Jackson starts, Gusto and Sarr wait as Senegal face France
Three Chelsea names in the same World Cup match. Nicolas Jackson starts for Senegal against France on Wednesday, while Malo Gusto and Mamadou Sarr are on the bench (1). For Sarr, this one cuts deeper, he grew up in France and now faces them in his first ever World Cup appearance (2). Seven players plus one manager across both squads have Chelsea connections, past or present (reddit).
Chalobah gets late England call-up
Trevoh Chalobah is heading to the World Cup. England called him up on Tuesday, one day before their opening match, as an injury replacement for Tino Livramento (3). FIFA rules allow a late swap from the provisional list only in cases of serious injury, and it had to be approved, Chalobah is in.
Chelsea line up €60m Carreras bid
Chelsea are preparing €60 million for Álvaro Carreras (4). Two Madrid-based outlets report the club are moving for the left-back, with the fee now taking shape (1) (2). No formal offer yet, but the number is on the table.
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Real Madrid want Enzo Fernandez next
Real Madrid may not stop at Marc Cucurella. Reports in Spain suggest they are planning a move for Enzo Fernandez, following the same playbook they used to secure Cucurella (5). Xabi Alonso has said he does not want to lose Fernandez this summer. That stance is about to be tested.
Chelsea could hit back, and they are watching Bouaddi
Chelsea are considering a retaliatory move for a former Benfica player currently at Real Madrid, according to reports from Portugal (6). Separately, the club are among those tracking Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi after his breakout performances at the World Cup (7). He is 18 and his stock is rising fast.
Hato and Barco could solve the left-back question
The Cucurella exit leaves a hole at left-back, but Chelsea may have the answer internally. Jorrel Hato and Valentin Barco are both at the club and ready to change the conversation at the position (8). The club are being urged not to overthink the replacement, the options are already in the building.
Fan-reaktioner
Chelsea fans are watching the France-Senegal clash closely, seven former or current Chelsea players plus Didier Deschamps feature across the two squads, and the nostalgia is hitting hard. Chalobah's England call-up landed well too, with supporters welcoming him back to the Three Lions setup. Meanwhile, Nizaar Kinsella's report that the club are planning at least two major summer signings, a centre-back and a versatile attacker, has sparked debate about where the rebuild goes next. Read more on r/chelseafc
