Category Sports News

In the last 18 months, Joao Pedro has become Chelsea’s 18th forward under their current owners.

He joins Brighton in a deal worth £60 million, bringing their total annual spending on attackers to £560 million.

And Chelsea’s Club World Cup quarter-final with Palmeiras on Saturday in Philadelphia could have the 23-year-old in the lineup.

Joao Pedro has an eight-year long contract, which is typically acceptable for a Blues signing, but the club can no longer divide the cost of his move over the duration of the deal after the Premier League closes that loophole.

After leaving Watford for just under £30 million in 2023, which was a club record fee, the Fluminense youth product scored 30 goals in 70 games for Brighton.

Everyone is aware that this is a significant club with a long history, he said. You know when you play for Chelsea, you must think about winning, so I’m excited to join them. They used to have great players and still do today.

It was a “good move for all parties,” according to Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler.

“It’s a great deal for the club, and it’s a good return on a significant investment in a field where our attacking talent is already well-served,” he continued.

Joao will enjoy the opportunity to play Champions League football this year, and he will of course be eager to strengthen his position in Brazil ahead of the World Cup this summer.

Once Chelsea’s move for Gittens is approved, they will have added Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, and Gittens to a strong attack that includes Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku, Marc Guiu, and Tyrique George.

After winning the Club World Cup, Estevao Willian will also join the organization as he prepares to face Chelsea and Palmeiras on Sunday.

Chelsea may seem to be closing deals just for the sake of it, but there is a specific plan.

With Nkunku expected to leave, Joao Pedro’s signing is anticipated to increase competition for the positions nine and ten.

After failing to make a permanent impression while on loan at Manchester United, Gittens will take over as the left-winger. Additionally, Mykhailo Mudryk is still being temporarily suspended as a result of a failed drug test.

Delap joins Jackson at the number nine position because Chelsea last year struggled up front.

Although Chelsea won’t force any of the players out of their Club World Cup squad, they may make significant moves for Jackson or Madueke, who are not untouchable like Palmer is at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea currently has eight attackers playing four forward positions, but Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos, who frequently play as number 10s, are not to be forgotten.

Guiu and George, both 19, are still a young couple. They played a significant role in Chelsea’s Conference League campaign last year, but now that they are back in the Champions League, the squad needs to be stronger.

With the signing of Joao Pedro, Chelsea can now spend up to £1.32 billion on initial transfer fees under their current ownership, including this one.

When Joao Felix’s loan fee and potential additions are factored in, the club’s expected arrival would mean the club’s investment would be more than £1.5 billion in three years. Their net spend is £1.07 billion even after sales are taken into account.

In the first three transfer windows under the current owners, Chelsea spent the most money in the Premier League in terms of gross and net spend.

The club has been quiet for the past two winters, but they spent the most money again last summer, even though their net spend was only the seventh highest, and is on course to become the Premier League’s biggest spenders once more in the new year.

18 attacking players have been the target of more than £560 million, or 43%, of Chelsea’s guaranteed fee spending. Thirteen of those have so far had mixed results for the Blues.

Chelsea’s plan is to find new stars and sell on untapped talent for a profit by purchasing younger players for lower wages and spreading the costs over long-term contracts.

However, the Premier League’s decision to sell their women’s team to parent company BlueCo for £198.7m, a move that ultimately resulted in a profit for the organization, may determine how well they can further advance their ranks.

In addition to the Premier League spending regulations, Chelsea’s finances are being improved by participating in the Champions League and the Club World Cup run next year.

Former West Ham, Crystal Palace, and Wolves coach Edu Rubio:

Some might wonder, “Why this signing?” Joao Pedro, however, is exactly what Chelsea needed, in my opinion. He also qualifies as a young player with potential, of course, to generate more revenue in a future sale. However, he has been proven and tested, and he is not a gambler.

To assist the team in its attacks, he can come short, hold the ball, and link up play. In the final third, he can give Liam Delap more pockets and options for forward runs, which will stretch the opposition and give Chelsea more options and pockets.

Joao surpasses Nicolas Jackson in that final build-up in terms of presence. His ideal position is striker, but he also has the ability to play false nine, giving Enzo Maresca more options.

In his second year at the helm, Maresca hopes to build on the style and DNA that his off-the-ball and physicality will also support. Joao’s stats are impressive in terms of penalty kicks, assists, and open-play goals. He undoubtedly gives Chelsea a new, more competitive feel.

Queensland Reds: (12) 12

Flook Con: McLaughlin-Phillips, Toomaga-Allen,

British and Irish Lions (21), 52

In a comprehensive victory over the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, Tommy Freeman scored twice as the British and Irish Lions ran in eight tries.

The Lions opened the scoring with a 21-12 lead at the break, with Jeffery Toomaga-Allen and Josh Flook adding goals for the hosts, who had already started strong.

The Lions dominated the following game, but the Reds won the ball with Toomaga-Allen’s try and then regained it with Flook’s score.

Maro Itoje, the captain, put in a strong performance, and Jac Morgan, who put in the fifth, saw a significant improvement. Huw Jones broke away on his own, and Freeman added six more.

Six of the eight conversions were scored by Finn Russell (44) and his replacement Fin Smith (22) for the Lions, who won two games from two on Australian soil.

Elliot Daly, who suffered an arm injury in the second half, experienced some discomfort.

Hugo Keenan withdrew before kick-off with a medical condition, and Daly, one of the players for the trip, had joined the team.

The Lions struggled in the opening fight, while the Reds resurrected them with avengeance, with outstanding centre Hunter Paisami leading the charge.

Before the floodgates opened, The Lions had their issues, but they completely dominated the game from the beginning and were completely dominant from the beginning.

The tourists dropped the ball left, right, and center, wasting their time and letting them find their range.

There were forced passes and hesitant defense, as the saying goes. There was a botched restart reception. It wasn’t very good. In the first forty minutes, they knocked on the Reds eight times, some of which the hosts struggled to hold on to hold them.

The Reds received first blood when Paisami’s bust through the Lions’ midfielder gave them position, while some of his deep carries extended the Lions’ reach even further. Toomaga-Allen lunged and scored as the line arrived.

The Suncorp sounded like Reds on the march as Harry McLaughlin-Phillips banged over the extras.

When Daly turned Freeman over and Russell tied the deal, the Lions did not attempt to take control.

Instead, it served as the catalyst for another Reds try, which Porter had started by performing on the ground. Before Josh Flook’s grubber kick for Kalani Thomas down the left, Paisami was involved once more.

Flook stole the ball after Van der Merwe paused to deal with it, which Reds won 12-7.

The Lions game had plenty of missed opportunities, but eventually they started to make things stick and the desperation was apparent.

Ronan Kelleher, Porter’s Leinster and Ireland front-row pal, tipped him over after a close-range tap penalty. Russell reverted.

With the assistance of Jack Conan and Ollie Chessum, Van der Merwe then completed a fantastic move in the corner. Russell started the conversion from Caxton Street, about an hour away. a pearler

The Lions had a 21-12 lead at the break. Better or worse, perhaps.

When Jamison Gibson-Park’s smart work drew the heat and then slipped an inside pass for Itoje to crash over, things started to get better in the first half.

Russell, who had his eyes closed, could have kicked them over. Lions won, 28-12. Getting there

At that point, Farrell made significant adjustments, reversing both his half-backs and his front-row.

The Russell-Gibson-Park axis produced more than enough fireworks to get people excited, but not many.

The rest is red in the sea. Morgan ran over from an Alex Mitchell pass, making his strongest statement, which he did. The Reds could not handle the Lions’ intensity at this point.

Morgan and Freeman both had a significant lead at the start of that play, but Jones jumped out after him with a daft chip and ran more than half the pitch to score.

Ringrose scampering over to bring up the half-century in the final breath.

The Lions had a good night’s work, but Daly’s image of him in pain came afterward was troubling.

Replacements: Henry, Blake, Fa’agase, Smith, Blyth, Vest, and Nasser.

Daly, Freeman, Jones, Aki, Van der Merwe, Russell, Gibson-Park, Porter, Kelleher, Stuart, Itoje (capt), Chessum, Curry, Morgan, Conan, and other Irish Lions.

Paul Williams (New Zealand) is the assistant referee.

Referee 2 assistant: New Zealand’s Ben O’Keeffe

New Zealand’s Glenn Newman TMO

Queensland Reds: (12) 12

Flook Con: McLaughlin-Phillips, Toomaga-Allen,

British and Irish Lions (21), 52

In a comprehensive victory over the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, Tommy Freeman scored twice as the British and Irish Lions ran in eight tries.

The Lions opened the scoring with a 21-12 lead at the break, with Jeffery Toomaga-Allen and Josh Flook adding goals for the hosts, who had already started strong.

The Lions dominated the following game, but the Reds won the ball with Toomaga-Allen’s try and then regained it with Flook’s score.

Maro Itoje, the captain, put in a strong performance, and Jac Morgan, who put in the fifth, saw a significant improvement. Huw Jones broke away on his own, and Freeman added six more.

Six of the eight conversions were scored by Finn Russell (44) and his replacement Fin Smith (22) for the Lions, who won two games from two on Australian soil.

Elliot Daly, who suffered an arm injury in the second half, experienced some discomfort.

Hugo Keenan withdrew before kick-off with a medical condition, and Daly, one of the players for the trip, had joined the team.

The Lions struggled in the opening fight, while the Reds resurrected them with avengeance, with outstanding centre Hunter Paisami leading the charge.

Before the floodgates opened, The Lions had their issues, but they completely dominated the game from the beginning and were completely dominant from the beginning.

The tourists dropped the ball left, right, and center, wasting their time and letting them find their range.

There were forced passes and hesitant defense, as the saying goes. There was a botched restart reception. It wasn’t very good. In the first forty minutes, they knocked on the Reds eight times, some of which the hosts struggled to hold on to hold them.

The Reds received first blood when Paisami’s bust through the Lions’ midfielder gave them position, while some of his deep carries extended the Lions’ reach even further. Toomaga-Allen lunged and scored as the line arrived.

The Suncorp sounded like Reds on the march as Harry McLaughlin-Phillips banged over the extras.

When Daly turned Freeman over and Russell tied the deal, the Lions did not attempt to take control.

Instead, it served as the catalyst for another Reds try, which Porter had started by performing on the ground. Before Josh Flook’s grubber kick for Kalani Thomas down the left, Paisami was involved once more.

Flook stole the ball after Van der Merwe paused to deal with it, which Reds won 12-7.

The Lions game had plenty of missed opportunities, but eventually they started to make things stick and the desperation was apparent.

Ronan Kelleher, Porter’s Leinster and Ireland front-row pal, tipped him over after a close-range tap penalty. Russell reverted.

With the assistance of Jack Conan and Ollie Chessum, Van der Merwe then completed a fantastic move in the corner. Russell started the conversion from Caxton Street, about an hour away. a pearler

The Lions had a 21-12 lead at the break. Better or worse, perhaps.

When Jamison Gibson-Park’s smart work drew the heat and then slipped an inside pass for Itoje to crash over, things started to get better in the first half.

Russell, who had his eyes closed, could have kicked them over. Lions won, 28-12. Getting there

At that point, Farrell made significant adjustments, reversing both his half-backs and his front-row.

The Russell-Gibson-Park axis produced more than enough fireworks to get people excited, but not many.

The rest is red in the sea. Morgan ran over from an Alex Mitchell pass, making his strongest statement, which he did. The Reds could not handle the Lions’ intensity at this point.

Morgan and Freeman both had a significant lead at the start of that play, but Jones jumped out after him with a daft chip and ran more than half the pitch to score.

Ringrose scampering over to bring up the half-century in the final breath.

The Lions had a good night’s work, but Daly’s image of him in pain came afterward was troubling.

Replacements: Henry, Blake, Fa’agase, Smith, Blyth, Vest, and Nasser.

Daly, Freeman, Jones, Aki, Van der Merwe, Russell, Gibson-Park, Porter, Kelleher, Stuart, Itoje (capt), Chessum, Curry, Morgan, Conan, and other Irish Lions.

Paul Williams (New Zealand) is the assistant referee.

Referee 2 assistant: New Zealand’s Ben O’Keeffe

New Zealand’s Glenn Newman TMO

Loum Tchaouna, a France Under-21 winger, has been signed by Burnley from Lazio.

The 21-year-old, who competed in the European Under-21 Championship this summer, has signed for a five-year deal for a reportedly estimated £13 million.

Axel Tuanzebe, Quilindschy Hartman, and goalkeeper Max Weiss have already joined Scott Parker’s side since winning the Premier League, making Tchaouna their fourth summer signings.

Tchaouna said, “I spoke with the manager during the Euros this summer, and we had a really good conversation.

Tchaouna made his senior Rennes debut in September 2021, before spending time at Salernitana, Lazio, and Dijon.

Toko Koga, a young Japan defender, has been signed by Tottenham from Feyenoord.

Koga, 19, will wear the 32 shirt until June 2029 and has reached a deal.

She first competed in the Dutch top flight at the age of 18 and has been with Feyenoord since January 2024.

As Japan won the 2025 SheBelieves Cup in February, Koga won her country’s winning goal against the United States under the direction of former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, who also won the tournament.

Koga is thought to have been identified in a pre-season friendly played at their training facility last year, despite the women’s Super League placing them 11th overall in 2024-25.

Since then, the club has monitored her progress and set her as a transfer target.

Robert Vilahamn, the head coach of Spurs, was fired in June after two years in charge.