We take a look at some of the key stories regarding Chelsea that emerged today
Dujon Sterling impressing Chelsea U-23 coach
Dujon Sterling – Chelsea’s 17-year old right back who is a part of their academy – has been singled out for praise by Chelsea under-23 boss Adi Viveash. The youngster was impressive in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Feyenoord in a Premier League International Cup fixture.
Speaking to Chelsea TV after the game, Viveash had this to say about Sterling:
“Dujon obviously had a great little 25 minutes again, which is important. We are trying to manage his development, he is obviously playing a lot of games at the moment.”
“He’s a fantastic talent, but we have to be careful. His desire to score goals is superb. He is really a defender, but he can play in any position I think.” he said, according to InsideFutbol
Sterling, who signed a contract with Chelsea in October, is contracted to the club until 2019, and has made 13 appearances for the U-23s this season, scoring 3 goals in the process.
Harry Redknapp says Antonio Conte is outshining Pep Guardiola
Antonio Conte has impressed pretty much everyone this season, with his 3-4-3 system working wonders and propelling Chelsea to the top of the table.
Conte’s arrival this summer was somewhat overshadowed by the more glamorous arrivals of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, but according to Harry Redknapp, the Italian has outshined Guardiola so far this season.
Writing in his column for the Evening Standard, the former Tottenham manager had this to say:
“There was a lot of talk when Pep Guardiola came in about how he would change English football but Antonio Conte probably has had more of an influence on the Premier League so far if you look at how many teams are playing three at the back right now. ” he wrote.
“Chelsea are the highest profile side to do it and they’ve shown how the system can be really effective.”
Sunday’s match against Manchester City will see the two managers go head-to-head, and with only 2 points between them, it’s all up for grabs.
Terry ready to put move abroad on hold to win title with Conte
John Terry has been linked with a host of foreign clubs this season as his contract is set to expire at the end of the year, and the most recent links have been to China’s Shanghai Shenhua, who have apparently made him an extremely lucrative offer.
With Terry’s contract expiring in the summer, other clubs will be allowed to speak to him from January to agree any potential pre-contracts.
However, The Telegraph report that Terry will put talks about any moves abroad on hold in order to ensure that there are no unnecessary distractions as Chelsea gather momentum in their title push. They report that Terry still feels he has a big part to play both on the pitch and off it, and that he is determined to break back into Conte’s team.
Terry recently stated that he felt he still had 2 more years to give at the top level, and he will be hoping to prove that to Conte.
Mikel’s agent opens up on his future
John Obi Mikel’s agent has said that there is a 50-50 chance that the midfielder could sign a new contract and stay at Chelsea.
The 29-year-old has yet to make a single appearance under Antonio Conte this season, and has been widely tipped with a move away in January. Mikel’s current contract expires in the summer, and has already admitted that he is making plans for life after Chelsea.
But according to his agent John Ola Shittu, there is a 50-50 chance that Mikel could still sign a new contract with Chelsea :
“Obi Mikel and Antonio have been speaking,” Shittu told Goal. “The manager, club and player have been talking. So I am not in a position to tell about what they have been speaking about, in the next few weeks things should be clearer.
“We have been having meeting with a few parties who are interested in him, once we are able to agree the way forward with Chelsea, then we will take it from there. There is no decision made yet and it is still 50/50 whether he will sign or leave.”
At 29, Mikel still has a few years left at the top level, and it seems increasingly unlikely that he will extend his 10 years at Chelsea.