News from Chelsea: Todd Boehly is permitted to sign a Napoli star despite Reece James' transfer request
The most recent Chelsea news and rumours around transfers, including information on Ryan Gravenberch, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Tammy Abraham
Reece James 'always' tells him to go back to Chelsea, according to Tammy Abraham. Following recent strong showings for Roma, the 25-year-old striker has been briefly linked with a return to the Premier League.
The former Chelsea striker explained in an interview with TMW: "Just before I left Chelsea, [Fikayo] Tomori went to AC Milan and we talked a lot. We were all in shock during the phone conversations, as I can still recall. We had spent our entire lives at Chelsea, and in a split second, we were leaving.
After that, Abraham responded to James' appeal by saying, "I still speak to so many Chelsea players, James always tells me to come back. Players like [Mason] Mount, [Declan] Rice, and [Eddie] Nketiah] and I grew up together and have known each other for years.
Henry supports Kvaratskhelia's action
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has had the support of Thierry Henry as Chelsea looks to strengthen their front line even more. The former Arsenal forward noted on CBS Sports in March, following Gli Azzurri's 3-0 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League Round of 16, "He can press, he can hold the ball, he can see a pass.
"He has legs to go on the break with Osimhen, which is why they get along so well because he's always with him when Osimhen opens his legs and it's hard to keep up with him otherwise. He really is the whole package.
Chelsea has inquired about Kvaratskhelia, according to Italian newspaper Il Mattino, which was cited by the Express. Chelsea is also reportedly considering making an offer. This season, he has drawn attention for his standout efforts in the Serie A and Champions League.
Bayern exchange
Bayern Munich appears to have unintentionally offered Chelsea the chance to sabotage Arsenal's Ryan Gravenberch acquisition strategy. If Mateo Kovacic left in the summer, the Bavarians will try to sign him, according to the German daily Sport1.
Football.london is aware that the Croatian international is free to leave the Blues, with Bayern reportedly leading the race to sign him. With only a year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, Kovacic's future there is becoming more and more hazy.
In the meantime, Mikel Arteta is reportedly interested in adding the Dutchman from the defending Bundesliga winners to his midfield options for the upcoming season. Chelsea appears to already have leverage in a potential swap deal, so if they were wanting to add insult to injury after capturing Mykhailo Mudryk in January, they appear to have it.
