Chelsea
Caicedo rejects Real Madrid speculation and reaffirms commitment to Chelsea
Caicedo rejects Real Madrid links and pledges his Chelsea future amid ownership protests and gloom.
Moisés Caicedo has moved to close down speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid, offering a clear public commitment to his current club.
“I’m focused on my club right now,” he said (via El Chiringuito ) when asked about a possible switch to Madrid . “I have a contract with my club, and I want to do well. I want to be a legend there, God willing. And well, that’s all for now.”
Those words leave little room for uncertainty at a time when Chelsea’s environment has been unusually fraught. The departure of manager Enzo Maresca prompted protests against the ownership that are still ongoing, while a miserable run of results and humiliation in the Champions League have combined to create an increasingly negative atmosphere around the club.
Complicating the mood further are questions about the future of Enzo Fernández. Fernández, believed to be unsettled after the departure of manager Enzo Maresca, has offered mixed responses to Madrid’s interest in recent days, pledging his commitment to Chelsea while also refusing to rule out a summer exit.
Even then, not all recent news at Stamford Bridge has been positive. The announcement of Reece James’s contract extension was soured by a nasty injury to the right back, leaving fans with little to celebrate.
In that context, Caicedo’s public pledge to remain with Chelsea is significant. The Ecuador international’s announcement of his arrival in the summer of 2023 hinted at a long-term affection for Chelsea, and Blues supporters typically respond positively to players who make the club a clear priority.
Caicedo’s stance follows Reece James in publicly pledging his future to the club, and the midfielder’s directness will be seen by many as a welcome show of stability amid continued unrest.
Chelsea
Fernández Keeps Chelsea Options Open While Denying Real Madrid Talks
Enzo Fernandez has denied talks with Real Madrid and left his Chelsea future undecided while seeking
Enzo Fernández has refused to close the door on a move away from Chelsea, even as he insisted there are currently no formal discussions with Real Madrid.
Fernández has said he is “very comfortable” at Chelsea, but his comments remain short of a full commitment. Manager Liam Rosenior has defended the midfielder, saying the vice-captain is “fully committed” to the Blues and that earlier comments were “misconstrued” in translation and emotion.
The Argentina international also reflected on internal disruption this season, saying Enzo Maresca’s sudden departure midway through this season “hurt” the team. Chelsea sit under genuine pressure to secure Champions League qualification, a factor that complicates the club’s wider planning.
On arrival in Argentina for the international window Fernández gave a measured response to the Real Madrid links: “Nothing, zero talks [with Real Madrid]. I’m focused on Chelsea, what’s left of the season. After the World Cup, we’ll see,” Fernández told TyC Sports. That line leaves him clearly weighing options rather than pledging his future.
Real Madrid still require midfield reinforcements ahead of next season and must also spend on defence, which could limit how much they can allocate to one signing. Vitinha, another player linked with Los Blancos, gave a contrasting view of his situation: “It would be silly to leave [Paris Saint-Germain], I don’t think it’s the best thing for me,” illustrating different responses to similar speculation.
Contract and financial considerations appear central to the story. The Times reports he is “keen” on getting a new contract with “improved terms.” Fernández is not among the top earners in the Premier League and is thought to be on a weekly salary in the region of $248,000 (£185,000); Salah gets around $400,000 more every seven days. Chelsea’s recent approach has reduced basic rates and increased performance-related incentives, a structure that can leave players receptive to offers that promise more guaranteed pay.
Public positioning over transfers is a familiar negotiating tool and Fernández’s careful phrasing has kept his leverage intact for the months ahead.
Chelsea
Four clear priorities for Rosenior during the March international break
Chelsea head into the international break with four urgent problems Rosenior must solve quickly. ok.
Chelsea arrive at the international break reeling from four straight defeats and with a congested April schedule to prepare for. Liam Rosenior has two weeks to arrest a slide that has exposed issues in goal, defence, midfield and attack.
Goalkeeping is the first dilemma. Robert Sánchez was settling under Enzo Maresca but has been guilty of a series of unforced errors since Rosenior took charge. Sánchez was left on the bench for the 4–1 win over Aston Villa and then watched as Filip Jörgensen endured a nightmare showing in the first leg defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Jörgensen has since undergone minor surgery to hand his spot in the team back to Sánchez, who understandably looks devoid of confidence after Rosenior’s snub in the biggest game of the season.
Tactical adjustment is the second necessity. Maresca worked to minimize Sánchez’s weaknesses and maximise his strengths; those lessons have not clearly been retained. Chelsea have produced a handful of truly rotten performances and a lack of attacking invention sits alongside far worse defensive problems.
Defensive cohesion has broken down. Players have been caught out of position and injured. Captain Reece James is sidelined with a hamstring injury and Trevoh Chalobah will need six weeks to recover from an ankle problem that stemmed from a challenge by Achraf Hakimi. Rosenior still has five central defenders available, but none have offered consistent assurance. Wesley Fofana has endured a poor run, Mamadou Sarr struggled in an unfamiliar role against PSG, Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoît Badiashile appear to be fighting for their futures, and young Josh Acheampong has shown examples of inexperience under pressure.
Finally, the attack and midfield require clarity. Estêvão returned from a hamstring issue to play the final 20 minutes of the defeat to Everton and could provide a natural boost, but Rosenior must decide how to fit him into a crowded forward line where Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández have been occupying overlapping positions. Fernández has looked unlike the box-crashing player seen under Maresca and Rosenior must choose whether to keep him advanced or sit him deeper alongside Moises Caicedo, who himself has appeared fatigued as the manager has rotated midfield partners. Stability down the spine is essential.
Fixture list
Port Vale (H) April 4
Man City (H) April 12
Man Utd (H) April 18
Brighton (A) April 26
Chelsea
Joint Chelsea and Strasbourg Fan March to Confront BlueCo Ownership
Chelsea and Strasbourg fans, will march in London to protest BlueCo, demanding change at both clubs.
Supporters of Chelsea and Strasbourg have organised a coordinated protest in London aimed at ownership group BlueCo as frustration with both clubs deepens.
NotAProjectCFC, which previously organised a protest ahead of Chelsea’s bout with Brentford in January, announced the new demonstration on social media and said Strasbourg fan groups would join the march towards Stamford Bridge.
“As a result of the continued erosion of values at both football clubs, we have decided to come together to take action with one clear, unified message: BlueCo Out.
“Members of Ultra Boys 90, Kop Ciel et Blanc, Fédération des supporters du RCS and Pariser section have kindly agreed to fly over to London and walk in unison with us on a protest march towards Stamford Bridge ahead of the match.
”Supporters of both clubs are invited to join us on this march. We plan to shine a light on not only the incompetence and mismanagement at Chelsea Football Club, but also the restrictions implemented by multi-club ownership, where clubs like RC Strasbourg are being stripped of their identities, and where longstanding and respected fan groups are being censored and repressed by a brutal ownership.
“We believe this could be a seismic moment in the history of football, where fans of clubs from separate countries will come together to do what is right not only for our clubs individually, but for the sport more widely. Together, we can force change.”
BlueCo, a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, completed its takeover of Chelsea in 2022, before purchasing Strasbourg one year later. Little success has followed for either side, with the 2025/26 campaign prompting renewed calls for change.
Four years into the BlueCo era the club has spent nearly $2 billion (£1.5 billion) on transfers. Last summer’s Club World Cup triumph is described in the announcement as an outlier amid poor recent form. Chelsea exited the Champions League in the round of 16 to Paris Saint-Germain, 8–2 on aggregate, and lost their last two Premier League matches to Newcastle United and Everton, failing to score across 180 minutes. The west London club sits sixth in the table and is out of the Champions League places.
The club must also pay a $13.7 million fine and serve a nine-month transfer ban for academy players, plus a suspended one-year ban on senior players, for breaching Premier League spending rules during Roman Abramovich’s ownership.
