Shoppers have hours left to snap up a bargain on a variety of Ninja and Shark products in Lakeland’s sale
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Lakeland is offering big discounts on Ninja and Shark(Image: Ninja)
Shoppers don’t have long left to snap up a variety of Ninja and Shark products for less in Lakeland’s Spring Savings Event, which ends tonight (May 14). Whether home cooks need to refresh their pan collection or households are on the hunt for a new vacuum cleaner, the retailer has the answer.
The Ninja product with the biggest saving is the Foodi 10-in-1 Multifunction Oven which has a lovely £70 discount, now costing £199.99 down from £269.99. The gadget takes only 90 seconds to pre-heat and can be used to air fry, roast, grill, bake, reheat and more.
One thrilled Lakeland customer who has already added the oven to their kitchen rated it five stars and said: “I love this oven. I’ve not used my built-in oven since making this purchase. Love the multi-functional for cooking. Really easy to use. Cooks food perfectly at a fraction of the cost of a normal oven.”
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However, they did note a slight issue, as they continued: “The only downside is my baking trays don’t quite fit in. Hopefully, Lakeland will sell some flat trays that fit in nicely.”
Another Ninja product that features in the sale is the Foodi ZEROSTICK 8-in-1 Possible Pot which usually retails for £129.99. Lakeland is offering a £50 discount on the all-in-one pot, bringing the cost down to £79.99. The extra-large 6.6L pot offers eight ways to cook, with it having an integrated roasting and steaming rack.
Shoppers after a new blender may be interested in the Ninja Foodi 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-iQ that has a £30 discount. Now priced at £169.99, the gadget is a food processor, multi-serve blender and personal blender in one, and comes with interchangeable blades, jugs and a recipe guide.
The Ninja Foodi 3-in-1 Food Processor is in the sale(Image: Ninja)
One happy buyer rated the 3-in-1 Food Processor five stars and wrote: “Easy to use. Sturdy but stylish. Works very efficiently. I am very pleased with my purchase.”
Several Ninja pans are also included in Lakeland’s sale, such as the ZEROSTICK Stainless Steel 20cm Saucepan with Lid, which has been reduced by £13 to £51.99, matching Amazon’s deal price. Meanwhile, the ZEROSTICK Stainless-Steel 28cm Frying Pan now costs £43.99.
Lakeland has slashed the price of several Shark products, including the Lift-Away Steam Mop which has a £50 discount, now costing £129.99, which is cheaper than Argos. It comes with five cleaning tools and can be used on floors, sinks, ovens, worktops and more, killing 99.9% of bacteria.
One impressed customer’s five-star review reads: “The best Christmas present to myself. My hard floors in my apartment have never been cleaner. The tools for the handheld option make the appliance so versatile for other jobs too – even steaming clothes. I am very pleased with it.”
Unfortunately, one Lakeland buyer was left unimpressed with the Lift-Away Steam Mop, as they explained: “I bought this item which stopped producing steam so I got in touch with Lakeland who immediately sent out a replacement. The replacement has now stopped working. I got back in touch with Lakeland again and they gave me a full refund. I am now thinking about buying a Lakeland steam mop.”
The Shark HandVac Pet Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is available for less than £60(Image: Shark)
Shoppers on the hunt for a handheld cordless vacuum cleaner will be pleased to see the Shark HandVac Pet Cordless Vacuum Cleaner has been reduced in Lakeland’s sale. Now priced at £59.99, this handy gadget comes with three attachments and offers 10 minutes of cleaning time from a full charge.
Over 50 Lakeland customers have reviewed the vacuum to date, with it earning an overall score of 4.5. A couple of buyers sadly found it to have ‘poor suction’, however, another shopper who was thrilled explained: “I bought this handheld vacuum to clean my car and it’s fantastic.
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“Powerful enough to pick up all of those small bits which collect when you have children. It’s also great for a quick clean when you don’t want to get your upright vacuum cleaner out. Really pleased with my purchase and the three-year guarantee is an added bonus.”
Day three of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial is set to get underway as the disgraced rapper faces a number of charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The 55-year-old was arrested in September and strongly denies all allegations made against him. He has been in prison since his arrest, with a number of bail requests rejected.
On Tuesday, his former partner Cassie Ventura took to the stand where she faced the 12 jurors who were sworn in at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in lower Manhattan on Monday.
Prosecutors said Combs coerced women into drugged-up group sexual encounters he called “freak offs,” “wild king nights” or “hotel nights.” Partway through her questioning, Ventura was in tears.
She had been asked what she enjoyed, or if she enjoyed anything about the Freak Offs, when she burst into tears. She said: “The time spent with him,” was what she felt was the only time she could spend with Combs.
She told the court: “I felt disgusting. I was humiliated. I didn’t have the words to put together at the time how horrible I really felt, and I couldn’t talk to anybody about it.”
Here, we are bringing you the live updates from the courtroom as the trial continues…
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk
Mia O’Hare
Combs’ family arrive
Mia O’Hare
What to expect today
Prosecutor Emily Johnson has said she will be questioning Ms Ventura about her 10-year relationship with Combs. That is expected to last half the day, before defence laws will begin their cross examination.
Mia O’Hare
Footage of hotel altercation released
Video footage of Combs seeminly attacking Cassie Ventura was shown in court yesterday. The CCTV clip was taken in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
CNN aired the video last year, as Combs apologised and said he was “disgusted” by his actions.
In court, first witness Israel Florez gave his tesimony as they clip was played. He worked as a security guard at the hotel at the time.
He told the court he recognised Combs, who was wearing only a towel and socks, after responding to a call of a woman in distress on the sixth floor. Mr Florez told the court he had “a blank stare, like a devilish stare, just looking at me”.
He said that as he was escorting Ventura and Combs to their room, she indicated she wanted to leave. Mr Florez said the rapper told her: “You’re not going to leave.”
Mia O’Hare
Cassie took ‘all kinds of drugs’ to numb herself
During her testimony, Ventura claimed she took various drugs in a bid to numb herself. She said: “For me, it was dissociative and numbing. I couldn’t imagine myself doing any of that without having some sort of buffer or just way to not feel it for what it really was.”
She claimed that Combs provided the drugs, and his staff would drop them off on occasions. She claimed: “Someone would drop off drugs to me, wherever I was.”
Cassie Ventura will take to the stand again (AP)
Mia O’Hare
Combs ‘frequently’ assaulted Cassie
After the jury had viewed the CCTV footage of the Los Angeles hotel incident, prosecutor Emily Johnson asked how many times Combs had beaten her in this way. Ventura responded: “Too many to count, I don’t know.
Mia O’Hare
Hotel altercation
Recalling the altercation she had with Combs at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, Ventura said: “It got violent and I chose to leave.
“Sean followed me into the hallway by the elevators. He grabbed me up, threw me on the ground, kicked me, tried to drag me back to the room, took my stuff.”
The incident took place during a Freak Off, with Ventura telling the court: “I’m not sure what happened, but I got hit by Sean and I had a black eye, and at that point all I could think about was getting out of there safely. I had my premiere, I didn’t want to mess it up, so I left.”
Cassie told the court about the 2016 Los Angeles hotel incident (CNN)
Mia O’Hare
Freak Offs explained by Cassie
While on the stand yesterday, Ventura spoke about the Freak Offs.
She told the court: “It was established pretty early on in doing the Freak Offs that Sean [Diddy] enjoyed a lot of conversation and describing.” She then said they would start with “oil and touching”.
Mia O’Hare
What will happen today?
Cassie Ventura will take the stand again for day three and will answer more questions from the prosecutors.
Prosecutor Emily Johnson expects Ventura to finish her direct examination on Wednesday. The judge advised those on the jury to turn off notifications relating to the case in order to avoid reading about the proceedings.
Love Island star Biggs Chris candidly opened up on enduring a tough time in recent years following the heartbreaking split between himself and the mother to his child, Ziyon
Biggs reveals how his life has been changed after taking part in Netflix’s Cheat: Unfinished Business
Biggs Chris has candidly revealed how taking part in a brand new Netflix show has ‘changed his life’ for the better, after enduring a tough time in recent years.
The reality star and influencer’s appearance on Netflix’s Cheat: Unfinished Business saw him come face to face with his ex-girlfriend Rebecca Gormley, who he met while on the winter version Love Island in 2020. The pair didn’t spark up romance until after leaving the villa and the pair dated for some time before eventually splitting in the summer of 2021.
They remained amicable, despite allegations of cheating on both sides. Biggs, 33, moved on to have a new relationship and started a family with his ex-girlfriend, Summer Hawkins. But, the pair sadly split weeks before his son Ziyon was born in December 2023.
READ MORE: Love Island’s Biggs Chris admits to cheating on co-star ex in brutal Netflix scene
Biggs hoped to reconcile with Rebecca – but it wasn’t meant to be(Image: Tom Dymond/Netflix)
Following the split from the mother of his child, Biggs took part in Netflix show Cheat, Unfinished Business, in which he came face to face with his Love Island ex Rebecca to make a confession. In the show, he admits to cheating on her but, the TV star has revealed in an exclusive interview with the Mirror that Rebecca was the one who approached him about doing the show – which made him think she was also going to admit to being unfaithful.
Biggs revealed: “Rebecca messaged me asking if I would do a TV show and I was like, ‘yeah, why not? Sounds good, let’s do it.’ Then I found out what it was.”
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He added: “So it never had an official name, but they were either gonna call it Second Chance or Cheat Unfinished Business, so I knew it was gonna be about cheating or working something out. So I thought Rebecca… there was always something between us, you get me, there was always something there lingering up throughout all these years.
Biggs was left heartbroken on the show when Rebecca’s antics were revealed
“And I thought she was coming on to admit that she cheated because there was speculations that she cheated. So I thought, ‘you know what, let me use this opportunity to tell you that I cheated and let’s build from that, let’s see if we could, like, fix it from there’. But yeah, then obviously, the madness happened.”
During the show, Biggs comes face to face with Rebecca and admits he was unfaithful towards the end of their relationship. And, after Rebecca admitted she was “struggling to move on” from Biggs’ admission, the pair’s relationship ended for good – and, sadly, on bad terms, despite remaining friends in the three years after their split. During the series, Rebecca sparked up chemistry with another participant, Craig, which sparked fury in the group and amongst viewers.
The pair were flirting in secret, unbeknownst to Biggs and Craig’s ex Jazz, and things got messy when it was revealed to Biggs during a ‘reckoning’ that Rebecca had been flirting with Craig. Since the show, Biggs revealed he and Rebecca are no longer on speaking terms. “We don’t speak, we’ve not spoke since,” Biggs revealed.
Although Biggs’ relationship with Rebecca didn’t end up in the outcome he initially wanted, the reality star and property mogul managed to take some really positive lessons from his time on the show and said dating expert Paul C Brunson, who was on the Netflix show to help coach the couples, has changed his life.
Speaking of Paul, the star gushed: “He’s changed my life, like, literally, I’ve told him that he’s changed my life. The way I think, because I’m not… So, the mistake I made in the relationship with Rebecca was not being honest, so she liked to party, and I just wanted to build, so I didn’t voice that enough. So I would just party with her, party with her, and then at the back of my mind, I’ll be counting the days, like, [until] I’d leave, does that make sense? But if she had no idea, I’d just hated complaining, but that’s a mistake. Now, Paul has taught me that if you’re feeling something, say it, don’t hold it in, say it, and, like, talk about it.”
Biggs has since taken the lessons he’s learned from the experience into his current romance with Emily. The pair now live together and Biggs prefers to keep his romance on a much lower profile than his previous relationships as he’s learned some difficult lessons throughout the years.
Paul C Brunson and Amanda Holden host the Netflix show, Cheat Unfinished Business(Image: Tom Dymond/Netflix)
He told us: “I’m happy in my life now. Things are finally going the way it’s supposed to. It’s been a… it’s been a tough couple… it’s been a tough – the past two years have been tough. Especially like with my baby mum leaving, like walking out, and now I’m having to fly to see my son. But you know what? Everything happens for a reason.”
Biggs added that despite the heartache around his split with the mother of his child, his son, Ziyon is “the best thing that ever happened to me”. He revealed: “I’ve always wanted a family. That was my number one goal. Even though it might not look like it, the way I’ve got this player image. But it’s just my number one goal was to have a family and build together.”
And as for his new romance, he’s determined to keep things private – despite sharing the occasional glimpse of his stunning girlfriend on TikTok. He explained: “I’m saying I want to keep it private, even though it’s all over TikTok and that, but I’m protecting this relationship. I don’t want to make the same mistake, for example, with my ex, Summer, I exposed her to that life, and now, it’s like I created a monster, and that’s what my dad’s been trying to prevent, like, he’s always been saying to me, ‘like, try and keep your relationship private, because you’re exposing them, and then, they take it and run’. Because [when] I met Summer, my baby mum, she was a teacher, so she was this nice, quiet teacher, I exposed her to this world, and now, I’ve created a monster.
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“My goal was to never date an influencer, like, I’m not dissing influencers, but I’m an influencer, but it’s just, it’s good to keep it private, post here and there, but I won’t make that my main priority now.”
Now Biggs is blissfully happy in his romance, he has vowed against doing anymore dating shows – but is still up for doing more reality TV. He revealed: “I wouldn’t do any dating shows, but I’d be happy to do, like, Big Brother, or any cool shows that, or any property shows. I’m really big on properties, so I would do something like that, but dating shows, I feel like I’ve passed, and I got what I needed, you get me, I’ve got the relationship and help I needed from it, so, yeah.”
On a cold December day during the Christmas holidays, Dalia Sarig’s 80-year-old father arrived at her home in Vienna after she had returned from a skiing trip.
He was there to pick up her stepsister, who had joined Sarig’s family on vacation.
She was convinced it would be her last meeting with her father, as their political differences were about to come to a head.
“I said goodbye. I hugged him,” she told Al Jazeera. “When I said goodbye, I said goodbye knowing that maybe I will not see him any more.”
Tensions with her Jewish family had been building for years. At 56, Sarig, a pro-Palestine activist, is at odds with most of her relatives.
Her parents adhere to Zionism, the nationalist political ideology that called for the creation of a Jewish state and is seen by Palestinians and their supporters as the system that underpins their suffering.
Sarig knew during that December meeting with her father that she intended to stage a pro-Palestine demonstration outside parliament in January that would be filmed by a local television station. The activist group she was a part of had put her forward for a broadcast interview. Appalled by Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and determined to speak up, she went ahead with it.
“The interview was broadcast and it immediately went to my family.”
She later heard that her father, who also lives in the Austrian capital, had told friends that “to him, I died”.
“But he never talked about it with me, he never reached out to me to tell me something like this. [He] just cut the relation.”
Her 77-year-old mother, who lives in Germany, messaged her a week later.
“I still have it here in my phone, saying, you know, ‘I will not accept your political activism. You’re a traitor, you are dirtying the nest … and should you change your political views, we can return to normal. Stay healthy.’”
She has not spoken with her parents since.
Family divides are not uncommon among Jewish families from the United States to Israel, but have become more entrenched since October 7, 2023.
On that day, Hamas, the group that governs the Gaza Strip, led an incursion into southern Israel during which 1,139 people were killed and more than 200 were taken captive. Since then, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 61,700 people in the enclave.
“I think one of the most interesting phenomena among the liberal Zionists is the fact, while the majority moved to the right because of October 7, a minority became even more disenchanted with Israel and Zionism,” the author and academic Ilan Pappe, a prominent critic of Zionism, told Al Jazeera.
Sarig’s ancestors fled Austria in 1938, the year of annexation by Nazi Germany, for Serbia. They later settled in Palestine under the British Mandate in what is now present-day Israel. But by the 1950s, most of her relatives had returned to Austria, where she was born.
As a child, she celebrated Jewish holidays while learning about Zionism from elders.
She was also told that Palestinians “are the enemies, they want to kill all the Jews … that the Jews living there [in Israel] wanted peace, but the Arabs did not”.
At 18, she moved to Israel, where, at her parents’ encouragement, she joined a leftist Zionist youth movement.
Over 13 years in Israel, she joined a kibbutz, served in the Israeli army in an office role, and married. But it was as she studied politics and Middle East history at Haifa University that her worldview began to change.
That’s where she met a Palestinian professor and later became an activist for Palestinian rights.
“It began on a lawn in an evening together with my Palestinian teacher, when he told me the story of his family that was displaced from a small village.
“I understood that what I have been told, the Zionist narrative, is wrong,” she said. “I started to think how he might feel, how he’s feeling, or how I might feel as a Palestinian living in a Jewish state where my ancestors were expelled.”
Back in Austria, her family would argue with her at gatherings, agree never to speak again on Palestine and Israeli politics, break their promises, and clash once again.
In 2015, she renounced her Israeli citizenship as a gesture against Zionism.
“It makes my activism easier,” Sarig said, on being disowned by some of her family. “I lost my Jewish community because I was considered at best, strange and weird, and at worst, a traitor.”
But being cut off from one’s family can take a toll on mental health, say experts.
‘My outlook hasn’t significantly changed since October 7’
According to Faissal Sharif, a neuroscientist and doctoral student at the University of Oxford, brain imaging studies have shown that “the experience of social isolation triggers activity in areas that would otherwise light up in response to physical pain”.
“In other words, social pain is not metaphorical – it is biologically real,” he told Al Jazeera.
Families, he said, often form “microcultures” with their own rules and positions on political issues.
“The betrayal felt when love and acceptance are made conditional upon silence or complicity in the genocide can be deeply wounding. In the context of Gaza, it adds an additional layer of trauma: not only is one bearing witness to mass suffering, but also paying a personal price for refusing to look away,” he said. “This leads to long-lasting stress and anxiety, which can reach clinical levels.”
To preserve relationships, he said families need to lead with “curiosity, not confrontation”.
“Especially when the topic is something as painful as war or genocide, facts alone won’t move people – naming the emotions underneath, like fear, guilt, or grief, often opens more space for real dialogue.”
Having such conversations isn’t easy.
Jonathan Ofir, a musician who was born in an Israeli kibbutz and emigrated to Denmark in the late 1990s, said that it was in 2009 that he realised he had “actually been indoctrinated into a propaganda that omitted a whole Palestinian viewpoint”. He read Pappe’s book, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, describing that experience as a “turning point” for him.
Around the same time, he read other Jewish and Palestinian writers who “challenged the Zionist narrative”.
“[But] I didn’t share this publicly and I didn’t share it with my family either.”
In 2014, though, during Israel’s war on Gaza – the third within seven years – he said he felt confident enough to express his critical views “outwards and publicly”.
More than 2,000 Palestinians – including 551 children – were killed during the 50-day conflict.
He took to Facebook to post an image of Israelis gathered on a hilltop near Sderot watching on as Gaza burned, a photograph that was featured in The New York Times.
Jonathan Ofir, a musician and writer, lives in Denmark and has family in Israel [Courtesy: Jonathan Ofir]
A relative soon wrote him an email that concluded by recommending that Ofir “stop posting on the internet”.
“It became this heated debate, but it very, very quickly stopped.”
Years later, he learned that his family in Israel had decided to avoid talking about politics around him “so as to not legitimise my political views”, he said.
After the October 7 attack, he checked on his extended family who lived near the site of the assault. But the incursion did not alter his position.
“My outlook hasn’t significantly changed. But something changed in the Israeli society. And in that sense, you could say we might be more distant politically.”
‘This is really the only issue nowadays’
Netherlands-based Daniel Friedman, 44, was raised in South Africa by his father, Steven, an academic and vocal critic of Zionism, and his mother, who was part of a circle of anti-Apartheid activists.
While his father remains an anti-Zionist, Friedman said that he and his mother have increasingly been clashing over Israel’s genocide in Gaza since late 2023.
“This is really the only issue nowadays” affecting the conversations and bonds within some Jewish communities, he said.
One of their earlier arguments regarded the debunked claims that Palestinian fighters raped women during the October 7 incursion. After several uneasy disputes, often battled out by ping-ponging various newspaper links to support their arguments on WhatsApp, they have agreed to stop talking about politics.
“I love her, but what I struggle with is that I’ve lost a lot of trust for her,” said Friedman.
Daniel Friedman, left, pictured with his friend Mark Henning at a pro-Palestine demonstration in Amsterdam in May 2024 [Courtesy: Daniel Friedman]
During a previous Israeli war on Gaza, his mother had signed a petition calling for a ceasefire, a move which saw her rejected by some family members. “I think that had quite a big effect,” he said. “She kind of went to the right.”
He said that he understands that for some, taking a stand means risking losing the support of a close community. He, however, chose to “cut a lot of people out of my life on purpose” after October 7, he said.
Back in Vienna, Sarig is busy organising a conference of Jewish anti-Zionists in June, featuring speakers such as Stephen Kapos, a UK-based Holocaust survivor, the American podcaster and commentator Katie Halper and Ronnie Barkan, a Jewish Israeli activist. Pappe too is expected to attend.
As the killings in Gaza continue, her focus, she said, is on the Palestinians trying to survive Israeli fire.
Everyone at Chelsea is aware that a lack of quality finishing and therefore goals is stopping the team from taking the next step.
Chelsea have missed 79 big chances this season, the second-highest total in the Premier League.
Last summer, they looked to sign a striker but could not get a deal over the line for then-Napoli forward Victor Osimhen because of his wage demands on deadline day.
The rest of the options on the market were not considered good enough to add to what existing forward Nicolas Jackson could offer.
After a fast start to the season, Jackson has had a difficult 2025, missing two months with injury and Sunday’s red card meaning his campaign is ending early.
Ten goals in 30 league games is underwhelming, but sources at the club say they remain happy with the £31m deal that brought him in from Villarreal.
Nevertheless, Chelsea feel having another goalscorer would have been enough to have already qualified Enzo Maresca’s side for next season’s Champions League.
Instead, they go into the final two Premier League matches – starting with Manchester United on Friday evening – with qualification into the riches of Europe’s competition in jeopardy.
Who will be Chelsea’s new striker?
The key question is which striker Chelsea will sign.
It is a challenge Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United are all facing this summer too.
None of Sporting’s Victor Gyokeres, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Ipswich’s Liam Delap, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike or even Napoli’s Victor Osimhen have been ruled out and all are considered quality options by the west London club.
Each one is being explored with pros, cons and likely competition being weighed up.
In Delap’s case, for example, he will be available for his £30m relegation release clause, which is a tantalising opportunity and one that has also attracted United to the race.
Osimhen and Gyokeres are both thought to be available for about £60m – but will command high wages.
Sesko and Gyokeres are also on the radar of new Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta. Liverpool, with Darwin Nunez likely to leave, as well as Champions League finalists Paris St-Germain are both expected to bring in a striker too.
Where else will be strengthened?
Getty Images
Forwards:
After a striker, Chelsea’s next priority is a right-footed left winger.
They are known to have expressed an interest in both Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens in January, but no offers were made.
They remain admirers of both players and have been tipped to make a move for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers – another option they like – but having signed a new contract in November, he may not be available unless the squeeze of Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules on Aston Villa’s high wage bill make it happen.
There is also the question of what is happening with both Jadon Sancho and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Chelsea insist a decision on Sancho will come at the end-of-season summit, with the club obligated to buy him for between £20m and £25m but with a £5m penalty clause available to avoid doing the deal.
Mudryk, meanwhile, remains provisionally banned from playing football after testing positive for a banned substance.
Defence:
Chelsea are also looking into signing a central defender and are known to be among the five clubs interested in Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen.
Real Madrid are reported to be Huijsen’s favoured option but there are questions over whether they will pay the £50m release clause.
They also admire Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who enters the last year of his contract this summer, but are cautious as they look at physical options to complement current players and compete with the injury prone but high-performing Wesley Fofana.
The Blues are not guaranteed to bring in a defender, having already signed Mamadou Sarr, 19, from partner club RC Strasbourg.
Experience:
There is an acceptance within the club that Chelsea’s squad lack natural leaders – with only Levi Colwill, still just 22, and potentially Enzo Fernandez, 24, fitting the bill.
Captain Reece James has worked hard to develop that side of his game but is naturally introverted, as is Moises Caicedo.
Youth:
Although Chelsea have trended towards younger signings, older players at a world-class level, with potential to add to the squad in other ways, will also be considered.
Coach Enzo Maresca said earlier this month that the club will “for sure” look to bring in experienced players “to close the gap” with champions Liverpool.
Chelsea have already signed a host of young players, including winger Estevao Willian for £29m, attacking midfielder Kendry Paez for £17m, goalkeeper Mike Penders for £17m and defensive midfielder Dario Essugo for £18.5m, for fees totalling over £150m.
Willian will come into the first-team squad after the Club World Cup, in which he will play for Palmeiras. Paez could go out on loan, Penders could either come into the squad or go on loan, and Essugo is seen as a back-up option for Caicedo.
Midfielder Andrey Santos is also expected to be recalled from his loan spell at Strasbourg to compete in midfield with Romeo Lavia and Fernandez.
Goalkeepers:
Many supporters are clamouring for a new goalkeeper this summer, with Robert Sanchez making five mistakes leading to goals, the joint-highest total in the Premier League.
Will there be new contracts or sales?
Getty Images
Chelsea have been planning for the summer window since September but will again evaluate the season after the Conference League final.
That final and possible Champions League qualification will be instructive in terms of their approach to contract renewals and player sales.
Sources at Stamford Bridge insist they are not concerned by PSR regulations in any outcome. They will receive between £40m and £97m for participating in the Club World Cup.
Famously, Chelsea’s unique approach to amortisation has players collectively under contract for almost 200 years, by far the most in the Premier League. No significant first-team players have deals that expire within three years.
It leaves Chelsea not required to renew contracts despite significant reports of talks being under way to agree a new contract with midfielder Caicedo.
Pay rises could be given to players whose current contract warrants it. The club considered Cole Palmer’s wage too far below the market rate, and opted to extend his contract to 2033 despite him having seven years left on his deal at the time.
Maresca always denies the club has a big squad but the reality is Chelsea have at least two players for every position and three in some places – as well as eight or nine senior players on loan and a very strong academy system running underneath.
So players will be sold to avoid creating unrest when signings in attack and defence are added.
Defender Trevoh Chalobah will be told he will either be a back-up option or can leave, while forward Christopher Nkunku has struggled this season and is attracting interest from abroad.
Chelsea are looking to sell a number of current loanees, including Ben Chilwell (Crystal Palace), Carney Chukwuemeka (Dortmund, although deemed too expensive by them), Armando Broja (Everton), Axel Disasi (Aston Villa), Kepa Arrizabalga (Bournemouth), Joao Felix (AC Milan), and Renato Veiga (Juventus).
Raheem Sterling, who is at Arsenal, will be asked to find a new club – but his £300,000-a-week wages could result in another loan move, with the wages partly covered by Chelsea.
There are also questions around whether big first-team names could leave.
Caicedo is considered untouchable, despite reports linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia, and is in the same category as Palmer.
The rest could all be sold at the right price but Chelsea typically request high fees even for players they do not want.
There is known interest from Real Madrid in Fernandez, for example, but sources insist they would ask more than the £107m they paid to Benfica in 2023 for the Argentina midfielder.
And then Chelsea continue to sign up the best teenage talent to populate their ‘academy’ sister club, Strasbourg, which play a similar style to Maresca’s first team with a view to some players moving into Chelsea’s squad in one or two years’ time.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, on Wednesday said no attack on internally displaced persons (IDP) camps has been recorded in the past month.
Yilwatda stated this on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, where he highlighted the Federal Government’s approach to humanitarian support.
“Security remains a critical factor in managing internally displaced persons. However, we have not received any formal report of attacks in the last month,” he said.
The minister reiterated that one of the primary challenges with the management of IDPs was the issue of security.
He also examined broader issues, stressing that the Federal Government was actively pursuing intervention programmes targeted at tackling multi-dimensional poverty across the country.
The minister said the government was especially focused on state and local government levels, aiming to ensure that support reaches those most in need.
He said that humanitarian support was often driven by external shocks such as conflicts, natural disasters, or displacements, not as a direct consequence of governance failure.
“The Federal Government is trying to do as much intervention as possible when it comes to multi-dimensional poverty indices at the state and local levels, but also empowering people coming out of poverty is a role the government plays heavily,” he said.
