Here are your Chelsea evening headlines for Sunday August 23.
Patrick Vieira hails Malang Sarr
After being released by Nice following the expiration of his contract, Malang Sarr could be a potential free-agent option at centre-back for Chelsea this summer.
The 21-year-old has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, with Sky Sports claiming that the Blues are in talks to sign Sarr, though with the caveat that he will be loaned out for the season.
And there is reason to be excited about Sarr’s prospects. Nice manager Patrick Vieira, who worked with Sarr extensively, hailed the youngster’s leadership qualities last year.
“He has the personality of a leader,” Vieira told Sport365 in 2019. “He answers simply and clearly.
“My role, with my staff, is to continue to make it progress, and to exchange with him so that he knows what the very high level is.
“We’ve seen it in the last few games, today Malang is better than [he] has been.”
Bakayoko closes in on exit
After spending last season on loan at Monaco, Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko is closing in on a permanent exit this summer, per reports.
Fabrizio Romano reports that “AC Milan are getting closer” to a deal, stating that it would be another loan deal with an option to buy next summer. Bakayoko previously spent the 2018/19 season on loan in Milan and impressed.
Chelsea invested £40million in Bakayoko in 2017, but he failed to impress in his first and only season in the first-team squad. He has subsequently spent the last two seasons out on loan and seems set to do so for a third time next year.
Frank Lampard is conducting an overhaul of his squad and has a glut of central midfielders to work through, including N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Billy Gilmour, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount and Ross Barkley. Bakayoko’s exit, then, is not surprising.
Havertz breakthrough close
After a summer of rumour and conjecture, Chelsea are close to a breakthrough in their negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen for star midfielder Kai Havertz.
Football.London understands that the two clubs, who have been discussing a fee throughout the summer, are getting closer to an agreement. Leverkusen want close to £80m, while Chelsea are able to reach that figure with a series of add-ons and clauses.
Havertz has been one of the standout young players in the Bundesliga in the past two seasons, scoring 17 and 12 goals respectively from an attacking midfield position. Having just turned 21, he represents a hugely exciting transfer.
Chelsea have already spent big this summer, signing Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner and closing in on a deal for Ben Chilwell. Havertz would be the latest addition as Lampard looks to overhaul his squad.
