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Chelsea saw off stiff competition from Leeds United to win 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (March 5) in the Premier League. Wesley Fofana scored the only goal of the game to ease the pressure on embattled manager Grahan Potter.
Meanwhile, journalist Christian Falk has said that Kouadio Manu Kone wants to move to Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, the Blues have a buy-back clause in Tammy Abraham's contract, according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on March 5, 2023:
Kouadio Manu Kone wants Stamford Bridge move
Manu Kone dreams of joining Chelsea, according to Christian Falk. The French midfielder has caught the eye with Borussia Monchengladbach recently, forcing clubs around the continent to take note. Co-owner Todd Boehly is likely to further invest in the squad this summer, and the 21-year-old could be an option to consider.
In his column for Caught Offside, Falk said that the player prefers to join the Blues or Real Madrid.
"Manu Konesis a player every league has an eye on (his contract is still until 2025). Everybody knows there that there is a big chance for other clubs to get him, so that’s why they’ve come up with this price-tag. £26.6m sounds like a crazy amount in England with the pound valuation, and in Germany, you say it’s €30m, which sounds normal for such a player," wrote Falk.
He added:
“PSG also have an eye on him. We’ve asked him about his future, and he told us that it would be interesting to play with Kylian Mbappe (but they can always play together in the national team). He’s been always dreaming of two clubs: one is Real Madrid, and the other is Chelsea!"
The German journalist added that Kone idolises Didier Drogba, which is why he wants to move to Stamford Bridge.
“Kone brought up Chelsea because he was a big fan of Didier Drogba, which explains his fascination with the London-based club. There’s nothing concrete at the moment, but you see that he’s potentially going to leave in the summer," wrote Falk.
He continued:
“He’s already talking openly about new clubs, and you see he’s interested in England, and there are many clubs that would be on the table. With Chelsea, he’s put another one himself in."
Kone has appeared 23 times for Monchengladbach this season across competitions, registering a goal and an assist.
Chelsea have Tammy Abraham buy-back clause
Chelsea have a £71 million buy-back clause in Tammy Abraham's contract, according to Ben Jacobs.
The English striker left Stamford Bridge in 2021 to join AS Roma and has been in decent form with the Serie A side. His performances have sparked talk of a possible return to London this year.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs said that the Blues are unlikely to activate the buy-back clause as they prefer to keep Joao Felix permanently.
"With Chelsea and Abraham, there is a buy-back clause, which is set at €80m (£71m). That feels like a lot of money," said Jacobs.
He added:
"It's not to say that clubs or Chelsea wouldn't try and get lower or negotiate that, but I don't see much chance of them just activating that buy-back clause because Chelsea want to try and make the Joao Felix loan deal permanent and then focus on outgoings to work out what's feasible, both in terms of the finances and also the squad size."
Abraham has registered seven goals and five assists in 33 games across ccompetitions for Roma.
Blues close to signing Dominik Szoboszlai
The Blues are inching closer to securing the services of Dominik Szoboszlai, according to Tuttomercatoweb via Caught Offside.
The Hungarian midfielder has been a revelation for RB Leipzig this season, registering five goals and 13 assists in 32 games across competitions. The 22-year-old's exploits have earned him admirers at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are looking to add more depth to their midfield this year as they attempt to return to their heydays.
They have identified Szoboszlai as the perfect player for their plans and are already locked in talks to bring him to London. Negotiations are reportedly at an advanced stage, and a deal could be around the corner.
