Chelsea were beaten comfortably by Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week, as Mirror Football brings you all the latest news and goings on from Stamford Bridge
Chelsea’s attention returns to the Premier League this weekend after their midweek Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich. The Blues were downed 3-1 in Bavaria, with on-loan star Nicolas Jackson coming on in the dying minutes to face his parent club after a hectic deadline day saga.
The striker joined Bayern on a season-loan on the final day of the window, only for Chelsea to then attempt to bring him back following Liam Delap’s injury. Jackson did eventually get his move to the Bundesliga, but it was not without its controversy both between the club’s hierarchy and the Senegal international’s agent as well.
Meanwhile, ex-Bayern star Owen Hargreaves was full of praise for his former team’s European opener, and was quick to pick up on a pair of Blues stars that he feels need to do better on the pitch. While Hargreaves believes the Blues need to look at their defence, Enzo Maresca is still keen on reinforcements further up the pitch.
Mirror Football brings you all the latest news from Stamford Bridge.
READ MORE: Cole Palmer gives honest assessment of Chelsea’s Champions League defeat to Bayern MunichREAD MORE: Chelsea news: Garnacho gets brutal new verdict as Reece James voices transfer surprise
Nicolas Jackson’s agent lifts lid
It has been well-documented just how close Jackson’s move to Bayern came to falling apart. The Senegal striker had been allowed to leave Stamford Bridge and travel to Germany to complete a loan move to the Bundesliga champions – but this all came to a dramatic halt after Delap’s injury.
Eventually, Jackson was allowed to make the move, with an obligation to buy for £56.25million, dependent on appearances, inserted into the deal. Now, the striker’s agent, Ali Barat, has spoken out about the saga.
He said: “There was a willingness and the ability of the clubs to take into account. Nico had a really clear vision of his next step, but obviously, he was a Chelsea player and we had to respect their wishes.
“It required a lot of diplomacy and patience, but in the end, Nico was super happy and the deal was done. Hopefully it will be a success for Chelsea in the end and for Bayern Munich. Absolutely there was a sense of satisfaction,” he told the Mail.
He added: “We were fortunate because all of the other deals — like Piero Hincapie to Arsenal and Xavi Simons to Tottenham — were done, so I could give Nico all of my attention, because he really needed it. It was satisfying to get done because I know how big that can be for Nico. Bayern Munich is such a big club.”
When asked if he thought the deal really might fall through, Barat added: “Absolutely. At one point, it was certainly under a huge doubt but we just had to keep everyone calm, patient, and in the end, we were in Chelsea’s hands. If Chelsea didn’t get their replacement, there was a big chance that Nico would have to go back.”
The case for the defence
Ex-Bayern star Hargreaves is adamant that Chelsea should do more to address the centre-back position at the club, claiming more experience is needed in the backline if the team want to succeed. The former footballer-turned-pundit believes there is a great foundation at Stamford Bridge, but both Chalobah and Adarabioyo are not to the standard of the rest of the squad.
Speaking on TNT Sports, he said: “If I think back to those Chelsea teams that won everything, they had Petr Cech, [Ricardo] Carvalho, John Terry – that’s the basis of any team. I think the midfield three is almost as good as anyone – Enzo [Fernandez], [Moises] Caicedo and Cole Palmer – but I still think they’ll probably address that in the coming windows.
“I think there’s a nucleus there that’s going to be really special for Chelsea and today just highlighted that. It’s not a criticism, it’s just a fact and I thought the two young centre-backs did okay but we’re talking about [Luis] Diaz, [Michael] Olise and Kane, some of the top performers.
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“It was a big ask for them but mistakes cost them more than anything. But I do think if they can address that centre-back position, even though they’ve got [Wesley] Fofana and [Levi] Colwill, two fabulous players, I think they need a little bit more experience as one of those players.”
Chalobah conceded an own goal in the first 20 minutes of the game, before Kane found the net from the spot seven minutes later thanks to a Moises Caicedo challenge in the box. The England captain put the icing on the cake after a slack back-pass from full-back Malo Gusto, making it 3-1 on the night and conceding Chelsea to defeat.
Chelsea still remain keen on Rogers
While Hargreaves may be calling for some more defensive reinforcements, it appears Maresca is still monitoring things further up the pitch. Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers attracted interest from Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham in the summer but was ultimately priced out of a move thanks to a valuation of over £80million.
However, Rogers is said to be well-liked by Chelsea, with the Blues keeping a close eye on contract talks between the player and his current club, even though he only signed a new deal last year that will last him through to 2030. That is according to The Sun, who claim Villa’s failure to qualify for the Champions League again could exacerbate their need to cash in on saleable assets, thanks to PSR.
The 23-year-old joined Villa for just £8m in 2024 from Middlesbrough and has scored 11 goals in 52 appearances for the Villans. Although both he and Villa have not had the best start to the season, Rogers is considered the club’s most saleable asset, and the Blues would have no issues with going back in for him next summer – if the price is right.
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