Chelsea announce their third summer transfer in blow to Newcastle

Chelsea transfer news: Blues have announced the signing of Jamaican forward Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards, who will join the club at the start of next season after turning 18.

Kendry Paez and Christopher Nkunku have already been announced as summer signings by the Blues and Richards comes from the Phoenix FC football academy and makes three.

The Jamaican international made his senior international debut earlier this year against Trinidad & Tobago.

The 17-year-old has also been selected by Jamaica for the upcoming Gold Cup. Richards caused a sensation in Jamaica when he scored 31 goals and provided 19 assists for Phoenix last season

His move to the Blues was confirmed earlier this year by Craig Butler, who heads the Phoenix FC football academy. Taking to Instagram, he wrote:

“We are grateful to Chelsea Football Club and look forward to continuing our relationship and partnership with our academy as we prepare Whisper for the Premier League,” Butler wrote on Instagram.

“Personally, Chelsea FC was my childhood dream club and I’m so glad one of my players was built in the Phoenix ovens at Stamford Bridge.”

“Thank you to the Chelsea staff, especially Joe Shields who believed me two years ago when I told him I was developing top talent Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards.”

Richards is currently on international duty for Jamaica ahead of Sunday’s game against USA in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

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Mateo Kovacic: Man City and Chelsea reach a £30 million agreement for the Croatia midfielder

Mateo Kovacic joined Chelsea on loan from Real Madrid in 2018 before making his transfer permanent for £40m a year later;

The Croatian midfielder won four major trophies at Stamford Bridge, including the Champions League in 2021; Kovacic has one more year at Chelsea

Manchester City have agreed a £30m deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic.

The fee is said to be £25m guaranteed initially, plus £5m in performance-based surcharges. An official announcement that Kovacic will join last season’s treble winners is expected shortly.

Kovacic has been at Stamford Bridge since leaving Real Madrid – initially on loan – in the summer of 2018.

The Croatia international won four major trophies during his time at Chelsea – including his fourth Champions League in 2021 – and went on to make 221 appearances for the club.

The logic of why Chelsea would allow Mateo Kovacic to leave Stamford Bridge – even to one of their Premier League rivals – is easy to see given that he only has one year left on his contract and that at 29 years old, it is believed to have a limited one.

Interested in engaging in the Stamford Bridge reconstruction project in West London.

There will likely be a segment of Chelsea fans who look at Kovacic’s tally of four goals and 13 assists in 142 Premier League games over five years and think it’s a bargain, up to £30m for the midfield.

It’s true that Kovacic’s influence in the final third was modest at best, while his reluctance to shoot from dangerous positions has always been a curiosity given his superb technical ability.

But it’s also true that Kovacic was never signed as a prolific attacking midfielder, as a tally of 18 goals in eight years for his previous three clubs should have shown.

Instead, the Croatia international’s strengths lie in midfield. Since joining the Premier League in the summer of 2018, Kovacic has ranked fifth among midfielders in successful attacks and assists per 90.

He excels at receiving the ball under pressure, rising while beating the opposing press, and combining defense and attack – skills often overlooked due to his limited attacking power.

But it was those skills that probably endeared him to Manchester City who, after Real Madrid and Inter Milan, added their name to Kovacic’s stellar CV, who has already racked up 18 trophies – including four League titles. champions – during his career and the winner is.

It’s easy to imagine Kovacic fitting perfectly into Pep Guardiola’s squad, either as a competitor to Rodri as a pivot – which would be bad news for Kalvin Phillips – or as a potential future replacement. free agent Ilkay Gundogan as number 8.

Funding Kovacic before his contract expires makes sense for Chelsea, but when Guardiola wants a player it’s usually a sign he’s worth it.