Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues want PSV attacker; Jorginho set to leave Stamford Bridge, and more - January 12, 2023
Chelsea will be eager to pick up three points when they face Fulham tonight (January 12) in the Premier League. Graham Potter's wards are languishing in tenth place in the standings after 17 games, while the Cottagers are sixth, having played a game more.
Meanwhile, journalist Kaveh Solhekol has said that the Blues are interested in a PSV Eindhoven attacker. Elsewhere, Jorginho is set to leave Stamford Bridge this year.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on January 12, 2023:
Chelsea want Noni Madueke, says Kaveh Solhekol
Chelsea are interested in Noni Madueke, according to Kaveh Solhekol. The Englishman is the latest talent to pop up on the Blues' radar after some fine performances with PSV Eindhoven.
Potter remains keen to revamp his attack this year and is in the market for reinforcements after roping in Joao Felix on a season-long loan move from Atletico Madrid.
Speaking recently, Solhekol said that the London giants are targeting Madueke as part of their twin-track approach
"We talk about Chelsea’s twin-track approach, as well as buying established players, they’re buying some of the best young players around the world,” said Solhekol.
He added:
“Another player who has caught their eye is Noni Madueke who is at PSV. Young winger who used to be at Tottenham, and I think he actually started his youth career at Crystal Palace. ... He’s a very fast, exciting, young winger.”
The 20-year-old has appeared eight times across competitions this season for PSV, scoring twice.
Jorginho set to leave Stamford Bridge
Jorginho will not extend his stay at Chelsea beyond this summer, according to The Telegraph via Caught Offside.
The Italian midfielder is in the final six months of his contract with the Blues, along with N'Golo Kante. With both players yet to agree to an extension, it was previously believed that they would be allowed to leave at the end of the season.
However, it now appears that the London giants want to keep hold of the Frenchman, despite his recent injury woes.
Chelsea are working to tie down both Kante and Mason Mount to new deals, but Jorginho is not part of their plans right now. As such, it appears to be the end of the road for the Italian at Stamford Bridge.
Ben Jacobs outlines why Newcastle United ended Hakim Ziyech pursuit
Journalist Ben Jacobs reckons Hakim Ziyech's high wage demands caused a move to Newcastle United to collapse.
The Moroccan winger is a peripheral figure at Chelsea and is expected to leave Stamford Bridge this year. The Magpies were among the clubs interested in his services, but a move has failed to materialise.
In his column for Caught Offside, Jacobs said that manager Eddie Howe doesn't want to unsettle his squad by disrupting the wage structure at St. James' Park.
"Ziyech has very high wages, which is putting off a lot of clubs – Newcastle United, for example, didn’t want to pay Ziyech’s wages because they didn’t want to break their wage structure too significantly, while they have Financial Fair Play concerns as well," wrote Jacobs.
He added:
"Unless they qualify for the Champions League and can change their budget, they have to be careful, and Eddie Howe is very keen as well to keep unity, and the way to do that is not to, halfway through the season, bring in a new player on sky-high wages, which could potentially unsettle the rest of the squad."
Jacobs added that Ziyech wants to return to Ajax, but a move is unlikely.
"Ziyech would love to return to Ajax, but it’s not looking likely. Milan were interested in the summer, but their interest has cooled at the moment,” said Jacobs.
The 29-year-old has registered 12 appearances across competitions for the Blues but is yet to open his account for the season.