Join GOAL for live updates from the 2025-26 Champions League draw, as Europe's heavyweights Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool and more discover who they play in the league phase
The Champions League league phase draw has taken place and Trent Alexander-Arnold will face his former club after Real Madrid were drawn against Liverpool.
AC Milan have joined the race to sign Chelsea outcast Christopher Nkunku before the summer transfer window closes. The Serie A giants have contacted the Blues to discuss a potential deal for the forgotten Frenchman, who has struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge since Enzo Maresca took charge of the club last summer. Nkunku is open to a move away from the Blues.
Chelsea have reportedly received a Champions League boost as suspended Mykhailo Mudryk's wages will not be budgeted under UEFA rules. The Ukrainian winger, who has been unavailable since failing an anti-doping test last December, was already struggling to justify the £56 million ($75m) fee that lured him from Shakhtar Donetsk. However, his enforced absence could prove crucial in allowing Chelsea to register all of their big-money summer recruits for Europe's elite competition.
Chelsea are reportedly exploring a move for Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez, having already established contact with the player's entourage. Fermin has firmly established himself as a prominent figure at Barcelona under Hansi Flick, and helped the club win a domestic treble last season. Chelsea are now interested in bringing Fermin to Stamford Bridge as Enzo Maresca seeks to bolster his attacking ranks.
Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer has been ruled out of the Blues' starting XI against West Ham despite having been named in the squad earlier. The Englishman reportedly suffered an injury during the pre-match warm-up and Enzo Maresca soon confirmed the change to his lineup with Estevao Willian handed a start instead.
Aston Villa’s pursuit of striker Nicolas Jackson looks set to end in disappointment as competition grows fierce with another "big club" joining the race, as per a new report. The 22-year-old forward, who has shown plenty of promise at Chelsea, is now the subject of intense transfer speculation as clubs scramble to secure his signature before the window shuts on September 1.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez claimed that Cole Palmer and Ezno Fernandez are the two most important figures in the Blues dressing room. Enzo Maresca endured a satisfying maiden season at Stamford Bridge, where the club won the Europa Conference League title and then topped it with the triumph at the Club World Cup, where they dominated Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Mohamed Salah has reacted to winning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award for a third time, cementing his status as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats. In a stunning 2024-25 campaign, Salah not only inspired Liverpool to the Premier League title but also broke several records in the process.
Arsenal continued their incredible record against the Premier League's elite clubs after Riccardo Calafiori’s towering header secured the three points in a scrappy win at Manchester United. This victory left Mikel Arteta’s men with a glittering statistic: 22 straight matches unbeaten against the traditional "Big Six" of the English top flight.
Chelsea
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