Chelsea talent linked with a surprise move to Saudi club: Reports
According to MailSport, Al-Ettifaq are courting Chelsea talent Harvey Vale. Vale, 20, is an academy product of the Blues. The Stamford Bridge club are reportedly looking to offload a few academy stars as selling them would generate direct revenue for the club.
They recently parted ways with Conor Gallagher as the England international completed a reported £36 million move to Atletico Madrid. Vale is the next academy product that the Londoners have put up for sale.
Vale has come up through the Blues' academy and has made five appearances for the senior team. He has also played for Briston Rovers and Hull City. The attacking midfielder is now on Saudi Pro League club Ettifaq's radar. Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel posted on X:
"Al-Ettifaq open talks with Chelsea over move for young midfielder Harvey Vale. Steven Gerrard has identified the 20-year-old as a key target. Club to club agreement close but up to the player to decide if he wants to move to Saudi Arabia."
Vale, apart from his ventures at the club level has also played for England's youth sides at various age groups.
Enzo Maresca hails Chelsea winger Noni Madueke's one trait against Wolves
Noni Madueke has attracted the interest of several Premier League clubs. Reports percolated that Chelsea might sell the player in the summer. He performed well during pre-season and has now continued the form.
Madueke scored a hat-trick during the recent Premier League game against Wolves, which the Blues won 6-2 at the Molineux. Enzo Maresca praised Madueke for the defensive commitment he showed during the game. Maresca told the media after the match (via We Ain't Got No History):
“[And] the best thing today from Noni was not his hat-trick but the way he defended. 90 minutes, that showed the right mentality that I’m demanding from the players. [...] If we want to build something important; then first of all we need the right mentality and that was very good. [...] Hopefully we can build some momentum from there and to continue to improve.”
Cole Palmer assisted all three of Madueke's goals, who has now scored four times in two appearances for Chelsea this season. He netted after coming on as a substitute in the Europa Conference League win against Servette.
Pedro Neto and Joao Felix have joined the team, meaning Madueke faces tougher competition for a first-XI spot. He has upped his names a notch at the start of the campaign.