Chelsea

There are just three days left in the January transfer window, so here's your latest round-up of the best Chelsea transfer gossip to drop so far:

• The Blues remain interested in signing 17-year-old midfielder Gavi, despite him having a £42m release clause in his Barcelona contract. (El Nacional - in Catalan), external

• Meanwhile, Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen is expected to leave the club in the coming days, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich interested in the Dane. (Sport - in Spanish), external

• Chelsea offered Lyon £3m in compensation to bring Italy left-back Emerson Palmieri, 27, back early from his season-long loan at the French club but saw the attempt rejected. (Mail, via Athletic), external

You can also get all the best transfer chat via our gossip column here and track every done deal throughout January here.

Happy with Chelsea's transfer window so far? Let us know here.

Catch up with all the latest transfer news by tuning into BBC Radio 5 Live's Transfer Gossip Daily podcast on BBC Sounds.

The number 10 role has been played by so many greats of the game it makes it one of the most iconic positions in football.

Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will return in the spring with their latest series of BBC Match of the Day: Top 10, ranking their top 10s from an assortment of topics across the Premier League era.

You can choose your top three from a shortlist and the trio will see your choices before they record the pod.

There are a trio of former Chelsea stars on the list all of whom enjoyed exceptional spells with the Blues.

Joe Cole

Undoubtedly one of the finest number 10s to have played for the Blues.

Flair, creativity and the ability to create moments of magic, Cole was a player who would get you off your feet whenever he had the ball and that is why he is remembered as a Chelsea legend.

Eden Hazard

Capable of playing brilliant passes, embarking on defence-splitting runs and scoring spectacular goals, he - like Cole - has a strong case to be lauded as the best player in the playmaker position for the Blues.

He won two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, one FA Cup and a League Cup while at Chelsea, scoring 110 goals in 352 games before joining Real Madrid in 2019 for a fee that could rise to 146m euros if add-ons were met.

Juan Mata

It is another Chelsea number 10 who features in this list. Juan Mata took up the position and the shirt number when he arrived in 2011 and in his first season helped the Blues to win the Champions League, getting the crucial assist for Didier Drogba to equalise against Bayern Munich before the English side won on penalties.

Mata continued to pull the strings in midfield as Chelsea won the Europa League the following season and his influence was recognised as he was twice named the club's player of the year in 2012 and 2013 before joining Manchester United in 2014.

Have your say on the best number 10s to play in the Premier League

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Chelsea youngster Lewis Hall is busy preparing for an FA Youth Cup fifth-round at Liverpool but took time to reveal some secrets from Thomas Tuchel's dressing room.

The 17-year-old made his first-team debut earlier this month with a man-of-the-match performance against Chesterfield and told the Chelsea website, external who most impressed him in training.

"I'd have to go for either Mateo Kovacic or Jorginho," he said. "It's tough because we have so many good players in the squad."

Hall also picked out a fellow academy player for Chelsea supporters to watch out for.

"People should keep an eye on Harvey Vale," he said. "He's a very technically gifted player who works hard and can play in a number of positions."

Chelsea "desperately need" Emerson to return from Lyon, according to football presenter Alison Bender with Thomas Tuchel believed to have tabled a £3m offer to cut short his season-long loan deal.

The Blues had an outstanding start to the season at the back but long-term injuries to Ben Chilwell and Reece James have left them short.

"Emerson coming back is a really good idea," Bradshaw said on the Transfer Gossip Daily podcast. "Chelsea are active in four competitions and they really need cover.

"They have been disrupted by all the injuries - even further forward, they've not been as effective without the defensive stability.

"You can see why Lyon don't want to get rid of Emerson though - he's been brilliant for them."

Who do Chelsea need to sign to shore up their defence? Let us know

Listen to all today's transfer gossip on BBC Sounds

Chelsea offered Lyon £3m in compensation to bring Italy left-back Emerson Palmieri, 27, back early from his season-long loan at the French club but saw the attempt rejected. (Mail, via Athletic), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League is the most exciting and competitive league in the world. It attracts the greatest players from every corner of the globe with its financial muscle and high standard.

The Match of the Day Top 10 podcast will return in the spring but until then Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards need your help in picking the top three best Premier League players from 'the rest of the world'.

And, in today's top 10, there's a current Chelsea player on the list.

Christian Pulisic: At just 23-years-old, he has plenty of time to develop into one of the greatest overseas footballers to grace the Premier League but already the youngster is making a big impression at Chelsea.

Pulisic joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in 2019 for £58m - the highest transfer fee for an American player. It didn't take long for him to make an impression as he scored a perfect' hat-trick - left foot, right foot and headed effort - in a 4-2 win against Burnley in October 2019.

The winger has continued to produce a number of standout performances and there's definitely even more to come.

Have your say on the three best Premier League players from the rest of the world

Which players should you bring into your fantasy football teams ahead of a possible double gameweek?

Alistair Bruce-Ball, Chris Sutton and the Statman Dave bring you the answer - and much more - in this week's Fantasy 606 podcast.

Being the international break you've got plenty of time to ponder your selections - you have until 18:15 GMT on 8 February until the deadline.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Chelsea's academy is "an incredible business model that keeps churning out top talent" according to the Telegraph's Luke Edwards, as Southampton line up a £25m bid for Armando Broja.

Broja has impressed on loan at the Saints and boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is reportedly ready to break the club's transfer record to sign him permanently.

The 20-year-old has been at Chelsea since 2009 but only made one first-team appearance and Edwards has praised the impact of the club's youth system.

"This is what enables them to compete with the Manchester clubs financially," he told the Transfer Gossip Daily podcast. "He's grown up there, signed a five-year contract in 2021 and they could make a huge amount from him."

As for Southampton, in Edwards' view the deal makes "perfect sense".

"They've got new owners and Broja has been very good for them."

Chelsea fans, would that be good business for Broja? What else would you like to see before Monday's deadline?

Saints fans, how desperate are you to sign him up? Who else should be coming in?

Listen to all today's transfer gossip on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Derby day, there's nothing quite like it.

Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will return in the spring with their latest series of the BBC Sounds hit the Match of the Day Top 10 podcast, ranking their top 10s from an assortment of topics across the Premier League era.

One of those subjects will be derbies and we're giving you an early chance to get involved, by letting you pick your top three, with the trio seeing your choices before they record the pod.

Chelsea v Fulham

One of the closest rivalries on this list, Chelsea and Fulham's stadiums are only two miles apart, walkable in about half an hour.

It is a fairly one-sided rivalry though, with the Cottagers having beaten the Blues just once since the 1970s.

Chelsea v Spurs

It's less of a derby and more of a fierce rivalry.

Their most famous meeting in recent years was in 2016, a game dubbed the Battle of the Bridge - the game that ended Spurs' title hopes and confirmed Leicester as champions.

Spurs, who let a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2, had nine players booked - a Premier League record. There were a few melees, with Mousa Dembele later banned for six games for eye-gouging Diego Costa.

Have your say on the best Premier League derbies, past and present

Thomas Tuchel was appointed as the new Chelsea boss on this day in 2021.

The German succeeded Frank Lampard and signed on an initial 18 month contract, with an option to extend.

Tuchel made an instant impact at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea going unbeaten until April after his arrival.

He led them to a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League, as well as finishing runners-up in the FA Cup and beating Manchester City to win the Champions League.

In June, Tuchel signed a contract extension until the summer of 2024.

How would you rate Tuchel's first season in charge? Have your say

Image source, Getty Images

A new series of the Match of the Day Top 10 podcast is just around the corner - and we want you to get involved in the panel's selections.

Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and Gary Lineker will return in the spring but they have narrowed down their selections and would like your suggestions on who they've picked.

Today's topic is the top 10 set-piece takers and one former Chelsea attacker appears on the list.

Gianfranco Zola: Italian magician Zola was small in stature but big on finding the back of the net, scoring 59 times during his time at Stamford Bridge.

The former Italy international showcased his prowess by curling, thumping or dinking in 12 free-kicks in the Premier League.

Have your say on the three best set-piece takers to play in the Premier League

Ross Mooring, Chelsea Fancast, external

If there's anything that cures the ails of Chelsea Football Club, it's a fixture against Tottenham. Following Sunday's win, Chelsea have now won as many games against Spurs in the past three weeks as they have Premier League games since the start of December. Indeed, Tottenham have only won once in the league at Stamford Bridge in 30 years. One almost feels sorry for them - but we don't...

The scoring was opened with one of the most outstanding strikes seen at the Bridge - well, ever. Hakim Ziyech's shot curled so much from outside the post that there was a good half-second's delay between the hush and the din that followed when the ball nestled in the top corner. And for the first time since the 3-0 win at Leicester in November, Chelsea added another for a 2-0 cushion to put the game to bed. Thiago Silva is the frontrunner for player of the year by some margin.

While Thomas Tuchel's switch to four at the back - something he has tried a couple of times - bore fruit, it wasn't until Ziyech's goal that the Blues took total control, and were able to retain quality possession higher up the pitch for the first time since the 4-0 victory over Juventus. For all Marcos Alonso's positive attributes, it's no coincidence that was the game in which Ben Chilwell suffered his season-ending injury.

Attentions now turn to the end of the transfer window. A deal is potentially in the works for Barcelona's out-of-favour forward Ousmane Dembele, although where he would fit in with seven other first-team attackers on the books remains to be seen. Attempts to retrieve on-loan left-back Emerson from Lyon seem to have stalled. A very quiet deadline day is a possibility.

Who should the Blues bring in before the window closes? Have your say

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Former Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards says VAR in the Premier League is "a shambles" after Liverpool's controversial penalty against Crystal Palace.

Referee Kevin Friend was advised to go to the monitor and overturn his decision not to award a foul on Diogo Jota by Palace keeper Vicente Guaita.

VAR has come under increased scrutiny recently after the pattern of referees heading to the monitor and subsequently changing their decision, a situation Richards says is untenable.

"We've seen VAR used well but the standard in the Premier League is just not good enough," he said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"I've always tried to be protective of players and referees, but that was one of the worst decisions this season.

"When you slow something down, it becomes a completely different incident.

"It's a shambles at the moment."

Has VAR got worse? Let us know what you think by following your club link over here

Listen to full discussion on Premier League refereeing from 32'47 on BBC Sounds

Thiago Silva: A man of Thiago Silva's age should have retired years ago. The fact that he's still playing top-class football at all is a testimony to his fitness and the way he's looked after himself.

Hakim Ziyech: Hakim Ziyech scored against Brighton and refused to celebrate. He then scored against Spurs and the whole team celebrated. Going to the Amex Stadium on a dismal January night might not be the most attractive event in the world but it's what they get paid for. Spurs might appear a very glamorous fixture, but both games have the same points.

Find out what else Garth had to say about Silva and Ziyech, plus the rest of his team of the week

Bayern Munich are interested in Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen, after Germany defender Niklas Sule rejected an offer to extend his contract with the Bundesliga champions. (Goal), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

There's one week to go until the transfer window closes and we've been asking for your thoughts on Chelsea so far - who should Thomas Tuchel buy, sell or keep?

Here are some of your views so far:

Nnorom: Broja should be brought back to Chelsea. Sell Hakim Ziyech and Pulisic. But it all depends on what Tuchel wants. He should be given a chance to build his team.

Kevin: Lukaku and Werner just haven't worked, Chelsea still need a goalscorer to kill games off. The Dream would be Haaland, but why not look at Vlahovic at Fiorentina. Other than that, ensuring Rudiger or Christensen signs an extension is main priority, or we'll have to completely rebuild backline for next season.

Tim: Chelsea are window shopping, as many of us do, but with little intent unless a truly perfect acquisition becomes available. In this weird season of congestion and exhaustion, it’s sensible: Why add more squad players without improving the team? Solving the Lukaku problem is more urgently needed if he is to become part of the future.

Philip: Chelsea are always far behind the other big clubs with pulling in new blood. If we get our own good players through the Chelsea academy we let them go way too soon. Not sure what's wrong with the Blues in the market. The Premier League is littered with great players we got rid of.

Do you want to see some movement before the window closes? Have your say here

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A new series of the Match of the Day Top 10 podcast is just around the corner - and we want you to get involved in the panel's selections.

Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and Gary Lineker will return in the spring but they have narrowed down their selections and would like your suggestions on who they've picked.

Today's topic is the top 10 African players and it's no surprise to see Chelsea making a significant contribution to the list.

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)

Drogba joined Chelsea for £24m from Marseille in 2004 and his goals took the Blues to three Premier League titles, four FA Cup wins and two League Cup successes.

He also cemented his place in Chelsea history by scoring a late equaliser - and then the decisive penalty in the shootout - in the 2012 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Drogba was not done with Chelsea and returned after spells in Turkey and China to help them to another Premier League and League Cup. His total of 104 Premier League goals was the most by an African player until Mohamed Salah - another former Blues player who makes this list - beat the record earlier this season.

Michael Essien (Ghana)

Midfielder Essien followed Drogba through the door and made himself a pivotal part of a very successful team. In eight seasons, he helped Chelsea win the Premier League twice, the Champions League once, the FA Cup four times and the League Cup once.

He was also named BBC African Footballer of the Year in 2006 and featured 59 times for his country.

Have your say on the top three Africans to play in the Premier League

Listen to more from Rafael Van der Vaart on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast from 1:25'00

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Nottingham Forest striker Lyle Taylor believes Romelu Lukaku doesn't get the credit he deserves in the modern game.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, he said: "For me Lukaku is a player playing in the wrong era.

"If Lukaku was playing football 15 years ago before all the stats this and stats that, I think people would look at him more fondly and they would respect his talents and his abilities a lot more than they do.

"Don’t get me wrong, he’s not Didier Drogba. Is he more prolific than Drogba? Maybe in Italy he was prolific but I don’t think he’s going to score more goals in the Premier League than Drogba did.

"For me, Lukaku is not a statistician's dream. He doesn’t score every week, he doesn’t play key passes every week. He’s one of those who provides a platform for his team. He’s an old-school number nine. He gets hold of the ball and brings people into play and he causes havoc.

"He’s not Harry Kane, he’s not a killer in the box and he’s not deadly, but he is so useful when you’ve got players like Pulisic, like Ziyech, like Mount.

"With these players around you he is so, so influential and so important to the way Chelsea play and I hope he continues that and shuts all the naysayers up, because you don’t want to hear people talking nonsense about players that are obviously talented."

Hear more on Chelsea from 11'00 on BBC Sounds