Chavarria deal done, €21m from Rayo Vallecano
Pep Chavarria is a Chelsea player. Fabrizio Romano dropped his "here we go" on Wednesday night, €19m fixed fee plus €2m in add-ons for the 28-year-old Spanish left-back from Rayo Vallecano (2). Medical and contract signing to follow. That makes it Welbeck, Henderson, and now Chavarria through the door this window.
Milan up next Saturday in Jakarta
Your team face AC Milan on Saturday in Jakarta, looking to shake off a flat 0–1 defeat to Juventus on Wednesday (7, 7b). Two pre-season losses in a row now. Alonso has a decision to make on Geovany Quenda after the summer signing impressed on debut, and Estevao also caught the eye against Juve (7). The attacking rhythm needs to click.
Enzo Fernandez on City's list to replace Rodri
Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca has reportedly identified Enzo Fernandez as his dream replacement for Rodri (3). That is the kind of noise that unsettles a squad. No bid reported yet, but City are preparing for life without their Spanish anchor.
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Malo Gusto could leave this summer
Fabrice Hawkins at RMC Sport reports Chelsea have opened the door to a Malo Gusto exit following the arrival of Marco Palestra (10). The asking price: £75m, around €87m. Interested clubs consider that too high right now (10). City have shown interest but will not meet the valuation.
Alonso wants Zubimendi from Arsenal
Xabi Alonso has reportedly asked the club to pursue Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi (8). Real Madrid are also circling. That one looks difficult, but Alonso clearly wants a midfielder who can dictate tempo.
FA fine: £10m and a suspended transfer ban
Chelsea were fined £10m and handed a suspended two-window transfer ban after self-reporting more than 70 rule breaches from the Abramovich era (4). Rivals are not happy. Former Everton scout Bryan King called the punishment "ridiculous" and said the fair play system "seems open to punish some clubs but not others" (4b).
Danny Welbeck: two-year deal at 35
Danny Welbeck has signed a two-year deal until 2028 (1). He told the club: "I've got that fire in my belly" (1). Meanwhile, Brentford journalist Ian Westbrook wrote that Bees fans "aren't sorry to see him go" despite some decent showings (5). That is the gamble Alonso is taking.
Barcola links resurface
Chelsea have been urged to hijack Liverpool and Arsenal's pursuit of PSG winger Bradley Barcola (6). Liverpool reportedly lead the chase, but the club are being pushed to compete for the 23-year-old.
Fan reactions
The Chavarria signing has split opinion, no, scratch that. The Chavarria signing has split opinion: some fans see a low-cost depth piece, others wonder why a 28-year-old from Rayo is the move when the defence still looks shaky. The Gusto situation is where the real tension sits. A £75m asking price feels steep, but fans are asking who replaces him if he goes. Read the full discussion.
