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Chelsea are preparing to travel to Stadion Maksimir on Wednesday to face Dinamo Zagreb in their UEFA Champions League opener. The London giants are coming off a hard-fought win over West Ham United over the weekend.
Meanwhile, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that the Blues negotiated with two midfielders before securing the services of Denis Zakaria. Elsewhere, manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed the reason behind Kepa Arrizabalaga’s decision to stay at Stamford Bridge.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on September 5, 2022:
Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea negotiated with two midfielders before Denis Zakaria
Fabrizio Romano has said that Chelsea attempted moves for Ibrahim Sangare and Edson Alvarez this summer before settling for Denis Zakaria.
The Swiss midfielder moved to Stamford Bridge from Juventus on loan, and the Blues have the option of signing him permanently next year. Tuchel had identified Sangare and Alvarez as options ahead of the move but failed to land both players.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that the Premier League giants entered negotiations for Zakaria late on deadline day.
“The Zakaria option arrived in the last hours of Deadline Day – there had never been any negotiations before. Juventus said yes for a potential loan with a buy option and Chelsea approved the move. Before that, Chelsea had negotiated for Ibrahim Sangare with PSV, and Edson Alvarez with Ajax, but with both cases there was no possibility of a deal,” wrote Romano.
Zakaria is yet to make his debut for his new side.
Thomas Tuchel reveals reason for Kepa Arrizabalaga stay
Thomas Tuchel has said that Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to leave Chelsea this summer due to a lack of suitable offers.
The Spaniard was eager to leave Stamford Bridge this year in search of regular game time. Kepa has struggled to break into the team under Tuchel and is behind Edouard Mendy in the pecking order.
Speaking recently, as relayed by the club’s website, Tuchel admitted that the Spaniard was looking for a fresh start this summer. However, a move failed to materialise, as the offers on the table did not appeal to either the Spaniard or the Blues.
“He tried and checked his options, which we were aware of. They were not satisfying for him or for us, so he stayed, and I’m very happy about that. I was always very clear directly with him that I would love him to stay, and my point of view is that he’s absolutely ready to play. It’s on us if we give him the chance or not, but he’s 100 per cent ready with how he behaves and trains,” said Tuchel.
Kepa is likely to play second fiddle to Mendy this season as well.
Liverpool were interested in Denis Zakaria this summer
Liverpool had their eyes on Denis Zakaria this summer, according to Calciomercato via Caught Offside.
Manager Jurgen Klopp was looking for a new midfielder in the final days of the window and turned to Zakaria on deadline day. The Reds even approached Juventus to talk about the possibility of a move but failed in their endeavour.
Zakaria joined Chelsea instead, while Liverpool went on to add Arthur Melo to their roster. The Brazilian could make his debut for the Merseyside club in the midweek UEFA Champions League game against Napoli. Zakaria also remains in contention for his debut with the Blues this week.
