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Chelsea will be desperate for a win when they face Brentford on Wednesday (April 26) in the Premier League. Frank Lampard's team are 11th in the league after 31 games, and a top-four finish now looks out of reach.
Meanwhile, the Blues are interested in Lautaro Martinez. Elsewhere, the London giants have been advised to appoint Vincent Kompany as their permanent manager.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on April 22, 2023:
Chelsea want Lautaro Martinez
Chelsea are interested in Lautaro Martinez, according to Calciomercatoweb via Caught Offside.
However, Inter Milan will reportedly demand €100 million plus Romelu Lukaku to part ways with the Argentinean. The Blues are eager to bring in a new No. 9 to lead the line this summer. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has looked past his prime, while Lukaku is not part of plans at Stamford Bridge.
Martinez has emerged as an option for the London giants, but his recent poor form remains a cause for concern. However, prising the 25-year-old could prove to be a costly affair. Co-owener Todd Boehly has invested heavily in the squad since taking over last summer, so a move for Martinez wouldn't be beyond him.
Blues advised to appoint Vincent Kompany
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore reckons Vincent Kompany would be a fine choice for the next Chelsea manager.
The Blues are looking for a permanent replacement for Graham Potter, with Frank Lampard only appointed on a temporary role. Kompany enjoyed great success with Manchester City during his playing career. He helped Burnley earn promotion to the Premier League this season after taking charge last summer.
In his column for Caught Offside, Collymore said that Kompany would have a better backroom presence than Potter.
"It’s interesting that I’ve just heard that Vincent Kompany has been mentioned for the Chelsea job alongside Nagelsmann, Pochettino and somebody else. Now, Vinny Kompany would be Graham Potter but with the trophies and the medals to prove he was a bonafide Premier League legend which is always difficult to get across in a dressing room," wrote Collymore.
He added:
"The Chelsea players certainly wouldn’t be able to get one over on him in the same way as they did with Graham Potter. He’s obviously a very bright guy; he went away and did a masters as well as then going to Anderlecht to cut his teeth in Belgium."
Kompany won four Premier League titles during his time at the Etihad.
Mason Mount likely to join Liverpool, says Stan Collymore
Stan Collymore reckons Mason Mount is on his way to Liverpool. The English midfielder is in the final 18 months of his contract with the Blues, but the club have struggled to tie him down to an extension. The Reds are monitoring the situation with interest as they look to revamp their midfield.
In his column for Caught Offside, Collymore said that Mount deleted his Twitter account out of fear of a backlash from Blues fans.
"Are we really reading too much into Mason Mount deleting his Twitter? Possibly. I know that Liverpool have been sniffing around Mason, and if you’re putting two and two together and making 22 rather than four, the suggestion could be that he’s going to sign for Liverpool; the deal is already done, and as and when he signs for Liverpool and it becomes fact on social media, Chelsea fans will have a pop at him," wrote Collymore.
He added:
"It’s his club, and he’s been there a long, long, time. There were rumours that Todd Boehly wanted to give him a new contract, but I think that going to Liverpool would be a step up.
"I think if Chelsea were above them in the table, it would still be a step up because going to a club like Liverpool, Man United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus and AC Milan – they’re once in a lifetime clubs. That’s no disrespect to what Chelsea have achieved."
Mount rose through the ranks at Stamford Bridge and has 33 goals and 37 assists in 195 games across competitions for the London giants.
