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Chelsea secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Sunday in the Premier League. Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game in the 89th minute as the Blues racked up their fifth straight league win to remain third in the standings.
Meanwhile, the Blues are planning to extend Saul Niguez’s stay at Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, manager Thomas Tuchel has opened up on his future.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 14th March 2022:
Chelsea planning to extend Saul Niguez's stay at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea are planning to sign Saul Niguez permanently this summer if the UK government allows them to, according to The Mirror.
The Spaniard joined the London side on loan last summer from Atletico Madrid. The 27-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge with a stellar reputation but failed to live up to his billing. The Blues have a £29.3 million option to sign him permanently, which they were previously not expected to consider. ////tuchel has said about the player:
"I think he will be an important player for us and I hope so as well. He has showed what he can do with his abilities.I see more confidence in him with each game, he is in good shape and his adaptation to the way we play has gone further from before."
He continued:
"You can see this in his game now. He is more open, he understands the language better now and these are all important things to consider when talking about Saul and how much he has improved recently. He is having much more impact on games than he was doing at the beginning of the season and this is very important."
However, the Premier League giants are unlikely to be allowed to sign any players this summer due to the sanctions imposed on their owner Roman Abramovich. That's because of the billionaire's reported ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the aftermath of the Ukraine invasion.
As such, the club are exploring the option to extend Saul’s stay at Stamford Bridge, provided the UK government allows them to. They will have to inform Atletico Madrid of their decision before May 30.
Thomas Tuchel opens up on his future
Thomas Tuchel has said that he will stay at Stamford Bridge till the end of the season.
The German manager’s future has been the talk of the town ever since the UK government sanctioned Roman Abramovich. Tuchel has been linked with a move away from Chelsea, with Manchester United among the clubs monitoring him with interest.
Speaking after the game against Newcastle United, Tuchel said that he is not considering an immediate departure.
“There’s no doubt I’ll stay until the end of the season. Absolutely. We just have to wait, and we still have to go day-by-day because everything can change. As you know, the situation is clear; the club’s for sale, and hopefully, it will go through to sort things out and give us a perspective. But it’s pure speculation, and I have no further information than you already have,” said Tuchel.
He continued:
“That’s what I meant with day-by-day, which is anyway a good way to live your life, and now we are forced to do it because there are some circumstances we cannot influence, and at some point, it’s not so nice because we have no strings to pull and no actions to do to help."
Tuchel added that a lot of people were affected as a result of the sanctions.
“Of course, the focus is on the first team, our players and me and the first team of Chelsea. But Chelsea is much more than the first team of the Premier League. It’s a massive club, a massive club with huge tradition, and there are hundreds of people who I’m pretty sure worry more than our players and staff, me included."
Jorginho wants to leave Blues
Jorginho wants to leave Chelsea this summer, according to Caught Offside via Todo Fichajes. The Italian is unsettled as a result of the recent developments at Stamford Bridge despite being an integral part of the Blues’ recent success. AC Milan are interested in taking him to Serie A.
However, there has been speculation about a return to Italy in the last few months. Those reports have picked up pace after the UK government’s decision to sanction Roman Abramovich. The Rossoneri are hoping to take advantage of the situation as they look to win their first Serie A title in 11 years.
