Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Borussia Dortmund retain interest in Timo Werner; Blues agree deal with Barcelona for Cesar Azpilicueta, and more - July 22, 2022
Chelsea travel to the Camping World Stadium on Saturday to face old foes Arsenal in the Florida Cup final. Thomas Tuchel's side succumbed to a spirited Charlotte FC on penalties earlier this week and will look to return to winning ways.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund have retained an interest in Timo Werner. Elsewhere, the Blues have agreed a deal with Barcelona for Cesar Azpilicueta. On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on July 22, 2022:
Borussia Dortmund retain interest in Timo Werner
Borussia Dortmund remain interested in Timo Werner, according to Si and Dan Talk Chelsea via Caught Offside.
The German forward has endured an indifferent time since arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2020. The 26-year-old has registered 23 goals from 89 games across competitions in the last two seasons and is not guaranteed game time under Tuchel.
Thomas Tuchel is confused by Timo Werner's latest comments 😬 https://t.co/DaEM9qI4yB
The London giants are willing to offload him this summer, and Dortmund are monitoring his situation with interest. The Bundesliga giants have a long-standing interest in Werner and want to take him back to Germany this summer. The 26-year-old is also willing to return to familiar surroundings to rediscover his form.
Chelsea agree deal with Barcelona for Cesar Azpilicueta
Chelsea have agreed a deal with Barcelona for the transfer of Cesar Azpilicueta, according to SPORT via The Hard Tackle. The Spaniard is in the final year of his contract with the London giants but wants to move to the Camp Nou this summer. The Blaugrana will pay €4-5 million for the 32-year-old, who's set to sign a two-year deal.
Azpilicueta has been a wonderful asset for the Blues since arriving a decade ago. He has appeared 474 times for the Premier League giants, scoring 17 goals and setting up 56 more. He now looks set to ply his trade in La Liga next season.
Raheem Sterling reveals reason for joining Blues
Raheem Sterling says Chelsea's recent good form convinced him to make a move to Stamford Bridge. The Englishman arrived at the club after a fruitful association with Manchester City, where he registered 131 goals from 339 games across competitions.
Speaking recently, Sterling opened up on his decision to join the Blues.
"Seeing in the last two years, it's four or five finals that they’ve have been in, the progress; they’ve won the Champions League and are now looking to challenge for the Premier League; it's something that intrigued me when I was having a conversation with the club," said Sterling.
He added:
"Seeing the direction that Chelsea guys are going in, it's something I really bought into, and I just felt it is a place where I can really come into my own. I just think it's the perfect platform for me."
He continued:
"The club's already got that winning mentality, but to keep doing it every single year and keep winning more and more trophies and building on the previous season, I think that's what top managers like Thomas do."
Raheem Sterling career stats. https://t.co/AFF9NFS7Or
Sterling added that Tuchel played a big part in convincing him to come to Stamford Bridge.
"It's not one year win and next year rest; it’s again and again and again, and that's what excites me to be here. It's the challenge ahead and to win more trophies. I don't want to go into too much detail on my conversations with the manager," said Sterling.
The Englishman concluded:
“You can see how genuine he was and how much he wanted me here, and that was the nail on it for me. I was certain that this is a place I want to be."