CHELSEA are back in training as the return of the Premier League draws closer.
And the Blues may have had a boost on the transfer front with Barcelona putting their entire squad up for sale, including the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho.
Follow all the latest updates from Stamford Bridge below…
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OL SHOW YOU
Olivier Giroud proved to Karim Benzema he is no “go kart” by rocking up at Chelsea training in a stunning Ferrari.
The Blues frontman was on the receiving end of a harsh jibe from his French compatriot in March.
Real Madrid's Benzema slammed comparisons between the two strikers – by suggesting the gulf between them is like that of a Formula One car against a go kart.
Giroud, however, is the first-choice central striker for Didier Deschamps as he closes in on 100 caps.
And the Blues man, 33, proved he has plenty of class off the pitch, too, with his stylish arrival at Cobham.
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NEU ERA
Manuel Neuer has signed a new contract at Bayern Munich in a major blow to Chelsea.
The Blues had hoped to bring the German legend to Stamford Bridge to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer.
Neuer, 34, was expected to quit Bayern this summer after the club controversially brought in Alexander Nubel as his long-term replacement in January.
But the German's new deal will see him surely end his career at the Allianz Arena – as he will be aged 37 by the time his deal expires.
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WAR OF THE MOSES
Victor Moses is facing an uncertain future at Chelsea with the winger set to be dumped by Inter Milan after his flop loan spell.
The Nigerian has struggled to hold down a first-team place while in Italy, making just seven appearances, mostly as a substitute.
The 29-year-old has also had injury problems, failing to stay fit and not being a major part of Antonio Conte's starting plans.
It is understood Inter have made an enquiry to Chelsea and were told he would cost around £10.75m to seal a permanent transfer.
But the Italian club would only be willing to pay around £6m due to financial constraints related to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Conte is a big fan of Moses and could ask his old club whether they can take him back on loan for the whole of next year.
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COUT ON HIS OWN
Chelsea target Philippe Coutinhois back training on his own for Bayern Munich as the German giants consider extending his deal, according to reports.
The Brazilian is on loan with the Bundesliga giants from Barcelona and is recovering from an ankle injury which he had surgery on in April.
Coutinho was due to return to the Nou Camp at the end of the season but Bayern are considering extending his stay on a short term basis until the Champions League is finished, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
But despite the brief respite, the Bundesliga giants are not expected to make his move permanent and his Barcelona future also looks in doubt.
Latest reports suggest Bayern have offered Manchester City star Leroy Sane Coutinho's No10 shirt and a bumper pay rise in a bid to land him in the next transfer window.
The Bavarianshave been desperate to sign the German winger, 24, since last summer, before his season-ending injury in August's Community Shield.
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YOUNG OFFENDERS
Chelsea reminded two members of staff of their responsibilities after they reportedly broke lockdown rules to sign two eight-year-olds.
Saturday was the first day clubs could sign players for under-9 football next season and the West Londoners are said to have flaunted lockdown rules in order to get there first.
Pictures reportedly seen by Football London appear to show the Blues' local head of recruitment and another member of staff enter the youngsters' homes to sign deals.
The club had planned to deliver the contracts in hard copy and exchange at a safe distance, according to the Standard.
Clubs are often in a hurry to snap up the best young talent but other London clubs are said to have acted in a more professional manner by recruiting youth players over Skype, Facetime and Zoom.
A scout at one of Chelsea's rival clubs called the move “disrespectful” and some reportedly view it as a move to get ahead in the “very competitive market” for kids currently in year three at school.
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COUT ABOVE
Chelsea and Man Utd have been urged to make a move for Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho by Owen Hargreaves.
The former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder believes the Brazilian would be a welcome addition back to the Premier League.
Speaking on BT Sport, the 39-year-old said: “I love his game, I love him as a player.
“He is obviously going though a bit of a tough time after leaving Liverpool.
“Barca didn’t work and Bayern hasn’t really worked, but there is still plenty of time and I would never count him out.
“I would love to see him back in the Premier League. He makes a lot of teams better.
“Premier League teams are probably the only ones with the capacity to sign him and, let’s be honest, when he was here he was a dream to watch.
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PHIL TO THE BRIM
Chelsea have been handed a huge boost in the race to land Philippe Coutinho after Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick cast doubt over the Brazilian's long-term future in Germany.
The Brazilian playmaker was left out of the Bavarians squad for their 2-0 win over Union Berlin following a setback he suffered from an ankle injury.
The 27-year-old now faces a fight to be fit for the rest of Bayern's games before he finishes his season-long loan from Barcelona.
The Bundesliga champs have the option to make Coutinho's move permanent but have so far seemed unwilling to meet Barca's £100million price tag.
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PARD UP FOR CASH
Frank Lampard snubbed the chance to be Ipswich boss – because they had no money.
His uncle Harry Redknapp revealed the current Chelsea chief was offered the Tractor Boys’ hotseat before he took over at Derby two years ago.
Redknapp said: “I got him the job at Ipswich.
“I phoned Marcus Evans and said ‘Listen you need a manager, Frank Lampard’s your man.’
“He met him, loved him, offered him the job. Frank said ‘Harry, they’ve got no budget, it’s difficult there. I can’t bring any players in. What can I do?’
“I said ‘It’s a great club, Ipswich, Frank but you’re going to need a bit of help. You ain’t got a magic wand.’
“Then suddenly the Derby job became available and I rang Mel Morris. He’s got a house up the road from me and I get on ever so well with him.
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OUT OF THE BLUE
Chelsea great Michael Essien has revealed he almost signed for rivals LIVERPOOL instead.
Essien recalled: “I had a lot of offers when I was at Bastia. I was close to signing for Liverpool when Gerard Houllier was their coach.
“I even went to Melwood to meet the coach. We had a talk, and I returned to France.
“But the offers were still coming – from PSG, Marseille.
“However I told Bastia I didn't want to move, and they also didn't want to sell me. They wanted me to stay another year.
“That was fine with me. I didn't want to leave the club, so I stayed for my third year with them.
“Lyon joined the three aforementioned clubs to enquire about me. I thought it was too early for me to move to England.”
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DOR OPEN
Jadon Sancho remains likely to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer with Manchester United at the front of the queue ahead of Chelsea, according to reports.
The 20-year-old has persistently been linked with a move away from Signal Iduna Park this season – but the financial effect of the coronavirus has changed the financial dynamics of every club in Europe.
Ed Woodward himself last month warned of the changes that fans would see in the transfer market this summer.
But according to The Athletic, the Red Devils are still in contact with Borussia Dortmund and a deal remains likely.
Speaking on the Ornstein & Chapman Podcast, the former said: “Sancho was expecting to move this summer and there’s still a very high chance that will happen.
“There’s an understanding between Sancho and Borussia Dortmund that if the right price arrives that he can go and there’s no expectation that Dortmund wouldn’t honour that, they’re said to be very honourable in these sort of situations.
“They’re looking for no less than €120million [£107m], some say to me no less than €130m [£116m] and that certainly the figure that they want is around what they received or agreed for Ousmane Dembele.”
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PLAY ON
Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin is “absolutely sure” fans will be back in stadiums “very soon” despite fears football faces 12 months of being played behind-closed-doors.
When asked why he felt the disease would not impact football in the long-run, Ceferin told The Guardian: “It's a serious situation but it is going down now and we are being more cautious.
“We know more about the virus and in general I'm an optimistic person.
“I don't like this apocalyptic view that we have to wait for the second and third waves or even a fifth wave … people you know are likely to die one day, but do we have to be worried today? I don't think so.
“We are ready and we will follow the recommendations of the authorities but I'm absolutely sure, personally, that good old football with fans will come back very soon.”
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OUT OF THE BLUE
Roberto Carlos has revealed that he came “very close” to joining Chelsea in 2007.
He told Goal: “I had two proposals, Fenerbahce and Chelsea. Chelsea didn't work out so I signed for Fenerbahce.
“But, with Chelsea, it got very close. It was literally agreed and I just had to go there and sign the contract.
“It was just a week before I signed for Fenerbahce and I had been to Paris to meet both Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon.
“Unfortunately, in the final moments something didn't work out just before finalising, which happens a lot in football. There was an issue with the lawyer.
“It was all agreed, though, and I am 100 per cent sure I would have done well in the Premier League and it would have suited my characteristics.”
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N'GOLO TOUPEE
Chelseafans couldn't believe their eyes when N'Golo Kante rocked up to training with a full head of HAIR.
The midfielder, 29, has only ever been seen with a shaved head since he made the move to England back in 2015.
The likes of Manchester United duo Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial decided to brave the shave while on lockdown.
But Kante clearly resisted the urge to give himself a haircut at home before he made his return to Cobham.
Chelsea's squad returned to training on Tuesday in small groups as they prepare for the return of the Premier League.
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LEFT HIGH AND DRI
Chelsea have been handed a huge blow by reports that Dries Mertens has agreed a new three-year deal to remain at Napoli.
The Belgian was the subject of concrete interest from the Blues back in January, but a move failed to materialise.
Frank Lampard was said to be interested in returning for the 33-year-old this summer when his contract expires on June 30.
But he faced competition from former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who had offered Mertens a three-year deal worth £170,000 a week to join Inter Milan.
According to the Guardian, Napoli could not match their Serie A rivals' proposal but nevertheless have convinced the attacker to remain at the club.
The report adds that Mertens has agreed a £140k a week extension to remain at the San Paolo Stadium and will also receive a £2.2million signing-on bonus.
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ON VIRG OF GREATNESS
Chelsea are leading the chase for highly-rated Dutch teen Xavier Mbuyamba from Barcelona.
That’s according to the agent of the 18-year-old centre-half, who has been compared to a young Virgil van Dijk.
Mbuyamba moved to the Nou Camp last summer from MVV Maastricht in his homeland but his representative confirmed he is already looking to continue his development.
Carlos Barros told Voetbal International: “Almost all major clubs in Europe have asked about Xavier.
“Real Madrid are also there, they are serious about their youth system, but that would of course be a sensitive switch. Juventus and Inter are interested, as are top clubs from Germany and England.
“Chelsea have the best papers. Of course we discussed this extensively last year. Chelsea gave a fantastic presentation. There is a unique football atmosphere there.”
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SANCH A LOT
Chelsea may get Jadon Sancho in a bargain deal due to the coronavirus pandemic crippling transfer fees.
The England winger, 20, was valued in excess of £100m by the German giants – but his valuation could be cut due to the ongoing health crisis.
As reported by Football London, a senior figure at Borussia Dortmund has acknowledged that “expectations of high fees will go down”.
Head of sales, marketing and business development Carsten Cramer said: “Usually at this time of year the squad for next season is already done. Maybe you sell some players but the plans are done.
“Everyone has to be as flexible as possible. I'm very sure the business on loan will become of higher relevance than periods before and for sure it will take a longer time to plan your squad.
“I'm very, very sure that not on July 1 or even August 1 your team is done. Flexibility is very important, patience will be important.
“I'm very sure the expectations of high fees will go down as well.”
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TOP DROG
Didier Drogba revealed how Chelsea's squad used Andre Villas-Boas' sacking to inspire them to Champions League glory.
Villas-Boas was axed by Chelsea in March 2012 after spending less than year a charge of the Premier League giants.
In a series of posts on Twitter, Drogba admitted the players felt “partly responsible” for his premature departure.
After John Terry, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech addressed the group in a meeting, they went on to lift the silverware that season.
Drogba tweeted: “Eight years ago, the manager had been sacked by the club and we, the players had a team meeting where we recognised being partly responsible for his departure.
“The captain @johnterry spoke, @franklampard @petrcech and others leads in the group too.”
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BARC-ING MAD
Chelsea have been put on red alert by Barcelona placing their entire squad on the transfer list, except for three players.
The Sun has exclusively revealed that Barca are desperate to balance the books due to the coronavirus crisis.
And Chelsea are long-time admirers of Bayern Munich loanee Philippe Coutinho, who they would be delighted to sign for the right price.
Antoine Griezmann was also linked with the Blues in January following a stuttering start to his Barca career.
But goalkeeping target Marc-Andre ter Stegen will not be joining as he is one of the big three the Catalans want to keep, along with Frenkie de Jong and, of course, Lionel Messi.
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WHERE THERE'S A WILL
Will Caballero has been given another year at Chelsea after the club triggered an extension clause in his contract.
The No2 keeper was due to leave at the end of next month but is now staying put.
The prospect of Premier League football being played this summer due to the coronavirus was a factor in the decision.
But as with striker Olivier Giroud, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is keen to keep some of his more experienced players to help oversee his blossoming young squad for another season.
The 38-year-old has made 31 appearances for the Blues since arriving on a free transfer in 2018 – with nine of them having come this season.
He also featured at the 2018 World Cup for Argentina, although will want to forget his costly mistake against Croatia.
Caballero’s deal means Chelsea have only veterans Pedro and Willian approaching the ends of their contracts this summer.
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GOOD MORNING BLUES FANS
Chelsea players returned to Cobham for socially-distanced training yesterday for the first time since the lockdown started.
Callum Hudson-Odoi was cleared to join his team-mates for training despite his arrest on suspicion of rape.
The winger underwent a coronavirus test on Monday and was then allowed to start phase one of preparations for restarting the Premier League season next month.
Hudson-Odoi, 19, has been released on police bail and it was feared he may have picked up coronavirus in his dealings with the authorities over the weekend.
The Premier League confirmed there were six positive coronavirus tests from three Premier League clubs this week.
A total of 748 players and staff were checked and the six individuals will self-isolate for seven days.
On the transfer news front, Chelsea were dealt a blow with reports that Dries Mertens is close to agreeing a new three-year deal at Napoli.
However, there were boosts in their pursuits of two other transfer targets.
Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick cast doubt over Philippe Coutinho’s long-term future in Germany, possibly opening the door for a summer move to Stamford Bridge.
And the Blues are leading the race to sign highly-rated Barcelona’s 18-year-old defender Xavier Mbuyamba, dubbed the new Virgil van Dijk, according to his agent.
SunSport revealed Kai Havertz is a target for three Premier League clubs – including Chelsea.
The Bayer Leverkusen star has taken the Bundesliga by storm – adding another two goals on Monday night – and is also wanted by Liverpool, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
And finally, the biggest news of all, N’Golo Kante has grown his hair for the first time since arriving in England five years ago, showing off his new style in training.
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BUZZING TO BE BACK
Plenty of Blues players have taken to social media this evening to express their delight at returning to training.
Chelsea had their first socially-distanced session at Cobham but it was clear the stars are buzzing to be back.
Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, Reece James, Emerson and Billy Gilmour all tweeted.
Finally back on the grass after 2 months ??? #Hustle #AlwaysBelieve @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/TiS087gNnc
— Antonio Rüdiger (@ToniRuediger) May 19, 2020
Great to be back on the grass after 2months!! @ChelseaFC ?? #CFC #covid19 pic.twitter.com/qDCMcGdW8d
— Reece James (@reecejames_24) May 19, 2020
Good to be back on the pitch???⚽️@ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/JpfBaBtfiz
— Billy Gilmour (@billygilmourrr) May 19, 2020
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KANT BELIEVE IT
N’Golo Kante has a full head of hair.
Yes, that’s right. N’Golo Kante has grown his hair.
The midfielder, 29, has only been seen with a shaved head since he made the move to England back in 2015.
But Kante clearly resisted the urge to give himself a haircut at home before he made his return to Cobham.
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MUNICH MAYHEM
Former Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole revealed Didier Drogba’s Champions League final equaliser is a “blur”.
The Ivorian powered in a bullet header with two minutes to go against Bayern Munich in 2012 before going on to slot home the winning penalty in the shootout.
Cole told Football Journalism at the University of Derby: “The Drogba goal was a blur really.
“I was physically and mentally drained but after the goal went in I was ready to go again and knew we would win.”
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HAV A GO
Kai Havertz is a summer transfer target for three Premier League clubs, SunSport can reveal.
The Bayer Leverkusen star, 20, has taken the Bundesliga by storm this season.
He added two goals to his tally on Monday night against Werder Bremen and there is a battle for his signature.
And it is a battle Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool are all in – while Bayern Munich also remain keen.
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CALL BACK
Callum Hudson-Odoi has been cleared to join his Chelsea team-mates for training despite his arrest on suspicion of rape.
The winger underwent a coronavirus test on Monday and was then allowed to start phase one of preparations for restarting the Premier League season next month.
Hudson-Odoi, 19, has been released on police bail and it was feared he may have picked up coronavirus in his dealings with the authorities over the weekend.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard had a meeting with club medics this morning ahead of the planned return. Hudson-Odoi was given the nod to start working as part of the group of four or five players permitted at this stage.
Hudson-Odoi was arrested after a woman who went to his house at the weekend phoned the police complaining she felt ‘unwell’.
The squad came together for the first time in more than nine weeks today as training is stepped up.
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