ROMELU LUKAKU is reportedly in talks over a shock transfer to PSG.
Lukaku had been most strongly linked with a return to Inter Milan but the big spending French side look to have overtaken the Italian champions in the race for the Belgian.
Meanwhile, Marina Granovskaia is reportedly set to stay at Chelsea, with every potential bidder said to be keen on keeping Roman Abramovich's chief assistant on board.
And Barcelona are trying to snatch N'Golo Kante away from West London, according to reports.
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- Sam Dymond
Bidders want Granovskaia to stay
All four of Chelsea's potential new owners have indicated that they hope Marina Granovskaia will stay on Stamford Bridge following the club's takeover.
The Athletic are reporting that the each of the quartet are prepared to make the director an offer to remain in her role should they successfully purchase the West London outfit.
It is understood that the 47-year-old is seen as the ideal person to oversee a smooth transition, especially considering the contract negotiations with players and staff that will be needed.
Granovskaia will make her final decision once a deal has been completed and she has heard the new owner's proposal.
- Sam Dymond
Teenage kick in the teeth
Arsenal could be about to lose one of their hottest prospects – and to one of their biggest rivals.
Goal understand that Chelsea are preparing to swoop for the Gunners' 18-year-old Khayon Edwards, who has been scoring goals for fun in the academy this season.
Edwards has netted 16 in as many appearances in the U18 Premier League, and even notched a goal on his debut for the U23s in Premier League 2.
The north Londoners are keen to tie the teenager down to his first professional contract, but now the Blues are said to be heading a long list of other interested parties.
This will be one to watch – and in more ways than one.
- Sam Dymond
Confidence Mounts after Saints thrashing
Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount believes the Blues have renewed confidence after Saturday's 6-0 mauling of Southampton at St Mary's.
The Portsmouth-supporting Mount scored twice and set up one in the morale-boosting thumping of the Saints, and afterwards suggested that it was the perfect warm-up for Tuesday's Champions League return with Real Madrid.
"It gives us confidence to get back winning and have that feeling again," noted Mount.
"I said before that every game is a final and that started today. We need to carry this on.”
- Etienne Fermie
Morning, Chelsea fans
Ken Griffin vowed Chelsea will remain an elite, trophy-hunting club if his consortium takes over.
And PSG are surprise suitors for the Blues' out-of-favour striker Romelu Lukaku.
That all overshadows Saturday's 6-0 Prem win at Southampton.
But manager Thomas Tuchel found a new angle with his mixed assessment on Timo Werner ending his six-month goal drought.
Striker Werner and playmaker Mason Mount struck twice apiece to keep Chelsea five points clear of fourth-placed Tottenham.
Tuchel said: “He could have scored more. He had huge chances and a lot of chances.
“It was his favourite position against an opponent we knew we could find spaces in behind.
“It was for him to make a statement, which he did… we are happy with his strong performance.”
Meanwhile, American hedge fund tycoon Griffin – who is worth £21billion, three times as much as Roman Abramovich – has joined forces with Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and the Ricketts family.
Deal brokers The Raine Group have extended the deadline for second bids to Thursday and expect the final price to exceed £3bn.
Griffin said: “All of us love to compete and even more we love to win.
“Our group will work closely together to put the most competitive team on the pitch every year."
PSG are said to be in talks over recruiting £98million 'flop' Lukaku, who has largely been sidelined by Kai Havertz's hot form.
Finally, the Blues are tipped to move for Arsenal attacker Khayon Edwards, 18.
- Ian Tuckey
Dortmund join hunt for Hazard
Chelsea legend Eden Hazard is now being linked to Borussia Dortmund after reported interest from Arsenal.
The Belgium midfielder could exit Real Madrid in the summer after his bit-part role for the runaway LaLiga leaders.
Cadena SER suggest, Dortmund are considering trying to recruit the 31-year-old to link with his brother Thorgan Hazard.
But it’s also claimed Hazard wouldn’t be too upset to see out the final year of his Real contract, said to be worth £400,000 a week.
- Ian Tuckey
Dybala ‘not interested in Toon or Gunners’
Arsenal and Newcastle could face disappointment if they pursue Juventus striker Paulo Dybala.
The Argentina superstar, who was previously linked with Manchester United, is thought to be keen on staying in Italy when, as expected, he moves on this summer.
Inter Milan are already said to be in the running for the 28-year-old.
Talks over a new Juventus contract reportedly turned cold when the Serie A giants withdrew an offer and replaced it with a suggested pay CUT.
- Ian Tuckey
Timo ‘had huge chances but made a statement’
Thomas Tuchel believes Timo Werner’s double in yesterday’s 6-0 win over Southampton ‘made a statement’ as the striker ended his six-month goal drought.
Chelsea boss Tuchel said: “He could have scored more. He had huge chances and a lot of chances.
“It was his favourite position against an opponent we knew we could find spaces in behind.
“It was for him to make a statement out of it which he did.
“He could have scored more but we are happy with his strong performance.”
- Ian Tuckey
Mason taunt for Southampton
Mason Mount could not resist a cheeky pop at Southampton as he scored twice at St Mary’s.
The Chelsea star was born in Portsmouth, just half an hour down the road on the south coast from the Saints stadium.
And there has always been a bit of extra bite and motivation for boyhood Pompey fan Mount to perform against Southampton.
So when he grabbed two goals in the 6-0 thumping over Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side on Saturday, Mount silenced the home fans by sticking his tongue out and then ‘shushing’ them with his celebration.
The Champions League winner and reported Barcelona transfer target, 23, took to Twitter to share a photo of his brilliant gesture.
He captioned the post with a simple emoji with a finger on the lips after continuing his record of scoring at St Mary’s every time he has played there.
Marcos Alonso, Kai Havertz and a Timo Werner double sealed the emphatic victory for Chelsea.
Mount said: “It was a performance that had a lot of fire in it. We needed a win. That was all that was on our mind.
“It didn’t matter who was in front of us, we were going to give it everything after two disappointing results. You could see in our performance there was a bit of frustration there, and a relentlessness to punish a team.”
- Ian Tuckey
Blues branded Cauli wallies
Chelsea have been trolled for selling a meal of cauliflower and celery for £7.95.
Supporters accused the Premier League football club of going “woke” by serving up the vegan dish at Stamford Bridge.
One took a photo of the meal which contained just seven coated buffalo cauliflower wings and four tiny sticks of celery.
Fan Graeme Archer quipped: “Straight red, five match ban, formal warning over future conduct.
Another fan, called Darren, said: “£7.95?!? For a bit of fried cauliflower? That’s absolutely mental.”
But Alex Williams said: “If you’re buying cauliflower wings at football, you deserve that price.”
The West London club — known for its risque “celery” chant by fans — also offers other meat-free grub including vegan pizza and halloumi and falafel wraps.
- Ian Tuckey
Dortmund join hunt for Hazard
Chelsea legend Eden Hazard is now being linked to Borussia Dortmund after reported interest from Arsenal.
The Belgium midfielder could exit Real Madrid in the summer after his bit-part role for the runaway LaLiga leaders.
Cadena SER suggest, Dortmund are considering trying to recruit the 31-year-old to link with his brother Thorgan Hazard.
But it's also claimed Hazard wouldn't be too upset to see out the final year of his Real contract, said to be worth £400,000 a week.
- Ian Tuckey
Dybala 'would snub Prem move'
Arsenal and Newcastle could face disappointment if they pursue Juventus striker Paulo Dybala.
The Argentina superstar, who was previously linked with Manchester United, is thought to be keen on staying in Italy when, as expected, he moves on this summer.
Inter Milan are already said to be in the running for the 28-year-old.
Talks over a new Juventus contract reportedly turned cold when the Serie A giants withdrew an offer and replaced it with a suggested pay CUT.
- Ian Tuckey
Werner 'made a statement' with his two goals
Thomas Tuchel believes Timo Werner's double in yesterday's 6-0 win over Southampton 'made a statement' as the striker ended his six-month goal drought.
Chelsea boss tuchel said: “He could have scored more. He had huge chances and a lot of chances.
“It was his favourite position against an opponent we knew we could find spaces in behind.
“It was for him to make a statement out of it which he did.
“He could have scored more but we are happy with his strong performance.”
- Ian Tuckey
Griffin promises Chelsea will still compete with the best
Ken Griffin has pledged to maintain Chelsea’s trophy-winning obsession if his consortium wins the battle for Stamford Bridge.
American hedge fund tycoon Griffin, 53, is worth a stunning £21billion — three times as much as Roman Abramovich.
Griffin has now joined forces with Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and the Ricketts family in their quest to land the Blues.
Deal brokers The Raine Group have extended the deadline for second bids to Thursday, in the expectation the final price for the club will exceed £3bn.
And Griffin has told Chelsea supporters he plans to do everything in his power to keep the Blues at the top of the tree if his group is successful.
Griffin said: “I am thrilled to come together with my long-time friends and partners, the Ricketts Family and Dan Gilbert, who have built legendary championship teams.
“All of us love to compete and even more we love to win.
“Our group will work closely together to put the most competitive team on the pitch every year.
“If selected, we will validate the trust placed in us to continue Chelsea’s winning tradition while delivering a terrific game day experience for the fans.”
Griffin, Gilbert and the Ricketts family – owners of the Chicago Cubs – are worth an estimated £40bn.
- Ian Tuckey
Mount in his Pomp as he trolls Saints
Mason Mount could not resist a cheeky pop at Southampton as he scored twice at St Mary's.
The Chelsea star was born in Portsmouth, just half an hour down the road on the south coast from the Saints stadium.
And there has always been a bit of extra bite and motivation for boyhood Pompey fan Mount to perform against Southampton.
So when he grabbed two goals in the 6-0 thumping over Ralph Hasenhuttl's side on Saturday, Mount silenced the home fans by sticking his tongue out and then 'shushing' them with his celebration.
The Champions League winner and reported Barcelona transfer target, 23, took to Twitter to share a photo of his brilliant gesture.
He captioned the post with a simple emoji with a finger on the lips after continuing his record of scoring at St Mary's every time he has played there.
Marcos Alonso, Kai Havertz and a Timo Werner double sealed the emphatic victory for Chelsea.
Mount said: "It was a performance that had a lot of fire in it. We needed a win. That was all that was on our mind.
"It didn’t matter who was in front of us, we were going to give it everything after two disappointing results. You could see in our performance there was a bit of frustration there, and a relentlessness to punish a team."
- Ian Tuckey
Last birthday Blues for Andreas?
Chelsea have saluted Andreas Christensen's 28th birthday – but it's set to be his last before joining Barcelona.
The Denmark centre-back is thought to have all but sealed a summer switch to the Nou Camp.
- Ian Tuckey
Chelsea ‘contact Arsenal wonderkid Edwards’
Chelsea are set to make a swoop for Arsenal wonderkid Khayon Edwards in the summer, according to reports.
Edwards, 18, has been in outstanding form for Arsenal's academy.
He has recorded 17 goals and six assists across all levels, and has managed to score in every single under-18's Premier League game this season.
In September, Mikel Arteta was so impressed with his performances that he promoted him to train with the first team.
The Gunners are keen for the young star to follow in the footsteps of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
For the past few months there have been ongoing talks over his first pro contract as Arsenal are keen to tie him down to a long-term deal.
However, according to Goal, Chelsea are looking to sign him in the summer. Edwards' scholarship deal expires in June so he will be available for free if an agreement with Arsenal is not struck.
A number of other Premier League clubs are also said to be monitoring the situation, including Southampton, Leeds and Brighton. Some German clubs are also interested.
- Ian Tuckey
United are huge 20/1 outsiders for top-four spotUnited's stuttering form has left Ralf Rangnick's seventh-placed side 20/1 outsiders for the final Champions League spot.
Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea are rated odds-on to keep their top-three positions.
And Tottenham's astonishing surge in fluency, goals and results has propelled them to 1/3 favourites for the fourth and last place for Champions League qualification.
Ladbrokes rate Arsenal 2/1 and West Ham – 2-0 losers at Brentford today – are 25/1.
ODDS TO FINISH IN TOP 4: Tottenham – 1/3, Arsenal – 2/1, Man United – 20/1, West Ham – 25/1
- Ian Tuckey
Luk could be in with French bliss
Paris Saint-Germain are in talks to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, according to reports.
The 28-year-old has been somewhat of a flop since his £98million move to the Blues last summer, writes KEALAN HUGHES.
He has found himself out of the side in recent weeks with Thomas Tuchel favouring Kai Havertz.
And he could have a chance to start a fresh challenge in France with his agent Mino Raiola in talks with PSG sporting director Leandro about a move, according to But!.
The French champions-elect could be in need of a new forward in the summer amid speculation Kylian Mbappe could leave.
Mbappe’s contract expires at the end of the season and he has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Lukaku has scored just five league goals this season but PSG have identified the Belgian as a possible replacement for Mbappe.
- Alex Cole
Happy Birthday, Andreas Christensen!
Christensen is 26 today.
The great Dane has made 158 appearances for the Blues and even nabbed two goals.
- Alex Cole
Two-goal Timo the hero
Two-goal Timo Werner was given Man of the Match by Chelsea's official twitter for his performance against Southampton.
Congrats Werner. Well deserved.
- Alex Cole
Billionaire Ken Griffin promises Chelsea trophies after joining consortium
BILLIONAIRE Ken Griffin has pledged to maintain Chelsea’s trophy-winning obsession if his consortium wins the battle for Stamford Bridge.
American hedge fund tycoon Griffin, 53, is worth a stunning £21billion — three times as much as Roman Abramovich.
Griffin has now joined forces with Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and the Ricketts family in their quest to land the Blues.
Deal brokers The Raine Group have extended the deadline for second bids to Thursday, in the expectation the final price for the club will exceed £3bn.
And Griffin has told Chelsea supporters he plans to do everything in his power to keep the Blues at the top of the tree if his group is successful.
Griffin said: “I am thrilled to come together with my long-time friends and partners, the Ricketts Family and Dan Gilbert, who have built legendary championship teams.
“All of us love to compete and even more we love to win.
“Our group will work closely together to put the most competitive team on the pitch every year.
“If selected, we will validate the trust placed in us to continue Chelsea’s winning tradition while delivering a terrific game day experience for the fans.”
Griffin, Gilbert and the Ricketts family – owners of the Chicago Cubs – are worth an estimated £40bn.
- Alex Cole
Goals, goals, goals
Chelsea thrashed Southampton 6-0 at St Mary's thanks to goals from Marcos Alonso, Mason Mount (2), Timo Werner (2) and Kai Havertz.
The Saints were 4-0 down at half-time and 6-0 down with half an hour to play, but the Blues eased up as they secured a vital win off the back of defeats to Brentford and Real Madrid.
What was your favourite goal Chelsea fans?
Werner's first one for me.
After hitting the post and the bar, you could sense his relief when he rounded Fraser Forster to slide into an empty net.
- Alex Cole
Romelu on his way out?
Paris Saint-Germain are in talks to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, according to reports.
The 28-year-old has been somewhat of a flop since his £98million move to the Blues last summer, writes KEALAN HUGHES.
He has found himself out of the side in recent weeks with Thomas Tuchel favouring Kai Havertz.
And he could have a chance to start a fresh challenge in France with his agent Mino Raiola in talks with PSG sporting director Leandro about a move, according to But!.
The French champions-elect could be in need of a new forward in the summer amid speculation Kylian Mbappe could leave.
Mbappe's contract expires at the end of the season and he has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Lukaku has scored just five league goals this season but PSG have identified the Belgian as a possible replacement for Mbappe.
- Alex Cole
Barkley left hanging
Poor Ross Barkley can't seem to do anything right at the moment, writes GIACOMO PISA.
Not only is the midfielder nowhere near the Chelsea starting line-up, he was also left red-faced on the Blues bench during the 6-0 hammering against Southampton.
Boss Thomas Tuchel was afforded the luxury of being able to bring Thiago Silva off just after the hour mark due to the hefty six-goal cushion.
The veteran defender will no doubt be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
And as Silva made his way off the pitch at St. Mary's, he high-fived Kai Havertz on the bench after a job well done.
But he did not seem too bothered about getting Barkley's appreciation.
- Kealan Hughes
Morning, Chelsea fans
Thomas Tuchel claims Chelsea's physical dominance set up their 6-0 romp at Southampton following two heavy home defeats.
And midfielder Barcelona could target Blues midfielder N’Golo Kante when his contract ends in the summer of 2023.
That's the verdict on the pitch and the main gossip off it as Chelsea went five points clear of fourth-placed Spurs.
Timo Werner's first two Prem goals for six months and Mason Mount's double led the rout.
Werner also hit the woodwork three times, with Marcos Alonso and impressive Kai Havertz also scoring.
It follows losses by 4-1 against Brentford and 3-1 to Real Madrid.
Tuchel believes the key to destroying the Saints was winning all the one-on-one battles.
He said: "It was key to this performance because it's not only a passing game, it's not only a possession game against Southampton.
"It's also about accepting the physicality. By winning the challenges, we had chances to be dangerous and offensive in transition.
"We were strong in counter-attacking and in possession very focused.’
"We are a special group when we have the priorities right – if we are committed, if we defend with courage."
Left-back Ben Chilwell also hailed Chelsea's ‘great response’ to their Real humbling.
And he demanded the Blues repeat their rousing form in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg in Spain.
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