Chelsea are now considering a marquee transfer double deal to bolster Enzo Maresca’s squad ahead of 2026, according to reports.

Chelsea tipped as Premier League title contenders ahead of Arsenal

On the pitch, their Premier League title credentials are set for a stern evaluation as they prepare for a blockbuster face-off against frontrunners Arsenal this weekend.

Sunday’s heavyweight clash between the London rivals at Stamford Bridge will provide the clearest indication yet of whether Maresca’s youthful side genuinely belong in the conversation, or if they still remain a year away from challenging for football’s ultimate prize.

The debate surrounding Chelsea’s title credentials has intensified following their impressive recent run, with Maresca himself refusing to rule out the possibility, in stark contrast to last year.

Tuesday’s 3-0 dismantling of Barcelona in the Champions League demonstrated their ability to deliver against Europe’s elite even without superstar Cole Palmer, with Estevao taking all the headlines after his masterclass against the Catalans.

Luckily for Maresca, Palmer is back to full fitness and available to play Arsenal, with Maresca handed the desired conundrum of fitting both the England international and Estevao into the same team.

Chelsea’s boss has grown adept when it comes to tinkering with his side, having made more first eleven changes than any other manager in the Premier League by far this season.

However, they could hardly ask for a tougher test on paper than Arsenal, who are currently 16 games unbeaten in all competitions and fresh off a statement Champions League performance themselves.

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Mikel Arteta’s side have established themselves as the benchmark to beat, and their unbeaten seven-game run against Chelsea will gift the Gunners major confidence heading into their west London tie.

Off the field, BlueCo are devising yet more plans to strengthen the Chelsea squad in future windows, despite spending nearly £300 million in the summer.

Chelsea considering £120m double deal for FC Porto's Aghehowa and Froholdt

As per reports from Spain, Chelsea are considering an ambitious £120 million deal for two talented FC Porto players, with Victor Froholdt and Samu Aghehowa emerging as top targets.

Froholdt, a 19-year-old midfielder, has captured Chelsea’s attention through his exceptional composure in possession from deep positions. The west Londoners are apparently fans of the teenager’s technical ability, and believe he could slot in seamlessly alongside Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo.

Meanwhile, Aghehowa also appeals to Chelsea’s recruitment team after his stellar 2025.

The 21-year-old striker has established himself as a consistent goalscorer in Portugal, bagging 27 goals in 45 games last term, and has continued that fine form by hitting double figures this season.

Aghehowa is a familiar name to Chelsea, having once come close to signing the Spain international back in 2024.

Both players align with their transfer strategy when it comes to recruiting world football’s most exciting young talents, but the competition for Aghehowa’s signature alone means this won’t be easy by any means.

Winter is here, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank knows he is staring down the barrel of a gun as he looks to find form and consistency after a tough start to his tenure.

That may be an understatement. Spurs have lost three on the trot, and Saturday’s home defeat against Fulham in the Premier League means the 3-0 victory over Burnley in August remains an outlier in regard to three points down N17 this season.

The fans are frustrated, no doubt about that. And they have a right to be. Tottenham have lacked sparkle in their attacking play this season, though Frank will feel that injuries to Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have put him on the back foot.

Much has been made of the Londoners’ creativity (or lack thereof), but it’s also clear that the Lewis Family need to authorise the signing of a centre-forward.

Why Spurs need a striker

Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have both left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent years, and the superstars have not really been replaced with elite options.

Mathys Tel is young and talented, but he is also raw. Solanke is a proven Premier League star, but his entire stint in north London has been blighted by setbacks. Richarlison is in fine form, but probably not the long-term solution at number nine.

What Frank and the fanbase need is an up-and-coming superstar to spearhead this next era at the club.

That’s why Samu Agwehowa has been earmarked. According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham have joined the race for the 21-year-old Porto striker after his convincing performances in Portugal.

The Spanish international has a €100m (about £88m) release clause in his contract, though Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange would be certain to lodge an offer far south of that daunting figure.

What Samu would bring to north London

Richarlison is a curious striker. He is capable of so much, and yet he performs to his full capacity with consistent inconsistency.

Richarlison’s Tottenham Career (Prem)
Season	Apps	Goals + Assists
25/26	13	5 + 2
24/25	14	4 + 1
23/24	28	11 + 4
22/23	27	1 + 4
Stats via Transfermarkt

Injuries have not helped the Brazil international, but it’s clear that he is not Kane. That said, Richarlison has been in moderately good form this season, essential in providing an outlet as Solanke founders in the infirmary.

But in Samu, Frank would land a goalscorer who has the potential to be “one of the best strikers in Europe”, according to journalist Zach Lowy, so powerful and potent in the final third.

Joining Porto from Atletico Madrid in 2024, Samu has chalked up 37 goals and four assists across just 62 appearances, including ten from 17 outings in all competitions this season.

He ranks among the top 8% of forwards in the Primeira Liga for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons, emphasising not only his pace but his control and force when on the ball and driving forward.

His athleticism and natural poaching instinct earn him a certain likeness to Richarlison, but given his age and the consistency of goalscoring, Samu might actually prove an upgrade on the South American.

Take, for example, his Europa League performances this year, winning 57% of his duels and averaging a tackle per game, as per Sofascore.

Combativeness forms a key part of Richarlison’s toolbox, and if Spurs are to upgrade on the 28-year-old, who has actually been linked with a move away from the club of late, they will want to sign someone who can emulate him while building up a skillset that transcends what Spurs have hosted in recent years.

Samu is all that and more, and he would be a fantastic signing for a Tottenham team in need of a new talisman.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 2, 2025

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl should be relatively pleased with his start to life in the dugout at Ibrox, with four wins out of four in the Scottish Premiership so far.

The Light Blues beat Livingston 2-1 at Ibrox in a controversial clash in their first game back after the international break, as no penalty was awarded for handball against Emmanuel Fernandez, who also scored the opening goal in the match.

Rangers got the job done, though, and claimed all three points thanks to a second-half strike from Mohamed Diomande, who tapped into an empty net at the back post.

The Ivorian central midfielder had an open goal in front of him because Bojan Miovski made a brilliant run over the top and poked the ball to Diomande as the goalkeeper came out to meet him.

It was a moment of real quality from the Macedonia international to help clinch all three points for the Scottish giants on Saturday, after what has been a difficult start to the campaign.

The Light Blues bolstered their attacking ranks with the £8m signing of Youssef Chermiti and the £4.2m signing of Miovski in the summer, and supporters may need to be patient with both of them.

Why Rangers fans need to be patient with Miovski and Chermiti

Rangers splashed the cash to bring those two centre-forwards to Ibrox, particularly Chermiti, and you can understand why some supporters may not be happy with what they have produced so far this season.

Both strikers have only scored one goal so far in the Scottish Premiership under Russell Martin, Stevie Smith, and Danny Rohl combined, which shows that they have rarely provided much in the way of quality in the final third.

Appearances

9

7

Goals

1

1

Minutes per goal

551

231

Big chances created

1

0

Assists

1

1

Duel success rate

33%

39%

As you can see in the table above, Chermiti and Miovski have both failed to offer value for money in the league since their respective big-money moves from Everton and Girona in the summer.

Rangers and their supporters should still have some patience, though, because Miovski is a proven Premiership goalscorer who can offer quality if he hits his stride.

The left-footed attacker, as shown in the graphic below, was a prolific scorer during his time with Aberdeen, before his move to Spain last year, and this suggests that there is still hope that he can turn his Ibrox career around.

Chermiti does not have the same history of goalscoring, having failed to score a single first-team goal in two seasons with Everton, that Miovski behind him has to suggest that he will come good, but the Portuguese striker is only 21.

The former Toffees flop has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and signed a long-term contract at Ibrox, which is why there may need to be patience with him to allow him to flourish as a player. It is not his fault that former sporting director Kevin Thelwell spent £8m on him, and he should be given a chance to prove his worth in the years to come.

Whilst patience is needed with Miovski and Chermiti, who were both permanent additions signed to long contracts, there are some other summer signings who should not be awarded the same patience.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Nasser Djiga was brought in on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer transfer window in an attempt to bolster Russell Martin’s defence, but he has been an even bigger waste of time than the two strikers.

Why Djiga has been a worse Rangers signing than Miovski and Chermiti

The Burkina Faso international is only on loan from the Premier League side until the end of the season and the club do not have an option to make the deal permanent next summer.

That means, as it stands, the central defender should only be judged on his performances in the short-term because he is not a player who the Light Blues will benefit from if he develops and improves by the end of the campaign, as he will be off down south to England again.

Therefore, on current performance levels, Djiga looks to be an even bigger waste of time than Miovski and Chermiti, because he is not delivering quality on the pitch for Rangers in the present.

Livingston

90

Dundee

8

Roma

90

Celtic

102

Hibernian

90

Kilmarnock

0

Brann

76

Dundee United

0

Falkirk

90

Sturm Graz

0

The Wolves loanee, as shown by the table above, has been in and out of the side in recent weeks and months, which has been because of his inconsistent performances.

Injuries to John Souttar and Derek Cornelius provided him with a chance to impress against Livingston, but his error for Tete Yengi’s equaliser was described as “appalling” defending by reporter Tom English, as the centre-back allowed the forward to run off the back of him to score from a long pass.

That mistake against Livingston on Saturday is far from the first one that he has made in a Rangers shirt. Four Lads Had A Dream claimed that he

“genuinely looks lost” during the 3-1 defeat to Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup earlier this month.

Djiga also got off to a poor start to life at Ibrox in August. He was sent off in a 1-1 draw with Dundee at Ibrox before making a ‘disastrous’ error at the start of the club’s Champions League play-off qualifier against Club Brugge.

These examples show that the central defender has been an unreliable performer for the Light Blues throughout the season, for both Martin and Rohl, which is why he has been a dismal signing on current evidence.

That is also why he has been an even bigger waste of time than Miovski and Chermiti, because the two strikers were permanent signings on multi-year deals and have time to turn things around, whilst Djiga was a season-long loan signing who should be making an instant impact.

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Unless the Wolves loanee can drastically turn his form around and prove himself to be a reliable figure at the back for Rohl, he may go down as one of the worst signings of the Thelwell era, which lasted one summer.

The Australia captain went through his action off about five paces at Cricket Central in Sydney

AAP29-Oct-2025

Ashes race: the second Test is now the earliest Pat Cummins will play•Getty Images

Pat Cummins has made a tentative return to bowling as Australia’s Test captain accelerates his bid to play in the Ashes.Cummins bowled off a five-step run-up in a brief net session in Sydney on Wednesday. Australia’s captain has been ruled of out of the first Test against England starting on November 21 in Perth.Related

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But Cummins, who has said he would need four to six weeks of bowling before returning to match action, hopes to return in the middle sector of the five-Test series.The second Test in Brisbane starts on December 4 and the third Test in Adelaide on December 17.Cummins bowled off a short run-up at Cricket New South Wales’ Silverwater headquarters on Wednesday, watched by renowned physio Patrick Farhart and the Blues’ strength and conditioning coach, Dean McNamara.His bowling return came two days after Australia coach Andrew McDonald expressed hope Cummins could prove his fitness for the second Test.”We flagged this a week or so ago, that it would take sort of four-plus weeks to get him up and running,” McDonald told reporters on Monday. “We’ve run out of time [for the first Test] unfortunately, but really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match.”The next question is, what’s the time frame, what does it look like for the second Test? [I am] not really going to be able to answer that, other than to say that he’ll be back bowling this week, and that’s a huge step.”That was the big variable that we wanted to add in and get that information. So we’re on the journey to that second Test and very hopeful that that will be a positive outcome.”Cummins last played in mid-July on Australia’s Test tour of the West Indies. He reported back soreness after returning to Australia and was diagnosed with a lumbar stress injury in September.McDonald said how Cummins recovered from his return to bowling would be vital.”We will see how he pulls up and then we’ll make decisions moving forward,” he said. “With the nature of this injury, it’s never going to be a clear time frame … I would never put the medical team under that sort of duress either.”

The review is expected to be completed by March 31, 2026

Nagraj Gollapudi and Shashank Kishore05-Nov-2025Diageo, the multinational alcoholic beverage company and owner of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and WPL, has taken the first steps towards divesting its stake in the franchise.In a filing with India’s market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), on Wednesday, Diageo said it was conducting a “strategic review” of its investment in RCB through Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) – the parent company that owns the men’s and women’s teams.The review is expected to be completed by March 31, 2026, the end of India’s financial year. (RCSPL is a fully owned subsidiary of United Spirits Ltd. (USL) which in turn is owned by Diageo).”RCSPL has been a valuable and strategic asset for USL; however, it is non-core to our alcobev (alcohol and beverages) business,” said Praveen Someshwar, Managing Director & CEO of United Spirits, in the SEBI filing.”This step reinforces USL and Diageo’s commitment to reviewing our India portfolio to ensure sustained long-term value for stakeholders, while keeping RCSPL’s best interests in mind.”The move comes amid Diageo’s struggles in its core global business, which has been under significant pressure in recent years. In a SEBI filing in June this year, the company had denied reports of RCB’s sale, with USL’s company secretary Mital Sanghvi calling them “speculative”.However, with Diageo now facing headwinds globally, that stance appears to have shifted.Speculation about a potential divestment had intensified after the fatal stampede outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in June, a day after RCB won their maiden IPL title.Among the most popular IPL teams, RCB was the second most expensive franchise when the tournament was launched in 2008. Vijay Mallya, then chairman of USL bought the franchise for USD 111.6 million in 2007, before he stepped down as director in 2016, with Diageo becoming the sole owner of the company.ESPNcricinfo has reached out to Rajesh Menon, vice-president and head of RCB, for comment.The development, though, will not have any impact on RCB’s planning for the upcoming IPL and WPL seasons, including the auctions. Any new owner will also need to get clearance from the IPL and the process is likely to stretch beyond the 2026 IPL season.WPL 2026 is scheduled to start in January, while the IPL, which RCB will start as defending champions, is expected to start in March and run through May.

Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid for Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, amid a new update on his future at the La Liga club.

The Blues already have a plethora of attacking options, having invested heavily during the summer transfer window, with Jamie Gittens grabbing his first Premier League assist of the season in the 2-0 victory against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Gittens set up fellow winger Pedro Neto with a perfectly weighted ball from the left, before Enzo Fernandez sealed all three points with just minutes left to play, moving the Blues up to second in the Premier League in the process.

After the disappointing 2-1 defeat against Sunderland at the end of October, Enzo Maresca’s side look like they are starting to click, and there may be an outside chance they could even compete for the title, although BlueCo may need to strengthen the squad in January to make that dream a reality.

Chelsea submit opening offer for Nico Williams

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea have now submitted an opening offer of €70m (£62m) for Athletic Club star Williams, and they are willing to triple the winger’s salary in order to tempt him into a January move to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have been working on a deal for weeks, and they are now confident they will be able to get it over the line soon, with the 23-year-old being identified as a key target, although there is set to be competition for his signature.

Tottenham Hotspur have now matched the west Londoners’ offer for the Spain international, with it being revealed his future at Athletic Club is ‘more open than ever’, amid interest from two of the Premier League’s top sides.

There are question marks over whether the Athletic Club star would be a necessary signing, given that Maresca already has a wide array of attacking options, as Chelsea have been obsessed with signing young forwards with high potential.

However, the Pamplona-born forward has certainly impressed in both Spain and Europe over the past three seasons, indicating he could be capable of displacing Gittens in the starting XI at left-wing.

Nico Williams’ performance by season

Appearances (all comps)

Goal contributions

2023-24

37

26

2024-25

45

18

2025-26

10

4

The Spaniard was also one of the stars of Euro 2024, scoring two goals and picking up one assist as his side went on to defeat England 2-1 in the final, while Statman Dave was left particularly impressed by his performance against Georgia in the round of 16.

As such, Williams, who is regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, could be a solid signing for Chelsea, as they look to mount an outside push for the Premier League title.

Chelsea plotting fresh talks to sign another winger alongside Williams Chelsea plot fresh talks with forward after failed £62m bid and 'very exciting proposal'

He’d be a stellar addition to Enzo Maresca’s side.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 20, 2025

استطاع نادي برشلونة الخروج من عنق الزجاجة، وحقق فوزًا مثيرًا اليوم السبت على حساب ديبورتيفو ألافيس بثلاثة مقابل هدف واحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

برشلونة دخل لقاء اليوم بتشكيلة أغلب عناصرها من اللاعبين الأساسيين وعلى رأسهم رافينيا، والذي عاد من جديد من الإصابة للعب بعد غياب خلال الفترة الماضية.

وعلى الرغم من سعي برشلونة لتصحيح الأمور في لقاء اليوم، إلا أن البلوجرانا تفاجأ بهدف مبكر من قبل ديبورتيفو ألافيس، والذي جاء عن طريق بابلو إيبانيز في الدقيقة الأولى.

إيبانيز استغل كرة ركنية لعبت في بداية اللقاء وسط خطأ من دفاع برشلونة، ليسجل هدف التقدم لألافيس.

وبعد ذلك بدأ برشلونة في الضغط بقوة على مرمى ألافيس لتعديل النتيجة، وسط تألق واضح من قبل لامين يامال، والذي عبث بدفاع الضيوف اليوم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | أولمو يسجل هدف برشلونة الثاني أمام ديبورتيفو ألافيس

وترجم يامال تألقه في لقاء اليوم إلى هدف في الدقيقة الثامنة، حيث استغل الجناح الأيمن عرضية من رافينيا ليسدد الكرة بقوة في شباك ألافيس.

وعاد رافينيا من جديد ليمنح تمريرة الهدف الثاني لبرشلونة، والذي جاء عن طريق داني أولمو في الدقيقة 26.

وبعد ذلك حاول برشلونة تسجيل الهدف الثالث وتأمين النتيجة، لكن لاعبي ألافيس أظهروا شراسة كبيرة وإصرار على تعديل النتيجة.

لكن بالرغم من محاولات لاعبي ألافيس لتجنب الخسارة، إلا أن برشلونة نجح في الحفاظ على تقدمه، بل وإضافة هدف ثالث بواسطة أولمو في الدقيقة 93.

وبتلك النتيجة رفع برشلونة رصيده إلى 34 نقطة وليقتنص صدارة الليجا بشكل مؤقت، وبفارق نقطتين عن ريال مدريد والذي سيلتقي مع جيرونا يوم غدًا الأحد، بينما تجمد رصيد ألافيس عند 15 نقطة في المركز الرابع عشر.

Chelsea are now “crazy” about signing RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo, but they will have to do battle for his signature with one of their Premier League rivals.

Courtesy of a 2-0 victory against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, the Blues have now moved up to second in the Premier League table, but Gary Neville believes they are still some way off being genuine contenders for the title.

The Sky Sports pundit said: “They’ve got a lot of young players, spent a fortune, it’s probably not happening as quickly as they want,(and) I don’t think they’re anywhere near a team that can win the league to be honest. When I look at them, they look well short in a number of areas.”

As pointed out by Neville, the Blues have relied on youngsters a lot in the BlueCo era, breaking the record for the youngest average starting XI in the Premier League last season.

However, the west Londoners are yet to alter their recruitment policy, and they have now joined the race for another young midfielder.

Chelsea "crazy" about signing Assan Ouedraogo

In a new update from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, it has been revealed that Chelsea are one of the Premier League clubs “crazy” about signing RB Leipzig midfielder Ouedraogo, alongside Man United.

Both English sides are now scouting the 19-year-old, who remains under contract at the Bundesliga club until 2029, and his main ambition is to secure a place in Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad.

The central midfielder remains under contract until 2029, and there is no release clause, meaning it is unclear how much the Blues will have to pay for the youngster, who is being targeted for next summer.

The German starlet may stand a chance of going to the World Cup next year, considering he impressed on his debut for his country, scoring in a 6-0 victory against Slovakia in the recent international break.

Not only that, but the Leipzig star would be a versatile option for Julian Nagelsmann, given that he is capable of playing in five positions, namely on both wings, central midfield, attacking midfield and even centre-forward.

The former Schalke man is off to an impressive start to the season in the Bundesliga, chipping in with three goals and three assists in 11 outings, and he has performed very well on some key attacking metrics over the past year.

Assan Ouedraogo’s key statistics (past year)

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.48 (99th percentile)

Assists

0.48 (99th percentile)

Progressive carries

2.58 (94th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.77 (99th percentile)

As such, Ouedraogo could be an excellent addition for Chelsea next summer, and they should continue to monitor his development between now and the end of the season.

Chelsea also targeting one of the Premier League's "best" midfielders Related The new Caicedo: Chelsea want to sign "one of the best CMs in the league"

Chelsea are reportedly interested in a deal to sign a Premier League star who is valued at up to £120m.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 17, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Neste último sábado (4), o Fortaleza empatou com o Corinthians, em duelo válido pela quinta rodada do Brasileirão 2023, na Neo Química Arena. A data marcou três anos desde o anúncio do argentino Juan Pablo Vojvoda como novo treinador do Leão, no dia 4 de maio de 2021.

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De lá para cá, o técnico somou 227 jogos, com aproveitamento de 57%. Nesse período, são quatro títulos com o Tricolor: a Copa do Nordeste em 2022 e o Campeonato Cearense, nas temporadas de 2021, 2022 e 2023.

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Além dos títulos, o técnico também dirigiu a equipe rumo a campanhas históricas, tanto em competições nacionais quanto internacionais. No primeiro ano de Vojvoda, em 2021, o Tricolor do Pici conquistou a quarta colocação no Campeonato Brasileiro – primeira vez de uma equipe do Nordeste no G4 na era dos pontos corridos – e também chegou pela primeira vez às semifinais da Copa do Brasil, após eliminar o São Paulo na fase anterior.

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Internacionalmente, foi com o treinador que o clube também garantiu a disputa da primeira Libertadores de sua história, em 2022, quando entrou diretamente na fase de grupos e chegou até as oitavas de final. No ano seguinte, a equipe disputou a Libertadores pela segunda temporada consecutiva, ainda que nas fases prévias, e posteriormente chegou à inédita final da Copa Sul-Americana, quando perdeu para a LDU nos pênaltis.

No momento, Vojvoda detém o segundo trabalho mais longevo da série A, atrás apenas do Português Abel Ferreira, no Palmeiras desde 2020. O argentino também está próximo de outro recorde pelo tricolor: faltam apenas mais cinco jogos para igualar Moésio Gomes como o técnico que mais vezes comandou o Leão do Pici. CEO da SAF do Fortaleza, Marcelo Paz celebra o tempo de trabalho de Vojvoda dentro do clube:

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“É um marco muito significativo esses três anos de Vojvoda. Sabemos da importância de um trabalho de médio a longo prazo e ficamos muito felizes em contar o treinador, que sempre acreditou no projeto e vem desenvolvendo um trabalho de excelência no Fortaleza, além de ser um ótimo ser humano. Celebramos os resultados já alcançados e vamos em busca de novas conquistas”.

Durante o trabalho realizado no Fortaleza, Vojvoda já esteve na mira de equipes como Corinthians, Vasco, Santos, Flamengo, Internacional, Atlético-MG e até mesmo da seleção chilena, no início deste ano. A opção, no entanto, foi por seguir fazendo história no Tricolor do Pici.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoFortalezaFutebol Nacional

Barcelona full back Jules Kounde has revealed that he chose to sign for Barcelona over Chelsea because he preferred then Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez’s approach compared with then-Blues boss Thomas Tuchel. The French defender, who was at Sevilla at the time, had been the subject of a transfer battle between the two clubs. Kounde explained that he enjoyed his discussions with Xavi and that time flew by, noting that he liked the legendary former midfielder's natural style of speaking.

• Barcelona vs Chelsea: The battle for Kounde

  Kounde joined Barcelona in 2022 after an impressive spell with Sevilla, where he notably won the 2019-20 Europa League. Known for his defensive solidity, tactical awareness, and ability to play out from the back, Kounde quickly became an integral part of Barcelona’s defence and has helped the club secure two La Liga titles. 

  Before joining Barcelona, Kounde was heavily pursued by Chelsea, sparking a transfer battle between the two clubs. Ultimately, Barcelona secured his signature as Xavi’s vision and project convinced Kounde more than Tuchel’s Chelsea. Since arriving, he has been an essential figure in stabilising the defence and contributing to Barcelona’s domestic and European ambitions.

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  Kounde explains transfer decision

  Kounde has revealed that Xavi’s approach impressed him more than Tuchel’s, highlighting the Spaniard’s natural way of speaking when discussing football. This played a key role in his decision to join Barcelona over Chelsea.

  “I enjoyed our conversation," he said. "Time flew by, and that's always a good sign when you're talking so naturally. We mainly talk about football, which is what I like talking about most, especially with the manager, Xavi, who was one of the best players ever.”

  He added: “I spoke to Tuchel and felt that he wanted me to go, but I simply preferred Xavi's approach.”

  Kounde also favoured Barcelona because they planned to use him as a centre-back, unlike Chelsea who wanted him as a full back, saying: “I chose Bara because I know that most of the time I will play in this position [centre-back].”

• City's interest in Kounde

  In July of this year, reports suggested that Manchester City were interested in Kounde as they looked to strengthen their defence. The French centre-back had been one of Barcelona’s standout performers the previous season, playing a key role in their league-winning campaign and even scoring the decisive Copa del Rey final goal against Real Madrid. Meanwhile, City endured their toughest season under Pep Guardiola since 2016–17, finishing without a major trophy and struggling defensively. Speculation ended, though, when Kounde signed a contract extension with Barcelona, keeping him at the club until 2030. 

  Barcelona sporting director Deco confirmed that City did check on Kounde’s availability in July, saying: "No, there was no offer. The only thing I do know is that City, and now there's [new director of football] Hugo Viana and before that there was Txiki [Begiristain], were looking for a full-back, and of course they asked us if Koundé was on the market. And we told them no. So, there was no offer or any negotiation."

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  Barcelona back to winning ways vs Bilbao

  With Kounde signing an extension until 2030, committing his future to Barcelona, his decision to join the Catalan club has paid off handsomely. He has won multiple titles with the club while competing at the highest levels in Europe. Barcelona returned to winning ways with a 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in their first game at the Camp Nou since renovations. 

  Barcelona sit 11th in the Champions League with seven points from four matches, five worse off than leaders Bayern Munich and Arsenal. The Catalan club come up against Kounde's former suitors Chelsea on Tuesday aiming to prevent the German and English clubs, who will face each other on Wednesday, from moving further ahead. Then, on Saturday, they return to La Liga action with a game against Deportivo Alaves. Sitting just one point behind Real Madrid, who have drawn two in a row in the division, they are gunning for another league crown under coach Hansi Flick.