Chelsea's Big Six rivals swoop for two academy targets as club feel impact of sanction

Chelsea supporters have hit out at Jamie Carragher for his Monday Night Football rant about their club - but fans of rival teams have rushed to support him.Liverpool hero Carragher said last week that United should try and tempt Thomas Tuchel to Old Trafford amid the uncertainly at Stamford Bridge.Having told presenter David Jones that he was had some heated conversations with Chelsea fans at their ground on Sunday - he explained why he believes they were being hypocritical.His views have been panned by Chelsea followers on social media, but supporters of others think he couldn't have been more accurate.One Twitter user wrote: "Carragher and Gary Neville need a brain scan. Not because there's anything wrong with their brains, just to check if they even have one."With a second adding: "Carragher has just done a MASSIVE disservice to the unbelievable work the academy does."A third said: "Carragher just lost the little bit respect Chelsea fans had for him.

Jamie Carragher has hit back after being slammed for suggesting Chelsea's rivals should try and take advantage of the current uncertainty surrounding Roman Abramovich. The 55-year-old confirmed his plans to walk away from the Blues earlier this month - just days before he was slapped with sanctions by the UK Government in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Chelsea fans following a bizarre piece of defending against Newcastle.With the club looking for a vital winning goal with only 30 minutes remaining, the ball rolled towards the Chelsea touchline with Miguel Almiron giving chase.Instead of just tapping the ball back to Edouard Mendy without fuss, the German international defender did a hop, skip and jump to the bemusement of supporters.After going on to win 1-0 thanks to a piece of brilliance from Kai Havertz, the actions of Rudiger seemed more entertaining - with many reacting on social media.One fan wrote on Twitter: "He wants to become a logo or something."With a second asking: "What goes through Rudiger’s mind man."A third continued: "Nearly all Chelsea fans look forward to some gimmick like this from Rudiger every matchday."With a fourth concluding: "Who doesn’t love watching this man play for my club."Would Antonio Rudiger be the biggest loss to Chelsea this summer? Give us your thoughts in the comments sectionDespite the love for Rudiger from supporters, he could leave the club on a free transfer this summer if current rules regarding spending are not altered.Thomas Tuchel said of his defender earlier in the season: "We absolutely accept and are fully aware of the importance of Toni and the role that he’s playing on and off the pitch."There is no doubt about that."It’s true that nobody is bigger than the club and this is a team effort and a strong club. "It’s not only about Toni and I mean that in the best way because we know what he’s doing and we’re fully aware of it."In the end, we need a bit of patience.

Thomas Tuchel has insisted he'll "drive a seven-seater" if that's what it takes to ensure Chelsea fulfil their Champions League fixture with Lille on Wednesday night.The Blues were slapped with a number of restrictions this week following the UK Government's decision to sanction club owner Roman Abramovich and freeze his assets.Among the limitations, the European champions have been prohibited from spending any more than £20,000 on travel to any away fixture.Some Chelsea fans joked in the week that the club's squad may have to take the Megabus to France to fulfil their Champions League clash with Lille, but Tuchel has himself pitched an alternative means of transport.Following the Blues 1-0 success over Newcastle on Sunday, the German addressed the uncertainty surrounding travel arrangements and quipped that he would "drive a seven-seater" himself in order to ensure Chelsea played the second leg."My last information is we have a plane and we can go by plane and come back by plane," Tuchel declared."If not we go by train, if not by bus, if not I will drive a seven-seater.Will Chelsea make it through to the Champions League quarter-finals this week? Give us your thoughts in the comments section"If you asked me 30 years ago if I could join a Champions League match at the sideline, I'd say when do I need to be there and how do I need to be there."The Blues hold a 2-0 advantage heading into the second leg with Lille, courtesy of strikes from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic at Stamford Bridge, three weeks' ago.Despite uncertainty surrounding his future, Tuchel was clearly in a jovial mood after Havertz hit a superb late winner against the Magpies on Sunday.Discussing said future, the Chelsea manager confirmed he would stay

Do you think Chelsea will be able to complete the season despite their current financial restraints? Let us know in the comments section.Mason Mount has become an integral part of this Chelsea squad since breaking through under Frank Lampard.Since Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge, his status as the Blues' main man has only heightened - and it's fair to say the German has a lot of trust in his English superstar.So much so, that he took a risk for this game and deployed Mount in an unfamiliar deeper role, with Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz given the nod to form an attacking trio.That meant Mount played in a three-man midfield alongside N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, but Tuchel's tactical switch-up saw the Three Lions star endure a frustrating afternoon.He got forward on occasions - and was close to opening the scoring in the first half - but he wasn't able to have a huge impact on the game.Indeed, Mount was replaced in the 63rd minute after enduring a difficult afternoon. Romelu Lukaku's recent struggles have been well documented - but Chelsea could have done with the big Belgian on the pitch for longer than 30 minutes.

Thomas Tuchel could leave the club. The UK Government this week froze the assets of Blues owner Roman Abramovich due to his association to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who launched an invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago.

Chelsea for the foreseeable future with those close with the player blasting recent suggestions of a move away as ‘bulls***t.’ Reports in Italy emerged last week purporting that the Blues striker was hoping to forge a move back to Inter Milan even if it meant a lower salary. But the Daily Star has been told that such reports are not true, with a source close to the player slamming the stories as ‘bullsh**t to sell papers.’ Reports had suggested that the former Everton attacker was willing to lower his wages in order to jump ship back to Inter, but this has been vehemently denied by those close to Lukaku, with his eyes firmly set on continuing his second tenure at Chelsea.

Chelsea - even though he is blameless. With Blues owner Roman Abramovich sanctioned by the UK government on Thursday in response to Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine, the club’s future is up in the air with all of the oligarch’s British assets frozen.

Former Liverpool and Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch has called on Manchester United to hire 'top, top manager' Thomas Tuchel.

Thomas Tuchel and Ralf Rangnick could reunite at Manchester United 25 years on from their first meeting. The Red Devils have been urged to poach Tuchel amid Chelsea's crisis and make him their next manager as Rangnick moves to a boardroom role at the end of the season.Although it looks an unlikely option, the pair are more than just Premier League counterparts.They share a relationship which stretches back to 1997, when Rangnick took charge of German side Ulm 1846.Amongst his squad was defender Tuchel, who one year later had to cut his playing career short aged 25 due to a chronic knee cartilage injury.Desperate for money, he had to ditch football for a change in careers.Tuchel told The Telegraph: "Overcoming my pride to go into a bar, because now we can talk and laugh about it, but taking the first step to admitting I needed to earn some extra money and to step out there and to, on one day, go into 10 or 12 cafes and bars to ask, ‘do you need some help, I would love to’.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich the ‘green light’ to press ahead with the sale of the Stamford Bridge outfit.Abramovich has been sanctioned due to his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his assets have been frozen.However, The Athletic have revealed that talks between Raine, who are the US bank in charge of selling the Blues, and the government have been held and the process of selling the club can now resume.They go on to state that the club are confident that they can get a deal over the line within the ‘next four to six weeks’ due to the high levels of interest from potential buyers.Chelsea are currently operating under a ‘special licence’ which means that staff are still being paid and season ticket holders are still able to attend home fixtures.However, the club are not able to sell tickets (home and away), sell merchandise, buy or sell players and they are also unable to negotiate contracts with players already on their books.Thus, some of their star players could now leave at the end of the season as their current deals are coming to a close.Understandably, the sanctions on Abramovich has shaken Chelsea. But Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has continued to be open about the situation and has even confirmed his desire to remain in the Stamford Bridge dugout despite the ongoing saga, says the Telegraph.

Chelsea are in for a tumultuous future following the UK government’s sanctions against the club and owner Roman Abramovich.The billionaire oligarch previously announced his plans to sell Chelsea given his alleged relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin, but was dealt a huge blow on Thursday after heavy restrictions were placed on the club.Sale of the west London side may still be permitted if certain criteria are met, but the Blues face huge uncertainty following a ban on offering players contract extensions.That means a whopping 10 Chelsea players could end up leaving at the end of this season if the restrictions remain in place.Daily Star Sport looks at how Thomas Tuchel’s side may shape up ahead of an uncertain campaign next season.Chelsea are not likely to be impacted too severely when it comes to the goalkeeper position.Primary shot-stopper Edouard Mendy is under contract until 2025.Meanwhile, recent Carabao Cup villain Kepa Arrizabalaga also has another three years left on his contract, while third-choice Marcus Bettinelli will be with the Blues until 2023.Do you think Chelsea will finish in the top four next season with their current restrictions? Let us know in the comments section.Defence is undoubtedly the area where Chelsea will suffer the most if the restrictions remain in place.Long-time servant and captain Cesar Azpilicueta will walk away for free at the end of this season, along with stalwart centre-backs Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.All three have been regulars under Tuchel this campaign but will leave under the current measures after the club failed to make them commit to new contracts.That would mean youngsters Trevor Chalobah and Malang Sarr having to step up to cover for their

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel isn't going to quit the club amid reports linking him with the Manchester United job this week, in spite of the current turmoil around Stamford Bridge.Earlier today it was announced that Blues owner Roman Abramovich's UK-based assets had been frozen, plunging the European Champions into financial peril.The 55-year-old announced last week that he had decided to sell the club in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but has now been banned from doing any business in the UK by the government.Despite Chelsea's uncertain long-term future, it's understood that Tuchel has no intention of leaving.Sources close to the German claim he "loves" working for the club - but warned that he may consider his future depending on who the new owners turn out to be, and how they choose to run Chelsea.Ministers are apparently open to the idea of allowing Abramovich to sell the club providing he doesn't benefit financially from the sale.The Russian pledged to donate the net proceeds of the sale to "all victims of the war in Ukraine", though it isn't clear whether he'll still have any authority to do this with the British government now in charge of overseeing the process.Will Thomas Tuchel be Chelsea manager next season? Let us know what you think in think in the comments section...Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox - don't miss a thing.It only takes a matter of seconds.Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.And that's it, job done.

Chelsea gave their fans something to be positive about after an alarming few days with a 3-1 victory over Norwich City at Carrow Road.It took the Blues just three minutes to open the scoring with Trevoh Chalobah flicking home a Mason Mount corner.The assister turned scorer just 11 minutes later when Mount rounded off a neat passing move by Chelsea and fired past Tim Krul in emphatic style.Teemu Pukki did give Norwich a glimmer of hope when he scored from the penalty spot following a handball by Chalobah to make it 2-1, but that goal gave Chelsea the lift that they needed to put their foot back on the gas.Kai Havertz then rounded off a brilliant individual performance by swivelling on the edge of the box and smashing a fierce strike into the top corner.Tuchel will certainly be pleased with how his side dispatched of the East Anglian outfit, but what did the German boss himself get right on the night?Although Norwich are bottom of the Premier League and all but relegated, Tuchel deserves praise for how he orchestrated a fairly dominant performance amidst all the drama at the club.With owner Roman Abramovich’s assets all frozen and thus the club sanctioned, the implications of that will have taken its toll on the preparations of the squad.Cesar Azpilicueta even admitted before kick-off that the build-up to the game was significantly abnormal, so the entire team so warrant praise.Chelsea well and truly exploited the serious lack of pace in the Norwich defence.Balls in behind caused the Canaries a world of issues and it was clear from the off that this was a tactical decision by Tuchel, and it proved effective.The Blues often overload the wide areas and make use of their attacking-minded wingbacks, and the way that Cesar

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel insists he's turning a blind eye to the chaos currently consuming the club in light of the sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich.The billionaire owner has had all of his UK-based assets frozen and has been banned from doing any business in the country as the government continues its crackdown on Russian businessman with alleged ties to the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin.In light of the sanctions, the Blues are no longer allowed to sell match-day tickets or any merchandise, and have been banned from buying and selling any players until the issue is resolved. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's game against Norwich on Thursday, Tuchel insisted that he and his players are focusing on matters on the pitch, rather than anything off it."[The situation] changes almost every day.

Chelsea fans were booed as they showed support for Roman Abramovich during their Premier League clash against Norwich City.The Blues owner, 55, has been sanctioned by the government as Boris Johnson performs a crackdown on high-ranking Russian oligarchs with assets in the UK.As a result, Abramovich has had his assets seized, including Chelsea, with a temporary ban on the club selling merchandise and tickets.But still regarded in high esteem by the Blues faithful, travelling Chelsea supporters showed their support for the man who has helped them claim 17 major trophies since taking ownership in 2003.The travelling contingent were heard chanting "Roman Abramovich" as the teams took to the field at Carrow Road.Though the chant was met with a chorus of boos by the home supporters as well as a jibe of their own at the Russian businessman."Chelsea get bankrupt everywhere they go," quipped the Norwich fans in response.Though the boisterous atmosphere was short-lived.In an attempt to better their 7-0 scoreline from October, Thomas Tuchel's side quickly asserted their dominance and sprung into a two-goal lead.HAVE YOUR SAY! Is it wrong for Chelse fans to chant about Roman Abramovich? Let us know in the comments section.Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox - don't miss a thing.It only takes a matter of seconds.Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.And that's it, job done.

Chelsea this summer with sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich by the UK government blocking the club from offering up new contracts.Abramovich was among seven Russian oligarchs to have their assets frozen on Thursday (March 10) - bringing the overall tally of individuals and entities to more than 200.The news means that only season ticket holders will be able to attend upcoming fixtures as well as those with previously purchased ticket holders, with further blocks on the sale of any merchandise, player transfers and new contracts.One of the biggest concerns at the club will be losing millions in playing talent for nothing come the end of the season - including three key first-team stars.With the club no longer able to offer up new contracts, it means that five players will be forced to leave in the summer with their deals coming to an end.As well as former youth prospect Charley Musonda, who hasn't played for the club since 2017/18, Saul Niguez will return to Atletico Madrid following a season-long loan.More worryingly, club captain Cesar Azpilicueta could be forced to undergo a painful departure following a decade in west London.Which player would be the biggest loss to Chelsea? Give us your thoughts in the comments sectionThe Spain international defender has played a key role in the recent success under Thomas Tuchel, having won a total of nine trophies including two Premier League titles and the Champions League, and has been strongly linked with a switch to Barcelona.Andreas Christensen could also leave the club for free after talks over a new contract stalled over the past few months following a strong start to the season.The biggest loss might well be that of Antonio Rudiger - who has been one of the best defenders

Chelsea may well have had their summer transfer plans scuppered by new UK government sanctions on Roman Abramovich.The Blues have been hit hard after their owner had his assets frozen in a crackdown on seven Russian oligarchs.As well as Abramovich not being able to sell the club, they will not be able to make merchandise revenue, sell tickets or hand out new contracts.And perhaps most heartbreaking for fans is that they have been banned from signing new players.The sanctions are in place until May 31, 2022 - and it remains unclear what will happen after that date.Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea were due to splash the cash once the window opens - but here are 10 transfer targets they may no longer be able to buy ahead of next season.Having been heavily pursued last summer, Kounde was set to be the Stamford Bridge hierarchy's first order of business this summer.They were already reportedly working on a deal to sign the Sevilla defender, who now looks likely to stay in La Liga.Chelsea fans - which one hurts the most? Let us know in the comments section.Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox - don't miss a thing.It only takes a matter of seconds.Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.And that's it, job done.

Manchester United supporters are pleading with the club to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger following news that Blues owner Roman Abramovich has been placed under strict UK sanctions.

Chelsea in the future with three defenders out of contract in the summer.Poyet suggested the "strange problem" is why Thomas Tuchel's side aren't competing with Manchester City and Liverpool this season.The Uruguayan said: "I think it's just a problem with time; perhaps that goes some way to explaining why Chelsea aren't up there with Man City and Liverpool."Too many new players have come in...the club now finds itself in a position where three of their main defenders have contracts expiring this summer."That's very strange for a club like Chelsea."Poyet, who was speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes at the launch of its 5-A-Side bet on Chelsea v Newcastle, continued."The problem with that, is that every single player reacts differently when they're in the last few months of their contract and they don't know where they're going to be next season."I'm not saying it's a conscious effort made by players to just stop trying."And I'm not saying every player takes it easy; it's an unconscious thing. What do you think of Poyet's comments? Let us know in the comments section "There were rumours last week that Christensen was sorting a deal with Barcelona."Can you really go and play in the next game, if you've just been negotiating all week with another club?"Currently, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and César Azpilicueta's contracts are all up in the summer.The three could be joined out of the door by Saul Niguez - whose loan is up - and Charly Musonda, who is also out of contract.

Newcastle United have entered the race to sign Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger but won't be smashing their wage structure to seal his signature.