The new owner at ChelseaThey made their most contentious decisions to date when Thomas Tuchel was removed as head coach and was swiftly replaced by Graham Potter.
There will be many other significant calls ahead for the Todd Boehly-led consortium as they settle into Stamford Bridge and one of the more pressing relates to the future of midfielder N’Golo Kante.
Since joining Chelsea Leicester City in 2016, Kante has continued to achieve extraordinary success — for club and country — and established himself among the world’s best in his position.
Kante, 31, a French international footballer, has entered the final 12 month of his contract. Negotiations for an extension are not likely to progress and Kante will leave as a free agent next year.
Conversations have been taking place since 2021 and the previous regime were proposing fresh terms spanning three years — plus the option of a fourth — prior to all negotiations halting when the UK government imposed sanctions on Roman Abramovich, which heavily impacted Chelsea.
Following the American-backed takeover, discussions could resume and in August it is understood Chelsea tabled a verbal offer to renew Kante’s deal for two years, with the option of adding a third. But, Kante is refusing to accept the offer and would prefer a longer term.
Kante could be a free agent at Chelsea next summer (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images).
The 33-year-old was allowed the same length Pierre-Emerick AubameyangWhen he arrived at the deadline, Kalidou Koulibaly is Kante’s age and earned a four-year agreement in July.
Before exiting, Tuchel suggested Kante’s “injury rate” was a factor in deliberations about whether to award the deal he expects. Despite recording 42 appearances in 2021-22, the Frenchman’s time on the pitch was limited. He also missed five of the seven remaining games.
The counterpoint is that when Kante does feature — 262 times since moving — he tends to shine; in August’s victory away to EvertonAnd the home draw against Tottenham HotspurHe was one of the most outstanding performers. In Kante’s absence, there have been three defeats and Tuchel was sacked.
Kante is loved by Chelsea and they are keen to extend his stay. He was happy to continue his career with them. To make that happen, the situation must be resolved. All parties should keep their lines of communication open.
Kante seems to be held in high regard across the sport. If he decides to leave, many top teams will compete to hire him. If Kante becomes available, it is believed that there would be two English suitors in addition to one from each of Spain and Germany.
Kante rose to prominence at Leicester and helped them win a shocking top-flight title. He also earned the Chelsea switch. In 2017, he lifted the trophy once again and has been awarded the title. FA Cup, Europa League, Champions League, Super Cup, Club World CupAlso, the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Rashford with the aide who drove campaign to end poverty
Marcus Rashford is enjoying a bit of a comeback this season with three goals in Manchester United’s opening six Premier League matches — including a match-winning brace against Arsenal — to boost his hopes of a recall to Gareth Southgate’s EnglandNext week, squad
The 24-year-old’s early displays under new United manager Erik ten Hag have been particularly encouraging given the difficulties he experienced in 2021-22, which followed a missed penalty in his national team’s Euro 2020 final loss against ItalyThe treatment and surgery for a shoulder injury.
Before those struggles, Rashford was a prominent figure on the field for club, country and team. He rose to prominence in the wider world through his heroic efforts to fight racism, homelessness, and child hunger in Great Britain.
An influential member of the set-up that has aided Rashford’s journey was Kelly Hogarth, who first partnered with him in 2019, and they later joined the Roc Nation entertainment agency founded by the rapper Jay Z. Hogarth then took Rashford to her business management agency Thelma Gwen.
Together with Rashford, she drove the #endchildfoodpoverty campaign which was a huge success and claimed to have helped 1.7 million children in Britain. As well as the social impact work, Hogarth has covered areas including the footballer’s other community initiatives, media responsibilities, commercial partnerships and brand strategy.
Rashford is in great form and has begun the season (Photo: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images).
But with Rashford’s focus on football and Hogarth engaged in different projects, she is believed to be stepping away from the role and his brother Dwaine Maynard — who already leads the sporting operation — will assume greater responsibility in supporting the attacking player’s progress.
Sources close Rashford inform that Hogarth has parted ways with him after four and a quarter years. They will continue to work together as a friend and international colleague. Raheem Sterling.
UEFA gives Russia friendly notice in advance
Eyebrows were raised last week when Bosnia & Herzegovina announced they had agreed to play a friendly away to Russia on November 19. If it goes ahead, it will be Russia’s first match against a European nation since they were banned from all FIFA and UEFA competitions following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February.
Some members of the Bosnia squad were vocal critics of Friday’s announcement. Midfielder Miralem Pjanic said the decision to play the game was “not good — I am speechless”, while striker Edin Dzeko, who formerly played for Manchester City, publicly ruled himself out of contention for the game, adding: “I am against this, I am always and only for peace.”
Despite widespread outrage, however The AthleticUEFA was informed of the planned friendly prior to its announcement. Sources close to the national associations say they have followed all the regulatory procedures to play the high profile game in Saint Petersburg just before the World Cup starts in Qatar.
The Russia men’s team have not played since November but are close to returning to action, with a friendly away to Kyrgyzstan — ranked 95th in the world by FIFA — planned to take place on September 24 in Bishkek, the capital city of the central Asian nation that was part of the Soviet Union until 1991.
But the friendly against Bosnia will be of a far higher profile and will likely come as a blow to those who have campaigned for Russia’s exclusion from the international stage, who will be disappointed that UEFA was made aware of the fixture and did not make its disapproval publicly known.
Ali Humayun
Saudi chief would ‘love to see Cristiano Ronaldo move’
The summer transfer deadline has passed, ending the speculation about Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer plans. However, there is still uncertainty about his future at Manchester United.
The Portugal forward has started just one of United’s six Premier League matches so far under new manager Erik ten Hag and, although he has looked more engaged when coming off the bench in recent weeks, he struggled to make an impact after starting the Europa League group stage loss at home to Real Sociedad on Thursday.
Ronaldo, 37, said to United hierarchy in June that he wanted his second stint at the club to be over after one season. He was keen to play in Champions League but there wasn’t a clear exit route.
Despite tentative interest from Chelsea and Italy’s Napoli, both Champions League sides, the only firm proposals he received were from Saudi Arabia. He rejected what was described as an “obscene” offer from champions Al-Hilal, and their rivals and Riyadh neighbours Al-Nassr were also reported to have failed with a proposal.
Ronaldo appeared to leave Old Trafford this season (Photo: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images).
Ronaldo’s lack of suitors this summer raised questions about his next step if he is to continue playing into his forties as he has suggested.
The Saudi option isn’t going away. This much is clear. The AthleticYasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.
Al-Misehal wouldn’t talk about Ronaldo’s interest in different clubs in his nation, but he expects to see continued efforts to sign him.
“We would love to see a player like Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the Saudi league,” he told The Athletic. “It would bring a huge positive feedback and it would be big news for everyone. I’m sure everyone knows the achievements and records of Cristiano Ronaldo, but also as a player who is a great role model.
“I think, ‘Why not?’. I’m sure it would be a very expensive deal, of course, but we can see our clubs getting higher revenues in the past couple of years. Already, we have seen big players who played in the Premier League move to the Saudi League.
“I like Cristiano Ronaldo as a player and I would like to see him play in Saudi Arabia.”
Asked whether a move in January seemed feasible — although not for Al-Hilal, who are banned from signing players in the next transfer window — Al-Misehal said, “To be honest, I don’t have the answer. If I were the president a club, I could tell you the answer. But my colleagues at the clubs don’t have to share their negotiations with me.
“It wouldn’t be an easy transaction for a Saudi club or even for him, but we would love to see him or even some other top players of the same level.”
Oliver Kay
The Chelsea hierarchy attempted to keep Gilmour alive before Tuchel’s sacking
Graham Potter’s decision to leave Brighton & Hove Albion for Chelsea will have disappointed everybody at the Amex Stadium — but perhaps none more so than midfielder Billy Gilmour, who moved in the opposite direction before the transfer window shut.
As the market closed, Gilmour was seen not wearing a shirt and it is believed that Thomas Tuchel, then Chelsea boss, advised him to not wear one.
Gilmour later received the No 35 for Chelsea’s trip to Southampton on August 30, yet there was an offer for the Scotland international from Brighton and Tuchel encouraged him to take it on the basis that playing under Potter would be perfect for his career development.
Although the 21-year-old eventually headed to the Amex Stadium for around £9million, the new Chelsea ownership were less enthusiastic about sanctioning the deal and informed Gilmour during a meeting on deadline day that they would like him to remain at the club.
Happy Gilmour. 😁 @BillyGilmourrr 🏴 pic.twitter.com/5csIYcPrZw
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) September 1, 2022
According to some reports, Chairman Todd Boehly suggested Gilmour wait for the opportunity at Stamford Bridge, and implied that things could change soon, but he didn’t go into details.
Even if Gilmour did not win a place in Chelsea’s starting XI, it would not be long until the 2022 World Cup break and then January presents another chance to make a switch.
Gilmour was determined to stay and signed permanently for Brighton, as neither of them were interested in any other loan agreement. The Chelsea team had fired Tuchel one week later and named Potter as their head coach in west London.
Arsenal youth leave
Arsenal enjoyed a strong start for the new season.
Mikel Arteta’s first team are top of the Premier League, and it should not go unnoticed that Mehmet Ali’s under-21s are also leading the age group’s Premier League 2 courtesy of four wins and a draw from their opening five games.
Despite the optimism in north London it is disappointing for the club that Yousuf Sajid, their head of emerging talent will be leaving the Hale End Academy next month to take up a new job.
Sajjad joined Arsenal in 2019 after leaving London rivals Chelsea and has made an impressive impression.
Arsenal were close to the relegation spots in the top division of the Premier League’s developmental competition when Sajjad arrived, but he quickly helped make a series of promising signings — including Reuell Walters, Mika Biereth, Salah Oulad M’Hand and Lino Sousa — and an impressive third-place finish in Premier League 2 followed last season.
Edu, Per Mertesacker, technical director, and Lee Herron were his close collaborators. The Arsenal academy used a successful strategy that lowers the average age of the squad, while loaning out players for experience.
Sajjad has resigned from the club at the beginning and is now working his notice, until he starts a new job as a player recruiter at another club in October 1.
Potter’s dilemma over house
Potter is now faced with a difficult decision when he leaves Brighton to move to Chelsea.
The former Brighton head coach’s family home is close to the seafront in neighbouring Hove, which is a manageable 75-minute drive from his new employers’ training ground on London’s southern outskirts.
Potter has enjoyed the anonymity and friendly conversation with those who recognize him when they go out with Rachel, his wife and their three sons. But the scrutiny will be much greater now he’s taken charge of an elite club.
Another factor is the shift in mood among Brighton supporters following Potter’s departure.
They were forced to quit, with Billy Reid as their long-term assistant, Bjorn Hammerberg as coach and Kyle Macaulay as recruitment analyst joining them at Stamford Bridge. On social media, a storm broke out when it was announced that Potter had hired long-serving assistant coach Bruno Saltor and goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts.
After leading Brighton to their highest Premier League finish of ninth last year and leaving them in fourth in this one, the expected warm reception could be even more hostile when Potter returns to Amex Stadium with Chelsea for the first time in a month.
Andy Naylor
West Brom seeking new auditors
It isn’t just new players. Championship goals are included as well as loan repayments. West Bromwich Albionare not able to meet their needs. They are also searching for an auditor. Matt Slater reports.
The Birmingham branch of financial services giant PricewaterhouseCoopers had been doing the West Midlands club’s books since 2018, but the much-delayed 2020-21 accounts will be the last.
Those accounts told the story of a second relegation from the Premier League in four years, but the big headline was that the club’s owner, Lai Guochuan, intends to use a dividend to repay the £7million he has borrowed from the club and its parent company for his businesses back home in China.
Also, the club will repay any loans that he took.
And this is on top of the £5million debt Lai inherited when he bought Albion in 2016. This debt, which arose because former owner Jeremy Peace borrowed money from the club’s bank account, is currently the subject of an independent investigation.
But accounting for all these IOUs is no longer PwC’s problem.
The club was unable to tell The Athletic who the new auditor is, despite usual practice stating that a replacement should be named within 28 days of the most recent accounts’ publication, which was June 30. Whoever it is will be West Brom’s fourth auditor in seven years, after the club had entrusted their books to local firm Clement Keys for decades.
The Hawthorns is still struggling to answer the many unanswered questions.
Shareholders For Albion is an association representing the 430 people who own 12 percent of West Brom. They sent the club 40 questions about their governance six weeks back.
They have yet to hear back.
RangersEnglish FA joins Scout
The lead domestic scout at Scottish side Rangers has left to head the English FA’s talent ID programme from under-18s up to senior level.
Robert Clarkson joined Rangers as part of the scouting team established by Mark Allen, their former director of football. There was no scouting system in place at that point as the club’s infrastructure had been neglected for years during the financial troubles that saw them having to start over in the fourth division.
He helped build Rangers’ 2020-21 title-winning squad with then-manager Steven Gerrard but has now left Ibrox following the conclusion of the summer transfer window.
It was Clarkson’s job to have in-depth knowledge of the Scottish and English markets primarily, and the FA has recruited him to identify talents who could make the jump into Gareth Southgate’s senior England side.
His departure follows the exit of Rangers’ head of scouting Andy Scoulding earlier this summer to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in a new-look structure.
Ross Wilson, the sport director, has hired John Park (ex-head of recruitment at rivals). CelticPark, to strengthen the department. Park began work immediately after his contract expired at the English Championship side Blackburn Rovers.
Jordan Campbell
(Lead photos: Getty Images
