Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has backed Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez to join the Blues this summer, claiming the Argentine could be an "inspiration" in their dressing room. Martinez appeared to bid a tearful goodbye to Aston Villa fans after their final home game of the 2024-25 campaign against Tottenham in May, though he has yet to publicly confirm he wants to leave the club.
Angel Di Maria could not hold back tears after sealing an emotional return to Rosario Central on a free transfer. Di Maria left Europe after 18 years as his Benfica contract expired at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. The winger also revealed what ex-Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi told him after returning to his boyhood club.
England goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck has returned to the Women's Super League after just one year as she signed for Aston Villa on Tuesday. Roebuck left Manchester City to join Barcelona on a two-year deal last summer but she is now back in her homeland after mutually terminating her contract with the Catalan giants. Roebuck has signed a two-year deal with the Villans.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca claimed that European clubs came to the Club World Cup after gruelling campaigns compared to South American teams but was left speechless when it was pointed out that the Blues' semi-final opponents, Fluminense, have played more matches than them since the summer of 2024. Chelsea appeared in 63 matches across all competitions before heading to the United States.
Napoli have launched their first bid worth €55 million (£47m/$64m) for Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez as Antonio Conte looks to bolster his Serie A-winning squad. The Italian champions are considering the Uruguayan as a priority transfer target after a meeting between club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis and the player's agent Fali Ramadani.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Noni Madueke will play in the Club World Cup semi-final against Fluminense despite being linked with a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal this summer. The winger has featured in all of the Blues' Club World Cup matches thus far, including the quarter-final win against Palmeiras, where he came on as a substitute in the second half.