Soccer

Thomas Tuchel insists Chelsea need more signings before close of window

Club’s outlay so far of close to £150m makes them the Premier League’s biggest spenders of the summer so far

Everton's Anthony Gordon is one of Chelsea's top targets. Photograph: John Walton/PA Wires
Everton's Anthony Gordon is one of Chelsea's top targets. Photograph: John Walton/PA Wires
Sachin Nakrani
Mon Aug 29 2022 - 19:07

Thomas Tuchel has called on the Chelsea hierarchy to provide him with more signings in the final few days of the transfer window.

Chelsea have already recruited Raheem Sterling – who scored both of their goals in the 2-1 victory against Leicester on Saturday – Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella as the new owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, make good on bold plans for spending and a squad revamp.

The outlay is close to £150 million, making Chelsea the Premier League’s biggest spenders of the summer so far, but Tuchel believes further squad investment is needed if they are to vie for honours at home and abroad, although he insists he will not kick up a fuss if additions are not secured before the deadline at 11pm on Thursday.

“Right now I think we could need some more players in some positions,” Tuchel said before Chelsea’s trip to Southampton on Tuesday. “It’s very close to the end of the transfer window and when 1st September comes I will be a happy coach no matter what happens. I will try to find solutions and not think about what might have happened or what could be.”

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Wesley Fofana is expected to complete a £70 million transfer from Leicester to Chelsea soon, with the Frenchman having sat out his side’s last three matches and trained with his club’s development squad. His medical was scheduled to take place on Monday. The London club are also pushing to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona and Anthony Gordon from Everton.

It was also announced on Monday that Ross Barkley has left Chelsea by mutual consent. The midfielder joined from Everton in January 2018 and failed to impress a series of managers at Stamford Bridge.

Frank Lampard has warned Gordon he will “see a different side to me” should the winger refuse to play for Everton in an attempt to force a transfer to Chelsea before the transfer window closes. Gordon’s future remains unclear with Chelsea expected to make an improved offer for the 21-year-old after a second bid, reported to be £45 million, was rejected by the Merseyside club.

With Fofana absent from Leicester’s squad amid interest from Chelsea and Wolves’ Willy Boly refusing to play against Newcastle on Sunday in an attempt to force a move, Lampard was asked if Gordon could do the same.

“Anthony wouldn’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t do that with me,” Lampard said before Everton’s visit to Leeds on Tuesday. “If he did try and sit out a game he’d see a different side to me. No doubt about that and I think he knows that. I’m not playing the hard one, it’s just that it would be so alien from what I’d expect from him. I just know that’s not him.

“At the same time he’s not a robot and all this attention is difficult. I understand that, I was that ambitious young player. That’s the beauty of Anthony: hard-working, he wants to be better.”

When reminded he had been in a similar situation as a young player before moving from West Ham to Chelsea in 2001, Lampard said: “Yeah, and I played three-and-a-half, four seasons for West Ham, so there’s my answer for Anthony. He’s played one for us.”

Liverpool-born Gordon, who progressed through Everton’s academy, scored his first goal of the season in the 1-1 draw at Brentford on Saturday and was a standout performer. “He’s in the squad Tuesday for sure,” Lampard said. “His character’s great. He’s a huge player for us. We’re getting towards the end of the window now and Anthony’s a huge player for us and will be this season.”

The striker Neal Maupay could make his Everton debut at Elland Road after the Frenchman signed from Brighton on Friday for an undisclosed fee. “We’ll see where he is, but he’ll be involved in the squad I’m pretty sure,” Lampard said. – Guardian