Mauricio Pochettino said he cannot control Chelsea fans’ reactions after a section of the away support appeared to boo Ben Chilwell at the end of the team’s drab 0-0 draw at Bournemouth.

Chilwell was a second-half substitute at the Vitality Stadium but failed to substantially alter the team’s fortunes as they laboured in vain to break the hosts down in wet conditions.

Pochettino named three outfield players aged 19 or under on the bench as well as two goalkeepers as the club’s injury crisis continued to deepen.

Marc Cucurella and Noni Madueke were fresh additions to the absentee list at Bournemouth, taking the total number of players unavailable to the manager to 12.

Chelsea threatened only sporadically, looking to use the channels to attack but only rarely finding a final ball to open up the home side.

Raheem Sterling hit the crossbar with a fiercely hit free-kick whilst Nicolas Jackson also struck the woodwork in the first half but it was Robert Sanchez who was called upon to make the save of the game when he spread himself low at the feet of Dango Ouattara as the striker bore down on his goal.

It leaves Pochettino’s side 14th in the table with just one win from five matches, and with an uneasy sense that last season’s problems in front of goal are a long way from being fixed.

And some fans seemed to vent their frustrations when England international Chilwell went over to applaud the away end at full-time.

“What can we do?” said Pochettino. “For me, I have nothing to say. The fans can do whatever they want.

“We know what we need to do, we are strong in our belief. We have 12 injured and today we had three or four young guys and two keepers on the bench.

“I’m going to cry? I’m going to complain? To who? I need to accept this, the challenge and keep being positive.”

The Argentinian continued: “Bournemouth is a good team, they are going to compete. Every team is going to compete and be difficult.

“But these are the circumstances we need to accept and be positive, patient. We are not going to change in the way we do things.

“What can I do? Only to keep believing. If you say to me we have today all of our players, all of our signings, no injuries, and maybe we cannot win this game? Then maybe I can tell you we need to see (it) in a different way. But we cannot lie to the people.”

Chelsea have failed to score in their last two Premier League outings and have won just twice in the league since March, at the Vitality Stadium late last season when Bournemouth were already safe and last month at home to newly-promoted Luton.

Pochettino was asked whether he was sympathetic to the reaction of those supporters that booed the players off.

“What I can tell the fans is the circumstance that we cannot change,” he said. “The reality that we cannot change. We have too many players (injured). We’re a team that would be strong if we are together.

“Even Manchester City, Arsenal, when they have all the squad fit, they can compete for everything. Why is it different for us? It’s because of what? We don’t have all the squad available from the beginning of the season.”

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola reflected on a performance that showed promise despite the winless run at the start of his tenure now stretching to five league matches.

“I’m really happy with the performance,” he said. “The game was quite level. Both teams had their chances. Overall, we had very good individual performances and finished the game even better.

“There were moments later on where we thought the game could be ours.”

Chelsea’s indifferent start to the Premier League season continued as they were held to a drab goalless draw by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side were again short on creative threat as the hosts dealt comfortably with what their opponents could muster in attack, only once looking genuinely troubled when Raheem Sterling’s second-half free-kick cracked the underside of the crossbar.

For Chelsea it was a familiar case of failing to find the critical pass, as possession and overall control of the match counted for little.

It leaves the team assembled for more than £1billion by co-owner Todd Boehly languishing in 14th place with just one win in their first five league games.

Andoni Iraola saw the winless streak with which his Bournemouth tenure has started stretch to five matches but also witnessed moments of genuine attacking intent from his team, most notably when Dango Ouattara was denied brilliantly in the first half by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

Sterling had the first sight of goal in the 10th minute when he darted into the box to latch onto Conor Gallagher’s chipped pass but his shot was horribly miscued and rolled away to safety.

Nicolas Jackson made better use of his first opportunity, striking the outside of the post from Mykhailo Mudryk’s through-ball, but on the whole the opening exchanges passed with little incident.

It took a superb sprawling save from Sanchez to keep out Ouattara, the goalkeeper diving at the striker’s feet after Bournemouth had caught Chelsea out with a quick free-kick.

Sterling looked in the mood to continue the rich vein of form with which he has started the season. In the 22nd minute, Malo Gusto linked up well with Gallagher down the right and sent over a low cross that Sterling was first to react to, but his shot was deflected to safety.

Neto got a strong right hand down to beat away Gallagher’s effort from 18 yards after he had been set up by Mudryk. For Chelsea, the first half had traced a familiar pattern; plenty of possession and probing balls into the channels, but little to suggest they had fathomed how to break Bournemouth down.

Sterling nearly gave them the perfect start to the second period, his free-kick from 20 yards crashing off the bar and down onto the goal line. Levi Colwill tapped home the rebound but was rightly called offside.

The Blues had conceded five goals in their first four league games, and there were again signs of defensive frailties in Dorset.

Axel Disasi failed to get height or distance on his clearance from the edge of the box, heading the ball to the feet of Ryan Christie who curled a well-struck effort into the palms of Sanchez.

Chelsea’s breakthrough looked to have arrived after 65 minutes when Sterling slid a ball in behind for Jackson, whose low cross was almost turned home by the stretching Colwill – with Neto clawing the ball to safety.

But the visitors were looking increasingly desperate in their approach. Gusto and Sterling each epitomised the dearth of creative ideas that has dashed Pochettino’s early ambitions, lashing speculative shots high and wide from distance when there were options on.

At the other end, Bournemouth were increasingly a threat. First Philip Billing saw a free-kick deflected narrowly wide, before Dominic Solanke’s low drive was well saved by Sanchez.

Cole Palmer was summoned from the bench to help find Chelsea’s rhythm, but the summer signing from Manchester City had little more success than the player he replaced, Mudryk.

Ben Chilwell also came on and made one good burst forward and crossed for Jackson, but the striker’s header was easy for Neto.

Mauricio Pochettino is saddened by some of changes he has witnessed in English football, believing a move towards a more technical way of playing costing the Premier League some of its identity.

The manager is in his sixth full season working in England since being appointed at Southampton midway through the 2012-13 season.

He stabilised relegation-threatened Saints and pulled them clear of the drop zone before helping establishing them in the top flight the following year.

At his next job, Tottenham, he transformed the club from perennial underachievers into regular Champions League qualifiers and took them to the final in 2019, losing 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid.

He is working his first Premier League job since being sacked by Spurs in November of that year, and is tasked with turning around Chelsea’s fortunes after a wretched campaign last season that saw them finish 12th.

The value and commercial appeal of England’s top flight has grown hugely since Pochettino replaced Nigel Adkins at St. Mary’s more than a decade ago, with the appeal and financial incentive on offer to foreign stars greater than ever.

It has influenced English football to move away from some of its traditional habits, typically thought to have been centred around stamina and physicality.

“It’s true that the Premier League is different from when we arrived at Southampton (in 2013),” said Pochettino, who takes his team to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday looking for only their second league win of the season.

“Improved? Yes. Every season it improves, because the potential of the Premier League to sign players from everywhere has made the teams stronger.

“But it’s true that it loses a little bit of the identity of British football, or English football. Being honest, I like (it) of course, because as coaching staff we love to play in this way.

“English football always was about to fight. But to play good football in (a) different way also is to play well, because if you want to play in a different way, you need to be clever also in how you decide a philosophy and structure of the team.”

The Premier League had only 13 foreign players – not English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish – when it was launched in 1992.

The influx of players, and just as significantly managers, from overseas has seen the league grow to resemble a more technical style previously associated with Spain, Italy and other European leagues.

Pochettino added: “Losing this type of identity I think made me a little bit sad because always in my head it was different football in England, that is true.

“People want more spectacular, more things like this. Of course, that is the evolution of society. People ask for different demands, different things, and we are adapting. Football is adapting.”

Pochettino repeated his call for Chelsea’s young squad – the youngest in the league with an average age of just over 23 – to be afforded the time they need to grow into themselves following co-owner Todd Boehly’s whirlwind £1billion recruitment drive.

He cited one famous example of a player bought for big money who took time to come good.

“It’s not fair to assess one game, two games, three games; (a player) is not performing when we play someone and say ‘they need to perform like this’.

“I always use the same example. Real Madrid paid 70, 80, 100 million for one player, Zinedine Zidane.

“After six months you can ask the fans of Real Madrid. He started to perform after seven, eight months. Zidane was 26, 27.

“When you bring in a player who is 18 or 19 or 20 or 21, be careful. They are not machines. They need to settle. We need to give time.”

Chelsea’s policy of targeting young players in the transfer market must be given time to prove its effectiveness, according to boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have led a recruitment drive that has prioritised youth over experience during the last two transfer windows.

At an average age of just over 23 the club have the youngest squad in the Premier League this season, with contracts of seven or eight years for new players common at Stamford Bridge.

They have broken the British transfer record twice in 2023 on two players who are under 23, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

Yet the team have taken just four points from the manager’s first four league games in charge, after a summer in which recruitment spend in the previous 12 months under the current ownership surpassed the £1billion mark.

The manager was unhappy with the ease with which Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga was allowed to run through the heart of his team’s defence to score the only goal in the visitors’ 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge before the international break, and mistakes in defence and in midfield have been a theme in the season’s early weeks.

Nevertheless, Chelsea have enjoyed periods of dominance in all four fixtures, particularly in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool on the opening weekend and in the 3-0 win over newly-promoted Luton.

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic said this week that the squad lacked the kind of world-class individuals that helped the club win five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues over the past 20 years.

But Pochettino has seen enough to be reassured that his ideas are taking root amongst his young squad, and appealed for the necessary patience for an inexperienced group to find their flow.

“They were (once) young also, John Terry was young, Frank Lampard was young, (Didier) Drogba was young,” he said. “You know better maybe than me, that is a completely different pressure. This is a different Chelsea to what I saw when I was at Tottenham or Southampton. Worse or better? I’m not saying that.

“But it’s different pressure. Different circumstances. Now we cannot compare with the past. I think it’s not fair. It’s a different Chelsea. What I want to translate is the fans want to win because the normal way in the past for Chelsea is to win.

“We need to accelerate all the process, because Chelsea is about to win, and we want to win. But I understand that the process is completely different to in the past. Because we have a different approach to the game and the philosophy and the ideas, (it means) we have a young squad of course.

“(We have) very talented players that need time to perform. But for sure we have one of the best squads of young players with the project. But of course we need time. We need to be careful about how we evolve and how we develop these ideas. But it’s true, players that need to improve and improve.”

Chelsea travel to Bournemouth on Sunday looking to win away from home for just the second time since March, with their only victory on the road in that time coming on their previous visit to the Vitality Stadium at the end of last season.

Pochettino spoke positively about his side’s performances so far this campaign despite a points return that has left them 12th.

He emphasised that his young squad are carrying the club into a new era where success is planned over a longer period, investing in potential rather than ready-made stars.

“I cannot give my opinion about what (Begovic) said because I didn’t hear,” he added. “But it’s obvious that at the moment, if you’re talking about a name like John Terry or Lampard or Drogba… come on.

“Today maybe we have the potential of Lampard or Terry or Drogba, but they are young. They need to prove that they can be one of these guys.

“In the past, Chelsea was about to sign (big) players, like Drogba. Now the idea is to buy young people to have the possibility to develop and to build a team. We are in the process of building a team.”

Mauricio Pochettino has told Chelsea’s players they need to be more naughty if they are to reach the level required to move on from an indifferent start to the season.

The team have dominated for long periods in all four Premier League games so far but defensive errors and a continued lack of penetration in attack have meant they have picked up just four points and sit 12th.

Defeat at home to Nottingham Forest before the international break was a microcosm of the side’s early struggles under Pochettino, with the visitors’ Anthony Elanga allowed to run freely through the heart of Chelsea’s defence to score the game’s only goal before striker Nicolas Jackson skied a gilt-edged chance to rescue a point.

It mirrored the loss to West Ham in August in which the team controlled the first half at the London Stadium before allowing their hosts to nick a 3-1 win, thanks in part to a missed penalty from Enzo Fernandez and a spot-kick conceded by record-signing Moises Caicedo on his debut.

The manager said that whilst performances warranted a greater points return, his players need to sharpen their competitive instincts if they are to make good on his stated aim of returning the club to the Champions League.

The team face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday looking to win away from home for only the second time since March.

“The team performance was good in the first month,” said Pochettino. “We didn’t get the points that we deserved. The organisation was good, the way that want to play. Players believe in the way that we want to play.

“If you see the data, we are very good in possession, we are very good in construction and building. Only what we are missing is to score goals. That’s the most important thing in football.

“We want to be more competitive. We cannot concede this type of goal we conceded against Nottingham. We cannot be so weak, we need to be more solid. We have players with experience, players that can do better.

“At the moment I think my feeling is bad because we are playing well, we are showing to everyone we can compete, we dominate games against teams like Liverpool.

“But in the end we need to be more competitive – I say that because I don’t want to use another word. We need to be more naughty, more aggressive.

“They’re not too nice. (They need) to compete better. To increase our level is not about our quality, it’s to compete. To compete more in every single moment of the game that requires some thing to do. Because we’re still building the team, finding this balance, for sure it’s a matter of time.

“I try to describe why we didn’t get the points we deserved. At some moment of the game you need to show more this quality, this mental strength, to have this experience to manage better to deal with some circumstance in the game. Sometimes it’s not about only talent.

“When you see the Forest game after two weeks, the time we’ve spent trying to identify why we lost the game, it’s really tough. But that’s not to do with last season, we can’t blame last season. We need to blame ourselves and find solutions in ourselves. We cannot blame the past, we cannot blame the feeling of last season. Now it’s a new era, everything is new.

Pochettino confirmed that Romeo Lavia faces a spell out of the team after injuring his ankle in training, but could not say how long the summer signing from Southampton will be out.

However, an injury of this kind typically requires six weeks of recovery time, meaning the £58million Belgium international is unlikely to make his debut for the club before November.

“(We are) really disappointed because he was training really well last week,” said Pochettino. “He’s twisted his ankle and now we wait for Monday to hear from the doctor.

“We hope it’s not a big issue. It’s real shame. It’s a sad situation because he was nearly fit to be involved again with the team. We don’t know (time). We need to assess him.”

Neither Armando Broja nor Benoit Badiashile will be fit to feature against Bournemouth though both are back in full training and took part in internal matches during the international break.

Reece James, who went off injured during the season opener against Liverpool in August, is not fit to return but is back working with the ball in training.

“Reece is recovering well,” said Pochettino. “I can’t say if he’s close or not, because we assess him every single day. He’s started doing things on the pitch with the ball. He’s really well, he’s desperate to come again and help the team. I hope that he’s close and can be available before the next international break.”

The manager added that Trevoh Chalobah remains in his plans despite reports linking him with a move in January.

“Chalobah is in my plan. No one is going to decide for me. The message is that all the players who are going to be here in January or after January, I am going to be involved in the decision.”

Mauricio Pochettino said football’s stakeholders should not be hypocritical in their judgement of Chelsea after the club’s spending surpassed £1billion under the ownership of Todd Boehly.

The £40million signing of Cole Palmer from Manchester City on Friday pushed total outlay during the last 16 months into 10 figures, with more than £400m having been spent on 12 players in the summer window alone.

That has in part been offset by player sales for significant fees earlier in the window with 14 first-team departures since the end of the last season, most notably midfielders Kai Havertz and Mason Mount who left for a combined £120m.

It was also confirmed on Friday that 20-year-old striker Mason Burstow has joined Sunderland on a season-long loan while Callum Hudson-Odoi has signed for Nottingham Forest, ending a 16-year association with the club.

Chelsea host Forest at Stamford Bridge on Saturday looking to make it three wins in a row after victories against Luton in the Premier League and AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup.

The manager has previously said that anything less than Champions League qualification in his first season will be deemed a failure following the owners’ mammoth transfer outlay which has seen them break the British transfer record twice in 2023.

And with Boehly still relatively inexperienced in European football, Pochettino was at pains to emphasise his responsibility to help guide and advise his employer.

“You can talk about being very surprised about (the billion-pound landmark), or not,” said Pochettino. “It depends. Today football is… we need to evolve. Today it’s different. Completely different. We manage a different type of numbers.

“If 20 years ago we had thought this was going to happen, maybe no one would believe it. But today, it’s normal in football, this type of money moving around.

“It’s a big business, football. And we cannot stop. I think we all get the benefit here, no? I think we cannot be hypocrites. To be involved in football in different areas, you (the press) there or me here. We are living all (what) that business produces.

“I’m not going to be here to give lessons to anyone, but I think football is about getting a good balance. For me, yes Chelsea is spending money. But also it’s selling players. Money in and money out.

“In that case, people arrive in a club in the Premier League like our owners, it’s normal. They want to settle and develop their project, and we are people that are going to help them to be right in their decisions, because we are professionals of football.

“We are giving our vision and advice, and of course after (that) it’s up to them. That is a very special situation that happened from the beginning.”

Pochettino will have Mykhailo Mudryk available for selection after the winger missed last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Luton.

The Ukraine international, who signed for £88m from Shakhtar Donetsk in January but is yet to score or consistently show the kind of form that persuaded Chelsea to bring him to west London, has played just 54 minutes this season and is yet to start a game under Pochettino.

“He’s a very talented player,” said the manager. “He needs to first of all, before talking about football, he needs to feel comfortable, feel really strong in his body. He suffered (during) the (under-21) Euros, he only played one game (because) he was suffering from some injury.

“When I arrived here was never consistent in training, always something happened. Now we are focused and trying to help me to be really strong, healthy and feel good to start to perform.

“No one can perform if they do not feel strong and really confident in your body. It’s time we need to build his confidence. We are working. I hope in the next few weeks he starts to find his best form to start to help the team.”

Chelsea will give Cole Palmer time to get comfortable in his new environment after completing his £40million move from Manchester City, according to Mauricio Pochettino.

The 21-year-old signed a seven-year deal on Friday to swap the club he joined aged seven for Pochettino’s new-look Stamford Bridge outfit.

The City academy graduate played 14 league games during the club’s Premier League title-winning season last term and was an unused substitute as they beat Inter Milan to win the Champions League in June.

Despite his increased involvement in the champions’ first team – which included scoring in both the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup this season – his new manager hinted a chance to play a more significant role in west London may have been a factor in persuading him to move.

He becomes the club’s 12th signing of the current transfer window, taking spending during the first 16 months of ownership of Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium over £1billion, but Pochettino said it is likely to be the last of the club’s business before Friday night’s deadline.

With so much player turnover and with the youngest average squad age in the league, he has stated repeatedly in the early weeks of the season that too much cannot be expected too soon and applied the same argument to Palmer’s arrival.

“I think he’s a fit for the project,” said the manager. “He’s a young, talented player. He decided to come because he expects to play maybe more and be important here.

“But that’s not the most important thing. The most important is that he sees Chelsea as a project for him, and to improve his game, and to be more involved every single game.

“The quality is there, there is great potential. Now he needs to settle here and prove and show that he’s better than his team-mates, and that he deserves to play. He has to fight for his place.

“He’s from Manchester and he’s going to move to London. London is different, the club is different, the culture and everything. First of all, before he starts to perform, he needs to settle in his space and feel comfortable.

“We’re not going to put pressure on him to perform (straight away). The most important thing now is to be happy and to find his space in the team.

“I think so (that is the end of transfer business). I think there’s no time. If something is going on, I don’t know. I didn’t talk to my sporting directors since 11 o’clock (Friday morning). If something is going to happen they will communicate with me.

“We are happy with the squad. I don’t believe that something will happen in the next few hours in terms of players in.”

The manager would not rule out the departure of Conor Gallagher, who has been the subject of a reported £40m bid from Tottenham.

The midfielder has started every game under Pochettino and captained the side in Wednesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win against AFC Wimbledon.

“I think all the players that are involved in the squad are in our plan,” said Pochettino. “After, it’s a decision between the club and the player.

“Always from our side, Conor was a player that is consistent and can perform in different positions. We are so happy with him.

“He was captain against Wimbledon, he’s an important player for us. What’s going to happen in the future, I  don’t know, I cannot tell you this. It’s like a player asks me ‘how do you see myself in the future?’ I don’t know, I cannot know. It’s up to you.”

The manager added that he had been under no illusion that Romelu Lukaku would play a role with the first team this season.

The striker finally departed on Thursday on a season-long loan to Roma, having not trained with the squad since returning from a stay at Inter nor been given a squad number.

“I’m not disappointed because it was so clear the situation,” said Pochettino. “I didn’t create any expectation in my mind. The club was clear in the situation.

“What I heard from the club was the that the player wanted to leave. It was clear he was not going to be here this season.”

1030 – DONE DEAL It’s one of the ones we were expecting as Manchester City complete the signing of Matheus Nunes from Wolves for £53million.

https://twitter.com/ManCity/status/1697543082848268419

1030 – Here’s the latest transfer news from Tottenham: They will kick-start a busy day with the imminent loan departures of Japhet Tanganga and Sergio Reguilon to Augsburg and Manchester United respectively.

Spurs are also trying to shift Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez, Tanguy Ndombele, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bryan Gil before the 11pm deadline, the PA news agency understands, while positive talks continue with Nottingham Forest over the proposed signing of Brennan Johnson.

1010 – DONE DEAL Leeds continue to shape their squad following relegation back to the Championship, with full-back Cody Drameh heading back out on loan, this time to Birmingham.

1000 – DONE DEAL Another Manchester City youngster has left the Etihad with Tommy Doyle heading for Wolves.

The 21-year-old midfielder, like Cole Palmer an academy product at City, has joined Wolves on a year-long loan deal but there is the option for the switch to become permanent next summer.

1000 – DONE DEAL Nottingham Forest have added to their ranks with the signing of  defender Nuno Tavares, 23, from Arsenal on a season-long loan.

0945 – The Reds are due to complete the signing of Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch sometime today but will that be it for the Anfield outfit?

0944 – “I’m busy” – Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was keeping his cards close to his chest on deadline day.

0935 – Chelsea new boy Palmer, who has signed an initial seven-year deal, said: “I’m excited to get started and it feels great to sign.

“I’ve joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents. It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special here.”

0930 – DONE DEAL Chelsea sign Cole Palmer from Manchester City.

The 21-year-old forward has left the treble winners for their Premier League rivals. That move will raise more than a few eyebrows.

The PA news agency understands Chelsea will pay an initial £40million for the City academy graduate with an additional £2.5m in possible add-ons.

0901 – DONE DEAL Things are starting to get going now after a slow start to transfer deadline day, with Southampton announcing the signing of England Under-21 captain Taylor Harwood-Bellis on a year-long loan from Manchester City.

0900 – Bayındır, who costs a reported £4.3million, will become the first Turkish player to represent United and his signing comes after Dean Henderson left Old Trafford for Crystal Palace on Thursday.

0900 – DONE DEAL Manchester United have kicked things off by announcing the signing of Turkey goalkeeper Altay Bayındır on an initial deal until 2027. The 25-year-old has joined from Fenerbahce, subject to international clearance.

0840 – While big-money moves are likely to dominate today’s transfer talk, it is worth remembering that some big-name players also remain available as free agents – among them former Premier League favourites Eden Hazard and David de Gea.

0800 – As of Wednesday, these were the six biggest-spending clubs in the world for 2023-24. How different will that list look come close of play tonight?

0735 – Amid all the transfer speculation, reports and conjecture, two deals that have already been agreed and are expected to be completed today are that of Matheus Nunes to Manchester City and Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool.

0730 – Chelsea are no strangers to the transfer market and they could take their spending past the £1billion mark since Todd Boehly’s takeover with Cole Palmer of Manchester City a reported £40million target.

0725 – Manchester United are looking to bolster their injury-hit squad with the likes of Sergio Reguilon, Marc Cucurella and Sofyan Amrabat among the players reportedly in their sights. 

0715 – Mohamed Salah’s future is set to be one of the biggest talking points of transfer deadline day. Liverpool are hoping to keep hold of the 31-year-old Egypt international but speculation of big-money interest from Al-Ittihad persists.

0700

Welcome to the PA news agency’s live transfer deadline day blog .

The 2023 summer transfer window closes this evening at 11pm for Premier League and EFL clubs while it is midnight for teams in Scotland.

In the major European leagues there are various different deadlines today, from 1700 BST in Germany to 2300 BST in Spain, while the big-spending Saudi Pro League can continue buying players until September 7.

The likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte have already swapped Europe for the Middle East this summer and it remains to be seen if they will be joined by any other big names in the coming week.

Clubs in the Women’s Super League, which does not kick-off until October, still have a few more weeks until their transfer window closes.

Chelsea and Manchester United made early moves on what looks set to be a busy transfer deadline day.

The Blues completed the signing of Manchester City forward Cole Palmer on a seven-year contract.

The PA news agency understands the club will pay an initial £40million for the 21-year-old academy graduate with an additional £2.5m in possible add-ons.

“I’m excited to get started and it feels great to sign,” Palmer told his new club’s website.

“I’ve joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents. It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special here.”

It takes spending in the 16 months since the club was acquired by Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium to over £1billion, with Palmer the 12th player through the door during the summer transfer window.

United confirmed the signing of Turkey international goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce.

The 25-year-old has signed an initial four-year contract at Old Trafford, with the option of a further year.

Bayindir is the second goalkeeper signed by the Red Devils this summer and will provide competition to fellow new arrival Andre Onana.

“It is a huge honour to join Manchester United and become the first Turkish player to represent this incredible club,” Bayindir said in the statement announcing his signing.

United could add further recruits on deadline day, with a loan move for Tottenham full-back Sergio Reguilon close to completion.

Nottingham Forest signed Arsenal full-back Nuno Tavares on a season-long loan, with the option of making it permanent.

“Forest is an historic club which won two European Cups and to be part of it makes me really happy,” he said.

“I’m really happy to stay in the Premier League as it’s the best league in the world and I’m thankful to Forest for giving me that opportunity.”

Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed out on loan to Championship outfit Southampton.

Cole Palmer’s £40m move from Manchester City takes Chelsea’s lavish spending under Todd Boehly’s ownership group past £1billion in three transfer windows.

Chelsea became used to unprecedented transfer outlay under former chairman Roman Abramovich but, if anything, Boehly and Behdad Eghbali’s Clearlake consortium have taken it to new levels.

Raheem Sterling was the first signing of the new era for a reported £47.5million last summer, also from City, with defenders Wesley Fofana (£70m), Marc Cucurella (£60m) and Kalidou Koulibaly (£34m) the other stand-out deals in a window that saw them spend over £250m in all.

Carney Chukwuemeka, a £20m arrival from Aston Villa, had broken into the line-up at the start of this season and scored against West Ham before injury sidelined him, while Cesare Casadei (£12m) has shown his potential on loan at Championship Leicester.

A British record £106.8m deal for Enzo Fernandez and an initial £62m, potentially rising to as much as £89m, for Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk followed in January.

Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke were £35m signings while Malo Gusto’s £31m arrival from Lyon has begun to demonstrate value this season, with the full-back deputising impressively for injured captain Reece James.

The Premier League’s spending of £815m that month was almost double the previous January record of £430m, while Chelsea’s £308m alone would have ranked second on that chart and was more than the rest of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues combined.

That £650m-plus season expenditure – plus pay-offs to sacked managers Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, and a reported £20m to Brighton to lure Potter in the first place – could not help Chelsea to success as they limped to a 12th-placed finish in the league, their worst since 1994.

The solution, unsurprisingly, has been to spend over £400m and counting this summer on the likes of £100m midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton, forwards Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson and defender Axel Disasi.

Midfielder Romeo Lavia’s move from Southampton for an initial £53m brought the billion-pound mark within sight and Palmer’s switch saw it confirmed early on deadline day.

Chelsea have completed the signing of Manchester City forward Cole Palmer on a seven-year contract.

The PA news agency understands the club will pay an initial £40million for the 21-year-old academy graduate with an additional £2.5m in possible add-ons.

It is understood a deal was struck on Wednesday for a player City had been keen to keep but were ultimately persuaded to part with by the size of Chelsea’s bid.

“I’m excited to get started and it feels great to sign,” Palmer told his new club’s website.

“I’ve joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents. It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special here.”

It takes spending in the 16 months since the club was acquired by Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium to over £1billion, with Palmer the 12th player through the door during the summer transfer window.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has stated repeatedly in recent weeks that he has been keen to sign another forward player but would only be tempted back into the market for the right profile of player.

Palmer played 14 times in the Premier League last season as Pep Guardiola’s side won a third consecutive title, and was an unused substitute during their Champions League final victory over Inter in Istanbul.

He began this season by scoring a spectacular goal at Wembley in the team’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Community Shield, a match they went on to lose on penalties.

He was also City’s scorer in the Super Cup draw with Sevilla in Athens last month which ended in a victorious penalty shoot-out.

0935 – Chelsea new boy Palmer, who has signed an initial seven-year deal, said: “I’m excited to get started and it feels great to sign

“I’ve joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents. It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special here.”

0930 – DONE DEAL Chelsea sign Cole Palmer from Manchester City.

The 21-year-old former has left the treble winners to their Premier League rivals. That move will raise more than a few eyebrows.

The PA news agency understands Chelsea will pay an initial £40million for the City academy graduate with an additional £2.5m in possible add-ons.

0901 – DONE DEAL Things are starting to get going now after a slow start to transfer deadline day, with Southampton announcing the signing of England Under-21 captain Taylor Harwood-Bellis on a year-long loan from Manchester City.

0900 – Bayındır, who costs a reported £4.3million, will become the first Turkish player to represent United and his signing comes after Dean Henderson left Old Trafford for Crystal Palace on Thursday.

0900 – DONE DEAL Manchester United have kicked things off by announcing the signing of Turkey goalkeeper Altay Bayındır on an initial deal until 2027. The 25-year-old has joined from Fenerbahce, subject to international clearance.

0840 – While big-money moves are likely to dominate today’s transfer talk, it is worth remembering that some big-name players also remain available as free agents – among them former Premier League favourites Eden Hazard and David de Gea.

0800 – As of Wednesday, these were the six biggest-spending clubs in the world for 2023-24. How different will that list look come close of play tonight?

0735 – Amid all the transfer speculation, reports and conjecture, two deals that have already been agreed and are expected to be completed today are that of Matheus Nunes to Manchester City and Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool.

0730 – Chelsea are no strangers to the transfer market and they could take their spending past the £1billion mark since Todd Boehly’s takeover with Cole Palmer of Manchester City a reported £40million target.

0725 – Manchester United are looking to bolster their injury-hit squad with the likes of Sergio Reguilon, Marc Cucurella and Sofyan Amrabat among the players reportedly in their sights. 

0715 – Mohamed Salah’s future is set to be one of the biggest talking points of transfer deadline day. Liverpool are hoping to keep hold of the 31-year-old Egypt international but speculation of big-money interest from Al-Ittihad persists.

0700

Welcome to the PA news agency’s live transfer deadline day blog .

The 2023 summer transfer window closes this evening at 11pm for Premier League and EFL clubs while it is midnight for teams in Scotland.

In the major European leagues there are various different deadlines today, from 1700 BST in Germany to 2300 BST in Spain, while the big-spending Saudi Pro League can continue buying players until September 7.

The likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte have already swapped Europe for the Middle East this summer and it remains to be seen if they will be joined by any other big names in the coming week.

Clubs in the Women’s Super League, which does not kick-off until October, still have a few more weeks until their transfer window closes.

0930 – DONE DEAL Chelsea sign Cole Palmer from Manchester City.

0901 – DONE DEAL Things are starting to get going now after a slow start to transfer deadline day, with Southampton announcing the signing of England Under-21 captain Taylor Harwood-Bellis on a year-long loan from Manchester City.

0900 – Bayındır, who costs a reported £4.3million, will become the first Turkish player to represent United and his signing comes after Dean Henderson left Old Trafford for Crystal Palace on Thursday.

0900 – DONE DEAL Manchester United have kicked things off by announcing the signing of Turkey goalkeeper Altay Bayındır on an initial deal until 2027. The 25-year-old has joined from Fenerbahce, subject to international clearance.

0840 – While big-money moves are likely to dominate today’s transfer talk, it is worth remembering that some big-name players also remain available as free agents – among them former Premier League favourites Eden Hazard and David de Gea.

0800 – As of Wednesday, these were the six biggest-spending clubs in the world for 2023-24. How different will that list look come close of play tonight?

0735 – Amid all the transfer speculation, reports and conjecture, two deals that have already been agreed and are expected to be completed today are that of Matheus Nunes to Manchester City and Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool.

0730 – Chelsea are no strangers to the transfer market and they could take their spending past the £1billion mark since Todd Boehly’s takeover with Cole Palmer of Manchester City a reported £40million target.

0725 – Manchester United are looking to bolster their injury-hit squad with the likes of Sergio Reguilon, Marc Cucurella and Sofyan Amrabat among the players reportedly in their sights. 

0715 – Mohamed Salah’s future is set to be one of the biggest talking points of transfer deadline day. Liverpool are hoping to keep hold of the 31-year-old Egypt international but speculation of big-money interest from Al-Ittihad persists.

0700

Welcome to the PA news agency’s live transfer deadline day blog .

The 2023 summer transfer window closes this evening at 11pm for Premier League and EFL clubs while it is midnight for teams in Scotland.

In the major European leagues there are various different deadlines today, from 1700 BST in Germany to 2300 BST in Spain, while the big-spending Saudi Pro League can continue buying players until September 7.

The likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte have already swapped Europe for the Middle East this summer and it remains to be seen if they will be joined by any other big names in the coming week.

Clubs in the Women’s Super League, which does not kick-off until October, still have a few more weeks until their transfer window closes.

With Friday’s 11pm transfer deadline approaching, plenty of Premier League clubs are still looking to do business.

Here the PA news agency looks at who still needs what and which deals are on the horizon.

Chelsea to splash the cash again?

Despite yet another whirlwind transfer window Mauricio Pochettino is still making noises about one last name through the door in attack, with Cole Palmer of Manchester City reportedly on the brink of joining in a £40million deal. That would tip Todd Boehly’s spending over the £1billion mark since buying the club last May, but with the manager having repeatedly stated in recent weeks that no player will not be pursued unless they fit a profile, it is likely that Palmer’s capture would mean the squad is finally to the owners’ satisfaction – for now.

United look for reinforcements

It looks increasingly likely that Marc Cucurella will bring to an end his relatively brief Stamford Bridge stay with United in negotiations to make him the left-back to solve Erik ten Hag’s problems in that position. Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, a star of Morocco’s run to the World Cup semi-finals, could also be a late arrival with reports that he is set to undergo a medical at Old Trafford. Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich is an alternative if a deal fails to materialise, but Amrabat is reportedly the club’s favoured option with negotiations at an advanced stage.

Spurs aim to replace Harry Kane

Conor Gallagher is reportedly Spurs’ main target in the final days of the window, despite the Chelsea midfielder having started every game for Pochettino so far and captaining the team on Tuesday night against AFC Wimbledon. With Kane having departed for Germany, Spurs need a forward and Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson is also reported to be the target of a fresh bid after an offer of £43m was rejected earlier this week. Incoming deals could yet hinge around the departure of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg with a loan move to Atletico Madrid reportedly on the verge of being done.

Will Salah stay at Liverpool?

Liverpool will hope to keep Mohamed Salah despite the forward’s future at the club hitting the headlines over the last week. Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad have been heavily linked with the Egyptian, but Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has already dismissed any potential idea of him leaving, with the Saudi transfer window shutting on September 20. Klopp’s much advertised rebuild of his team’s midfield might still be in need of a final puzzle piece and Bayern’s Gravenberch could slot in, with a bid reportedly having been lodged with the Bundesliga champions.

City to tie up Nunes deal?

With a £53m deal understood to have been reached with Wolves for Matheus Nunes, the champions’ incoming business looks like being done, though it also understood that 21-year-old midfielder Tommy Doyle is set to undergo a medical at Molineux to move in the opposite direction for £4.3m. It has also been reported that former West Ham defender Jamal Baptiste, who left the London Stadium when his contract expired earlier in the summer, could join. The 19-year-old could come in to fill a hole in the squad left by the departed Aymeric Laporte.

Any other business?

Brighton are reportedly in the final stages of agreeing a loan deal for Barcelona forward Ansu Fati with the 20-year-old due to travel on Thursday to complete a season-long move. Joao Palhinha could leave Fulham with the player having been subject of a reported £50m bid from Bayern Munich, though it would be leaving it late in the window for Marco Silva’s side to source a replacement for a player who was key to last season’s success. West Ham have been linked with Juventus midfielder Filip Kostic, the 30-year-old Serbia international reportedly valued at £25m by the Serie A side. Striker Hugo Ekitike of Paris St Germain is also reported to be in talks over a move. Arsenal could still move for a full-back following the injury to summer signing Jurrien Timber and the loan departure of Kieran Tierney, with Benfica’s Alexander Bah and Barcelona’s Eric Garcia both touted.

Romelu Lukaku has joined Roma on a season-long loan from Chelsea, ending the long-running stand-off between player and club.

The PA news agency understands the Serie A club will pay an £8million fee with no obligation to buy while also taking on the Belgium striker’s wages, which will be reduced from the £325,000-a-week he earned at Stamford Bridge.

Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino hinted last week that there could still be a place for the 30-year-old in his plans if a deal could not be agreed before Friday’s transfer deadline.

However, PA understands that Roma owner Dan Friedkin’s prioritising of Lukaku’s signing as a critical part of the club’s hopes to return to the Champions League for the first time since 2019 prompted them to ensure a deal was done.

Lukaku has not played for Chelsea, whom he joined for £97.5m from Inter Milan two summers ago, since May 2022 and spent last season on loan back at Inter, helping them reach the Champions League final.

The club were keen to re-sign him this summer but he was reportedly unhappy after being left out of Simone Inzaghi’s starting line-up for the final against Manchester City in Istanbul, which Inter lost 1-0 after Lukaku came on and missed a late opportunity to level the game.

Juventus had also been keen to take him on loan earlier in the summer but it is understood Chelsea had been holding out for a permanent sale, albeit one that would recoup a significant proportion of the fee they paid in 2021.

Lukaku, who first played for Chelsea between 2011 and 2014 but made only 15 appearances between loan spells at West Brom and Everton before being sold to the Goodison Park outfit, will link up with Jose Mourinho, with whom he worked during his time at Manchester United.