The Ben Jacobs column was exclusively published at SPTC on Monday!
Chelsea are heading off to America and it’s a chance for Mauricio Pochettino to build some chemistry.
Chelsea’s last trip to the US was one of the most unsettling pre-season tours in recent memory. Then manager Thomas Tuchel was unhappy with the training pitches and too many players were mentally checked out. That’s why Pochettino is trying to only work with players who both want to be at Chelsea and, as importantly, the club wants to keep.
Romelu Lukaku isn’t one of those players. His first chat with Pochettino was to inform him he will turn up for any team meetings this week, but Chelsea’s response was to tell Lukaku to return on Tuesday, the day after the squad fly out. That says it all.
All summer Lukaku has been preparing for a move away. But in a big twist, Inter have seemingly pulled out the race despite recently preparing a new €35m offer.
Lukaku has indicated pretty consistently, and for quite some time, he wants to return to Inter. But Inter’s finances have made striking a deal difficult, so Lukaku began talking with Juventus. And that irritated Inter, who for now have withdrawn their interest and may turn their attention instead to Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun.
It looks like Lukaku has had a U-turn and will now push for Juventus. The Juve offer is only valid if they sell Dusan Vlahovic before August 4. Luckily for Chelsea, and Lukaku, PSG have already agreed personal terms with the Serbian striker. There is a chance that deal happens but Chelsea may still have to play a bit of a waiting game.
There is also firm Saudi interest in Lukaku. Al-Hilal have made Chelsea an offer worth around €40m.
Chelsea want the situation resolved quickly, and ultimately for Lukaku to exit. That’s why their preference has been to sell him to Saudi. But the Juve deal is looking more and more viable. It’s just frustrating nothing has been resolved yet.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech are two other high-earners Chelsea want off their books. The Marseille links with Aubameyang are genuine, but a permanent deal could be tricky due to Aubameyang’s wages.
Ziyech rejected a restructured offer from Al-Nassr. His base wage went down by 40% following red flags during his medical over his knee and hip.
Ziyech disputes this, though. There is a second version of events suggesting actually the successful signing of Marcelo Brozovic left Al-Nassr looking for a way out of the deal. Ziyech is still open to a Saudi move and another PIF club, Al-Alhi, may yet revive the deal.
In terms of incomings, the Moises Caicedo saga continues. Chelsea have been very patient in negotiations. They still don’t want to pay £100m or anywhere close. Those close to the Caicedo camp refer to negotiations as “slow” and reveal Caicedo is unhappy nothing is done.
But it’s important to note this isn’t really about blindly or bullishly tabling offers. It’s a back and forth, so when a formal offer is finally tabled there will be a higher confidence it will be accepted
As things stands, Chelsea are still trying for around £80-85m, with a guaranteed fee of around £70m. Industry insiders still maintain a £70+10m offer might be enough. I am also told by sources it’s not true Caicedo is in any way still ‘committed’ to Brighton despite reports. He is of course professional, but he wants a move away. Brighton are also resigned to eventually selling him.
It’s also important to note that Chelsea are the only club actively negotiating with Brighton. It is not true Liverpool are in the race. They love the player, just not the price.
Arsenal could move for another midfielder, especially if Thomas Partey leaves. But it’s currently more likely they will try for Romeo Lavia than Caicedo again.
Speaking of Arsenal, they are obviously delighted to have landed Declan Rice. It’s a shame Chelsea couldn’t seriously enter the race in the end despite Rice being a long-term target. But it was also a bit of a lost cause by the time summer came.
Graham Potter really wanted Rice in January but the club signed Enzo Fernandez. And even if Chelsea chose to move it was tricky because Rice had reservations about the project by then and West Ham didn’t want to sell mid-reason anyway.
Then by the time summer, it was widely accepted Rice had ‘chosen’ Arsenal. Even if Manchester City had matched Arsenal’s £105m package, Rice would have still picked Arsenal. Their only hope was just topping Arsenal’s bid and hoping they backed off. But actually Arsenal were the aggressive ones and ensured Manchester City pulled out by outbidding them.
Chelsea will of course be ecstatic if they get Caicedo. He can be termed the top summer target. They may also still explore a traditional No.9, but Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja are both highly rated so will be given the chance to impress and earn a starting spot during pre-season. Plus, Christopher Nkunku can play in that position, even though that’s not the plan for now.
The goalkeeper situation hasn’t changed. Kepa Arrizabalaga is the de facto number one after Édouard Mendy left for Al-Ahli. With less games this season, and a position that isn’t traditionally rotated, Pochettino will want to assess Kepa himself before rushing into a new keeper. That’s a smart approach.
Chelsea do have keeper options, but are calm about the situation for now. They never really advanced anything with Inter’s Andre Onana, who is now on his way to Manchester United. Milan’s Mike Maignan is appreciated, although it’s a tough one to pull off. David Raya has been looked out, but Brentford’s price tag remains off-putting. It could drop over summer, though, if interest wanes and the player wants out. And Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez is another name who could be considered. But Chelsea are going to give Kepa every chance. It would be unfair to say one thing to him, and then be seen in the market to be chasing after a clear No.1.
I think that’s what irked David de Gea – seeing Manchester United fail to clarify his future despite the urgency with his contract running down whilst watching them put time and energy into securing Onana. It’s always crucial to offer players a consistent narrative.
The US tour is going to be really important in building momentum and integrating players like Levi Colwill and Mykhailo Murdyk into the squad. I mention Mudryk, even though he’s not brand new, because there is still a feeling within Chelsea that he hasn’t settled. He is going to be challenged to be more vocal and team-orientated on and off the field.
Pochettino has impressed everyone so far by his demeanor and open-door policy. He has the right balance of charm and authority. And now it’s up to him to help the squad regain their serial-winner mentality.
I am off to America today (Monday) for the pre-season tour. First up, North Carolina for the friendly against Wrexham. Make sure you follow me via @JacobsBen, and on here, for all of the updates!
Ben Jacobs
