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Chelsea suffered a 2-1 defeat against Fulham on Thursday (January 12) in the Premier League at Craven Cottage. Kalidou Koulibaly’s 47th-minute strike briefly brought the away side back into the game after Willian’s first-half goal. However, the Cottagers secured all three points through Carlos Vinicius’ second-half strike.
Meanwhile, acclaimed transfer Fabrizio Romano has said that the Blues are backing Graham Potter despite the recent setbacks. Elsewhere, journalist Christian Falk reckons the London giants could sign Marcus Thuram for €10 million.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on January 13, 2023:
Chelsea backing Graham Potter
Chelsea are willing to put their trust on Graham Potter at the moment, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Blues have endured a difficult recent run of form, with just two wins in their last ten games across competitions. The situation has mounted pressure on the English manager, who only took charge of the club last September.
However, in his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that there’s no change in the club’s backing of Potter after the defeat to Fulham.
“As of now, Chelsea are still protecting their manager Graham Potter. There is no change in their position – this is as of a few minutes after the defeat to Fulham last night. There were contacts with both Mauricio Pochettino and Potter when Chelsea decided to replace Thomas Tuchel, but Potter was the top priority,” wrote Romano.
The London giants have lost their last three games across competitions.
Blues could sign Marcus Thuram for €10 million
Christian Falk has said that Chelsea could sign Marcus Thuram for €10 million this month.
The French forward is in the final year of his contract with Borussia Monchengladbach but is unlikely to extend his stay. The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month after impressing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
In his column for Caught Offside, Falk has said that the Blues remain in the market for a new No. 9 despite signing Joao Felix.
“I heard that Gladbach is still waiting for an offer from Chelsea for Marcus Thuram. Beside Joao Felix, it’s not the same type of striker, so they still need one. Gladbach have an idea of selling Thuram for €10m now rather than losing him for free in the summer, then reinvesting the money in a new striker,” wrote Falk.
He added:
“The offer’s yet to come, of course, and they’re a little bit afraid of Barcelona ,who have been sweeping up all the available free agents on the market. We heard this will be an interesting solution for Thuram, as he doesn’t feel like he has to move at the moment and wants to win the Torjagerkanone (award for Bundesliga’s top goalscorer). He’s said he doesn’t have to leave but if Chelsea is bringing €10m to the table, you have to do it.”
Thuram has appeared 17 times across competitions for Monchengladbach this season, scoring 13 goals and registering four assists.
Chelsea face Tottenham Hotspur competition for Josko Gvardiol
Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race for Josko Gvardiol, according to Christian Falk.
The Croatian defender is a target for Chelsea this year, with Potter eager to add more steel to his backline. With Kalidou Koulibaly failing to impress and Thiago Silva in the final phase of his career, the 20-year-old has emerged as an option for the Englishman. Gvardiol was one of the best defenders at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In his column for Caught Offside, Falk said that Spurs could offload Harry Kane to fund a move for the Croatian this summer.
“Harry Kane is still the top target for Bayern Munich in the forward department. They’re aware of how difficult it is to sign an English player from England, but he hasn’t signed a new contract yet, which means there’s still hope. Also, in Munich, they heard about the rumours from Leipzig around Josko Gvardiol,” wrote Falk.
He continued:
“The club have said he’ll stay in the summer, but we heard that Christopher Vivell of Chelsea knocked on the door to try and get him either in the winter (they said ‘no’) or the summer. I think there will be some activity in the summer, and here’s the connecting point to the Kane rumours: Tottenham are still very keen on Gvardiol, so Bayern are banking on some movement there, as Tottenham need money to buy Gvardiol.”
Falk concluded:
“They’ll have to sell Kane if he doesn’t extend his contract; if they can agree a deal with Bayern, or Real Madrid perhaps, there will then be money for Gvardiol.”
Gvardiol has appeared 19 times across competitions for RB Leipzig this season, scoring once.
