Chelsea

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There is no indication Chelsea are actively looking to sell Wesley Fofana.

The France international, who was not selected for his country's World Cup squad, is effectively under scrutiny as the Blues look to reduce the size of their squad before next season under Xabi Alonso.

The picture at centre-back is already crowded, and Chelsea are looking to add at least one high-quality option in that area and perhaps another depending on sales.

The idea is to deliver a Premier League-ready option to partner the highly regarded Levi Colwill - a role once reserved for Fofana given his £70m price tag, but which is now no longer guaranteed.

The situation may be recoverable, but it remains uncertain for Fofana, who must impress Alonso upon arrival when pre-season begins at the end of the month.

Chelsea acknowledge they need to add physicality, quality and leadership in their incoming signings, particularly at centre-back.

Those within the club have been tight-lipped on specific targets, but checks were made on Ibrahima Konate before he joined Real Madrid from Liverpool, while Nottingham Forest's Murillo is admired.

Jan Paul van Hecke was linked before his move to Tottenham from Brighton, while Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix is also reportedly on the radar.

Who would you bring in to bolster Chelsea's central-defensive options? Are you keen on Murillo or Lacroix, or is there another player you'd prefer? Or does Fofana remain the best solution?

Get in touch with your views here

Read Nizaar's full piece on Fofana and signings here

Alex Howell
Football reporter

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Reece James worked with Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea and is playing at his first World Cup as England's first-choice right-back.

James has sustained a number of injuries in his career and has faced questions about his ability to play regularly with limited recovery time.

He looked to have got over those problems, but picked up a hamstring injury at the end of the 2025-26 campaign which kept him out for four weeks and meant he missed England's games against Japan and Uruguay.

But James returned for Chelsea in time to be selected in Tuchel's World Cup squad and ended the season with 39 appearances for his club.

"People always talk about injuries and availability, and to me it's so boring now," James told BC Radio 5 Live.

"I have one job, which is to be the best I can when I'm on the pitch. I understand the stigma at the start, but after a while it gets boring.

"I've been fit for a long time before my last injury, and I don't listen to too much noise.

"I just focus on myself and my body, trying to perform the best I can and help the team I'm playing in."

Striker Nicolas Jackson will not push for a move away from Chelsea as he aims to impress new manager Xabi Alonso in pre-season. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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We asked for your views on Chelsea's 2026-27 fixtures and how many points you expect from the first 10 games.

Here are some of your comments:

Jack: I can see Chelsea top of the league after their first 10 games. I'm predicting they will be between three and six points clear.

Tim: I hope Xabi Alonso does well. It's not an easy start, but it's not an easy league. I think Fulham then Brighton is a good test, and if the players are with the manager then a good start can happen.

Rob: It is better than two seasons ago, but still very hard. That's the Premier League for you!

Alex: I'm expecting 22 points minimum from the opening 10 games.

Ahmed: Fantastic. It's time to try new methods to ensure we improve from last season's mess and possibly win the league - especially with the current manager on ground. Winning the opening game is always encouraging.

Wayne: I think we can achieve a top-four finish this season and win the FA Cup.

Now you have seen the 2026-27 fixtures, what kind of start do you think Chelsea will have under new boss Xabi Alonso?

How many points do you expect after the first 10 games?

Get in touch with your views here

• Read more on the matches and rule changes for 2026-27

Chelsea will begin their 2026-27 Premier League campaign under new boss Xabi Alonso with a trip to Fulham for a west London derby.

The match will take place on 24, August at 20:00 BST, with the Blues' first home fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion on the weekend of 29-30 August.

Alonso's side face Coventry City (A), Ipswich Town (A), Newcastle (H) and Crystal Palace (A) over the Christmas and New Year period.

And they end their league season against Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, 30 May, when all games will kick off at the same time.

See Chelsea's Premier League fixtures in full here

Now you have seen the fixtures, what kind of start do you the Blues will have under Alonso? How many points do you expect after the first 10 games?

Send your thoughts here

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With the countdown to the 2026-27 Premier League fixture release well and truly on, we asked for your stories of opening-day games - both good and bad - that have stuck in your minds most.

Here are some of your replies:

Colin: The best opening day fixture was in 1984 away at Highbury. We were back in the top division after too long away. I'll admit to crying that day as Colin Pates led us out and I remember being overjoyed when Kerry Dixon equalised.

Sal: Chelsea v Leeds United on the opening day of the 1972-73 season, with the first rebuilds of the stands meaning the new stand was closed. Chelsea won 4-0. My dad took me and my sister. I remember using the toilet that the lady selling tea used at half-time - I don't think there was a women's toilet there with the old stand gone. We stood and watched on the old track around the pitch as there were too many of us for the new capacity. I think some supporters were even locked out.

Roger: My worst opening-day memory was a 3-2 loss at home against Burnley in August 2017. Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas were sent off. We were Premier League champions at the time as well, which made this defeat even harder to swallow.

Ash: The best memory has to be Chelsea's opening day 4-0 thumping of Sunderland in 1999, when Gus Poyet scored that brilliant volley and Gianfranco Zola looked sharp as ever. After watching that performance, I thought Chelsea would win the league that season - but that wouldn't come until 2005. Still, that opening day in 1999 marked the start of something special for me - and I knew success was just around the corner.

Peter: Beating Derby 5-0 in 1984 when they were favourites to go up to the First Division and we were favourites to gown to the Third Division!

Andy: Chelsea v Sunderland. We had just bought Chris Sutton for £10m in the summer transfer market. He broke from the halfway line, the East Stand was on its feet roaring him on, and he slipped before getting a shot off. There was the loudest sigh as everyone sat down.

Come back to this page at 10:00 BST to see how the Blues' 2026-27 Premier League fixtures have fallen.

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"In life and in football, sometimes you need to start new chapters you don't expect," Marc Cucurella admitted when asked about his shock £51.8m move to Real Madrid just hours before Spain's opening World Cup game.

The 27-year-old defender made 50 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea in 2025-26, scoring one goal and providing four assists.

"If you had asked me a few months ago, I probably would have said I don't expect to leave Chelsea," Cucurella revealed in a news conference on Thursday. "I was very happy there and so was my family.

"It isn't easy leaving Chelsea. I arrived as a young kid, I dreamed of winning trophies and Chelsea gave me that, but I think the step to go to Real Madrid now is bigger.

"I have the chance to come back to my country, to one of the best clubs in the world, and I think it is a step I need to make.

"It is a decision that wasn't easy, but it is right for me and my family."

Cucurella joins former Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva and former Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate as one of three major signings already made by Real Madrid since Jose Mourinho's return last week.

"Madrid came in strongly, which was very important to me," Cucurella added. "My situation wasn't easy so having the chance to finalise my transfer before the World Cup started was crucial.

"When a team like Madrid comes calling, it is very hard to say no. I had no doubts though as it is a huge step in my career."

Real Madrid are looking to continue their summer rebuild by signing a midfielder and a centre-back, with Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 25, being one of the options highly rated by the club. (ESPN), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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We asked you which players you have watched at the World Cup that you think would be a great fit at Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Andrew: Probably in a surprise to nobody, Yan Diomande. He looks elegant one moment and like a giraffe on ice others, but he's always pressing forward and creating chaos and the Premier League needs a lot less "safe" football right now!

Benjamin: Any of the Japan team. I'd take them in a heartbeat. They're disciplined, technically very good, play for the team rather than individual glory, and they fight for the badge. They're not lightweight or petulant. More professionals like this please!

James: He didn't play for Spain against Cape Verde but Alejandro Grimaldo. Marc Cucurella has gone and there is a place to fill. He has worked and thrived under Xabi Alonso. If a deal could be done, I feel he would fit well.

Denis: Ayyoub Bouaddi looked a class act against Brazil and looks like a real prospect at 18. If Enzo Fernandez does leave he'd be a perfect replacement. Folarin Balogun also impressed for the US - he knows the Premier League and e'd be a huge upgrade on Liam Delap. I'd offer Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha a four-year deal - just to up the average age of our squad if nothing else.

Spotted someone you want for Chelsea? Let us know who and why he'd fit

Chelsea are monitoring 26-year-old Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa. (Mirror), external

The Blues are interested in signing Italy full-back Andrea Cambiaso, 26, from Juventus and could offer Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson, 24, as part of the deal. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

West Brom are progressing talks to sign striker Jimmy‑Jay Morgan from Chelsea on a permanent deal.

The 20-year-old is expected to leave Stamford Bridge, with his contract due to expire next year, for a fee that could rise to £4m includes a substantial sell-on clause.

A move to the Championship would follow an impressive loan spell at League One side Peterborough United, where he scored 12 goals and provided three assists in 34 league appearances.

Morgan joined Chelsea in 2022 as a 17-year-old from Southampton for an initial £3m.

He is highly regarded, having represented England at youth level up to the under-20s, and has also previously spent time on loan at Gillingham.

Manchester City and Chelsea have made contact with Italy right-back Marco Palestra's entourage but have not yet begun negotiations with the 21-year-old's club Atalanta. (Sky Sport Italia - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Umir Irfan
Football tactics correspondent

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Thomas Tuchel's decision to call up Trevor Chalobah after Tino Livramento's injury makes sense if you follow the pattern of his squad selections so far.

Tuchel has a system that he is unlikely to change mid-tournament - and he has opted for tall, positionally versatile players.

In addition to the 11 players who started the last game against Costa Rica, only Marc Guehi, Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers are also likely to contest starting positions. These 14 will carry the load of England's minutes.

The rest of the squad, in Tuchel's words, are "specialists" who can provide tactical solutions depending on the state of the game - think Ivan Toney or Dan Burn, or players who cultivate a strong team environment like Jordan Henderson.

Chalobah ticks many of these boxes. He is a tall, versatile defender capable of playing as a centre-back or full-back, who is commended for his work ethic and personality within a squad environment.

It is important to note that Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, John Stones and Djed Spence, also versatile defenders, have all played at right-back too.

Tuchel will be hoping Reece James, familiar with the demands of this system, will play every game, but in deciding not to call up the likes of Lewis Hall or Trent Alexander-Arnold, he is sticking true to picking a squad that minimises the potential outside noise asking why big-name bench players are not starting.

The World Cup may be less than a week old but the 2026-27 Premier League fixtures will be released on Friday.

And to get in the mood as Chelsea start life under Xabi Alonso, we want your stories of opening-day games that have stuck in your minds most - both the good and the bad.

Get in touch with your memories here

And make sure to come back to this page on Friday to see how the Blues' league fixture list has fallen.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea are planning at least two major signings, with a possible third, but face a balancing act this summer.

In terms of arrivals, a minimum of two established, Premier League-ready players are expected to join - most likely a centre-back and a versatile attacker capable of playing in multiple positions.

A further signing is expected to be Valentin Barco from partner club Strasbourg. The Argentina international has played primarily in central midfield over the past two seasons, but previously operated at left-back for Boca Juniors and Brighton.

That positional flexibility could prove useful following Chelsea's decision to accept a deal worth up to £51.8m for Marc Cucurella to join Real Madrid.

There are also three additional arrivals to consider.

Goalkeeper Mike Penders is expected to link up with the squad for pre-season following his loan spell, while winger Geovany Quenda will join from Sporting after a deal agreed more than a year ago. Striker Emmanuel Emegha also agreed a move to Chelsea last September.

It remains to be seen how the squad will be balanced with heavy sales. New head coach Xabi Alonso must assess his players during pre-season while overseeing those key decisions.

Chelsea will have fewer matches next season after finishing 10th in the Premier League and failing to qualify for European competition.

Quenda ready for new campaign

Quenda, now 19, completed part of his recovery from a metatarsal injury at Chelsea last season and plans to return early from his holiday to be ready for pre-season.

After his campaign with Sporting ended in a disappointing Taca de Portugal final defeat by minnows Torreense, he scored twice for Portugal's under-21 side.

Quenda is currently working with a personal trainer to ensure he is fully prepared for his step up to the Premier League, alongside following a nutrition programme and learning English, which he now speaks to a good level.

Image source, Handout

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah has been called up to England's World Cup squad after Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento was ruled out of the tournament.

Livramento suffered a calf injury during training on Sunday. England begin their World Cup bid against Croatia on Wednesday.

Chalobah, who has one cap, is on his way to England's camp in Kansas City and will join up with the squad after the Croatia match.

Outfield players who sustain a serious injury or illness can be replaced in a World Cup squad up to 24 hours before the team's first match of the tournament.

The 26-year-old has not featured for England since June 2025 when he played the full 90 minutes in a friendly against Senegal, but was on the bench for multiple World Cup qualifiers under Thomas Tuchel.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The exit of Marc Cucurella from Chelsea is a curious one.

Only last season, the Spain international agreed improved financial terms without extending his contract, a deal that was never formally announced by the club.

After winning the European Championship with Spain, along with the Conference League and Club World Cup at Chelsea, Cucurella appeared to be an integral part of the side under former manager Enzo Maresca.

However, his form dipped under Maresca's mid-season replacement, Liam Rosenior, and - amid a run of poor results - Cucurella criticised the managerial uncertainty and the running of the club more broadly.

Unlike Enzo Fernandez, who made similar comments in March, Cucurella was not formally punished.

Yet, despite saying in recent days that he had spoken to incoming boss Xabi Alonso and liked the idea of playing under him, he has opted to leave for Real Madrid.

Part of his reasoning was a desire to return to Spain. With three children and having spent six years in London, Cucurella's agency worked alongside Chelsea to find a suitable move to one of the big three clubs in his home country.

For the Blues, the deal makes financial sense. They finished 10th in the Premier League last season, will lose substantial revenue by missing out on European competition, do not currently have a long-term front-of-shirt sponsor, and remain under scrutiny from Uefa under a settlement agreement after breaching squad cost rules.

Although the club insist they do not need to sell players and will remain compliant, the sale of Cucurella improves their financial position. While it represents a small loss on the £60m paid to sign him from Brighton in 2022, due to transfer fees being amortised over the length of his contract, it equates to a profit of about £17.5m in accounting terms.

Image source, Getty Images

In addition, Chelsea will have fewer matches next season. With Cucurella turning 28 next month and having three years remaining on his contract, this may have represented the final opportunity to maximise a fee for a player keen to move.

Cucurella was, however, one of Chelsea's most consistent performers over the past two seasons and his departure will reduce the average age of a squad already the youngest in the Premier League.

There is also the emergence of Jorrel Hato, signed from Ajax last summer and who was one of the few positives in the final months of the season under Rosenior and then caretaker boss Calum McFarlane.

It will be interesting, therefore, to see whether Chelsea re-enter the market for a left-back, having already been targeting centre-backs, central midfielders and a versatile attacker.

Read more on Cucurella's Stamford Bridge exit

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Marc Cucurella has officially joined Real Madrid just hours before his opening World Cup game with Spain, raising the question of whether his former Chelsea team-mate Enzo Fernandez follows.

Sources in Spain say the agreement progressed rapidly with Chelsea, and a similar scenario could now develop with Fernandez.

Much depends on Madrid's willingness to spend a significant fee on the midfielder, who is valued by Chelsea at £120m.

It remains unclear how much Chelsea are willing to negotiate, or whether Madrid would meet that valuation for the Argentina international, who is also at the Fifa World Cup.

However, re-elected club president Florentino Perez has hinted at a potential signing worth 150m euros (£129.6m), having had a bid at that value rejected by Atletico Madrid for Fernandez's international team-mate Julian Alvarez. It suggests those funds could be put to use with Fernandez himself.

Well-placed sources say Fernandez is keen to leave Chelsea and join Real Madrid. Manchester City and Paris St-Germain have also been linked, but both are understood to have distanced themselves from any interest.

It appears to be Madrid or bust for Fernandez, although Chelsea - under new manager Xabi Alonso - would also be content to keep the midfielder, who contributed 15 goals and seven assists last season. He is under contract until 2032.

Madrid are set to sign Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, Inter Milan full-back Denzel Dumfries and Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.

It forms part of a rebuild under returning manager Jose Mourinho after a season in which they finished second to Barcelona in their domestic league and exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.

Read more on Cucurella's exit and Fernandez's future here

We asked for your views on Marc Cucurella's £51.8m move to Real Madrid.

Here are some of your comments:

Clayts: It's a shame as he has been good, although, whether we like it or not, Real Madrid are a bigger team, he's Spanish and you can't blame him. Jorrel Hato has been looking very good, and is great at getting forward, so this could be very good timing.

Rob: This is a surprise, as I would have said Cucurella was indispensable. I can't think of many quality left-backs who would want to come to us at the moment, but perhaps Lewis Hall could make a return.

Pete: I've supported Chelsea since the 1967-68 season and I'm pleased to see the back of all of the Spanish-speaking players that have been causing problems in the dressing room. I can't believe that the stronger players allowed it to happen. It just shows how weak the leaders of the group actually are.

Chris: Put the money in the bank and play Hato there.

Jeffrey: Obviously the new manager will have his own ideas. I'm sad to see an experienced professional leave, particularly as Cuccurella often leads the tempo of the team. Presumably, Xabi Alonso will have a replacement lined up because the lack of quality and experience in Chelsea's defence has been the root cause of the decline over the past two seasons.

Peter: So glad he is leaving. He has been a disturbing influence at the club. Not a team player.

Image source, Getty Images

Del: Cucurella was fantastic for us and we're going to miss him. I would either like to see Hall brought back or, failing that, Hato given his chance as he looked good towards the end of last season.

Gareth: He has been sold because he criticised them. Probably our best defender last season and seen as the best left-back in the Premier League also. Another great decision by the club. They really don't have a clue.

Phil: Very surprised we took a loss on the deal considering his excellent form over the past two seasons. However, in Hato we look to have a very promising young player who only got better as the season progressed.

Fossie: I thought BlueCo was supposed to make a profit out of player sales? This is a loss. Not very good business. Hopefully they will bring someone from the academy into the first-team squad.