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Chelsea secured a 3-1 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday (6 May) in the Premier League. Conor Gallagher, Benoit Badiachel and Joao Felix found the net to help caretaker coach Frank Lampard secure his first win since taking over last month.
Meanwhile, the Blues are fighting with Newcastle United for the services of Bayern Munich striker Sadio Mane. Elsewhere, a former player believes Conor Gallagher is unlikely to be a regular in the first team next season.
On that note, here’s a look at key Chelsea transfer stories as at 6 May 2023:
Chelsea face Newcastle United for Sadio Mane
Chelsea are locked in a battle with Newcastle United for Sadio Mane, according to Fichajes via The Hard Tackle.
The Senegalese striker remains linked with an exit from Bayern Munich this summer, despite only arriving at the club last year. The 31-year-old was a revelation with Liverpool in the Premier League but opted to join the Bavarian side in a Bosman transfer last summer.
The transfer didn’t pan out how either side envisioned it, though Mane has managed 12 goals and five assists from 35 appearances across competitions this season.
The Bundesliga side are reportedly ready to let him go amid interest from the Premier League. The Blues are still keen to add more firepower to their attack and have set their sights on Mane. However, they will have to avoid attention from the magpie family to get their man.
Conor Gallagher is unlikely to be a regular next season
Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf believes Conor Gallagher is not ready to become a first-team regular just yet.
The Englishman enjoyed a great loan spell with Crystal Palace in the 2021-22 season, prompting the Blues to include him in their first team this season. However, the 23-year-old has caught a cold, despite scoring 41 games this campaign.
Gallagher’s discipline has also been an issue, as he has picked up 11 yellow cards this season. In his column for Dan and Sea Talk Chelsea, Leboeuf said the Englishman deserved another season to prove himself but only as a team player.
“I found Gallagher shaky and tired most of the time, that’s why he makes mistakes and gets too many yellow cards and he’s also a bit nervous. I want to give him another season and another chance but not as a regular starter at the start of the season,” LeBeouf wrote.
He completed:
“But if he changes his temper better, he can be a great player without a doubt. He showed it at (Crystal) Palace, but he has to settle down. He’s a young player and he has time on his side, but it’s a question mark whether he stays or not. He has the mentality that makes it happen. There is no doubt about him, but this is how he handles the pressure and his temperament is the real question.”
Chelsea are spoiled for choice in midfield, so Gallagher could fight for opportunities at Stamford Bridge next season.
Romelu Lukaku is the root of all problems at Stamford Bridge, says Joss Poyet
Former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet has blamed Romelu Lukaku for the Blues’ recent troubles.
The Belgian forward returned to the London club in the summer of 2021 in a blockbuster deal that eventually turned south. Despite a strong start to the season, Lukaku quickly turned into trouble at Stamford Bridge, thanks to a controversial interview in Italy.
He was brought back to Inter Milan on loan last summer and has done nothing to secure another chance with the London giants. Speaking on CaughtOffside’s DEBRIEF podcast, Poyet said Lukaku’s arrival started the events that ultimately cost Thomas Tuchel his job.
“Chelsea’s decline, for me, that’s a personal opinion, started with (Romelu) Lukaku’s problem. From that moment on, Chelsea were never the same. Never. Lukaku came back (for) £97m and started the season on fire; he was scoring. Poyet said. : “The team was playing but he got a little bit injured and he’s out (of the team) and he’s not very strong anymore.”
He completed:
Then he did an interview in Italy, which I called the nuclear bomb because you can’t say that during the season. Then (Thomas) Tuchel didn’t take it well and started like ‘you don’t play, I play with a different system’ and since then Tuchel has been fighting to keep his position. “
Lukaku has scored nine goals and five assists in 28 matches across competitions this season for the Nerazzurri.
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