Transfer Update – The Search For Goal Scorers

The top Premier League clubs are once again scouring the globe for players who can find the net and enhance their club’s title chances. One of the more coveted goal scorers in this summer’s window came off the board this week and the winner is…last season’s Premier League champion and top goalscoring team, Liverpool.

Frenchman Hugo Ekitike, a twenty-three-year-old forward who scored 22 goals, adding 12 assists, across 48 matches for Eintracht Frankfurt last season, bolsters a front line for Liverpool which was rocked by the tragic death of Diogo Jota earlier this summer and could still see the departures of forwards Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz before the window closes. Ekitike boasts size and pace similar to Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, who was the Premier League’s second leading scorer and was also a rumored target to become the Reds’ latest center forward. The champions have been active this summer with a total outlay for acquired players, including incentive add-ons, exceeding $250M. Ekitike joins former Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz as the featured offensive threats in this summer’s haul for the Reds. Liverpool beat German power Bayern Munich to Wirtz’s signature after a meeting with Arne Slot convinced the young midfielder of a prominent role in the Reds’ attack next season. Liverpool was also in a battle with other clubs for Ekitike’s signature.

An interesting dynamic arose with fellow Premier League side Newcastle which was chasing the French forward even as Liverpool was making overtures regarding Isak. In the end, Newcastle was unable to meet the financial demands of Eintracht Frankfurt and Ekitike. The Magpies, trying to strengthen a roster which will compete in the Champions League this season, also fell short in races with Chelsea for Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. To make matters worse, Isak was reportedly hot for a Liverpool move and is now a bit sulky as the Magpies, who have also said goodbye to striker Callum Wilson, begin preparations for the upcoming season.

Another, perhaps even more coveted goal scorer appears on the verge of signing after a dramatic battle between Premier League suitors. Viktor Gyokeres, a Swedish international who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting CP, appears poised to undergo his medical tbs week for a move to Premier League runner up Arsenal. The runner up in the Gyokeres sweepstakes is Manchester United, which was still bidding on the striker mere days ago. Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta will breathe easier once Gyokeres is on board and fills a blatant hole at the point of the Gunner attack which may well have accounted for failed title chases in each of the past two seasons.

Manchester United was also a late entrant to the Ekitike chase, reportedly mounting a competing bid to the winning Liverpool proposal after Newcastle bowed out of the pricey pursuit. Despite missing on both Gyokeres and Ekitike, the Red Devils have completed other moves to rework their dismal attack. The Red Devils signed two of the top eight Premier League goal scorers last season in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Wolverhampton’s Matheus Cunha. Mbeumo enjoyed a breakout season with 20 league goals last season for the Bees. Cunha found the net 15 times for Wolves, leading his club in chances and shots created. The two players inject exciting possibilities into the stagnant front line of a club which Manager Ruben Amorim freely admits was the worst in Manchester United history. Departing from that dreary group of last season will be Marcus Rashford who is close to a loan deal with Barcelona and Alejandro Garnacho whose destination is unknown but for the fact there is no place for him in Amorim’s line-up. Failed striker Rasmus Hojlund may also be on the move if a suitor can be found for a striker who scored but four goals last season. Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, has been connected with a move to Juventus after a failed loan stint with Chelsea last season. Manchester United can use the money from offloading these players to further improve an attack so feeble last season that only Everton and the three relegated sides scored fewer goals. RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko could be part of those plans. He was among the top names expected to move this transfer window but, somewhat surprisingly, rumors had quieted until the past few days when Manchester United interest was reported. Sesko bagged 21 goals across all competitions for the German squad last season.

Another striker rumored to be a possibility for the Red Devils is Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson who has bedeviled the Blues with inconsistency and lack of discipline. The Club World Cup winners could now find the Senegal international expendable after adding Liam Delap and Joao Pedro this offseason as key men to play alongside franchise player Cole Palmer to keep the goals flowing for the Blues. A change of address could be just the thing for Jackson who could still have untapped potential at the age of 24 after scoring 30 goals since his arrival in England from Villareal in 2023.

Chelsea Are World Champions

Chelsea upset reigning Champions League titlist PSG 3-0 in the Club World Cup on Sunday as Cole Palmer put on a dazzling display, PSG Manager Luis Enrique lost his mind and American President Donald Trump awkwardly inserted himself in Chelsea’s trophy lift.

Palmer scored twice and assisted on Joao Pedro’s backbreaking third goal to give Chelsea its three-goal advantage before halftime. Many thought underdog Chelsea would need to sit back and cautiously defend against the French champions. Chelsea Manger Enzo Maresca never bought into that idea in pre match comments, however, and unleashed his attackers from the onset. Rather than sit back, Chelsea pressed their opponent high on the pitch from the opening whistle, quickly fatiguing the French side in the searing heat at Met Life Stadium. PSG turnovers would lead to counterattacks where Chelsea sought to overload a vulnerable left side of PSG’s defense. Newly acquired Chelsea forward Joao Pedro drifted from the center of the field to combine with Palmer on the right flank and give PSG fits.

Palmer has looked comfortable in this tournament on the right wing where he first found success in the 2023/24 season whereas this past season saw him struggle at times in a more central Number 10 role. He was at the top of his game on Sunday putting Chelsea ahead by two goals before 30 minutes had expired with two almost identical strikes past PSG goaltender Gianluigi Donnarumma. The English phenom would then assist new teammate Joao Pedro just before halftime to essentially put the match to bed.

A tired PSG had no answers and became increasingly truculent in the heat and frustration of a scoreless second half. Joao Neves was tossed in the 83rd minute for pulling the hair of Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella. Joao Pedro was another target for PSG’s petulance, perhaps tracing to his exuberant celebration after his first half goal that spelled doom for the Parisians. Following the match, the Brazilian was at the center of a scuffle where the defeated PSG players and their manager decided to humiliate themselves even further. PSG defender Achraf Hakimi and towering goalkeeper Donnarumma seemed to initiate the verbal sparring with Chelsea’s new addition post-match. Manager Enrique then made a fool of himself by physically assaulting the opposing player, an action that could earn him a FIFA imposed suspension.

No one would have predicted Chelsea to have inflicted such pain on a Champions League winner which had conceded only one goal across its first six matches of this Club World Cup. It was a tough pill for PSG to swallow on Sunday but euphoria for Chelsea and its supporters. One new supporter, however, was not entirely welcome. US President Donald Trump awarded the medals and trophy to the winners and then seemed unwilling to leave the center of the trophy lift celebration. FIFA President Gianni Infantino finally escorted Trump away as Chelsea captain Reese James and Cole Palmer looked on confusedly before finally letting loose with their well-earned exultations.

This championship will only stoke the growing expectations of Chelsea supporters who will see their club as a Premier League title contender next season. Chelsea won five of their last six Premier League matches this past season to earn fourth place in the table and a Champions League berth. A European Conference League title followed just days after the Premier League ended. That momentum continued into this tournament with the Blues now having  won 14 of their past 16 matches. Recent transfers Joao Pedro and Liam Delap already look to be smart acquisitions. Jamie Gittens, another new signing from Borussia Dortmund, awaits his new teammates back in England. Estevao Willian, an 18-year-old referred to as “Little Messi,” scored against Chelsea in a Palmeiras jersey this tournament but will be donning Chelsea blue for this upcoming Premier League season. Andrey Santos, a substitute in Sunday’s title match, has returned from a successful loan at Strasbourg and is expected to be in the squad next season.

The influx of talent will, of course, require some outgoings. Perhaps the most significant departure is the in-process transfer of winger Noni Madueke to Arsenal. Madueke is expected to undergo his medical this week. Chelsea also has an “island of lost toys” who are not in Manager Maresca’s plan. That group would include Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix. Benfica is purportedly interested in Félix.

One individual performance on Sunday could give pause to a widely expected piece of Chelsea’s transfer strategy. Much maligned goalkeeper Robert Sanchez impressed Sunday with his six saves. The former Brighton keeper has been under fire from the moment he joined Chelsea, and he has fanned those flames with some poor decision making and critical mistakes. Sanchez was benched at one point his past season for Filip Jorgensen. Just this past week, Chelsea was rumored to be considering a move for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Sanchez, however, once again proved himself a solid shot stopper on Sunday and made none of the mistakes that have angered Chelsea supporters in the past.

There will be mixed opinions as to whether World Champion Chelsea can win the Premier League with their present goalkeeping.

Chelsea To Face Familiar Face in Club World Cup Semifinal

The assumption was that Premier League fans had seen the last of Thiago Silva when he left Chelsea to return to Brazil this past season. The now 40-year-old defender stepped away from European football after four years at Chelsea and a lengthy and distinguished career in Europe which included Serie A, Ligue 1 and Champions League titles. He returned to Fluminense, a club he once played for at the age of 21. A quiet retirement tour, however, has been interrupted by a run in the Club World Cup which will see Silva lined up against Chelsea in Tuesday’s semifinal.

The Brazilian club’s advancement from a weak group was not a major surprise. In their first knockout game however, they toppled Champions League finalist Inter Milan. In the next match, they defeated the man that led Inter Milan to that final, the Brazilians triumphing over Simone Inzaghi and his new club, Al-Hilal. Al-Hilal was the underdog story after the Saudi side defeated Manchester City in their Round of 16 matchup. Fluminense prevailed in a tense 2-1 matchup, however, which saw Silva battling, quite testily at times, with former Chelsea teammate Kalidou Koulibaly.

Center back Silva has been a stable force in front of 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio. Not all Fluminense’s key players are senior citizens, however. Twenty-four-year-old Hercules has been a strong performer with goals against both Inter Milan and Al-Hilal, his 70th minute strike in the quarterfinal proving the winner against the Saudi Arabian side and putting the Brazilians into the semifinal. Their Premier League opponent in that semifinal was drilled by Fluminense’s Brazilian archrival Flamengo in group play, needed extra time before knocking out Benfica with a flurry of late goals and then nervily got by Palmeiras, yet another Brazilian side, 2-1 on an 83rd minute own goal. This last victory was noteworthy on two fronts. Cole Palmer scored to break an eight-game scoring drought for club and country.

Meanwhile, the scorer of the Palmeiras goal, Estevao, will now join Palmer and his mates in London. Chelsea signed the then 17-year-old winger in May of 2024 with the understanding that he would play one final season for Palmeiras. Chelsea secured his signing despite the interest of many of the major European giants who were interested in a young man referred to as “Messinho” or “Little Messi.” Against Chelsea on Saturday, the Brazilian would alternately orchestrate the Palmeiras attack from a central midfield position and then harry his future employers with attacks down the right wing. His initial time at Chelsea is likely to be on the wing and that has surely fueled the rumors that Noni Madueke could be leaving Chelsea, potentially to join London rival Arsenal.

Estevao’s three player of the match acclimations during his now concluded Club World Cup run inspire optimism but only time will tell if his potential translates to the English game. Chelsea will be without Liam Delap and Levi Colwell for the Fluminense matchup due to suspension. If the Blues advance on Tuesday, they are guaranteed to face another European power in the July 13th final as Wednesday’s other semifinal match  features heavyweights PSG and Real Madrid. 

Chelsea Carries Premier League Hopes In Club World Cup

Chelsea is the last Premier League side to remain in this summer’s Club World Cup. The London squad advanced to the quarterfinals when the Blues defeated Benfica last Saturday in a match which took almost five hours to complete. Chelsea, courtesy of a Reese James goal, was leading 1-0 in the 86th minute when warnings of a lightning storm caused the pitch to be cleared. Two hours later, the match resumed. It then seemed Chelsea would put this one to bed with ease after the Portuguese side went down to 10 men two minutes into stoppage time. Unfortunately for the Blues, however, more work was required after a Malo Gusto handball. Angel di Maria equalized the score with his penalty kick just three minutes after teammate Gianluca Prestianni was dismissed with his second booking. The 37-year-old Di Maria, who counts Manchester United as one of his seven career stops and won a Champions League with Real Madrid, is returning to his boyhood club Rosario following this tournament to end his career where it all began. Di Maria’s final goal for Benfica necessitated extra time to end a long day for Chelsea in Charlotte, North Carolina. Benfica would have hoped to hang on for penalties, but Chelsea overwhelmed the undermanned and tiring Portuguese side with a trifecta of goals in the second interval of extra time to win 4-1. Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kieran Dewsbury-Hall provided the goals in a nine-minute blitzkrieg for the Blues.

Chelsea now faces Brazilian side Palmeiras in the quarterfinals on Friday. Another weapon could be available for that match in the form of former Brighton star Joao Pedro. The Brazilian forward was signed this week by Chelsea, has already been added to the tournament roster, and is physically present in the United States. Should Chelsea win on Friday, their semifinal matchup will be the winner of the Al-Hilal versus Fluminense match. Al-Hilal knocked a heavyweight from Chelsea’s path when the Saudi Arabians defeated Premier League power Manchester City in a battle of oil financed clubs in the Round of 16. Al-Hilal is principally owned by the Sudi Arabian Public Investment Fund while Manchester City is majority owned by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Twenty-two-year-old Marcus Leonardo scored two goals, including an extra time winner, to give the Saudi club an exciting 4-3 victory over star studded Manchester City on Monday. Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden found the net in City’s losing effort.

The Saudi side, however, is not without its own familiar Premier League names. Joao Cancelo, a former Manchester City player who had a difficult relationship with Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola, assisted on Al-Hilal’s second goal. Former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly scored to give Al Hilal a 3-2 lead before an equalizing goal by Foden. Reuben Neves, who plied his trade for six seasons at Wolverhampton, then assisted on Leonardo’s winner. The Saudi Arabia club, which also raised eyebrows earlier in the tournament with a draw against Real Madrid, is also helmed by a manager who is well familiar with a big stage. Italian manager Simone Inzaghi joined Al-Hilal just days before the Club World Cup began, shortly after leading Inter Milan to the Champions League final for the second time in three years. Inzaghi and Al-Hilal will face Fluminense in Friday’s other  quarterfinal.

Saturday, meanwhile, features a marquee matchup between PSG and Bayern Munich followed by a battle between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. FIFA officials will be hoping weather cooperates for the quarterfinal contests. Six different matches have been suspended to date due to adverse weather, led by Chelsea’s delay which Manager Enzo Maresca termed a “joke.” The tournament has also been plagued by intense heat which has many questioning the wisdom of playing next summer’s World Cup in North America.