everton were poor, Tottenham weren’t great either. I do like Thomas Frank. Goalscorer: let’s go for [Moises] Caicedo.”

If Chelsea beat third-placed Spurs in the league clash, they will go level on points with them. Of course, that means that a defeat will open up a six-point gap between the clubs.

We’ve seen that Maresca’s team tend to prefer playing against the bigger clubs, where there is often more space because both sides look to attack.

Blues head coach Maresca has hinted at resting Chelsea players against Wolves, so they could be going all out with their strongest team away to Spurs. They desperately need a reaction in the league because they lost 2-1 at home to Sunderland on Saturday.

Can Chelsea maintain streak against Tottenham?

History, especially in the Premier League era, would suggest that Chelsea should be excited about their upcoming trip to north London.

The Blues have a great record against Spurs. In fact, they are currently on a streak of four consecutive wins against them. Let’s wait and see if they can extend that on Saturday.

However, Thomas Frank’s new-look Spurs team are picking up results this season, even if the performances are questionable. After finishing 17th last year in the Premier League, it is eye-opening that they currently sit third in the table at the quarter-point stage.

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.”

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

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.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

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.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

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.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

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.”

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

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.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

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.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

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.”

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.