FA chief appointed
Todd Boehly appears to be doing whatever is takes to ensure that Mauricio Pochettino hits the ground running at Chelsea. The 51-year-old has been armed with tools to launch a successful long-term project at Stamford Bridge but, with the Blues desperate for immediate results, they've made another appointment in the boardroom.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have appointed the FA's head of performance Bryce Cavanagh – which comes as a major blow to England, who are preparing for next summer's European Championship. The report states that the sports scientist has worked closed with Gareth Southgate's players since 2016 and is credited with making the Three Lions one of the fittest in international football.
The Daily Mail add that Cavanagh's appointment pre-dates the arrival of Pochettino and is viewed as a massive coup for Chelsea officials. The Australian's appointment follows on from the return of Dr Chris Hughes, who was part of the Blues' medical staff for four and a half years – from September 2012 to January 2017 – before leaving to join Tottenham.
Kane and Dybala instruction
Danny Murphy has encouraged Chelsea to prioritise the signing of Harry Kane over Paulo Dybala. The Blues have been heavily linked with the duo recently as Mauricio Pochettino looks to further bolster his attacking options. Speaking to Vibe with Five, the former Fulham and Liverpool midfielder explained why the west Londoners' money would be better spent on the Tottenham captain. He said:
"He’s a quality player, but do they need another player who is a 10, a winger, a striker? They need a striker, they have got them but they need a proper established one. "Kane would do them, not that he’s going to go there. I’m not sure they need it. They need midfielders because Kante has gone, Kovacic has gone, Loftus-Cheek has gone and Mount has gone."
Caicedo 'breakthrough'
Chelsea have been handed a huge boost to their hopes of signing Moises Caicedo this summer. The 21-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge for a couple of weeks now and, with a trip to the United States just around the corner, the Blues will be eager to wrap up a deal sooner rather than later.
football.london understands that Caicedo has verbally agreed personal terms with Chelsea, although nothing has been signed as it stands. It's said that the Seagulls are willing to accept an offer in the region of £80million – a figure which the west Londoners believe is feasible.
However, it's understood that Chelsea want to structure the deal so they do not have to pay a one-off lump sum. The Blues remain confident they can sign the Ecuador international, who has recently confirmed his desire to join Mauricio Pochettino at Cobham training ground.