Chelsea consider selling Reece James and Conor Gallagher - Paper Round

Chelsea are willing to sell Reece James and Conor Gallagher this summer "in an attempt to bring the club’s strained Financial Fair Play position into line".

That's according to a report in The Times, which claims The Blues want to "generate well over £100 million", with skipper James said to be worth £60 million alone.

The article states: "Chelsea’s unprecedented spend on players, coaches and support staff since 2022’s Clearlake Capital-led takeover has left them in danger of joining Everton and Nottingham Forest in breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, leading to the planned sale of homegrown players.

"Moving on James and Gallagher, who came through Chelsea’s academy together, before June 30 will allow the club to treat the full amount of their transfer fees as player trading profit in their 2023-24 accounts.

"The Sunday Times understands that Chelsea want to generate well over £100 million in additional revenue to avoid surpassing the league’s £105 million limit on allowable losses over a three-year period.

"James, who is under contract until 2028, has played more games for Chelsea than any other player in [Mauricio] Pochettino’s present squad. A transfer fee of £60 million is understood to have been targeted by the club’s hierarchy.

"Gallagher has been pursued by a number of Premier League clubs, with West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur prominent among the 24-year-old’s admirers. The central midfielder’s present contract expires in the summer of 2025 and Chelsea face losing him as a free agent if they fail to either agree a sale or a new deal, with Gallagher seeking radically improved terms."

Leeds reportedly want to re-sign Kalvin Phillips if they are promoted to the Premier League.

Phillips left Elland Road for Manchester City for a £42m sum in 2022 but struggled for game time under Pep Guardiola, and his form since joining West Ham on loan in January has been criticised.

The Sun writes: "Leeds United are plotting to take Kalvin Phillips back to Elland Road - if they clinch an immediate top-flight return.

"Now Leeds want to offer the 28-year-old a chance to rebuild his career and reckon City would do business for around £30m to get him off the books.

"The champions’ interest in Hammers midfielder Lucas Paqueta is a potential stumbling block, as they would like to use Phillips as a makeweight in the summer.

"City boss Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the Brazilian - who has an £85m release clause - and would like to offset a chunk of the asking price against his midfield misfit.

"But that increasingly looks like wishful thinking on City’s part, as Phillips’ time in London has been another disaster."

Arsenal and Chelsea may have to dig deep into their pockets if they are to land Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.

The Sweden international has scored 36 goals in 40 games, registering 14 assists, since his move from Coventry last summer.

That form has led to the 25-year-old being linked with a number of big European clubs, and now the Metro claims Sporting are determined to increase his release clause.

"Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target Viktor Gyokeres could be set for a new, increased release clause as Sporting Lisbon look to secure a bigger fee," notes the outlet.

"That’s according to new reports in Portugal, which claim that Gyokeres’ agents have travelled to Lisbon to discuss a deal which will bump up his release clause.

"Arsenal are currently leading the race to sign the 25-year-old Sweden international striker but Chelsea are hoping to tempt him to Stamford Bridge.

"According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Sporting are ‘fully aware’ that a record sale is on the cards for the summer transfer window.

"It was previously thought that Gyokeres had a €50m (£43m) price tag but that may now go up if his agents can land him a better deal."

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.