Chelsea

How do you replace Pep Guardiola?

Enzo Maresca is just starting to find out this summer, having been chosen as the Spaniard’s successor at Manchester City – returning after being Guardiola’s assistant during the club’s Treble-winning 2022-23 campaign.

Guardiola, one of the greatest managers of his generation, stepped down at the end of last season after leading City to 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League victory.

Now, with his first pre-season as manager at the club nearing its end, Maresca sat down with the five travelling UK-based media in Seoul to discuss the challenges ahead.

“After 10 games, if we have got 10 points, 20 points, 30 points. People will be comparing it to Pep after 10 games, it doesn’t put pressure on me,” said Maresca.

“I have said many times while I was at Leicester or Chelsea, he is the best manager in the world over the last 15 or 20 years.

“When he started in Spain, everyone wanted to play like Barcelona, he moved to Germany everyone wanted to play like Bayern [Munich], he comes to England and everyone wants to play like City.

“Someone asked me if it’s the impossible job to follow him – maybe, but at the same time it’s a privilege.”

The ex-Chelsea boss says he met Guardiola in Barcelona a day before he officially signed as his replacement, as it was “useful” to pick his brains – having been at the club for a decade.

“We spent some hours together,” he said. “We had planned before the season finished here to spend some time in the summer holidays together.

“I like to go in empty sometimes to see things for myself – but he was here so long, he has his opinions. But also you have to arrive and see things for yourself, see all the picture.”

To signal a change for the players, Maresca has moved into the office of former assistant Pep Lijnders at City’s headquarters, next door to Guardiola’s old office – which has now been converted into a meeting room.

Shortly after his appointment as the City boss at the end of June, Maresca apologised to former club Chelsea for the “disruption” caused by his mid-season departure.

So what did he do during the intervening six months?

“I tried to enjoy a little bit more [time] with the family,” he says about his wife and four children.

“And everyone is talking about AI, so I want to understand how it works. So I did two masterclasses to understand it a little bit more and have more knowledge.”

Such has been the rise of artificial intelligence in everyday life, even Premier League managers are now beginning to dabble in it for those marginal gains.

But Maresca is going to need more than AI to make a success of his City career, having taken over from one of the greatest managers of his generation.

Chelsea have completed the signing of Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco on a seven-year deal.

The 21-year-old becomes Chelsea‘s sixth signing of the summer after the arrivals of Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha, Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra.

The midfielder will join the remainder of Chelsea‘s pre-season tour, with the Blues set to face Italian side Juventus in Hong Kong on 5 August.

Chelsea did not disclose the fee.

The Argentine appeared once for his country at the 2026 World Cup, where they finished runners-up to Spain.

A product of Boca Juniors’ academy, Barco joined Brighton in 2024 for a fee of £7.9m.

But he spent just a year on the south coast, and joined Strasbourg the following summer after a successful loan spell.

He comes the second player this summer to join Chelsea from Strasbourg, with both clubs owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

It is the 13th deal between the two clubs since the start of last season.

Sources close to Mudryk say he is confident of returning to his best form, citing the work he has put in to maintain his fitness during 20 months on the sidelines.

They also point to the support Chelsea have provided throughout the process, while adhering to the restrictions imposed by his suspension and respecting the legal proceedings.

The Ukrainian received backing from the club from afar, while also being given the space to navigate what those close to him describe as an extremely difficult period.

Under the terms of the suspension, Mudryk was unable to access Chelsea‘s training ground or work with club staff. His only known public interaction with members of the first-team squad came at the Conference League final celebrations in May 2025.

To maintain his fitness, Mudryk paid for private coaching and hired goalkeepers for individual sessions while using a pitch at non-league club Uxbridge FC in London. He also organised a training camp in Austria, with videos from those sessions showing him scoring goals and taking part in attacking drills.

However, those close to Mudryk acknowledge there is no substitute for training and competing alongside elite players on a daily basis. Mudryk is understood to be realistic about the challenge ahead, but believes he can overcome it.

Chelsea are prepared to provide a pathway back into professional football. Whether that involves reintegration into the first team, a loan move – potentially involving sister club Strasbourg – or a permanent transfer remains to be seen.

Whatever the outcome, the resolution of the case represents a significant moment for Mudryk. He now has the opportunity to resume his career and determine what the next chapter looks like.

Having joined Chelsea in one of the most closely watched transfer sagas of 2023, his story at Stamford Bridge is not over yet.

Chelsea have been fined £10m and given a suspended two-window registration ban by the Football Association for breaching rules relating to payments to agents between 2009 and 2022.

Owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital self-reported 74 breaches of FA rules when they purchased the club in 2022.

An independent regulatory commission initially imposed a six-point deduction, which was to be suspended until 30 June 2027, but that has been “set aside” on appeal.

The £10m Chelsea have been fined will be invested into grassroots football.

More to follow.

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Danny Welbeck while Jordan Henderson is set to cancel his Brentford contract to enable a move to Stamford Bridge.

Henderson, 36, is under contract until 2027. Welbeck, 35, has agreed a two-year deal and been given permission by Brighton to conduct a medical at Stamford Bridge.

A fee for the striker has also been agreed but remains undisclosed as Chelsea tie up the deal for him to join pre-season in Hong Kong after Chelsea‘s final match in Australia against Tottenham on Saturday evening.

Welbeck will become the oldest signing under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership, until Henderson’s likely arrival with the west Londoners.

It is part of new manager Xabi Alonso’s drive to add experience to Chelsea‘s squad, which has been the youngest in the Premier League for the past two seasons.

Their focus on youth has been viewed as a factor in their inability to challenge consistently for major honours.

Towards the end of last season’s disappointing campaign, when they finished 10th and won nothing, Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali said their recruitment model needed a “tweak”.

Since then, Chelsea have made an offer to reunite Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka, 34, with Alonso – they won the Bundesliga title together at Bayer Leverkusen in 2024.

They have also signed 26-year-old centre-back Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace on a six-year contract, pending an official announcement, while talks continue over Henderson.

Morgan Rogers, who signed for a club-record £117m from Aston Villa earlier this month, is relatively experienced, despite having just turned 24.

The club have also signed 21-year-old full-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta.

Welbeck, formerly of Manchester United and Arsenal, has hit 90 goals in 400 top-flight appearances – and is the leading Premier League scorer at Brighton, who he joined on a free transfer from Watford in 2021.

His arrival would leave Chelsea with six senior strikers on their books, with others available for loan or sale.

Among those who could leave on either a permanent deal or loan are Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu.

The Blues have also brought in Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha from sister club Strasbourg this summer and he could remain part of the squad.

Henderson, meanwhile, would add further experience and seniority to the squad, having been selected by Thomas Tuchel as part of England’s leadership group at this summer’s World Cup.

It was during the celebrations following England’s last-16 victory over Mexico that Henderson fractured his arm and wrist after landing awkwardly while jumping over an advertising hoarding.

Henderson joined Brentford last summer after spells abroad with Dutch side Ajax and Saudi club Al Ettifaq. That followed a hugely successful spell at Liverpool, where he won six major honours, including the Champions League and Premier League.

He joins a midfield that includes Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia and Valentin Barco – who is expected to join from Strasbourg – pending an official announcement.

Chelsea are set to sign attacking midfielder Giulia Dragoni from Barcelona.

The 19-year-old spent the last two seasons on loan at Roma, and Chelsea have been tracking her progress for several years.

Dragoni has already made 24 appearances for Italy since her debut aged 16 and has experience in the Women’s Champions League with Roma.

She joined Barcelona in 2023 after graduating from Inter Milan’s youth academy.

It is understood Chelsea were attracted to Dragoni’s quality because of her versatility and ability to play across multiple attacking positions and in midfield.

She is set to become the club’s fourth summer signing as they seek to regain the Women’s Super League title following Manchester City’s success last season.

Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Brighton striker Danny Welbeck.

The 35-year-old is keen on moving to Stamford Bridge and there is optimism from Chelsea‘s side that a deal can be concluded.

The Blues are looking for experience because of an acceptance that their model of signing young players needs a “tweak” – according to influential owner Behdad Eghbali in April – and Welbeck could be a good fit.

He scored a career-high 13 league goals in 37 games for Brighton last season, taking his tally to 51 goals in 201 matches since joining from Watford in 2020.

Brighton have declined to comment.

Welbeck signed a 12-month contract extension in March, with his current deal running until the end of the 2026-27 season.

There are questions over the futures of several Chelsea forwards, with Joao Pedro regarded as the club’s first-choice option.

Chelsea also have Liam Delap, Emmanuel Emegha, Marc Guiu and Nicolas Jackson on their books.

Guiu is understood to be available for either a permanent transfer or a loan move, with Chelsea valuing him at about £25m.

Jackson, who has returned to the club following a loan spell at Bayern Munich, was expected to remain at Stamford Bridge but is open to leaving amid interest from Aston Villa.

Delap was keen to establish himself under the new manager just a year after his £30m move from Ipswich, but he is increasingly expected to depart.

There is also uncertainty surrounding the future of Dutch striker Emegha, despite having only recently joined Chelsea from Strasbourg, a club within the same ownership group.

Chelsea have signed club-record £117m attacker Morgan Rogers, full-back Marco Palestra and are closing in on a move for centre-back Maxence Lacroix this summer.

The 23-year-old Rogers, established as one of the Premier League’s top attacking talents, has signed a contract with the London team until 2033.

The England World Cup forward Morgan Rogers has completed his British transfer record move from Aston Villa to Premier League rivals Chelsea.

No fee was officially disclosed, but media reports on Tuesday said it is worth 117 million pounds ($156.5m), which surpasses England teammate Elliot Anderson’s 116 million pounds ($155m) switch from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City earlier this month.

The all-time record Premier League transfer is still Sweden striker Alexander Isak’s 125 million pounds ($167m) move from Newcastle to Liverpool last year.

The 23-year-old Rogers, established as one of the Premier League’s top attacking talents, has signed a contract with the London team until 2033.

“I’m so excited,” he told the club’s website. “For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I’ve always admired since I was a kid.

“I’m really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we’ve got and where the club is heading. That’s why I’m here, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Rogers is the third major off-season signing by new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, following wing backs Marco Palestra and Geovany Quenda.

Rogers was part of the England team that finished third, beating France, at the World Cup last week. They had lost to Argentina 2-1 in their semifinal.

He scored 21 goals in 85 Premier League appearances for Villa, and last season helped guide the club to a top-four finish and to the Europa League title.

Rogers joined Villa from Middlesbrough in February 2024 for a reported fee of 8 million pounds (about $10.5m).

He made his England debut in November 2024 and has now won 22 caps for his country.

Chelsea’s previous record signing was Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo, who joined from Brighton & Hove Albion for 115 million pounds (about $150m) in 2023.

Chelsea, who finished 10th in the Premier League last season, begin their ‌league campaign away to Fulham on August 24.

Spain’s players looked like they were ready to explode as they waited for team captain Rodri to lift the World Cup trophy into the air following their 1-0 win over Argentina in Sunday’s final.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino looked a bit anxious as he wanted the newly crowned champions to have their moment but didn’t want to offend a good friend who happens to be one of the most powerful men in the world.

And President Trump looked rather clueless as he lingered on the stage at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., for an awkward amount of time following the trophy presentation.

Trump had watched the championship game from a luxury box with Infantino and First Lady Melania Trump, among many others. He was booed by the crowd during the national anthems and again when he took the field with Infantino after the game for the awards ceremony.

After presenting silver medals to Argentina’s players and gold to Spain’s, Trump and Infantino carried the World Cup trophy together across the stage and handed it to Golden Ball winner Rodri, who was standing in front of his teammates as they awaited their big moment.

The presidents of FIFA and the U.S. both shook hands with Rodri, but only one of them quickly moved off to the side. When Trump hung around to shake hands and speak with midfielder Gavi, Rodri put his hand on the president’s shoulder and appeared to gently nudge him toward the side of the stage away from the group.

As he walked off, Trump shook hands and talked with a few other players, then stopped and stood directly next to the group of players. Infantino sprinted across the stage and appeared to attempt to usher Trump out of frame.

Trump stayed put, however, clapping and smiling until Rodri thrusted the trophy skyward and gold confetti shot from cannons behind them to officially start the celebration. Then Trump strolled away to join Infantino, leaving La Roja’s players to celebrate on their own.

It could have been much worse … like, say, at last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup final, which was also held at MetLife Stadium. Trump accompanied Infantino onstage to present the trophy to Chelsea — but did not accompany him off the stage immediately following the presentation.

Instead, Trump remained out there front and center among the Chelsea players, much to the visable confusion of some of them. He stood right next to Reece James, clapping and smiling as the team captain hoisted the trophy in triumph and a massive celebration erupted around him.

As the president of one of the three 2026 World Cup host countries (with Canada and Mexico), Trump’s presence has loomed large. In December, Infantino awarded Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the tournament’s final draw in December.

Earlier this month, Trump called Infantino to have FIFA reconsider a red card against U.S. striker Folarin Balogun that would have prevented the star player from taking part in the American’s round of 16 game against Belgium (the penalty was rescinded, causing international uproar, but the U.S. still lost the game 4-1).

“You don’t need people to compliment you, Mr. President,” Infantino said Friday during a reception hosted by the president at Trump Tower in Manhattan, “but this World Cup would not have been such an incredible success without you,”

A man who allegedly sent Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray a profane message that included a racist slur has been fired after social media users figured out where he worked.

On Monday, the former Sparks player posted a screenshot on her Instagram Story of a DM she said she received following her team’s loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday.

“People act like we make this s— up,” Gray wrote. “And the audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.’”

Her post included the sender’s user handle. Folks on social media discovered that the man worked for Hilton Grand Vacations and pressured the company to punish him for his alleged misdeed. Initially, the company wrote on X that it was investigating the matter and would “take appropriate action based on the findings of our review.”

Hours later, Hilton Grand Vacations posted that the person allegedly responsible for the racist message “is no longer with the company.”

“His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company’s values in any way,” Hilton Grand Vacations stated.

The Aces posted a statement Wednesday on X condemning the messages directed at Gray and offering support for those who stand up against such attacks.

“We stand behind those who have the courage to speak up for themselves,” the organization stated. “We are united with anyone who has been targeted by this type of unacceptable behavior.

“We stand with organizations, like Hilton Grand Vacations, that hold individuals accountable for racist conduct. We commend them for the swift manner in which they acted in addressing this manner.”

The WNBA reposted the Aces’ statement and said it “stands with Chelsea and every member of our league.”

“We unequivocally condemn racism and all forms of hate,” the league wrote. “There is no place for this behavior in sports or anywhere, and we remain committed to protecting the players and fostering an environment built on respect and inclusion.”

As part of the collective bargaining agreement reached in March, the WNBA introduced a no-hate campaign that included a stronger fan code of conduct that specifies punishments for online abuse of players and other inappropriate behaviors.

Still, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas told reporters last month that she received death threats and racist abuse after an on-court incident in which her fist pressed into Fever star Caitlin Clark’s throat while they were scrambling for the ball. No foul was called at the time, but the WNBA later assessed Thomas a Flagrant 2 foul and suspended her for a game.

Speaking to reporters June 30, Thomas called out the league and commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing more to protect players off the court.

“Time and time again, players are going through this and the league remains silent,” Thomas said. “I’m sick and tired of it. It’s time for them to step up and have our backs.”

Engelbert released a statement following Thomas’ comments.

“We are aware of Alyssa Thomas’ comments, and what she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community,” the commissioner said. “The league and our security team have been in contact with the Phoenix Mercury organization and remain committed to protecting all players.”

During last weekend’s Fever-Aces game, Gray drew a foul on Clark while driving to the basket, but her elbow also appeared to make contact with the Indiana star’s stomach. Clark doubled over after the whistle in what some said appeared to be an attempt to get a foul called on Gray, but none was called.

The racist message received by Gray did not appear to mention Clark or any specific incident.

Bates was never far from controversy, especially in the mid-’80s when he erected a 12ft 12-volt electric fence around Stamford Bridge to prevent pitch invasions – but was then refused permission by Greater London Council to switch it on, citing safety grounds.

In 1991, Chelsea were fined £105,000 for alleged illegal payments to players. Bates resigned from the Football League management committee.

He regarded one of his most significant achievements at Chelsea as securing Stamford Bridge as the club’s home before developing it into a luxury all-seater stadium with a 40,000-plus capacity.

It came after a long-running legal battle with property developers Marler Estates, which owned a substantial part of the stadium’s freehold. He then started the Chelsea Pitch Owners scheme, sharing out ownership of the land with fans, ensuring Stamford Bridge would not be in similar peril again.

This, in many respects, was as important as the success Chelsea eventually enjoyed during his tenure.

Bates was helped in his quest to bring the best players to Chelsea by the investment of Matthew Harding, who became a director in 1993 and eventually vice-chairman.

Glenn Hoddle was appointed player-manager in June 1993 as the club became increasingly fashionable, doing well enough to be appointed England manager two years later.

Harding was a lifelong Chelsea fan who yearned for a return of the club’s glory days, initially providing £5m for Stamford Bridge’s renovation, then more money for players, but often clashed with Bates over the direction and power base of the club, eventually being banned from the Chelsea boardroom in 1995.

Amid bitterness, the pair never reconciled before Harding’s death in a helicopter crash returning from a League Cup tie at Bolton Wanderers.

Bates sacked Gullit, who had won the FA Cup the previous season, in February 1998 after their relationship suffered a fracture – with claims that the manager learned of his sacking via Teletext.

Vialli replaced Gullit, bringing that European Cup Winners’ Cup success to Chelsea, as well as an FA Cup final victory against Aston Villa in 2000.

Bates wielded the axe ruthlessly after Chelsea won only one of their first five league games the following season, although the decision brought heavy criticism from Pierluigi Casiraghi, the Italian striker bought by Vialli whose career was ended by injury.

He said: “Ken Bates does not know the meaning of gratitude. He is arrogant and has made a mistake.”

Even Bates’ programme notes were required reading as he settled scores in print and used them to mount a fierce defence of either personal criticism or criticism of the club.

Claudio Ranieri was Bates’ final managerial appointment before selling to Abramovich, saying the deal would “take Chelsea to the next level” – which it duly did.

It turned out to be one of defining moments in Premier League history, as a succession of rich foreign owners bought in.

VERITY Bowditch has just announced that she’s gotten engaged to her boyfriend, Cameron Jack.

The Made In Chelsea star, 30, took to Instagram to share a series snaps with her followers to celebrate the major milestone.

Verity made the first post to her Instagram story, flashing her round engagement ring to the camera as she laughed.

Cameron had his arms wrapped around her while kissing her cheek, and the date of June 27 was written underneath the picture.

The second snap showed the happy couple kissing in a field, accompanied by the words: “Get to spend the rest of my life with the love of my life!”

Verity continued to gush while flashing the ring in the streets, describing the proposal as “the most perfect, romantic and thoughtful proposal that ever could have been created.”

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A final snap showed a typed up letter addressed to Verity from Cameron that provided some insight into the proposal. It read: “Good morning my darling!

“Today is a very special day. A day I have been planning for over a year.

“A scavenger hunt has been laid out across London for you. Each clue you solve will lead you to another important location. Solve them all and meet me at the finish line.

“Expect the unexpected, and look out for some of my helpers along the way! Because in the words of The Beatles: ‘I get by with a little help from my friends.’

“Ps. I know you may be eager to skip straight to the end, but I have designed what I hope will be the best day of your life.

“So please, take your time and enjoy every minute of it, I’m not going anywhere! I love you xxx”

Verity also made a post to her Instagram grid that saw her scooped up in Cameron’s arms while going in for a smooch.

The star captioned the picture with: “I’m going to marry the love of my life.”

Verity and Cameron have kept their relationship very private, so it’s unknown when they first started dating.

However, they were first linked in public during 2024 when Cameron praised Verity online, saying how proud he was of her.

Everton are close to agreeing a deal with Chelsea to sign winger Tyrique George following his loan spell.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan on Merseyside, with an option to buy for £25m, but Everton have renegotiated an upfront fee to one with add-ons.

George made 11 appearances for Everton, starting once, but impressed manager David Moyes during his four-month spell at the club.

In May Moyes described him as “an excellent boy” with an “excellent work-rate” when asked about the possibility of a permanent move before the final match of the season.

With the deal for George close, Everton are finalising a £16m deal for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

Attacking midfielder Merlin Rohl is also set to make his loan move permanent following a successful spell from SC Freiburg last season, while Idrissa Gana Gueye and Seamus Coleman have departed after their contracts expired.

George, who came through Chelsea‘s academy, has been available for transfer for the past 12 months.

He held talks with RB Leipzig last summer, while a £22m move to Fulham collapsed on transfer deadline day in September 2025.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are continuing their squad rebuild under new manager Xabi Alonso.

They have signed Marco Palestra from Atalanta and retain interest in Crystal Palace‘s Maxence Lacroix, Como’s Jacobo Ramon and Rayo Vallecano full-back Pep Chavarria.

However, the club are also looking to reduce the size of their squad after finishing 10th in the Premier League and failing to qualify for European competition.

That means fewer matches and reduced revenue from broadcasting and matchdays, while Chelsea remain under a Uefa settlement agreement for the next three seasons after breaching financial regulations last summer.

Player sales are therefore likely, with Real Madrid interested in Enzo Fernandez, while Como and Inter Milan are among the clubs keen on Trevoh Chalobah.

The futures of Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana also remain uncertain, along with forwards Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap.

Kerr signs with the NWSL champions until 2030, returning to the US league after six years spent with Chelsea in England.

Australian striker Sam Kerr has signed with Gotham ⁠FC, the ⁠reigning champions of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States, the club announced after the iconic player ended her dazzling career with Chelsea, which saw her ⁠win five Women’s Super League titles.

Kerr, who was a free agent, signed the contract on Monday that will see her play in New York through the 2030 season. She previously played ‌in the city between 2015 and 2017.

The all-time leading regular-season goal-scorer for the North American league recorded ⁠116 goals across all competitions with Chelsea and was the 2023 Ballon d’Or runner-up.

“This club was an important part of my journey, and to come back at this moment, with everything Gotham has built, is really special. The ambition here is clear, and I’m looking forward to helping this team ⁠compete for trophies and create more ⁠history,” Kerr said in a statement.

The signing is a fine coup for the NWSL, which saw several players exit for opportunities in Europe ⁠last year, and brings one of the game’s brightest talents to the ⁠biggest sports market in the US.

“Sam is one of the defining players of her generation and a game-changing talent who has consistently delivered at the highest levels of ‌world football,” Yael Averbuch West, the president of football operations for Gotham, said.

“Bringing Sam back to Gotham is ‌a ‌landmark moment for our club, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

Kerr played 119 career regular-season games (113 starts) across her seven seasons with three ⁠teams in the NWSL, including three years with Sky Blue FC (now Gotham FC) from 2015 to 2017.

After playing the 2018 season with the Chicago Red Stars, Kerr played a season for the Perth Glory ⁠in her native Australia (2018-19) before returning to Chicago in 2019. She joined Chelsea in the Women’s Super League in late 2019.

Despite her six-and-a-half-year absence, her 77 regular-season goals are still an NWSL record. In 2017, she won the Golden Boot and MVP awards with Sky Blue FC after a season in ‌which she scored 17 goals in 22 games.

Kerr will debut for Gotham after the NWSL’s transfer window opens on July ⁠14. Gotham host the Washington Spirit on July 15 in the Queens Classic in New York.

EastEnders have welcomed back a familiar face, but fans fear this will lead to dangerous scenes for Chelsea and Jordan Fox after they survived serial killer Gray Atkins

A familiar face has come back to EastEnders – and it spells trouble for Chelsea and Jordan Fox. Chelsea’s sister Libby, played by Belinda Owusu, has returned Walford after hearing about her mother Denise’s cancer diagnosis, but while many were happy to see her, it wasn’t long before she and Chelsea started bickering.

They argued about many things, starting with whether Chelsea should have noticed Denise was ill and called Libby earlier. Soon, the conversation turned to Chelsea’s son Jordan, who was recently in a car accident and may not be able to walk again. As Chelsea broke down, Libby comforted her sister. But, again, their peace with each other didn’t last long.

Libby pushed Chelsea to open up more and fill her in on what was going on. As such, Chelsea revealed that she had received a birthday card for Jordan from his great-grandmother, Sheila, along with a cheque for £1000.

When asked why she hadn’t cashed it, Chelsea said she didn’t want anyone connected to her ex husband Gray, Jordan’s father who was abusive and killed multiple people, involved in her son’s life, in case they were still in contact with Gray. The murderer, who was also physically abusive towards Chelsea, is currently in prison for his crimes. Since Sheila is Gray’s grandmother, Chelsea didn’t want to risk her being involved.

But, Libby later took the card, with the cheque inside. Fans were unsure what Libby planned to do with it, but some felt that if she cashed the cheque, this would put Chelsea and Jordan in danger.

One floated the idea that Libby planned to cash the cheque: “First episode back and Libby has already just slotted in like shes been back for ages, although if she does end up cashing the check I hope its actually to help Jordan and not another ‘I’m in debt and need to pay someone off’ storyline again.”

Another added: “Well I hope not since she did say she was willing to give Chelsea money for Jordan’s wheelchair and other stuff so I doubt they writers will make her do that considering what she said today.

“I also hope before she cashes it in she discusses it with Chelsea first because at the end of the day it’s gonna affect Jordan and Chelsea since it’s gonna be from her ex partner’s family and who knows they might still be in touch with him so it could potentially put both Jordan and Chelsea at risk but that’s just my opinion.

“So I hope she discusses it with Chelsea before doing anything bc if I was Chelsea I’m not sure how comfortable I would feel either taking money from my abusive ex’s family.”

A third added that they thought this could lead to a custody battle that puts Gray back in Jordan’s life: “I really hope she talks to Chelsea too, because if she cashes the cheque, Gray’s family could use to suggest that they take over Jordan’s care entirely – they’re already paying and they’ll say Chelsea let him get hurt.

“And if they have custody, they might take him to see Gray, which isn’t safe for anyone, especially Chelsea when she tries to get Jordan back.”

Belinda Owusu, who plays Libby, has already teased that her return to the Square leads to tough scenes for Chelsea, and what will happen with the cheque. She said: “With Chelsea overwhelmed by Jordan’s care and the financial strain, Libby sees it as potential support. She’s torn – she respects Chelsea’s boundaries but also believes it could offer some relief.”

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Chelsea have had a long-term interest in McCabe, who was a fan of the club as a child. They held off competition to sign her from WSL champions Manchester City.

An approach was made by Chelsea for McCabe in 2015, but McCabe opted to join Arsenal. They reportedly attempted again in 2023, but their bid was rejected.

She was offered a contract renewal by Arsenal in April but decided to pursue other opportunities, with Chelsea and City having made their interest known.

McCabe played a key role as Arsenal won the Champions League in 2025 and she also has an FA Cup, three League Cups and one Champions Cup medal.

On the international scene, McCabe has made 105 appearances for the Republic of Ireland, netting 34 goals, and led them to their first World Cup in 2023.

She was the first Irish woman to receive a nomination for the Ballon d’Or awards in 2023, and the first player male or female from her nation since Roy Keane in 2000.

Now McCabe can look forward to joining a club who have been one of Arsenal’s biggest rivals – a side that she helped knock out of the Champions League quarter-finals in April.

During the second leg of that European tie, Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor was sent off as she vented her anger at a hair pull on Alyssa Thompson by McCabe.

Chelsea won the World Sevens Series on Saturday and Thompson jokingly re-enacted the hair pull scene during their entrance.

McCabe’s arrival boosts a Chelsea squad bruised from missing out on the WSL title in the season just ended, and who are still chasing an elusive Champions League trophy.

Her addition to the squad is welcome given clubs are pursuing England left-back Niamh Charles, with Manchester City favourites to sign her.

England full-back Lucy Bronze is also out of contract with Chelsea this summer and has yet to confirm whether she has agreed an extension.

With all the tension and drama that surrounds the play-offs, there is an argument to be made that it is perhaps the best way to win promotion.

Former right-back Tommy Smith, who won the Championship play-off final with Huddersfield Town in 2017 and played in the Premier League for the Terriers, says it is the “jeopardy” which makes it so unique.

“The play-offs do strange things to you. Moments in time. It brings out things in games that you just don’t see in a normal season. There’s a key word in it and that’s jeopardy,” he told BBC’s Football Daily 72+ podcast.

Smith described winning the play-off final as an “unbelievable” and “incredible” feeling that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

“Ultimately I’ve got pictures around my house now, I’ve got the medal to show for it,” he added.

“It’s only afterwards when it sinks in that you actually realise what you’ve achieved. It’s a surreal day and a surreal feeling.”

Lyle Taylor, who won promotion via the play-offs from the Championship, League One and League Two with Nottingham Forest, Charlton and AFC Wimbledon respectively, said it is a “feeling you can’t really describe”.

“It’s strange. I remember walking up there [the Wembley steps] and it hasn’t hit you that you’ve done it,” he said.

“I saw my parents after the finals and the emotion gets you at that point. It’s mad because it’s such a momentous day, it’s such a big part of your life and if you’re lucky enough to do it as a footballer, it’s incredible.”