Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Former player believes Blues have to spend more this summer; club offer €70 million plus Marcos Alonso for Barcelona midfielder, and more - August 7, 2022
A Jorginho penalty helped Chelsea see off a spirited Everton team at Goodison Park in their Premier League opener on Saturday. Manager Thomas Tuchel will look to add more quality to his roster before the transfer window closes.
Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes the Blues need to spend more this summer to get closer to Liverpool and Manchester City. Elsewhere, the London giants are ready to offer €70 million plus Marcos Alonso for a Barcelona midfielder.
Off to a winning start! 😁
@WhaleFinApp | #EveChe https://t.co/fugE7zn9aF
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on August 7, 2022:
Ian Wright believes Chelsea have to spend more this summer
Ian Wright believes Chelsea need to further invest in their squad this summer if to catch up with Manchester City and Liverpool. The Blues have been quite active in the transfer window so far and have brought in a few new faces.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the Everton game, Wright praised the London giants for their transfer business but added that they need more arrivals.
"Well, I think, they are going to have to, especially when you look at what City are doing and how strong Liverpool are. I think they are going to have to spend more. The signing of Sterling is a fantastic signing. Cucurella may have cost more than they would have wanted to spend, but he's somebody that was sought after by City. I think he's a quality player," said Wright.
He added:
"Chukwuemeka is one for the future. Koulibaly will come in and do his job, but they are going to need to spend more Chelsea, without a doubt."
The Blues have snapped up Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella, among others, this summer.
Blues offer €70 million plus Marcos Alonso for Frenkie de Jong
Chelsea are ready to offer €70 million plus Marcos Alonso for the signature of Frenkie de Jong, according to SPORT via The Hard Tackle. The Dutch midfielder has been heavily courted by Manchester United, but the Blues have entered the fray recently. Tuchel wants to strengthen his options in midfield and has his eyes on De Jong.
The London giants are looking to use Barcelona's interest in Alonso to get a deal across the line. The Blaugrana are eager to offload the Dutchman this summer as they look to trim their wage bill and register new signings. They could be tempted by the Premier League giants' player-plus-cash offer, which ticks a lot of boxes for them.
Thomas Tuchel reveals Marcos Alonso has asked to leave
Thomas Tuchel has revealed that Marcos Alonso has asked to leave. The Spanish full-back is eager for a new challenge this summer, and Barcelona are interested in his signature.
Speaking after the win over Everton, Tuchel said that Alonso would have started against Everton had he not expressed a desire to leave.
"That is the case. He tries to leave, and we agreed to this wish, and that’s why it would have never made sense to have him on the pitch today. He would’ve been on the pitch otherwise. In this situation, it’s (not playing him) the right thing to do," said Tuchel.
Thomas Tuchel on #Chelsea defence:
"Thiago [Silva] is a key player in the middle of the defence right now, but we need to move more on the ball, to invest more with runs."
[via @AdamNewson]
Tuchel also hailed Thiago Silva but said his team will have to improve their fitness level.
"Maybe, I never worked with a player in general that age. So he is the fittest one I’ve trained at that age. In general, all three of our players in the back three were in their thirties; the two number sixes are in their thirties, and we could see that we struggled a bit physically at the end of the match," said Tuchel.
He continued:
“We need to improve our physical level, and we will improve. We can be confident we will improve, and we are on it. Thiago is a key, key player in the middle of the defence right now, but we need to move on the ball, not off the ball, to invest more physically with more runs. That will come with more training and more games.”