Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues eyeing Jamal Musiala; Juventus want Ian Maatsen, and more: October 19, 2023

Chelsea will host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (October 21) in the Premier League. The Blues are on a three-game winning run across competitions.

Meanwhile, the London giants are interested in Bayern Munich attacker Jamal Musiala. Elsewhere, Juventus have entered the race to sign Ian Maatsen.

On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on October 19, 2023:

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Chelsea eyeing Jamal Musiala

Jamal Musiala (right) has admirers at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea are firmly in the race for Jamal Musiala, according to acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The German midfielder has been a revelation for Bayern Munich in recent seasons and has turned heads at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are looking to turn their fortunes around under new boss Mauricio Pochettino and have set their sights on the 20-year-old.

Musiala’s contract with the Bavarians expires in 2026, but he hasn’t signed a new deal yet. In his column for Caught Offside, Romano also named Liverpool and Manchester City among the player’s admirers.

“Liverpool have been linked with Musiala, but, trust me, it would not just be Liverpool, there are many important clubs around Europe keeping an eye on Musiala.

"Jurgen Klopp knows the player’s talent very well, but also people at Chelsea, Manchester City, and clubs in Spain, because he’s one of the best young talents in world football. So this is normal. It’s not about negotiating. It’s just about following a top young player,” wrote Romano.

He continued:

“In my personal opinion, he’s worth more than €100m; I’d compare him to Jude Bellingham – a generational talent. So, of course, Bayern absolutely plan to extend Musiala’s contract with an important proposal, and they will try also with Leroy Sane and Alphonso Davies. It’s complicated, but still on.”

Musiala spent a chunk of his youth in the Blues academy before moving to the Allianz Arena in 2020.

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Juventus want Ian Maatsen

Juventus are battling Real Madrid and Barcelona for the services of Ian Maatsen, according to Tutto Juve.

The 21-year-old rose through the ranks at Chelsea and has appeared eight times across competitions this season. Although he's yet to establish himself as a first-team regular, the Dutchman has impressed whenever called upon.

Maatsen’s contract with the Blues runs out at the end of this season, but he hasn’t agreed a new deal yet. The London giants are likely to push to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge in the coming days.

The Bianconeri, meanwhile, are hoping to prise him away on a Bosman move, while Los Blancos and Barca also have their eyes on the 21-year-old. If Chelsea fail to convince him to renew before January, the player could enter into a pre-contract with a potential suitor ahead of a possible summer move.

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Mykhaylo Mudryk praised for recent form

Mykhaylo Mudryk has taken his time to settle at Stamford Bridge.

Journalist Paul Brown has praised Mykhaylo Mudryk for his recent form at Chelsea.

The Ukrainian attacker arrived at Stamford Bridge in January this year from Shakhtar Donetsk but struggled to come to terms with the rigours of the Premier League. Mudryk dropped down the pecking order under Pochettino at the start of the season but has shown signs of a revival recently.

Brown told Give Me Sport that the player's confidence has improved in recent weeks.

"I think Mudryk's recent form has been pretty good. For a while, it looked like there were questions about whether he'd be able to adapt to the Premier League, but, I think, in recent weeks, he's shown that there's a lot more to him than people first thought.

"He's been linking play up well. His vision has been really good. He's looked dangerous, and he's looked a lot more confident and happy in himself which is great to see,” said Brown.

The 22-year-old has appeared eight times across competitions for the Blues this season, scoring once.