Juventus 1–0 Chelsea, but Mudryk is back
A flat night in Hong Kong. Chelsea lost 1–0 to Juventus on Wednesday, with Edon Zhegrova scoring a stunning winner (1) (17). The result stings less than the performance, your team created little and the familiar defensive gaps were there again.
The night belonged to Mykhailo Mudryk. He played his first minutes since November 2024 after a doping ban, and the reception from Chelsea fans in the stadium was unmistakable. "It was emotional for everyone from the club to see him back," Xabi Alonso said afterwards (4) (14). Marco Palestra and Geovany Quenda made their debuts, and Moises Caicedo was the standout with an 8/10 rating (1).
Palmer and Colwill: precautionary only
Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill missed the Juventus friendly with minor contact injuries. Alonso was clear after the match: "They had some discomfort; Cole with a contact injury and Levi as well. It's not a big thing, but we want to be cautious because there's no point in risking anything. So, we'll go step by step, day by day" (1) (14). No panic, both are being managed with the season in mind.
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Chalobah close to £30m Como move
Trevoh Chalobah is set for a medical with Como ahead of a £30m transfer (2). The deal would be a significant sale from Chelsea's crowded defensive group as the club continues clearing the decks this summer.
Palace make formal Disasi offer
Crystal Palace have submitted a formal proposal for Axel Disasi: a loan with an obligation to buy (3) (6). Negotiations are ongoing. If completed, it would be another centre-back off the wage bill.
Chavarría deal nearly done
Chelsea are close to agreeing a £16.3m deal with Rayo Vallecano for left-back Pep Chavarría (7) (9). Alonso has identified him as his preferred option for the position this summer.
City make approach for Pedro Neto
Manchester City have made a formal approach for Pedro Neto (8) (10). The Portuguese winger's future is now a live question, especially with Geovany Quenda impressing on his debut against Juventus and emerging as a credible option on the right.
Nicoll-Jazuli, 16, turns heads
Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli is 16 and already facing Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz in pre-season. The BBC profiled Chelsea's breakout teenager after the Juventus friendly, noting his composure against elite midfielders (5). Alonso could not hide his admiration: "It's incredible, I don't even remember when I was 16 who I was playing against" (5).
Fan reactions
The mood online is split between frustration at another flat performance and genuine excitement about the kids. Nicoll-Jazuli's composure against Juventus drew heavy praise, with one fan calling him "definitely one to watch." Marco Palestra's post-match interview, "I can't wait to start playing the Premier League", went down well. But the transfer chatter is loud too: reports of Nicolas Jackson being likely sold before the deadline and movement around Tosin Adarabioyo have fans expecting a busy end to the window.
