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The club's previous record in bringing in young players is mixed – but does include some future superstars

Chelsea have not had it all their own way in the transfer market this summer, as their failed pursuits of Jules Kounde and Raphinha demonstrate.

However, the Blues can finally chalk up one in the win column after they beat Milan and Barcelona to the signing of Aston Villa prospect Carney Chukwuemeka.

Rangy midfielder Chukwuemeka comes with glowing reviews and finished 37th in GOAL's 2022 ranking of the best wonderkids in the world.

Confirmation of that agreement was soon followed by another young arrival – Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina.

Chelsea have a history of chancing their arm on precocious young talent, with mixed results.

GOAL has taken a look back through the history book to remember some of the other fresh-faced teenagers who arrived Stamford Bridge before their 20th birthday.

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  Glen Johnson (West Ham) £6m

  First up on the list is former England international Johnson, who moved across London to Chelsea from West Ham for £6m in July 2003.

  The 18-year-old was the first confirmed signing of Roman Abramovich's ownership and he made 71 appearances for the Blues over the next four years, picking up a Premier League winners' medal along the way.

  Johnson left Chelsea to join Portsmouth in 2007 in search of more regular minutes, and went on to play for Liverpool before retiring in 2019.

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  Jon Obi Mikel (Lyn Oslo) – £18m

  Jon Obi Mikel joined Chelsea from Norwegian outfit Lyn Oslo in the summer of 2006 after a controversial year-long legal battle that saw him perform a U-turn after initially being presented as a Manchester United player.

  The fresh-faced 19-year-old quickly became a key player for the Blues under Jose Mourinho and went on to win two Premier League titles and the Champions League with the club, before eventually departing in 2017.

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  Daniel Sturridge (Manchester City) Free transfer

  Chelsea snapped Daniel Sturridge up on a free transfer on July 3, 2009 – three days after the expiration of his contract at City, where he had spent the first three years of his career.

  Sturridge scored a respectable 24 goals in 96 games for the Blues despite rarely getting much of a run in the starting XI, and became a Premier League and Champions League winner before being shipped off to Liverpool for £12m in 2013.

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  Thibaut Courtois (Genk) £7m

  Chelsea paid just £7m to sign 19-year-old Courtois from Belgian outfit Genk in July 2011, and immediately sent him out on loan to Atletico Madrid.

  Courtois established himself among the goalkeeping elite during his two-year stay in Madrid, winning a Liga title and playing in a Champions League final before returning to England ahead of the 2014-15 season.

  The shot-stopper then nailed down the No.1 spot in Chelsea's starting XI and helped them win two Premier League titles along with the FA Cup and League Cup, but ended up forcing through a move to Real Madrid in 2018.

West Ham United have been dealt a fresh blow in their pursuit to sign Tammy Abraham this summer…

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard, Italian giants AC Milan are set to offer the 23-year-old striker a way out of Chelsea at the end of the season, dealing a setback towards the Hammers’ chances of securing him.

It is widely believed that the England international is David Moyes’ top target to fill that attacking void ahead of next season, as per the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee.

However, the Irons face a likely transfer tussle to secure him as Milan are not the only team keen on signing him. Aston Villa and Newcastle United have also been mooted with interest over the weekend, via ESPN.

Moyes won’t be happy

This latest development won’t come as good news to Moyes, especially if the £36m-rated forward is genuinely his top transfer target this summer.

It does seem that Abraham will be leaving Stamford Bridge in the near future, as the Evening Standard reports that Thomas Tuchel is eyeing a new striker of which Romelu Lukaku and Erling Haaland feature as targets.

That makes Abraham a very appealing target, given he’s done no wrong to warrant his recent omission from the Blues’ starting line-up.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-transfer-rumours-gossip-latest-moyes-gsb-london-stadium” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

The 6 foot 3 beast, who earns around £57k-per-week in west London, remains their joint top-goalscorer in the Premier League on six goals, whilst he has delivered 12 goals across all competitions this term, three more than any West Ham star.

Despite a lack of game time, he’s still built on his impressive 2019/20 exploits, where he found the net 18 times across 42 top-flight and Champions League appearances under Frank Lampard.

Alex McLeish even recently dubbed him a “phenomenal player” in an interview with Football Insider, so it really is a surprise to see him struggle for minutes.

It’s no secret that the Hammers desperately need attacking options, as they cannot rely on the injury-prone Michail Antonio to lead the line by himself in what is likely to be a huge season next year.

After selling Sebastien Haller in January, Moyes was left with only one senior striker and he’s only been able to feature 21 times in the Premier League this term, missing their last three games through injury.

Abraham’s experience and proven goalscoring record in England very much does make him a viable target, and quite rightly, he sits high on Moyes’ priorities.

But interest from teams of Milan’s calibre are hugely worrying. The 58-year-old Scot won’t be happy if he misses out on the 23-year-old this summer.

AND in other news, Moyes heading for West Ham transfer mistake over £9m-rated flop he once dubbed “unplayable”…

Cruz Azul's summer overhaul led to the superlider position & a spot in the final. What other offseason signings made the difference in Liga MX?

• Hector Vivas
  

  Ivan Marcone | Lanus to Cruz Azul

  Marcone shored up the Cruz Azul midfield upon arrival and reportedly has interest from Villarreal for a big-money move to La Liga after his excellent debut campaign in Liga MX.

  He completed more than 84 percent of his passes per match and was perhaps the best player in the league at winning the ball back. It's no accident that as Pedro Caixinha modified his lineup during the season, the Argentine never gave up his space, missing out on a single league match between the Apertura campaign and the playoffs.

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• Manuel Velasquez
  

  Pablo Aguilar | Tijuana to Cruz Azul

  One of Liga MX's best center backs for the last several campaigns, Aguilar didn't drop off after returning to Mexico City. The 31-year-old anchored a back line that conceded only 13 times in the 17-match regular season and chipped in three set-piece goals for good measure.

  The former America center back now has a chance to help his club to a double by beating America in the title match. It's a remarkable testament to his longevity – and his discipline. The previously foul-prone defender saw yellow just three times this season while winning five duels a match and making good on more than 70 percent of the tackles he attempted.

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  Jesus Gallardo | Pumas to Monterrey

  While Rodolfo Pizarro struggled with injury, Gallardo proved to be a savvy signing who produced immediate results for Diego Alonso's side this season.

  After playing at left back during the World Cup, with some reports suggesting he'd garnered European attention only for teams to learn he'd already agreed to move to Monterrey, Gallardo gave Alonso a piece who could attack, defend or do a mix of both. He ended the campaign with three goals and an assist. The fact he can play at left back, left wing or in the midfield makes Gallardo more valuable than his numbers would suggest.

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• Hector Vivas
  

  Carlos Gonzalez | Necaxa to Pumas

  Carlos Gonzalez filled the Nicolas Castillo-sized hole that had existed at the front of Pumas' attack. After the Chilean's departure for Benfica, the question was who would score for Pumas after their heavy dependence on "El Tanque" up front. The answer was the Paraguayan Gonzalez.

  His performances against Tigres shouldn't escape notice. After a hat trick against Tuca Ferretti's side in the regular season, he added another in the playoffs as Pumas progressed in the clubs' quarterfinal matchup. All in all, Gonzalez ended the season with nine goals between regular season and playoffs.

The Barcelona superstar and Patriots quarterback are both living legends — but which one has been more impressive in their sport?

Lionel Messi and Tom Brady are often considered the greatest of all time in their respective sports. Messi has won everything there is to win on the club level in soccer, while Brady has a handful of Super Bowl rings and can add one more on Sunday. Both have racked up unbelievable amounts of individual honors during their careers on their way to becoming living legends.

Although Brady is 10 years older than Messi, the New England Patriots quarterback got his career off to a later start than the Barcelona superstar. But for nearly two decades the two have been in the global spotlight and have only gotten better and better with no end point in sight.

Which player has accomplished more? Who has had more of an impact on their sport? Goal takes a closer look at who will go down in history with a more impressive career:

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  Ballons d'Or/NFL MVP awards

  Messi – 5
  Brady – 2

  It may seem strange to even compare the two honors but allow us to explain… 

  Both the Ballon d'Or and the NFL MVP award are given to the best player in the sport over the year. Despite there being several more teams and players to choose from in soccer, the winner will most likely be someone who has carried his team deep into the Champions League. The NFL is much like the Champions League due to the fact it's a league comprised of the best teams and players in the world competing each week. Long story short, it's equally impressive to individually stand out from the rest in both soccer and the NFL.

  It's been a two-man race between Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d'Or over the past 10 years, with the Argentine forward being named the world's best player a record-tying five times. The NFL seems to have more competition for its MVP award than the Ballon d'Or, as there have been seven different winners over the same span.

  But Brady was named MVP only twice during his 17-year career and Messi has won the Ballon d'Or five times over 13 years.

  Edge: Messi

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  European Golden Shoes/Passing Touchdowns Leader

  Messi – 4
  Brady – 4

  Messi has led all players in Europe in scoring four times, while Brady has led the NFL in touchdown passes in four seasons. Messi has had to compete with thousands of players as Brady is up against only 31 other starting QBs each year. But don't let that fool you.

  We can partially credit Messi's goal-scoring totals to the fact Barcelona plays in La Liga, where the Blaugrana are consistently more talented than their opposition most weeks. Messi has had a list of all-time greats playing with him, with players like Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o and Luis Suarez sharing the attacking load and making the job a bit easier on the Argentine. 

  Brady, on the other hand, goes head to head with the best quarterbacks on the planet each week. He also has to face the top defensive players in the world every time he takes the field. On top of that, the talent around Brady has not always been world class. Aside from Randy Moss – who was seemingly past his prime when he joined New England in 2007 – and Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots QB has worked with a list of pass-catchers that is entirely underwhelming. It's telling that the first year Moss and Brady played together they set an NFL record for touchdowns by a duo.  

  Edge: Brady

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  Champions League titles/Super Bowl wins

  Messi – 4
  Brady – 5

  The most realistic comparison of any soccer league in the world to the NFL is the Champions League. The top club competition pits Europe's top teams and players against each other each meeting, with 32 of the best teams in Europe making the group stage. The NFL doesn't have any competing leagues, which makes the 32-team league ultra competitive all season.

  Messi has led Barcelona to Champions League titles four times and Brady has a record five Super Bowl trophies to his name. The QB has a very good chance to add another ring against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.

  The fact Brady has won more championships in the NFL than Messi in the Champions League makes this category an easy one to decide.

  Edge: Brady

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  La Liga titles/AFC East titles

  Messi – 8
  Brady – 15

  How can we compare a four-team NFL division to the 20-team Primera Division? That's a good question but hear us out…

  The 32-team NFL is divided up by eight divisions. Brady's Patriots have dominated the AFC East since he became their starting QB, which has given them an easy path to the playoffs almost every season. 

  La Liga may feature more teams, but recently it's been a two or three-team race between Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico for the title. With the top three in the table earning a Champions League berth, Barca is nearly a lock to play in Europe every year.

  But due to the poor play of opposing AFC East teams over the past 18 years and the fact Barcelona has to compete with Real Madrid for first place, it's more impressive for Messi to win La Liga than Brady to win his division.

  Edge: Messi

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Steve Howey, who made 151 appearances for Newcastle United, has backed his former club to turn Joe Willock’s loan deal into a permanent one this summer.

Willock was Steve Bruce’s only signing in January and it took until deadline day for the Magpies to get a new face through the door, despite being in a relegation fight.

It has been reported that Arsenal may look for £20 million if Newcastle want to sign Willock permanently, as they need to raise funds for any potential deal to sign Martin Odegaard on a full-time basis.

Speaking on why Newcastle should not be overpaying for Willock and if he’s been impressed with the 20-year old, Howey told The Transfer Tavern:

“I don’t see why they shouldn’t go for him but I think it will be interesting to see how much Arsenal will be asking for him. If they ask for stupid money forget about it because the lad didn’t even play that much at Arsenal.

“He seems as though he’s enjoying his football and after having a closer look at him here I think he’s done very well.”

Willock has provided Bruce with something different in midfield with his willingness to get into the opposition’s box and his late runs into the final third have resulted in him getting three goals for the Magpies to date, including the late winner against West Ham United at the weekend.

The £20,000-per-week midfielder has found himself on the bench since the 3-0 defeat against Brighton, with Bruce opting for an extra centre back and one less centre midfielder.

According to a report by French news outlet RMC Sport, via Get French Football News, Tottenham Hotspur are now keen to offload defender Serge Aurier this summer and could do so for as little as €10 million (£8.7 million).

The Lowdown: Aurier on the chopping block

The Ivorian has played very regularly for Spurs this season and has arguably been a mainstay in the side at points under both Jose Mourinho and interim boss Ryan Mason – starting 18 Premier League games in total, six more than summer signing Matt Doherty (WhoScored).

He was praised for his much improved form under Mourinho earlier this campaign and earned plenty of plaudits (Alasdair Gold), but the defender’s downturn since then has made Aurier a nominee for the Spurs summer sale list.

Alasdair Gold recently touted the 28-year-old as one of the names who could leave – mentioning him in a list with Erik Lamela, Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko, Juan Foyth and Dele Alli (football.london).

The Latest: Spurs now keen to offload

Now, in an update on Aurier’s situation, RMC Sport (via GFFN) claim that the Lilywhites and chairman Daniel Levy are now keen to sell the 66-cap ace and could do so for as little as €10m (£8.7m).

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It is also stated in the report that Paris-Saint Germain have placed Aurier on a shortlist as former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino weighs strengthening his right-back options.

Aurier has previously hinted he would be open to Parc des Princes return and this update claims a move would majorly interest him.

The Verdict: Big call by Levy?

Still in his prime at 28 and with plenty of experience at Premier League level, we believe that allowing him to go for just £8.7m could be a mistake.

Tottenham will need every penny they can muster given the likelihood they will adopt a sell-to-buy policy (Sky Sports) and losing Aurier for such a meagre fee arguably won’t help matters.

Aurier dominates the Spurs squad in one particular stat, making the most tackles per 90 on average out of any Lilywhites player this season – including midfield enforcer and arguable best signing of last summer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (WhoScored).

He has also been called ‘amazing’ for his ability to get forward by ex-Spurs keeper Paul Robinson (Football Insider), and Tottenham should be aiming to recuperate much more from his possible sale.

In other news: Tottenham managerial update emerges as new name contacted, find out more here.

With the finals just six months away and the January transfer window open, several big names are in need of regular football to earn a trip to Russia

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  1Kevin Gameiro

  Gameiro's hopes of re-establishing himself in the Atletico Madrid team look faint, especially with the return of Diego Costa. And with Lacazette, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe all far ahead of him in France's pecking order, only a strong end to 2017-18 – perhaps with a new team – would allow the striker to push himself back into contention.

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  2Theo Walcott

  Could a move back to boyhood club Southampton help salvage Walcott's World Cup dreams? What is certain is that the winger has seen his chances severely hampered by a lack of playing time at Arsenal, where he has become little more than a potential impact substitute. 

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  3Dani Ceballos

  The Real Madrid midfielder has been chronically underused by Zinedine Zidane since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu during the summer from Betis after a sensational campaign with Spain at the Under-21 European Championship. Ceballos is yet another player being mentioned as a possible heir to Coutinho at Anfield.

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  4David Luiz

  Miranda, Thiago Silva and Marquinhos all appear to be ahead of the Chelsea defender in Brazil's pecking order right now, while he has only appeared in eight Premier League games so far this season. Real Madrid have emerged as one possible buyer, which at the very least would allow Luiz maximum exposure as he hopes to break back into the Selecao.

Lots of Everton fans have welcomed an update from the club on Jean-Philippe Gbamin.

The Toffees’ official Twitter page announced that the former Mainz ace is back in training with the first team squad after a lengthy spell out with injury.

Gbamin has not been able to play for the Toffees since August 2019, and so it has come as a much welcome relief to all associated with Everton that he is back in training and may well play a part for Carlo Ancelotti’s team for the rest of the season.

The midfielder will also be a relieved man himself, as he may have been questioning whether he would ever be able to play football again following such a long spell out of action

Everton fans on Gbamin update

These Everton supporters hailed the update on Twitter, with one fan claiming that they were ‘delighted’ while others went as far as to call it ‘amazing’ and a bigger boost to the club than the recently-approved new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock:

“Amazing to see JPG back with the @Everton squad, hard work and determination will get deserved rewards and here’s hoping we can see him grace the Goodison pitch sooner rather than later, can’t wait to see what he can achieve under Ancelotti #EFC”

Credit: @efcbigdunc

“Such wholesome content, let’s go JPG”

Credit: @SmoothieJD

“Gbamin do his leg stretches leaning against the imaginary wall! Brilliant to see him training he gets some games in the run up to summer then ready and raring for next season show us what he can do! Been such a hard time for him! Made up for him!”

Credit: @toptoffeegirl

“Absolutely delighted for him”

Credit: @Richlloyd1984

“Bigger than Bramley Moore this”

Credit: @Vicaz22

“Absolutely buzzing for this lad, hope he kicks on now and stays injury free. Could be a big player for us in the run in.”

Credit: @ItsOnlyJk

In other news, find out what Alisher Usmanov news has been lauded by numerous Everton fans!

Former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has identified Chris Wilder as a potential successor to Sam Allardyce at the Midlands club, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

With West Brom facing relegation, Allardyce’s long-term future at the Hawthorns is uncertain. The 66-year-old is reported to have a break-clause in his contract that becomes active at the end of the season if the Baggies fail to avoid the drop, casting much doubt.

If Allardyce does end up departing, Wilder is one name that the West Brom board could consider following his recent exit from Sheffield United, and Palmer believes it is an opportunity that could interest the ex-Blades boss.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, the retired England international said:

“I mean, they’ve got a good squad of players now that Sam has got together. I think Chris will go back into football, for sure. He’s a footballing man, he loves football.

“Wherever he goes to work, he will want control of footballing matters, so I would say West Brom may interest him. Obviously you want to stay in the Premier League if you can, but there’s only so many jobs in the Premier League. So the next thing is in the Championship, can you take over a club and get promoted? He’s proven he can do that.”

Given Allardyce has experience managing in the Championship, winning promotion with West Ham back in the 2011/12 season, it may be worth sticking with the former England manager.

However, if action is taken and West Brom do find themselves on the lookout for a new coach, then Wilder is surely one name that they would have to consider. While things certainly did not go to plan for the 53-year-old in the current campaign, he did a great job overall at Bramall Lane, taking Sheffield United all the way from League 1 to the Premier League.

Having been allowed to leave Aston Villa on loan in the January transfer window, it’s fair to say Conor Hourihane is doing his best to remind those at his parent club why he should have been kept.

The Republic of Ireland international had struggled to get much game-time at Villa Park in the first half of the season in the Premier League, playing just 228 minutes of top-flight football before his departure for Swansea.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of a game against West Ham earlier this season, Villa manager Dean Smith was quick to acknowledge that it was difficult for Hourihane. He said: “Conversations can be difficult but if you’re just speaking to the players with honesty then you usually find a way through that.

“We’d played two, won two and Conor had come off in both games. We signed Ross and I felt we needed to go a different way against Liverpool given who we were playing against. I explained that to Conor and, yes, he was disappointed because he had been involved in the first two games but we felt we’d brought in a real, high-calibre, different type of player.”

Now on loan at the Liberty Stadium, Hourihane is underlining just what a talented player he is on his day, already racking up five goals in just 12 games in the Championship.

It’s no surprise that Steve Cooper, his manager at Swansea, has raved about the Irishman, saying: “He’s been so impressive from the day he’s come through the door, which wasn’t that long ago. I thought his composure and quality on the ball is what we want it to be. If that’s the start of things to come then happy days.”

Last summer, Villa journalist Dan Bardell waxed lyrical about the midfielder’s ability following an impressive performance in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace towards the end of the 2019/20 season.

He said: “Whether you rate Conor (Hourihane) or whether you don’t, and obviously we’re two people that rate him highly, you can’t deny that when he’s on the pitch, we’ve looked better this season. And he’s a weapon from set pieces.

“The way he looks after the ball is very underrated as well. I think a lot of people take that for granted.”

Given how well he has performed for Swansea in the short time he has been there, and the troubles which Villa themselves have faced in recent weeks (they’ve managed just three goals in their past five games), Smith must surely be ruing letting the 1.81m-tall (5 foot 11) Hourihane leave in January.

Meanwhile, Villa are making a big mistake over signing this midfielder…