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  Venezia have officially signed Wales international Ethan Ampadu on loan from Chelsea. The deadline day deal was completed with minutes to spare in the Serie A window, which closes at 19.00 UK time. Before completing the loan move, Ampadu first had to extend his contract with Chelsea by another three years. The 20-year-old defender had also been on loan at Sheffield United and RB Leipzig, but will now experience Italian football for the first time at club level. His previous visit to Italian soil did not go well, as Ampadu was sent off when Wales played Italy in the UEFA EURO 2020 group phase at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Ampadu could also play as a defensive midfielder and joins a Venezia side who are in their first Serie A season in almost 20 years. The Lagunari have so far lost both their Serie A games this season, 2-0 to 10-man Napoli and 3-0 against Udinese.

Chelsea are reportedly aiming to cut five more players from their squad before the transfer window closes on Tuesday night. Thomas Tuchel has tremendous strength in depth at his disposal as he aims to back up last season’s Champions League success with more trophies this term. Now, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Blues are trying to find loans for Ross Barkley, Ethan Ampadu, Malang Sarr, Lewis Baker and Charly Musonda. The quintet are thought not to be in Tuchel’s plans for this term so the London club are attempting to find suitors to offer them some much needed playing time. It’s also claimed that Chelsea are still working on bringing in another midfielder, with Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez the prime target. Four of the five previously mentioned players were all out on loan last term, expect for Musonda who has recently recovered from a long term injury.

  Well, we all needed a great distraction from the emotional rollercoaster of the last couple of days of the transfer window, right? Blues legend Didier Drogba certainly provided this yesterday when he posted his views about former winger Willian leaving Arsenal. I’m thinking he is trolling a little here, or at least that is what I am going to run with, but Drogba posted on his Twitter account for Willian to ‘come back home’ yesterday after he saw the news of him leaving Arsenal. Well Drogs, you’re a legend, but not sure too many Chelsea fans would share those views!

  Arsenal defender Pablo Mari probably sees Romelu Lukaku in his nightmares, after facing the £98m man.  Lukaku opened his goalscoring account against a terrified Gunners side in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium last week. The former Inter Milan star tormented the North Londoners’ defence, holding them off, spinning of them and powering past the rattled back four at will. A better final ball from The Blues, and Lukaku really could have scored a lot more. Thomas Tuchel’s side look like the real deal, and the 28-year-old looks to be the perfect, final piece of the puzzle. However, they are looking to strengthen once more and, according to the Daily Star, they are very close to signing Jules Kounde. The Sevilla and France defender, who can play as a centre-back or a right-back, is one of the hottest young defenders in the world, and reports are suggesting a £42m is very close to being signed. It was also suggested any transfer is dependant on Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma mov...

  Thomas Tuchel admits it will be a boost for the Premier League to have Cristiano Ronaldo back in England, even if it will make life harder for Chelsea. Ronaldo is ready to leave Juventus this summer and looks to be heading back to Manchester United. Man City have pulled out of the race, leaving United free to bring the 36-year-old back to the club before Tuesday’s transfer deadline and Tuchel believes it would be good to see Ronaldo back in the Premier League, although it’ll make life harder for Chelsea. “I don’t know if it is good if he plays for any of our rivals,” said Tuchel, with a smile. “I could handle the loss very well when he played in Italy and does not play for us!

  Chelsea faces Liverpool on Saturday in one of the Premier League’s best early season contests. The two sides enter the match with the same totals for games played, goals scored and same goals conceded—there is literally nothing to differentiate the two thus far. Thomas Tuchel knows that this is a different Liverpool side than the one his team faced at Anfield last season, so who does he give the nod to this time around? Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal Fresh off winning the UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season award, Edouard Mendy squares off against Alisson, his opposite number, in an unofficial test of sorts. Mendy kept 16 clean sheets last season in the English top flight, only bettered by Manchester City’s Ederson. He averaged an 80 percent save rate across the Premier League and Champions League. Mendy is an excellent shotstopper and is undoubtedly Chelsea’s first choice keeper when fit. Cezar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right centerback, Spain Cesar Azpilicueta...

  Chelsea have reportedly made an offer of a contract extension to Antonio Rudiger in order to rebuff Real Madrid off the German defender. According to a report by Sky Sports, Chelsea are stepping up their efforts to tie Antonio Rudiger down to a new deal, having opened talks over a renewal with his representatives. Real Madrid are interested in signing the German defender before the summer transfer window slams shut.   Antonio Rudiger joined Chelsea from AS Roma in the summer of 2017 and has since embarked on a roller-coaster of a ride at Stamford Bridge. Initially a regular feature for the Blues, the 28-year-old lost his spot in the side under the tutelage of Frank Lampard but has since returned to his pomp ever since Thomas Tuchel took over as the new manager. To date, the German international has made 152 appearances for Chelsea while chipping in with seven goals and three assists along the way. His progress under the tutelage of Tuchel has not gone unnoticed either, with ...

  Chelsea are planning a last-ditch loan move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez, according to reports. The European champions have already completed their major signing this month by landing Romelu Lukaku in a £97.5 million deal from Inter. Chelsea have targeted Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde this summer but are looking to offload Kurt Zouma to West Ham before they press ahead with that deal. But according to The Telegraph, Chelsea are also exploring the possibility of a late effort to sign Saul from Atletico Madrid. However, the report claims that Chelsea’s bid to sign the Spain international hinges on whether the club can trim Thomas Tuchel’s other midfield options who are not part of the first-team plans. It’s understood that Atletico were willing to allow the midfielder to leave if their €45m (£38m) valuation was met. Saul has played in both of Atletico’s games in the new La Liga season so far and the Spanish champions have registered wins against Celta Vigo and Elch...

  Chelsea are looking to tie up a few more transfer deals in the final 8 days of the summer window. The club have a number of players left on the transfer and loan list who they are looking to get rid of, and there are two ‘done deals’ that will provide them with an extra £15m in funds that they may put towards their pursuit to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla, or a midfielder, or even both. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will get 10 million euros from Atalanta for Davide Zappacosta, and 7.5 million euros from Genk for striker, Ike Ugbo. This roughly equates to £15m in total. As Romano states below in his latest tweet, Chelsea are working on these outgoings to try again with an offer to sign the centre back, Kounde.

  EARLY BURNLEY TEAM NEWS Burnley will have an unchanged squad for the trip to Anfield. Midfielder Dale Stephens and defender Kevin Long both missed the opening-day defeat to Brighton and they will remain absent as they continue their recoveries following surgery. Phil Bardsley is fit again after his hernia operation and the full-back will hope to play, having been a substitute last weekend. EARLY LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Fabinho will play no part in Saturday's home game against Burnley due to a family bereavement. Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara could return to action after playing in a behind-closed-doors game against Aston Villa this week. Both midfielders missed out at Carrow Road last week having returned late to pre-season after their involvement at Euro 2020. Klopp also confirmed new contract talks between the club and Henderson remained ongoing.

  Chelsea might have Romelu Lukaku among their ranks, but they are still looking to strengthen further before the transfer window closes. A centre-half is a priority for Thomas Tuchel as he looks to add reinforcements at the back. Jules Kounde has emerged as their top target and the Blues have not given up hope on signing the Sevilla defender before the deadline arrives at the end of the month. Chelsea are also keeping an eye on Aurelien Tchouameni who impressed for Monaco last season, but will face stiff competition for his signature. Here are the latest transfer news and rumours for the Stamford Bridge club. That figure is unattainable for both clubs - who are interested in signing the England international. And it has seen interest ramp up in Tchouameni, who had a fine breakthrough campaign in Ligue 1 last season. Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri reported that United are in talks with his agents and an opening bid could come before the end of the summer.

  Chelsea have started the new season the same way that they finished the last one, by winning silverware.  The Blues’ UEFA Super Cup victory over Villarreal followed up their Champions League success last term and made it two European trophies with the club for Thomas Tuchel, who was appointed just seven months ago. Tuchel’s side also got off to a strong start in the Premier League, beating a new-look Crystal Palace side 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. New signing Romelu Lukaku wasn’t ready to be involved in the game, so supporters will have to wait until Sunday’s visit to Arsenal to see the Belgian make his second debut for the club. Aside from the £97 million signing of Lukaku, former Fulham ‘keeper Marcus Bettinelli is the only other player to have joined the club this summer, but there could yet be more new faces arrive at Stamford Bridge before the close of the window. Here, we list three players that could still make a last-minute move to join the German boss and hi...

Chelsea will hope to keep their perfect start to the new season going with another victory against an Arsenal side who are feeling very sorry for themselves already this year. Thomas Tuchel's men put three past Crystal Palace last weekend and will be hoping for a similar return this time around, particularly if a certain Belgian gets the chance to join in on the fun... Goalkeepers and defenders: Edouard Mendy (GK) - One game down, one clean sheet for Mendy. He'll want the Golden Glove award this year. Trevoh Chalobah (CB) - Let the fairytale continue. Chalobah has been outstanding in the early weeks of his senior Chelsea career and fully merits another start. Thiago Silva (CB) - Silva is yet to appear for Chelsea since the end of last season but has been getting plenty of minutes in behind-closed-doors friendlies, so he should get his first taste of competitive action here. Antonio Rudiger (CB) - Tuchel's general on the pitch, Rudiger will be looking to add another clean ...

Chelsea are not considering selling Timo Werner, despite Romelu Lukaku's club-record arrival this summer, according to reports. Werner has endured a mixed start to life at Stamford Bridge and now faces fresh competition for a place in Thomas Tuchel's thriving side. Lukaku returned to Chelsea this summer, leaving Inter Milan in a deal worth £97.5million and claiming the number nine shirt. The fee paid is just shy of the £100m British transfer record Manchester City forked out to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. It puts the 28-year-old in good stead to become Tuchel's first-choice striker, which has poured slight doubt over Werner's future at the club. On Wednesday, a Chelsea supporter aimed abuse at the Germany international during an open training session at Stamford Bridge.

  Chelsea have no intention of selling Timo Werner - despite the Blues star being heckled by a fan. Werner faces renewed competition for his place after the signing of £97.5m striker Romelu Lukaku, who was unveiled by the club yesterday. But an open training session featuring the pair earlier in the day was hijacked by a Chelsea fan who delivered an embarrassingly blunt message to Werner. Interviewed by club presenters over the Stamford Bridge PA system, he said: “Listen, I've got a word. Let's have it. Get Werner out the club.” That prompted a chorus of boos from supporters around him, with one fan yelling back: “You get out! Who are you? Who do you you think you are?”

  Chelsea are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to secure their first Premier League title since 2017 as they strengthen a playing squad that won the Champions League earlier this year. The Blues have already bolstered in the position they needed most, with Thomas Tuchel not hesitating over the chance to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan for just under £100m ten years after he first arrived at Stamford Bridge. However, more arrivals are expected in West London as Chelsea aim to end the recent dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool over the Premier League. Tuchel's is also keen to trim his bloated squad ahead of the new season and is expected to oversee a number of departures with just 14 days of the window left. Tammy Abraham's move to AS Roma has been confirmed, pocketing the Blues a tidy £34m from the Serie A outfit, while Michy Batshuayi has joined Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas. With that being said, here is Mirror Sport's Chelsea transfer round-up fo...

  Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of Liverpool’s away trip to Norwich City. The Reds travel to Carrow Road tonight for their first match of the new Premier League season. We may see new signing Ibrahima Konate this evening, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all in contention to feature against the Canaries. The match kicks off at 5.30pm live on Sky Sports. You can follow regular updates from Carrow Road in our dedicated blog below, plus you can get involved and send your thoughts to @LivEchoLFC . Just one or two hints that Sadio Mane and Mo Salah are starting to stir here. Mane’s had one goal-bound shot blocked by Aarons with Krul on the deck and Salah has just wriggled free of a challenge on the edge of the box. Jota goes on an incredible run before Cantwell decides to bring him down, which sees him booked. Trent Alexander-Arnold sees the resulting free-kick fly over the bar. James Milner is looking a bit leggy in midfield. Already on a booking too. How long un...

  The 2021/22 Premier League season kicks off with a London derby tonight as newly-promoted Brentford host Arsenal. The Bees will be desperate to hit the ground running in their first ever Premier League game, and first in the top flight for 74 years. Arsenal have got their summer business done early to plug gaps in the squad, and should hand out at least two debuts tonight, but Mikel Arteta will need a quick start to stop further questions over his future. However, the Gunners have been hit by the absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette due to illness - that means Folarin Balogun and Gabriel Martinelli start in attack, with summer signings Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ben White handed their Premier League debuts for the Gunners. Chambers loops a cross into the box and it falls for Xhaka, who blasts over the crossbar. Arsenal are starting to threaten more regularly now, but they need to convert one of their chances sooner rather than later.

 Henry whips the ball in and it is cleared hurriedly away from the Arsenal box. There’s been a lot of that sort of thing. Thomas Frank, his haircut that of an ageing member of Chapterhouse who didn’t lose his hair, is working away with his assistants on the bench. He is almost as frantic as his team. Balogun in a dangerous position after a pass by Tierney, who has been Arsenal’s prime attacker, but just as the young American was going to shoot, the ball was whipped from him. Pablo Mari is trending on Twitter. Don’t imagine for a second that’s a good sign for him. Another Brentford press sneaks the ball out, and Xhaka loses it, and then he is lucky when a Mbeumo flick doesn’t come off. Brentford are...good to watch. Calum Chambers was signed the same summer Arsenal signed Debuchy, Welbeck, Ospina and the other Gabriel. There is a question over whether the ball had gone out. But Leno was beaten down low at his near post. Poor Leno to recycle my own gag from the other day.

  Romelu Lukaku’s return to Stamford Bridge was officially announced on Thursday, which received a wave of reaction from past and present Chelsea players.  Chelsea have signed Lukaku for a club-record £97.5million transfer fee from Inter Milan as he makes a huge return to the Premier League. The Belgian centre-forward has been a goal machine since leaving the Blues back in 2014, but he’s now back as the finished article.  His recent record of 64 goals in 95 games during two years at Inter speaks for itself. Also, he’s shown his value in England before by netting 113 goals in 252 Premier League appearances.  The 28-year-old is returning to west London though with a point to prove to Chelsea. Mason Mount, 22, is one of the creative players in the Chelsea ranks that will be hoping to build a great relationship with the new striker. Mount posted an excited two-word message to the Lukaku news by saying “he’s back”.  In addition, ex-Blues players Salomon Kalou, John T...

  Villarreal are unbeaten in their last 15 to games in European competition (W12 D3), with the most recent three coming against English opponents in last season’s UEFA Europa League. They won 2-1 on aggregate against Arsenal in the semi-final, before beating Manchester United on penalties in the final following a 1-1 draw. Asenjo gets the nod between the sticks tonight for Villarreal in place of Rulli, who scored the decisive penalty against United in the Europa League final. Elsewhere, new signing Dia joins Gerard and Pino in the final third ahead of a midfield trio of Moreno, Trigueros and Capoue. Villarreal are without Francis Coquelin, Dani Parejo and Samuel Chukwueze this evening due to injury. Tuchel hands a start to Chalobah in the middle of the Chelsea backline this evening. The 22-year-old spent last season on loan at Lorient, but now has the opportunity to showcase his potential for the Blues. Hudson-Odoi gets the nod at right wing-back in an attacking team. Ziyech, Werne...

  With Chelsea all but securing a new striker now themselves, a move to sell a current striker is heating up. Romelu Lukaku looks set to re-join Chelsea in the coming days, and that will free-up a move for Tammy Abraham away from the club as he searches for a more regular starting role. Abraham went down the pecking order a little under Frank Lampard, and then a lot more under Thomas Tuchel. This forced the club to go for a new big-name striker, which is now just a medical away from being Lukaku. Abraham will now be allowed to leave the club, and he has interest from many sides. Arsenal, Roma, and Atalanta are mentioned as three teams in the race by Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, and he says that Arsenal are the team that Abraham favours a move to. He also confirms that Abraham is at the top of Arsenal’s wish-list.

Chelsea are interested in signing Romelu Lukaku this summer and are ready to offer over £100m to make a move go through. The Inter Milan striker has become the top transfer target after Thomas Tuchel failed to convince Borussia Dortmund to part ways with Erling Haaland. The Belgian has become the top target at Stamford Bridge with the club desperate to bring in someone to score goals. It follows a season where Jorginho was their top scorer in the Premier League with seven - mainly penalties - while the likes of Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham toiled. Lukaku, on the other hand, netted 30 in all competitions as Inter Milan landed their first Serie A title in 10 years. Antonio Conte made the former Manchester United star his main man going forward, spearheading a side that contained several attacking talents such as Ivan Perisic, Lautaro Martinez and Christian Eriksen. But with Chelsea determined to sign the 28-year-old, Tuchel might finally get the striker he covets as he puts his own touc...

  Chelsea and Spurs meet in a pre-season friendly tonight as the London rivals step up their preparations for the new Premier League season. The Blues, Spurs and Arsenal are all taking part in a mini pre-season tournament called the Mind Series, which kicked off last weekend with Chelsea beating Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates. The three capital clubs are each hosting a round-robin fixture at their home stadium, with funds raised to be split between mental health charity Mind and the clubs’ respective foundations. Next up it is Chelsea vs Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, where the Blues will be parading the Champions League trophy and are expecting a near-capacity crowd.