Latest news with #BlueCo
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Chelsea youth coach Filipe Coelho set to leave club to join Strasbourg
Chelsea development squad coach Filipe Coelho is set to leave his post to become Liam Rosenior's assistant at BlueCo sister-club Strasbourg. Coelho was hired by Chelsea to lead their development squad in July 2024 after a season as under-23 coach at Portuguese club Estoril, having previously worked in a variety of roles at Benfica's youth academy from 2006 to 2023. Advertisement Chelsea's development squad finished third in the Premier League 2 table under Coelho, but were beaten 6-0 by Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the play-off stage. Despite a disappointing end to the campaign, Coelho was highly rated at Cobham and earned credit for the quality of his training sessions and for implementing a progressive style of play. 'It's been an incredible journey,' Coelho said in an interview with Chelsea at the end of May. 'From the very start, I felt welcomed by everyone here. The atmosphere has been so family-oriented and that's really stuck with me. 'The quality of the players was clear from day one, but what stood out most was how open everyone has been to my ideas. It's been a fantastic environment for growth. I'm proud of the progress we've made as a team.' Coelho will now move to France to bolster Rosenior's backroom staff as Strasbourg attempt to build upon a positive Ligue 1 season which saw them finish seventh, narrowly missing out on European qualification by virtue of goal difference on the final day. Rosenior signed a new contract in April to commit himself to the club until June 2028, and Chelsea plan to send Mike Penders to Strasbourg for 2025-26 to continue their development in Ligue 1. Mamadou Sarr has also been loaned back to his former club in France after completing a €14million (£11.9m; $14.4m) transfer to Stamford Bridge in June. ()
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
AC Milan submit second offer for Strasbourg's Guela Doué
AC Milan have submitted a second offer to Strasbourg in a bid to secure the services of Guela Doué (22) during the summer transfer window, according to a report from L'Équipe. The Serie A club have already seen one offer rejected by the Alsatian outfit. Milan's first offer was in the region of €15m, and this was swiftly rebuffed by Strasbourg. The second offer has seen an increase of €3m. However, €18m still falls short of the Ligue 1 club's valuation for the former Rennes defender. The second offer is set to be rejected, with BlueCo hoping to receive more for the 22-year-old. Advertisement Doué is viewed as an important player by Liam Rosenior. The former Hull City head coach hopes to be able to depend on the Côte d'Ivoire international at the end of August when Strasbourg hope to confirm their place in the UEFA Europa Conference League in the qualifying stages. GFFN | Liam Wraith
The Irish Sun
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
How Maresca can fit £190m new strikers Delap, Joao Pedro, Gittens and Estevao into his Chelsea team next season
CHELSEA'S transfer strategy since the take over by Todd Boehly and BlueCo in 2022 has been scattergun to say the least. The new ownership group has installed a clear recruitment plan - buy young players with high potential whatever it costs. 17 Enzo Maresca has a few problems to solve next season Credit: AFP The burn and churn policy means books , which gives manager Enzo Maresca a huge headache. TheItalian coach has made it clear he favours a smaller and tighter squad so that players would be able to build understanding and momentum. Yet the logic of having so many top scouts and sporting directors dictates that more and more players will continue to be brought into the club. read more in football They have already strengthened their forward options since the end of the season with Palmeiras for £52m all coming into the club. So how on earth will Maresca navigate a way through this mess, and find an attack that blends the old with the new? Boehly and the board have spent another £190m on four attackers this summer , and there may yet be more players coming in at Stamford Bridge. Our tactics expert Lee Scott takes a look at each of these players with a view to understanding how they might fit at Chelsea next season. Most read in Football Liam Delap Despite Ipswich being relegated from the Premier league last season it is fair to say that the England U21 international striker Liam Delap was one of the most coveted strikers in the window. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK There was significant interest in signing the former Man City academy player from rivals Man United. But it was Chelsea that moved quickest to secure the signature of the player for £30m. Last season Delap finished with 13 goals and 3 assists in all competitions for a team that were relegated. Compare that to 17 Liam Delap signed for Chelsea for £30m this summer Credit: Alamy 17 Delap makes a run behind and Fernandez finds him with a clever pass Here, we see an example of what Delap brings to Chelsea, in the Club World Cup game with ES Tunis. He receives the chipped forward pass from Enzo Fernandez having found space between the fullback and the near side central defender. As he takes the ball down he takes contact from the fullback and holds the player off as he spins and drives into the area before finishing in style. One of the biggest criticisms of Jackson is that the Senegalese striker would regularly miss chances that appeared to be clear cut. He is strong in transition and shows good movement but his final action was still relatively erratic and not consistent enough. Delap, on the other hand, is a forward who pounces on half chances and is much more likely to take advantage of crosses and balls that are played into the area. Delap's strength is his ability to be a focal point on the last line and to create shooting opportunities. This is the aspect of his game that will be most beneficial for Chelsea in terms of upgrading what they had at the position last season. 17 Delap could play up the middle, with two traditional wingers either side 17 Liam Delap makes a run into the box to make a simple finish Delap provides a genuine presence in the opposition penalty area. Here, as the ball is crossed to the far post we see the English striker keep himself alive and separated from defensive players. As the ball comes back across he has an easy finish. Delap is likely to start the season as the main striker for Chelsea with Jackson dropping to the bench. Joao Pedro The signing of the 23-year-old Brazilian Joao Pedro , for £60m from Brighton, is slightly more difficult to read. This is because it is difficult to decide what his best position really is. He is perhaps best described as a modern versatile forward. While looked amazing as a lone striker with Club World Cup , he is best when playing in close connection to others. We believe there is a chance that he is being seen as an option to play as the advanced attacking midfielder just behind Delap. Last season the Brazilian forward ended the campaign with 10 goals and 7 assists as this more creative forward type for Brighton. 17 Joao Pedro has made a blistering start to his Chelsea career Credit: Getty 17 Joao Pedro brings creativity and here he creates a chance for Yankuba Minteh at Brighton Here, we see the type of chance creation that Chelsea fans can expect to see from Joao Pedro . He takes possession initially on the near side and drives inside into space. He has the composure to see the run from his side towards the centre from Yankuba Minteh and he slides a pass through the last line to create a goalscoring opportunity. Even when Joao Pedro played as a central striker at Brighton and at Watford he showed a clear tendency to drop deeper in towards the midfield and to look for pockets of space between the lines. This is why we do not believe that he will regularly play as the No 9 as Maresca needs a 9 who will play, as Delap does, on the last line threatening space and pushing the opposition defensive line back. He does move the ball very well to find teammates and to take advantage of space that the opposition leaves behind. His technical level is extremely high and he shifts the ball effectively at speed taking advantage of any spaces that are present in the opposition defensive block. 17 Joao Pedro could play in the middle of the front three 17 Joao Pedro however also has the ability to play out on the wing, with Delap in the centre 17 Or Joao Pedro could be used deeper as a No10 alongside Cole Palmer 17 Joao Pedro's close control and inventive pass creates a chance for Brighton last season This time we see Joao Pedro taking possession of the ball on the edge of the opposition area as Mitoma pulls the ball back to him. As he receives the ball there are two opposition players immediately pressing. The Brazilian international is intelligent enough to allow the press to develop before flicking the ball across to a teammate to finish. Joao Pedro will without a doubt bring value to Chelsea going into next season although it remains to be seen exactly how he will be used positionally by Maresca going into next season. Jamie Gittens The 20-year-old English U21 international Jamie Gittens has just moved to Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in Germany . He played 2,803 minutes in all competitions and he ended with 12 goals and 5 assists. He is naturally right-footed and he typically plays as an attacking left-winger. Chelsea struggled for consistent production from their wingers last season with Now, Madueke appears to be for sale with several clubs showing significant interest as Chelsea perhaps look to make space for their new arrivals. Gittens is a wide attacker who is at his best when he gets the ball in positions where he can dribble and look to outplay opposition defenders in 1v1 situations. 17 Jamie Gittens is returning to England with Chelsea Credit: Getty 17 Jamie Gittens is a left winger who loves to cut inside on to his right foot Here, we see Gittens receiving the ball out wide in a position where he is faced up 1v1 against the opposition defender. He immediately takes the ball and looks to attack. He is well balanced with quick feet providing real threat in terms of outplaying the defender on either the inside or the outside. Gittens is still not the finished article but he is a young attacking player with genuine and real potential. If he develops properly then he could provide the point of difference in terms of having a real 1v1 threat that Chelsea were missing last season. Often they were too predictable when receiving the ball wide and Gittens is anything but predictable. He provides a threat in terms of shooting as he has a clear tendency to drive inside and even when defenders know that this is what he wants to do they still struggle to stop him. 17 Gittens is able to go outside or inside his opposing defender Again, here we see him receiving the ball in a position where he can immediately face up the opposition defender in a 1v1 situation. While he is well balanced and can attack down the outside he wants to create maximum threat and to go inside to a position where he can shoot at goal. Despite the fact that Gittens is not yet fully developed we still believe that there is a chance that he starts the new season as the first choice left-sided attacker for Chelsea. Estevao The most exciting of the new arrivals is the hardest to predict at this stage of his development. Chelsea moved quickly to secure the signing of the 18-year-old Palmeiras . The youngster made his debut as a 16-year-old and very quickly started to attract interest. Now, Chelsea have beaten off competition for his signature. Estevao is a left-footed attacking player who profiles best as a right-sided attacking winger with his ability to come inside and create threat when coming inside in possession. He is a dangerous dribbler but he is at his most dangerous in the final third in positions where he can take the ball and come inside to create shooting opportunities for himself. 17 Estevao Willian has been hyped up to be the next Neymar by the Brazilian media Credit: Getty 17 Here, we see Estevao actually scoring against Chelsea in the Club World Cup . He is positioned intelligently in the channel and as he receives the pass inside he immediately pushes the ball forward before then finishing with power at the near post. It remains to be seen whether Estevao is an immediate starter at Chelsea or whether he will back up the likes of Cole Palmer or even spend his first season in Europe on loan in France with Strasbourg. If he does remain at Chelsea though and if he does get first-team minutes then he has the quality to contribute. 17 Estevao has the pace to run in behind the opposition defence This time we see the young Brazilian international holding a wide position to stretch the pitch and find space on the outside of the opposition defence. All it takes is one long pass to release Estevao into space as he drives forward and ends up scoring in the opposition area. He is intelligent in his positioning and in the runs that he makes. When playing with more technical and intelligent players at Chelsea he will likely make a real impact if he is given a chance to do so. Conclusion Knowing Chelsea and their ownership the way that we do now there is little doubt that their signings are not finished for next season. We will likely continue to see them be active in the market as they strengthen and add more young talent. With the four attacking players that have been added so far, however, there is little doubt that they have given Maresca more options next season.
The Sun
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
How Maresca can fit £190m new strikers Delap, Joao Pedro, Gittens and Estevao into his Chelsea team next season
CHELSEA'S transfer strategy since the take over by Todd Boehly and BlueCo in 2022 has been scattergun to say the least. The new ownership group has installed a clear recruitment plan - buy young players with high potential whatever it costs. 17 The burn and churn policy means Chelsea have a lot of players on their books, which gives manager Enzo Maresca a huge headache. TheItalian coach has made it clear he favours a smaller and tighter squad so that players would be able to build understanding and momentum. Yet the logic of having so many top scouts and sporting directors dictates that more and more players will continue to be brought into the club. They have already strengthened their forward options since the end of the season with Liam Delap from Ipswich for £30m, Joao Pedro from Brighton for £60m, Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund for £48m and Estevao f rom Palmeiras for £52m all coming into the club. So how on earth will Maresca navigate a way through this mess, and find an attack that blends the old with the new? Boehly and the board have spent another £190m on four attackers this summer, and there may yet be more players coming in at Stamford Bridge. Our tactics expert Lee Scott takes a look at each of these players with a view to understanding how they might fit at Chelsea next season. Liam Delap England U21 international striker Liam Delap was one of the most coveted strikers in the window. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK There was significant interest in signing the former Man City academy player from rivals Man United. But it was Chelsea that moved quickest to secure the signature of the player for £30m. Last season Delap finished with 13 goals and 3 assists in all competitions for a team that were relegated. Compare that to Nicolas Jackson, the forward that Delap will likely replace at Chelsea, who scored 13 goals and had 6 assists for a team who created far more chances and crucially far more high quality chances. 17 17 Here, we see an example of what Delap brings to Chelsea, in the Club World Cup game with ES Tunis. He receives the chipped forward pass from Enzo Fernandez having found space between the fullback and the near side central defender. As he takes the ball down he takes contact from the fullback and holds the player off as he spins and drives into the area before finishing in style. One of the biggest criticisms of Jackson is that the Senegalese striker would regularly miss chances that appeared to be clear cut. He is strong in transition and shows good movement but his final action was still relatively erratic and not consistent enough. Delap, on the other hand, is a forward who pounces on half chances and is much more likely to take advantage of crosses and balls that are played into the area. Delap's strength is his ability to be a focal point on the last line and to create shooting opportunities. This is the aspect of his game that will be most beneficial for Chelsea in terms of upgrading what they had at the position last season. 17 17 Delap provides a genuine presence in the opposition penalty area. Here, as the ball is crossed to the far post we see the English striker keep himself alive and separated from defensive players. As the ball comes back across he has an easy finish. Delap is likely to start the season as the main striker for Chelsea with Jackson dropping to the bench. Joao Pedro The signing of the 23-year-old Brazilian Joao Pedro, for £60m from Brighton, is slightly more difficult to read. This is because it is difficult to decide what his best position really is. He is perhaps best described as a modern versatile forward. While looked amazing as a lone striker with his two-goal performance against Fluminense in the Club World Cup, he is best when playing in close connection to others. We believe there is a chance that he is being seen as an option to play as the advanced attacking midfielder just behind Delap. Last season the Brazilian forward ended the campaign with 10 goals and 7 assists as this more creative forward type for Brighton. 17 Here, we see the type of chance creation that Chelsea fans can expect to see from Joao Pedro. He takes possession initially on the near side and drives inside into space. He has the composure to see the run from his side towards the centre from Yankuba Minteh and he slides a pass through the last line to create a goalscoring opportunity. Even when Joao Pedro played as a central striker at Brighton and at Watford he showed a clear tendency to drop deeper in towards the midfield and to look for pockets of space between the lines. This is why we do not believe that he will regularly play as the No 9 as Maresca needs a 9 who will play, as Delap does, on the last line threatening space and pushing the opposition defensive line back. He does move the ball very well to find teammates and to take advantage of space that the opposition leaves behind. His technical level is extremely high and he shifts the ball effectively at speed taking advantage of any spaces that are present in the opposition defensive block. 17 17 17 17 This time we see Joao Pedro taking possession of the ball on the edge of the opposition area as Mitoma pulls the ball back to him. As he receives the ball there are two opposition players immediately pressing. The Brazilian international is intelligent enough to allow the press to develop before flicking the ball across to a teammate to finish. Joao Pedro will without a doubt bring value to Chelsea going into next season although it remains to be seen exactly how he will be used positionally by Maresca going into next season. Jamie Gittens The 20-year-old English U21 international Jamie Gittens has just moved to Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in Germany. He played 2,803 minutes in all competitions and he ended with 12 goals and 5 assists. He is naturally right-footed and he typically plays as an attacking left-winger. Chelsea struggled for consistent production from their wingers last season with Noni Madueke arguably being the best wide attacker that they had. Now, Madueke appears to be for sale with several clubs showing significant interest as Chelsea perhaps look to make space for their new arrivals. Gittens is a wide attacker who is at his best when he gets the ball in positions where he can dribble and look to outplay opposition defenders in 1v1 situations. 17 17 Here, we see Gittens receiving the ball out wide in a position where he is faced up 1v1 against the opposition defender. He immediately takes the ball and looks to attack. He is well balanced with quick feet providing real threat in terms of outplaying the defender on either the inside or the outside. Gittens is still not the finished article but he is a young attacking player with genuine and real potential. If he develops properly then he could provide the point of difference in terms of having a real 1v1 threat that Chelsea were missing last season. Often they were too predictable when receiving the ball wide and Gittens is anything but predictable. He provides a threat in terms of shooting as he has a clear tendency to drive inside and even when defenders know that this is what he wants to do they still struggle to stop him. Again, here we see him receiving the ball in a position where he can immediately face up the opposition defender in a 1v1 situation. While he is well balanced and can attack down the outside he wants to create maximum threat and to go inside to a position where he can shoot at goal. Despite the fact that Gittens is not yet fully developed we still believe that there is a chance that he starts the new season as the first choice left-sided attacker for Chelsea. Estevao The most exciting of the new arrivals is the hardest to predict at this stage of his development. Chelsea moved quickly to secure the signing of the 18-year-old Brazilian international winger Estevao from Palmeiras. The youngster made his debut as a 16-year-old and very quickly started to attract interest. Now, Chelsea have beaten off competition for his signature. Estevao is a left-footed attacking player who profiles best as a right-sided attacking winger with his ability to come inside and create threat when coming inside in possession. He is a dangerous dribbler but he is at his most dangerous in the final third in positions where he can take the ball and come inside to create shooting opportunities for himself. 17 17 Here, we see Estevao actually scoring against Chelsea in the Club World Cup. He is positioned intelligently in the channel and as he receives the pass inside he immediately pushes the ball forward before then finishing with power at the near post. It remains to be seen whether Estevao is an immediate starter at Chelsea or whether he will back up the likes of Cole Palmer or even spend his first season in Europe on loan in France with Strasbourg. If he does remain at Chelsea though and if he does get first-team minutes then he has the quality to contribute. 17 This time we see the young Brazilian international holding a wide position to stretch the pitch and find space on the outside of the opposition defence. All it takes is one long pass to release Estevao into space as he drives forward and ends up scoring in the opposition area. He is intelligent in his positioning and in the runs that he makes. When playing with more technical and intelligent players at Chelsea he will likely make a real impact if he is given a chance to do so. Conclusion Knowing Chelsea and their ownership the way that we do now there is little doubt that their signings are not finished for next season. We will likely continue to see them be active in the market as they strengthen and add more young talent. With the four attacking players that have been added so far, however, there is little doubt that they have given Maresca more options next season.
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Chelsea's Mathis Amougou to join sister club Strasbourg in permanent deal
Chelsea have agreed to sell midfielder Mathis Amougou to Strasbourg for an undisclosed fee — just five months after buying him from Saint-Etienne. As The Athletic revealed when Amougou completed the switch to Stamford Bridge for around £12.5million in February, he was earmarked to join Strasbourg on a season-long loan in 2025-26. Advertisement But the 19-year-old has instead been sold to Chelsea's sister club – also owned by the parent company BlueCo – permanently, with the player having wanted to return to France. Amougou, who made just two substitute appearances for Chelsea lasting a total of 22 minutes, is expected to sign a five-year contract with the Ligue 1 outfit. He appeared as a late replacement for Moises Caicedo in Chelsea's 4-0 win over last season's basement club Southampton in February and also made a cameo from the bench in the 4-0 win at Legia Warsaw in the Conference League quarter-final first leg. The France youth international only made his senior debut for Saint-Etienne in January 2024 and established himself as a regular in the first half of the following season before moving to England. Amougou could soon be joined at Strasbourg by Chelsea under-21 defender Ishe Samuels-Smith. As The Athletic reported earlier on Thursday, the two clubs are discussing a transfer worth £8m. Ecuador international Kendry Paez is set to go on loan to the Ligue 1 side for the next campaign, while keeper Mike Penders is also being considered for a loan switch there. ()
