Transfers

Lesley Ugochukwu: Chelsea close in on £23.2m Rennes midfielder

Chelsea are close to signing French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Rennes for 27m euros (£23.2m).

Ugochukwu, 19, has made 47 Ligue 1 appearances for Rennes and has also featured in the Europa League.

He is yet to make his senior debut for France but has played for his nation at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said recently that the Blues need to add to their midfield.

Ugocukwu, though, could well be sent immediately back out on to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg if a deal is finalised, after the Blues’ ownership group purchased a majority stake in the Alsace side in June.

Chelsea have a plan to sign young talent that have potential to be future stars of world football, while clearing out their bloated squad following a £600m spend in the past two transfer windows.

Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount have all departed the club this summer for Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United, respectively, while the likes of N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy have moved to the Saudi Pro League.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic both made the switch to Italian giants AC Milan.

The Blues are reportedly pursuing a deal for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, but have had a series of bids rejected, while Conor Gallagher has been subject of a £40m offer from West Ham.

Chelsea have already added attackers Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to their squad as well as Brazilian youngster Angelo Gabriel.

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Transfers

Galatasaray, Napoli Agree Osimhen Transfer

Italian Serie A side Napoli have reached an agreement with Galatasaray for the transfer of Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen for a fee in the region of €75m, according to OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Both clubs have been locked in negotiations for the past two days after the Nigerian picked the team as his preferred destination ahead of Saudi Arabia side Al-Hilal. The talks went on yesterday without a resolution.

Napoli insisted on getting a bank guarantee for the payment of the transfer fee after agreeing for it to be paid in installments. The Turkish side will pay €40m in cash with the balance of €35m to be paid in installments for the next three years.

Galatasaray agreed to provide Napoli with a bank guarantee letter and if it sits well with the Italian side after a review, Osimhen will be allowed to travel to Istanbul for his medical and subsequent unveiling on a permanent deal.

After a successful time on loan last season, he will be expected to help the club retain the league and cup they won last season, and also do well in Europe after the disappointment in the Europa League last season.

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Transfers

Transfer: Theo Hernandez Joins Al-Hilal From AC Milan

Deal worth some 25 million euros

France left-back Theo Hernandez has moved to former Lazio and Inter coach Simone Inzaghi’s Saudi club Al-Hilal from AC Milan, where the 27-year-old spent six mostly successful years.

Theo, as he is known, was a runner-up to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup.

He made no secret of the fact that he had fallen out with AC’s new management set-up.
The deal is worth around 25 million euros.

Ansa.it

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Transfers

WSL: Chelsea Forward Fishel Signs For Seattle Reign

Seattle Reign have signed Chelsea and United States forward Mia Fishel on a contract until 2029.

An undisclosed transfer fee will be paid to the Women’s Super League (WSL) champions who Fishel, 24, appeared for 21 times.

After signing from Mexican club Tigres for the start of the 2023-24 season, Fishel scored the winning goal against Tottenham on her WSL debut before an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury cut her campaign short.

The two-time WSL winner returned in March to make three appearances.

“I’m incredibly excited to sign a long-term contract in the NWSL and take this next step in my career with Seattle Reign FC,” said Fishel.

“This league is one of the best in the world, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I can’t wait to get started and contribute to the team’s success.”

America’s National Women’s Soccer League is currently on a midseason break but Seattle Reign return to action against Angel City on 1 August.

Bbc.com

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