Here are your Chelsea morning headlines for Friday, 10 July.
Chelsea tipped to move early for ‘next Kylian Mbappe’
The Express report that Chelsea will move quickly to sign highly-rated young Monaco forward Malamine Efekele ahead of the UK’s exit from the European Union.
Brexit could potentially block the club’s ability to sign “foreign minors”, meaning the club will have to move before January 1 if they want to snap up up the 15-year-old, who has inevitably drawn comparisons to World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe after impressing in Monaco’s academy.
The original report in L’Equipe suggests Chelsea are tracking the player and could sign him after his 16th birthday later this month.
A right-winger who can also play as a centre-forward, Efekele is described by the French outlet as a “very promising attacker”.
How Havertz appeared on Chelsea’s radar
Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia has reportedly made Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz her priority this summer, having already secured Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner for next season.
The Germany international is widely expected to leave his boyhood club this summer after his most impressive campaign to date, registering 17 goals and eight assists in all competitions.
The 21-year-old is said to have been on the radar of several top European clubs since he first broke through as a teenager in the 2016-17 season. He’s now a regular international with almost 150 senior club appearances behind him.
It’s been reported that Havertz believes this summer is the right time for the next stage in his career, so we’ve taken a look at his career in closer depth, season-by-season, to see exactly what he’d offer at Stamford Bridge.
Gilmour injury blow as Lampard boosted by return of key man
Chelsea could be without rising star Billy Gilmour for this Saturday’s match against Sheffield United after the teenager took a knock to the knee in the midweek 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace.
The 19-year-old midfielder will be assessed ahead of the trip to South Yorkshire, a key fixture in Chelsea’s bid to secure Champions League football next season.
But there is some good news for Frank Lampard, who could have Mateo Kovacic back available for selection after the Croatia international returned to training earlier this week.
However, N'Golo Kante will remain sidelined as he continues his recovery from a hamstring complaint.
Here’s the latest on who is and isn’t available for Chelsea’s next match.
