Chelsea

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So, in the biggest transfer shock of the summer so far, Chelsea have completed a club record £117m deal to sign England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.

The 23-year-old has signed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge, with an option for a further year.

Rogers told club media: "I'm joining the biggest club in London.

"The way the club wants to go and how it wants to move forward is something I want to be a part of. I think it was just perfect for me. I just can't wait to get going."

Rogers becomes the most expensive signing in Chelsea's history, surpassing the £107m spent on Enzo Fernandez in 2023, and sets a new transfer record for an English player.

We want your reaction to a huge signing.

Where does he fit into Xabi Alonso's plans? Was it a priority position? And what should come next in Chelsea's busy summer?

Let us know here

Chelsea have accelerated their interest in defender Maxence Lacroix after a fresh round of talks with Crystal Palace.

The proposed deal is being handled by the ownership of both clubs, with the latest discussions described as positive.

Palace have been keen to offer Lacroix - who has three years to run on his existing deal - a new contract, but the player is keen for a new challenge.

It is understood The Eagles want a deal worth a minimum £60m for the 26-year-old and have started looking at potential replacements, with Ausburg's Chrislain Matsima among the players monitored.

Read more

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Thirty-four years ago a £13m transfer caused national outrage in Italy.

When AC Milan signed Gianluigi Lentini from Torino in 1992 for a then world record fee, newspapers called the deal "obscene", while the Vatican's official newspaper described it as "an offence against the dignity of work".

Today that fee would barely register among the Premier League's biggest transfers.

This summer alone Chelsea have agreed a club record £117m deal for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest £116m for Elliot Anderson, and Tottenham spent a club record £100m on Sandro Tonali.

These are not the only major deals. Tottenham also agreed an £85m move for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, Barcelona paid £69m to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United, and Manchester United spent £50m on Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.

It is the first transfer window in Premier League history to produce three £100m-plus signings - and there are still weeks to go before deadline day on 1 September.

During the 2025 summer window English top-flight clubs spent a record £3bn.

So why are transfer fees continuing to climb? Why are clubs paying record sums for players already playing in England? And why are more clubs willing to sell some of their biggest stars?

Read more here on the big spending taking place in the Premier League

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

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Chelsea would accept a £65m for Nicolas Jackson this summer, despite the striker being given the chance to impress new manager Xabi Alonso during pre-season.

Last week, the 44-year-old Spaniard said Jackson would join the tour of Australia and Asia after being part of Senegal's World Cup squad this summer.

It follows Bayern Munich avoiding the triggering the £56.25m (€65m) obligation-to-buy clause in his loan deal, due to the number of appearances required to force a permanent move, leading Jackson back to Stamford Bridge.

Alonso will consider forward, but there is the obvious need to reduce the number of strikers on the books.

Alongside first-choice Joao Pedro, Chelsea have Liam Delap, who is facing an uncertain future but wants to stay to show his first season was impacted by injury and substantial managerial changes.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Emegha has joined the Blues from partner club Strasbourg, but the surprise failure to qualify for Europe has left plans to have three strikers in doubt.

It leaves Chelsea facing a balancing act in attack, with younger option Marc Guiu expected to be loaned out or sold. One interested club says they were quoted a fee of £25m for the Spain under-21 international.

Jackson, meanwhile, is expected to command a fee well in excess of double that amount, given his previous success in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino in his first season after joining the club from Villarreal.

Aston Villa are known admirers, with manager Unai Emery having worked with him at his previous club, while there is also interest from overseas.

However, the size of any potential transfer fee, which isn't being disclosed yet, alongside Alonso's desire to assess his options, means the future of Jackson and the other striking options may not be resolved imminently.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

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Chelsea's pre-season tour of Australia and Asia will give new manager Xabi Alonso the chance to better understand his squad, while allowing the players to get to know him.

Now into the second week of his tenure, the 44-year-old Spaniard has already worked with a sizeable group at Cobham.

However, he has yet to see those involved in this summer's World Cup and will benefit from spending more time with the full squad.

There are also plenty of unanswered questions - not just for fans and the media, but for the players themselves.

Some, such as Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, know they are 'untouchable' and are expected to play major roles. Others, including goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, remain involved but are planning to leave, either permanently or on loan.

However, a large number remain uncertain about their futures as Chelsea continue efforts to reduce a squad that is approaching 40 players.

That task has become even more pressing with the anticipated arrival of Morgan Rogers, who is is set to join Emmanuel Emegha, Geovany Quenda and Marco Palestra as the latest summer signing.

The Blues also need to continue generating sales, with midfielder Valentin Barco set to join partner club Strasbourg. Chelsea are also pursuing a new centre-back, with Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix among the targets, and a new full-back amid talks for Rayo Vallecano's Pep Chavarria.

For some players, it is a case of impress or leave.

The tour may also provide clues as to whether Alonso will favour the back-three system he used at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga title, or a back four, which he used more frequently during his brief spell at Real Madrid.

Much remains unclear after Alonso's first news conference last week, but the tour will give reporters a closer look at Chelsea while offering supporters a glimpse of what to expect on the pitch.

Opta have named their World Cup Team of the Tournament.

A host of familiar names feature, including Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez. Key names to depart both Arsenal and Chelsea this summer also make the list.

Opta explained the selections as follows:

Martinez - "Martínez led his country's backline in passes (460) and accurate passes (427) while he became the only Argentine defender on record to score and assist in a FIFA World Cup game (v Cabo Verde)."

Cucurella - "Cucurella led the way for full-backs for successful final third passes (142) and successful passes (382) and was second for touches in the opposition box (19)."

Rodri - "The Spanish midfielder registered the most accurate passes (756), most carries (164) and most line-breaking passes (122) in the competition while that haul of 756 successful passes is the most ever in an edition of the World Cup on record."

Trossard - "As well as scoring two and assisting two, no player created more chances from open play than Trossard (17) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup."

Haaland - "Haaland averaged a goal every 17.1 touches at the 2026 World Cup (120 touches, 7 goals), the second fewest on record (since 1966) for a player to score five or more at a single tournament after Oleg Salenko in 1994 (16.7 – 100 touches, 6 goals)."

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

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Chelsea had 11 players involved at the World Cup, but only seven played in the tournament.

Key players Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Joao Pedro were left out of their respective squads and have already returned for pre-season training.

The greatest concern has been the fitness of captain Reece James, who played into the latter stages of the tournament after helping England reach the third-place play-off, but suffered hamstring issues.

Enzo Fernandez, who was sent off in the final against Spain, and Malo Gusto are set to return late for pre-season, along with expected new signing Valentin Barco.

England midfielder Morgan Rogers is set to arrive at Chelsea from Aston Villa for that club record £117m deal, though international team-mate Trevoh Chalobah is expected to leave this summer.

Much like Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal knocked England out of the European Championship in 2006, Fernandez may find his antics in and around Argentina's victory over England will make him a target for opposition fans next season should he stay with Chelsea.

Read more on the World Cup's club impact

Morgan Rogers has been a Chelsea target for more than two years, although the move coming now is something of a surprise given the club's 10th-placed Premier League finish last season.

The deal underlines the club's ability to bounce back from missing out on European football to sign a top target for London rivals Arsenal.

It also suggests Stamford Bridge remains an attractive destination for some of the Premier League's leading talents.

The pressing question, though, is how Rogers will fit into the side, and what impact his arrival will have on star attacker Cole Palmer.

Rogers was one of the three England players to take a place in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad at Palmer's expense.

That highlighted the similarities between the pair, but they could also play together, depending on the system employed by new manager Alonso.

The Spaniard has previously used both a back four and back five at his former clubs Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, and there remains uncertainty over his preferred approach just weeks into his tenure.

Rogers and Palmer are both capable of operating in a variety of attacking positions and will compete for minutes with Estevao Willian, Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens and fellow summer signing Geovany Quenda.

Alejandro Garnacho is being sold to make way, but it remains a hefty group of options for a club playing only one game per week next season.

Off the pitch, Rogers and Palmer have described each other as best friends in football after progressing through Manchester City's academy together.

Palmer's famous "Cold Palmer" celebration was inspired by Rogers, who first did the pose as a Middlesbrough player.

The move may prompt further debate over ownership of the celebration, which has been trademarked in the UK's Intellectual Property Office.

There will also be debate about who plays the number 10 role, yet it is a problem Alonso is likely to welcome.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

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Enzo Fernandez's 2026 World Cup ended in misery as the Chelsea midfielder was sent off in Argentina's final defeat to Spain.

The 25-year-old had already been booked for showing dissent towards referee Slavko Vincic when he made a poor challenge on Pau Cubarsi in the last minute of normal time.

Fernandez was subsequently sent off and received Argentina's first red card at a World Cup since 2006.

BBC co-commentator Alan Shearer said: "How daft is that from Enzo Fernandez?

"He is on a yellow card for dissent, not the tackle, but for dissent. He knows that, because that didn't happen long ago. For him to go into a challenge like that is crazy.

"He can protest as much as he wants, but it's the right decision. He gave the referee only one choice, and that was to show another yellow there for the red."

Fernandez had played a key role in helping his nation reach the final where they had the chance to defend their world title.

He will now have three weeks to rest and recover, as per Fifa guidelines, before returning to Stamford Bridge for the new 2026-27 Premier League season under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Chelsea kick off the new season at Fulham on Monday, 24 August.

European champions Spain broke the resistance of 10-man Argentina in extra-time to win their second ever World Cup in New Jersey.

Barcelona's Ferran Torres was the difference maker in what was an overall disappointing final that was littered with interruptions.

Spain created the best opportunities against the defending world champions, who mainly resorted to spoiling tactics and had Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez sent off just before the game went into extra time.

Torres was the hero for Spain when he collected substitute Nico Williams' header to beat Argentina and Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez with a powerful shot from close range after 106 minutes.

Seven Premier League players will now return to their five respective clubs for the new 2026-27 season having won the biggest honour in world football.

Chelsea have held formal talks with Crystal Palace over a move for France defender Maxence Lacroix with the Eagles valuing the 26-year-old at around £55m. (Talksport), external

Bologna's 23-year-old English winger Jonathan Rowe remains on Aston Villa and Chelsea's shortlists. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

Aston Villa have held talks with Chelsea over the possibility of signing both Nicolas Jackson and Alejandro Garnacho this summer. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

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Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez will bid for his second World Cup title in Sunday's final against Spain, which you can watch live on the BBC.

The 25-year-old, who won the young player award at Qatar 2022, was one of the difference-makers in Wednesday's semi-final win over England as he levelled the scoring with five minutes of normal time remaining.

That was his second goal of the tournament, following his stoppage-time strike to seal a 3-2 victory over Egypt in the last 16.

Lionel Messi will continue to make headlines, but Fernandez's impact on the national team is also impressive.

The final will be his 49th cap and he has scored eight goals for La Scaloneta.

Watch the World Cup final on the BBC

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With pre-season officially in full swing, we asked you to tell us what you're looking forward to about club football returning.

Here are some of your replies:

Cameron: I'm hoping that Xabi Alonso introduces exciting football that Chelsea fans can enjoy and all other fans will be envious.

Matthew: The best thing about Chelsea is the unpredictability. We could finish anywhere from third to 17th and it wouldn't surprise me. Interesting to see how Alonso sets the team up and the players we sign to back him. I hope we can hold on to Enzo Fernandez.

Ivan: A fit-and-firing Cole Palmer and how Alonso gets the best out of him.

Nick: A season without the distraction of European football, so Alonso has time to mould and coach his (probably much-changed) squad into a settled team. Less chopping and changing, fewer injuries, less need to rest and rotate players - all bonuses of sticking to domestic football for a season while Alonso gets his feet under the table.

James: Alonso put his stamp on this team. He is a highly capable manager. Given the right players and with minimal interference from the sporting directors, this could be a very good season for Chelsea - hopefully resulting in a return to Europe and at least one trophy.

Louis: A new formation/style of play, deadwood out the door - the usual. But Alonso excites me a lot. Bar Pep Guardiola, I think we got the best manager available (why he chose us is beyond me) and his work at Bayer Leverkusen was nothing short of phenomena - good enough for Real Madrid to hire. Haven't felt this excited for a new season in a long, long time.

Andy: Palmer, Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian injury free, rested and with a full pre-season gives me reason to feel positive.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

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Liam Rosenior has addressed his Chelsea exit for the first time since being unveiled as Paris FC manager.

The 42-year-old has made a swift return to work in France, where he previously enjoyed success with Strasbourg before his spell of less than four months at Stamford Bridge last season.

After his time at Chelsea ended with five consecutive defeats without a goal, Rosenior spoke about his departure while meeting the media at Paris FC's training ground.

"We joined the club in the middle of a season and at a difficult moment, and I learned many lessons," Rosenior said.

"There are things I definitely could have done better and things I could have taken more accountability for, but there were also positive aspects to what we did."

He added: "I wish them all the best in the future. I think they have a fantastic manager in Xabi Alonso and I will be following their results.

"Those lessons I take from Chelsea will help me in this role and, hopefully, help this club become a very big club in world football as well."

Rosenior replaces Antoine Kombouare after Paris finished 11th in Ligue 1 last season, joining a club with significant investment and long-term ambitions under the ownership of the Arnault family, with Red Bull holding a minority stake.

"Ligue 1 is a fantastic league," he continued. "I said that when I left Strasbourg for Chelsea. I feel that my staff and I have joined an exciting project with enormous potential. It was an opportunity I could not turn down."

Fulhamhave joined Coventry and Chelsea in looking at Strasbourg and Ivory Coast winger Martial Godo, 23. (Africafoot - in French), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

The World Cup has done a fantastic job of filling the Premier League void, but there is nothing quite like club football.

As the tournament in North America heads towards its climax and England supporters' disappointment sinks in, there is a Chelsea fanbase waiting for the 2026-27 season with anticipation.

So, it has got us thinking: what are you looking forward to most about club football resuming?

Get in touch here