Chelsea are thought to be battling rivals Tottenham Hotspur over a move to sign a “strong” Premier League star, according to reports in the player’s homeland.
Enzo Maresca officially announced as Chelsea head coach
The Blues officially confirmed Enzo Maresca as the club’s new head coach on Monday, with the Italian penning a five-year deal with the option of a further 12 months. The ownership group told Chelsea’s official website:
“We are thrilled to welcome Enzo into the Chelsea family. We look forward to supporting him and the rest of the sporting team in fulfilling their potential and our expectations over the years to come. ‘He is a highly gifted coach and leader that we are confident can help fulfill our vision and competitive goals for the Club.”
Meanwhile, Maresca’s first comments as Chelsea head coach were: “To join Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a dream for any coach. It is why I am so excited by this opportunity. I look forward to working with a very talented group of players and staff to develop a team that continues the club’s tradition of success and makes our fans proud.”
Maresca may well have a busy summer ahead of him and there have been claims he’s already making decisions on the current Chelsea squad, including on goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
In the transfer market, Chelsea look set to win the race to sign Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free, and he could be the first of many to arrive.
The club are reportedly ready to bid £85m for PSG winger Ousmane Dembele and may soon open talks with Leeds for Crysencio Summerville, and another attacking name has now emerged on the club’s radar.
According to reports from Brazil, relayed by Sport Witness, both Chelsea and Tottenham have initiated contact over a possible move to sign Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz.
They claim that the two rivals appear to have requested information over how much a transfer could cost. Fulham wanted just €8m (£6.8m) last year, but after Muniz’s impressive campaign at Craven Cottage, they will now demand up to €40m (£34m). Whether or not Chelsea or Spurs will splash the cash on the forward remains to be seen.
Muniz, 23, enjoyed his best season in front of goal during the 2023/24 campaign. He netted just twice in 17 appearances for Middlesborough in 2022/23 but managed 10 goals in all competitions under Marco Silva last year.
He came in for praise from Premier League icon Alan Shearer as a result, who hailed the striker in February after Muniz scored twice against Bournemouth.
“He really was a handful. Tough to play against, horrible to play against in fact. That’s always a good thing for a centre-forward, that’s what you have to be. He was strong, he ran the channels, he brought players into the game and he really upset the Bournemouth defenders in every way, in everything he was doing. He was willing to run in behind and on one of the occasions he does it, they get their first goal because of it.”