Chelsea Transfer News Today: €40m signing accelerates after clear manager message

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Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

All the latest Chelsea transfer news in one place, including updates on Joel Ordonez, Cesc Fabregas and Andoni Iraola.

Chelsea accelerate Ordonez pursuit

Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit of Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, TEAMtalk claims.

The Blues are long-standing admirers and scouted the Ecuador international at the weekend. Reports previously claimed that Moises Caicedo had recommended the signing of his compatriot to the club.

The €40 million-rated defender has plenty of suitors, but Chelsea are firmly in the mix for his signature, it is claimed. Their fresh scouting mission is seen as proof that he is a genuine target ahead of the summer.

Fabregas with clear message

Como boss Cesc Fabregas has broken his silence on potentially taking the Chelsea job this summer.

The former midfielder is one of the favourites to succeed the sacked Liam Rosenior after doing a stellar job in Italy. Como's president Mirwan Suwarso recently said that Fabregas is "free to go to Chelsea if he wishes."

However, Fabregas insists that he is in no rush to leave Como. Speaking to The Telegraph, he admitted that he will "of course" return to the Premier League one day, but this doesn't mean that he will move this summer.

"[Jose] Mourinho told me one day when I was at Chelsea: 'I still have 30 years to work.' So I could be here for 10 years, and you can still go to the Premier League in 12, 15 years," Fabregas said.

Iraola taking his time on Chelsea decision

Similar to Fabregas, departing Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola is taking his time when it comes to making a decision on his next job, according to Football Insider.

The Spaniard has already held talks with Chelsea over potentially succeeding Rosenior, but he is also fielding strong interest from Ajax and Crystal Palace. He will not rush into a decision and will have to be convinced of his next project before making his final judgment.

Chelsea may be attractive to him, but there is no way of knowing at this stage if he feels he is ready for this monumental challenge. More clubs are expected to come forward with interest as the summer approaches, so Iraola will continue assessing all the possible options.

Is Palmer getting a bad rap?

Interim Chelsea head coach Calum McFarlane has been forced to shield Cole Palmer from growing criticism over his performances. Speaking ahead of the Blues 3-1 loss to Nottingham Forest - in which the England star missed a penalty - McFarlane insisted that Palmer is one of the best players in the world.

"I don’t agree with the narrative that he isn’t playing well," he said. "There’s obviously games where he can impact more, but there’s also been a lot of occasions where he’s created a lot of good chances for players.

"He can’t control whether that’s finished, he can just put the ball in the position. He’s still a top, top player, one of the best in the world.”

Even though Palmer's attacking output has fallen off a cliff since the start of 2025, especially when excluding penalties, McFarlane has a point. The underlying data suggests that the Chelsea star remains an elite Premier League attacking midfielder.

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