Here are your Chelsea morning headlines for Thursday, April 23.
Blues squad agree 10% pay-cut
Chelsea’s first-team squad have agreed to reduce their wages by 10% due to the coronavirus financial crisis.
The deal was agreed after talks were led by captain Cesar Azpilicueta and club director Marina Granovskaia, football.london understands .
The players agreed on a 10% reduction and are now aware that there are no immediate plans to recoup the money.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has agreed a 25% pay-cut, holding a separate talk with club director Granovskaia.
The Blues have emulated London rivals Arsenal, who have also agreed a first-team pay-cut, but it’s not the 30% reduction that was advised by the Premier League.
Chelsea chase two wonderkids
Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing two 16-year-olds in the summer transfer window with Stoke City striker Mohamed Sankoh and Borussia Dortmund defender Nmandi Collins both on Lampard’s wishlist.
Sankoh has been in brilliant form for Stoke’s academy this season – scoring nine goals and providing nine assists in 16 games this season for the U18s.
But the Blues face competition for the Dutch youngster, with Atlético Madrid also interested in the teenager, according to Goal , who say both clubs have held talks with Sankoh.
Chelsea are also interested in bringing in Collins, who is the captain of the Germany U16s national side.
The teenager has just one year remaining on his current contract at Dortmund, and according to Bild, the Blues and Manchester City are going head-to-head for his signature.
Dortmund are keen for him to stay and look to extend his current deal, and hope that a chance in the U19s side and the chance to train with the first-team squad will be enough to persuade Collins to stay at the club.
Sky Sports and BT Sport plans that will affect Blues fans
The Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, has revealed that TV broadcasting duo Sky Sports and BT Sport are planning to make some action free-to-watch for supporters.
Dowden confirmed this in a briefing on Wednesday, with the logic to try and stop people going around somebody else’s house – who do have a subscription – to watch the game once the season restarts.
“I’ve raised this challenge to the Premier League in the conversations I have had with them,” Dowden said.
“I have said to the Premier League, in particular, I think it wouldn’t send the best signal if they were the first or one of the first major sports to resume behind closed doors and the public at large couldn’t have access to it.
“The sports themselves are reliant on revenue, so I don’t want to be in the position of issuing blanket mandate or trying to change things round.
“But I do think they need to be mindful of that, and in fairness they are mindful of it. There are different ways you can both have elements of protecting revenue from broadcasts but also whether there are ways at increasing access.
“I have urged them to do that, and that is what they are considering as they go through the ideas of how it might work if they resume behind closed doors.”
