Olivier Giroud thought he was going to be on his bike from Chelsea in the transfer window. However, he is now happy at the club. Giroud said: “There were talks with the manager. There had been quite a few before the winter transfer window. Every morning before training I went into his office to see what the situation was, to tell him again that I wanted to leave because I wasn’t happy with the situation. “He told me he understood but he needed a back-up. It was quite weird because at that point I was No 3 in the order. We had some good talks, got to know each other more and he told me that if I stayed he would give me my chance. I had to trust him. I’m religious, it’s destiny. You always have to believe.”
Chelsea have moved to “vigorously deny” claims that director Marina Granovskaia has acted unprofessionally in the club's pursuit of Kai Havertz. Rumours say Granovskaia has been speaking to contacts in Germany and seeking information on Bayer Leverkusen's setup that could help seal the deal. Chelsea have issued a strong statement in defence of Roman Abramovich’s chief transfer negotiator. “We vigorously deny these suggestions; these claims are a complete fabrication,” a Chelsea spokesman told the Press Association.
Ex-Chelsea forward Jeremie Boga is reportedly wanted by Everton in a £35million deal just two years after leaving the Blues for £3.5m.
Chelsea have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Philippe Coutinho with Arsenal looking to bring him to the Emirates on loan. The Gunners have emerged as frontrunners to land the Brazilian.
Mikel Arteta has hailed the job Frank Lampard is doing at Chelsea ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final. He said: “About Frank as a player, he was absolutely top. The consistency he was able to play for that many years, in the position that he played at such a big club, and doing what he did, was incredible. Big credit to him on that. As a manager he has shown, since he went to Derby, the kind of person and ambition that he has, and the way he encourages his team to play. Again this season he has done a really good job. We are both young, we are both trying to learn our positions.”
Conor Gallagher has adimtted his Chelsea future is uncertain after seeing Swansea miss out on the Championship play-off final. Reflecting on his time at Swansea, Gallagher said: “I am not thinking about (the future) now. I had a great second half of the season with Swansea and I have enjoyed it so much. I am very thankful to the whole club and fans, I am not thinking about next season at the moment. I don’t know what’s happening with me. I have loved it here. “I really enjoy working with him and he was a big part of the reason I came to Swansea and I am glad I did come. It is a great club and why not (come back). It is a great club that I really enjoyed but I don’t know what’s happening next season.”
Avram Grant has claimed he would be exiled to Siberia had he matched Frank Lampard's fourth place while Chelsea boss. Goal quote Grant as telling Stats Perform News: “I think it's a good season, especially compared to how it began, without being allowed to buy players. Compared to the requirement of Roman Abramovich, if I told him some years ago that fourth place would be good for him, probably he would send me to Siberia. But because of the situation before, I think it's a good place. For Frank, I think it's a big achievement. “It's his first year as a coach in the Premier League. Of course, he was a player with a lot of experience, but you cannot compare a player to a manager, and I think he's managed the team very well. A lot of young players and he knew how to play them, how to give them a rest and when to push them. It's a good base for the future, I was very pleased with his performance.”
Frank Lampard has revealed Willian and N'Golo Kante will be in the FA Cup final squad. He said: “Yes, Kante and Willian are in the squad and we will see if they are fit enough to be involved.” Lampard also provided an update on the fitness of another Blues star, as he added: “Ruben Loftus-Cheek picked up a small problem.”
Chelsea winger Willian reportedly has a number of offers on the table ahead of his contract expiring. At the end of the season, the Brazilian will have his pick of several top clubs – plus a big money deal in the States. According to Sky Sports, Barcelona, Inter Miami, Arsenal and current club Chelsea all have deals on the table.
Antonio Rudiger has joked about whether Kai Havertz has been linked with Chelsea, after the “agent” helped convince fellow compatriot Timo Werner to join the Blues. With a grin, he said: “Has he [Havertz] been linked with us? He is a great talent and he had a very good season. He is also very young and we will see what happens.” Source: The Sun, Express, Football.london