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Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday at St. James’ Park in the Premier League. Graham Potter's side are now 16 points behind leaders Arsenal after 14 games.
Meanwhile, the Blues are leading the race for a Brazilian prodigy. Elsewhere, former Gunners midfielder Paul Merson reckons England have no chance of winning the FIFA World Cup without Reece James.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on November 13, 2022:
Chelsea leading race for Endrick
Chelsea are leading the race to sign Endrick, according to ESPN Brazil via The Metro. The Brazilian prodigy has caught the attention of clubs around Europe following a series of impressive performances for Palmeiras. The Blues are among the clubs fighting to secure his signature.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are also monitoring the 16-year-old and have already tabled a €45 million bid for the player. However, it was instantly rejected by the Brazilian side, as it was lower than their expectations.
The Parisians have already informed Palmeiras that they are willing to offer €60 million for Endrick, an amount the London giants are also ready to match. Real Madrid and Barcelona are also among the other clubs interested in the player.
Despite being spoilt for choice for his next destination, the Brazilian reportedly prefers a move to Chelsea.
Endrick has already visited the Blues, who have deployed Thiago Silva to help convince the teenager to move to London. That move might have already borne fruit, although PSG, Los Blancos and the Blaugrana are unlikely to give up without a fight.
England cannot win World Cup without Reece James, says Paul Merson
Paul Merson reckons Reece James will be sorely missed at the FIFA World Cup. The Chelsea right-back was not included in England’s squad for the tournament by manager Gareth Southgate after failing to recover in time from injury. James has since taken to social media to express his disappointment.
In his column for The Daily Star, Merson argued that James is as important to the Three Lions as Harry Kane.
“I just find it weird that he's willing to gamble on Phillips and Kyle Walker but not Reece James? If it was Harry Kane, he would be going - what's the difference? We aren't going to win the World Cup without having James in the team. He is a shoo-in to start, and if we took him, he plays in England's team every day of the week. He is one of our best players,” wrote Merson.
He continued:
“If it was Kane, they would say 'right, we'll take him and use him after the group stages'. We are as bad as anybody at the back, so we need to take one of our best players. I just don't understand it. He is as important as Kane.”
Merson added that a squad of 26 players allows the inclusion of an injured player.
“Having a squad of 26 players gives you a safety net to take a risk and bring an injured player. It's usually 23, and we still have taken injured players in the past,” wrote Merson.
James has two goals from ten appearances for the Blues across competitions this season.
Raheem Sterling will benefit from World Cup experience, says Graham Potter
Graham Potter is convinced Raheem Sterling has the experience and the mental strength to deal with recent criticism.
The player has been under scrutiny of late following a barren run in front of goal for Chelsea in the Premier League. The 27-year-old joined the Blues from Manchester City this summer but has endured a mixed start to life at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking ahead of the game against Newcastle United, Potter said that heavy scrutiny is one of the downsides of being a top player.
“It’s part of being a top player. It’s part of being where we are, in terms of there’s always something to prove, especially if things don’t go as well as you’d like in terms of performances and results. You know you’re open to scrutiny and criticism. If you don’t accept that or can’t deal with that then you probably shouldn’t be here,” said Potter.
Potter added that the FIFA World Cup is the ideal opportunity for Sterling to turn things around.
“Raheem is a big boy, so he understands that and things can change very quickly. So he’s had enough of a career so far to deal with that. It’s a new opportunity, a new situation, and I’m sure he’ll do really well,” said Potter.
Sterling has appeared 19 times for Chelsea across competitions, scoring five goals and setting up two more.
