CHELSEA FANSZONE

AFC Bournemouth have completed the signing of Netherlands international defender Nathan Ake for a club record fee. The 22-year-old arrives from Premier League champions Chelsea and has put pen to paper on a long-term deal at Vitality Stadium. Ake spent the first half of the 2016/17 season on loan with the Cherries, making 12 appearances and scoring three goals before being recalled to Stamford Bridge in January, where he helped the Blues lift the top flight title and reach the FA Cup final. The versatile Dutchman moved to Chelsea from Feyenoord in the summer of 2011, aged just 16, and has also enjoyed temporary spells with Reading and Watford. Having represented his country at every level from under-15 to under-21, he won his first two caps for the senior Holland side earlier this summer. “I had a great time here last season so I’m really happy to be back,” said Ake. “It’s an exciting challenge. Chelsea is a great club and I learned so much there but this is a new step and the...

elsea defender Nathan Ake is all set to join Bournemouth this summer. The highly talented Dutchman will sign a five-year contract with the Cherries. Ake was on loan at Bournemouth last season and Eddie Howe was thoroughly impressed with the 22-year-old. According to Guardian, a deal has been agreed between the two clubs and the Cherries will shell out a club record fee of £20m for Ake. The report also adds that the deal should be finalised within the next 48 hours. The move will be beneficial to all parties involved. Chelsea will be able to reinvest the money into strengthening their squad, Ake can continue his development with regular football at Bournemouth and the Cherries have got themselves a promising young player. The likes of West Ham, Southampton and Newcastle were interested in the player as well but Bournemouth have acted swiftly to secure his services. The report from Guardian claims that Chelsea were unwilling to sell the young defender this summer but Ake was...

Legendary Former Brazil and Real Madrid left-back, Roberto Carlos believes that there are similarities between himself and Chelsea target Alex Sandro who helped Juventus reached the final of the UEFA Champions League. The Brazilian defender, who is being pursued by Chelsea is arguably one of the best left-backs in world football today and Carlos believes he could replace him one day. "It's true, he's similar to me and if he continues like this he could be my successor," said Carlos. "You will see, you'll be satisfied by him. He's a great guy who is alert. I've watched him play in the few times he played for the national team and with Porto. "He's a technical, modern full-back, someone who can defend and attack. In Brazil he gets compared to me and to tell the truth I see myself in him a bit. "He doesn't shoot like me, but that's because very few people possess a shot like mine. For the rest, we have different common ch...

Sky Sports is reporting that Chelsea have joined the likes of Liverpool in the race to win the signature of Arsenal's winger/right and left wing-back, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain. Like most Arsenal first team players, the England International has just one year left in his current contract at Arsenal who have so far failed to agree a new deal with the exciting former Southampton winger. He will be a proper player to challenge Nigerian star Victor Moses who starred brilliantly for Chelsea last season as a wing-back. The OX just like Moses was also converted from a winger to a wing-back and also was successful in his adopted position. His transfer will also boost Chelsea's number of home-grown players after losing John Terry.

It may not be the signing Chelsea fans were looking forward to but yet Chelsea are set to announce  Manchester City reject Willie Caballero as their first summer signing. The Argentine will join Chelsea on a free transfer after being released by Manchester City at the end of last season. The former Malaga goalkeeper is rumoured to have passed a medical at Chelsea and is awaiting official confirmation from the club. Chelsea have been looking to sign a backup goalkeeper for Thibaut Courtois since Asmir Begovic joined Bournemouth couple of weeks ago. Chelsea are also trying to improve their squad as they bid to retain the English Premier League title next season and also fight to win the UEFA Champions League. The likes of Bakayoko, Sandro and Lukaku are expected to be in the squad that will report to Cobham on July 7 when they'll regroup once more for preseason camping.

Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has thrown his weight behind the club's bid to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge from Everton. Chelsea are currently lock in talks with Everton for the £100m rated Belgium forward. Joe Cole said Chelsea are right to go after the hitman, who scored 24 English Premier League goals last season. "Obviously the Costa thing has come out. Conte has told him that he wants him out so you would be looking at a striker," Cole told Goal at Tampa's Contemporary and Modern Art Museum. "Lukaku, there’s a market for him, and you are competing for players. I like Lukaku. I’d take Lukaku, he is like for like with Costa, but they only need one or two players and just keep the continuity going. "I don’t know his character so it is hard to say [whether the comeback could affect him], but I would say is that the pressure is different when you play for Chelsea, rather than Everton. He is younger [than Costa], that’s in his favour....

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has restated his desire to leave Chelsea after accusing manager Antonio Conte of sending him a message of dismissal in a wrong way. According to him there are other better ways to do things. Diego spoke to the media after the Spain’s 2-1 victory over Macedonia yesterday: “I do not know. I have a contract with Chelsea, they have to know what to do with me and I have to wait and know the decision that my club takes. Things do not work in that way. The fight for the place has to be fair to stay and fight, but the fight is not fair and I have to leave.” On a move to China: “I have a contract of two years with Chelsea, they have to decide. If they sell me, I will look for the best choice. Atletico is among them, it would not mean not playing, they can loan me out to some team in Spain, Brazil or wherever, but I have to play. Everyone knows that I have a lot of affection for them. Of course I rule out China, I have to think about the World Cup. Atle...

Tiemoue Bakayoko could become a Chelsea player in a couple of days, according to popular French publication L'Equipe. Chelsea and Monaco are close to reaching an agreement on a €40m transfer of the French international. The 22 year old former Rennais star is also linked with a move to PSG, a club he supports, but now it seems Chelsea are determined to take him to London this summer. The contacts between the Blues and his entourage go back several weeks, and it now closer than ever.

Chelsea have risen from eighth to fourth in the latest release of The 11th annual Brand Finance report, entitled "Football 50 2017" which ranks Real Madrid as the most powerful brand in football. Chelsea are valued at £975m, a rise of £450m over the past 12 months, which has seen them climb above Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in the rankings. The club's rise in the table comes as a result of their Premier League title triumph and record breaking £900m kit sponsorship deal with Nike, which is due to take effect from July 1. The report states: "Chelsea has seen a 61% increase of brand value to nearly US$1,248m, while brand strength also improved significantly from 83 to 88. The club has soared back to the summit of the Premier League this year after a 10th place finish in 2015/16. The league victory has helped the club climb the Brand Finance Football 50 to 4th place, up from 8th last year. "Chelsea signed the largest co...

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has revealed that Chelsea coach Antonio Conte has told him via a text message that he is no longer wanted at Chelsea. Costa spoke to reporters after Spain friendly match against Colombia on Wednesday night: "It would be nice to return to Atletico, but it is difficult to be four-five months without playing," Costa added in quotes reported by Marca. "Being five months without playing? I do not know, it's complicated, but people know that I love Atletico a lot and that I love living in Madrid. "It would be nice to go back, but it's difficult to be four-five months without playing. It's a World Cup year and there's a lot to think about. I need to play, that's all. "

Juventus and Italy number one, Gianluigi Buffon has warned the rest of Europe to beware of Chelsea in next season's UEFA Champions League. Buffon who is sure to be in goal for Juventus in tomorrow night's UEFA Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid believes that with Antonio Conte Chelsea will be a force to reckon with next season. Buffon said: “He can make Chelsea strong in Europe – that is for sure. “They already have players like Hazard who, for me, is already one of the top five players in the world, and this summer I'm sure they will bring in more quality. “Much has been spoken about how passionate and fiery Conte can be, which is true, but the reality is he gets so much from his players because he gives so much. “He will never switch off from the game. Even now, I'm sure he is lying on a beach with his family but he will be thinking about next season, trying to sign new players, how the team can improve. He gives everything. "Nex...