Director wants Chelsea hurry up sign striker – Maresca drops big transfer hint – Chelsea target dropped ahead of move
Here is the morning roundup of the top Chelsea news and gossip that we think you may have missed from icfootballnews including Victor Osimhen – Raheem Sterling and Ivan Toney…
Enzo Maresca admits he ‘doesn’t know’ if Raheem Sterling will stay at Chelsea after the player released a statement expressing his frustration a being dropped for the loss to Manchester City.
Sterling wishes to remain in west London after months of speculation and rumours that he could be sold this transfer window – and released a statement at the weekend after he was dropped from the game.
Maresca has since clarified that the omission was purely tactical and that he too wants the player to stay, but the manager also admitted he wasn’t sure if the star would still be a CHELSEA player come the end of the transfer window, saying in his post-match press conference: ‘I don’t know [if he will stay].
‘The only thing I can say is that it was a technical decision and in the next day, we will want to sit and clarify the situation but it is nothing more than that.
‘For all the players, they are Chelsea players. If they are going to be Chelsea players, then we will try to use them but no more than technical decision.
‘I want Raheem Sterling but I want all the 30 players we have. But there is no space for all of them. So for some of them, they have to leave.’
Reds icon Jamie Redknapp was scathing of the statement that was released by the camp of Sterling, saying on Sky Sports: ‘He must have initiated that statement. He said he’s come back two weeks early, you know what? That’s really nice of him.
‘He didn’t have the Euros, if he wants to come back two weeks early there’s no need to talk about it – just get on with getting better. He hasn’t been great since he’s been at CHELSEA when he’s come into games, or started matches, he hasn’t been good enough.
‘So if the manager doesn’t want to play you, just get on with it. You don’t come out and get your representatives to do that, especially the day of a game. I think that’s absolute rubbish, he should do better than that.’
IVAN TONEY MESSAGE SENT –
Chelsea target Ivan Toney was left out of the Brentford squad for their Premier League curtain-raiser against Crystal Palace ahead of a potential move away from the club by the end of the transfer window.
With all the money that CHELSEA have spent this season – with all the quality that Enzo Maresca has in his attack – the loss to Man City at the weekend showed that the club are lacking a striker that can bang in the goals.
Ivan Toney is a player that has been linked with a move to Chelsea all summer long – but so far no move has been made as the Blues board continue to sign players for the future, rather than players that will make an immediate impact.
However – that has not stopped speculation that Chelsea are still interested in a deal for Toney – and speculation intensified at the weekend after Ivan Toney was dropped from that Brentford squad because of all the transfer rumours.
Speaking on Toney’s absence, Thomas Frank said before the game: “There’s a lot of things going on with Ivan, there’s some transfer interest. Because of all that, we decided not to involve him in the squad.
“It’s the classic one – I couldn’t give too much the day before. He’s been a fantastic player for us, but we showed last year especially that we can deal without him.
When asked if this is the end of Ivan Toney in a Brentford shirt, he added: “Who knows? There’s interest, but there’s nothing close.”
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Toney is a quality striker that should be playing for one of the big Premier League sides – if CHELSEA manage to bring him into the side – he would be a great signing for the club, and after seeing the clubs performance against Man City – a player that they need.
VICTOR OSIMHEN CLAIM MADE –
Chelsea’s failure to strike a deal with Napoli for striker Victor Osimhen is reportedly ‘blocking’ the rest of their transfer strategy according to the club’s sporting director Giovanni Manna.
Osimhen has been a player that has been linked with a move to CHELSEA for the last few months – he is a player that wants to leave Napoli and is a player that all the big clubs have been eyeing up.
However – his massive asking price as been a real issue for many of the chasing clubs – But CHELSEA and PSG seem to be the most likely to get a deal done for the Nigerian before the close of the transfer window
The Partenopei had a weakened squad for their clash against Hellas Verona tonight, as Osimhen, Michael Folorunsho, Gianluca Gaetano and Mario Rui were all left out pending possible transfers.
Now the club’s sporting director Giovanni Manna has opened up and revealed that they are keen to get the Victor Osimhen deal done as it is ‘blocking’ the rest of their transfer strategy
He told Sky Sports Italia: “It’s an objective fact, what the coach said, the situation is blocked. Victor is an important player, with an important value and conditions. His desire is clear.
‘We tried to maintain the integrity of the squad at this moment. We are not the only club in this situation and we’ll see what happens over the next 10 days.
“At this time, it is not right to say what sensations there are. We are working with his entourage to find the best solution. As we said, he is an important player, so it’s not that we can just find him anywhere.
“He is under contract for another two seasons, so clearly if we don’t find a solution by August 30, we’ll have to talk to the player.”
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