Chelsea staff believe academy talent has a higher ceiling than £32million recruit - Reports

According to a report from The Independent (via Metro), Chelsea staff have a growing sentiment club's academy player Bashir Humphries has more potential than Benoit Badiashile.

Stamford Bridge has recently seen an influx of young talent, all of whom have been signed by the current Boehly administration. However, this has led to a reduced interest in academy players, who are leaving the club on loan.

One such player is Bashir Humphries, a talented center-back who is now on loan at Swansea City. The 20-year-old has clearly done enough to impress the Cobham training facility staff members. They reportedly believe that he has a higher ceiling than the £32 million signing Benoit Badiashile.

The Frenchman arrived at Stamford Bridge from AS Monaco in January 2023. Despite his notable price tag, Badiashile has had a limited impact during this Premier League season, featuring in only six matches.

In contrast, Humphries has continued to show his potential with 18 appearances in the Championship, while playing for Swansea.

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Chelsea eye Newcastle United midfielder in potential summer move, among other clubs

According to AS (via The Chelsea Chronicle), the Blues are one of the clubs interested in signing Newcastle United's exciting midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

The 26-year-old is expected to leave St. James' Park in the summer transfer window due to the Magpies potentially falling foul of profitability rules.

According to The Guardian, the Saudi-run club are looking for financial boosts that will keep them in a financially sustainable position. This directly equates to selling a number of key players for profit, which has led to reports about Guimaraes' looming exit. The report from AS has revealed that he has a release clause in his contract with Newcastle set at around €115 million.

Although unusual, the midfielder's clause can be paid in three installments, which has reportedly positioned Guimaraes as a highly sought-after player for the summer. Chelsea and Liverpool are the English clubs reportedly chasing after his services, with the Blues as frontrunners.

There is also further interest from other European giants, with Paris Saint-Germain expected to make their move for the midfielder. The Brazilian has played nearly 2,500 minutes this season. The 26-year-old has already racked up 29 games across all competitions this season, with six of those games coming in the UEFA Champions League.