While Sunday brings a London derby against Crystal Palace, most of the attention, among the Chelsea FC community, will be on deadline day. Jadon Sancho could be making an 11th hour move to Stamford Bridge while Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are trying to find their last minute escape routes. Armando Broja already had his escape hatch lined up, but it all fell apart due to injury.
We’ll cover it all in more detail, starting with Sancho, a player that will not really be missed by the Manchester United fan base.
?? EXCL: Chelsea submit official bid to Manchester Utd for Jadon Sancho.
Understand it’s initial loan proposal, similar to terms offered by Juventus but total package higher.
Sancho, OPEN and keen to joining Chelsea so up to the clubs/Man Utd to decide. pic.twitter.com/g7tRFOyzVn
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 30, 2024
Chelsea FC vs Crystal Palace FYIs
Kick: Sun. Sept 1, 1:30 pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Chelsea FC win 60% Draw 21% Crystal Palace 19%
PL Standing, Form Guide: Chelsea FC 8th, 3pts, LW Crystal Palace 17th, 0 pts, LL
Blues Team News
Sancho had a move to Juventus all lined up, reportedly, but then he scrapped it because he prefers a move to Chelsea. As you can see from the Tweet by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the two clubs are still working on it. For what it is worth, United manager Erik ten Hag was asked by a journalist today if he thinks Sancho will be stay at United, and the Dutchman responded affirmatively.
Of course, until Sancho is actually gone, what is he supposed to say?
Blues boss Enzo Maresca has said a lot about Sterling, indicating that although he respects and admires his game, he’s just not his “type of winger.” So where does he go? Deadline day is seeing Sterling linked with a move to Arsenal, which honestly makes sense, given that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta enjoyed working with him when he was an assistant at Manchester City.
Meanwhile Ben Chilwell, another player who was explicitly told to leave, is now being strongly linked to Brentford, after interest from Manchester United vanished.
Elsewhere striker Armando Broja was set to go out on loan to Ipswich Town, and it still could happen, according to some reports, but his foot injury seems to have collapsed the move. Broja is still working on rehabbing the problem that he suffered in preseason.
Finally, the always injured twins, Reece James and Romeo Lavia, remain sidelined for this match, as both have hamstring injuries.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.