Chelsea have re-signed midfielder Nemanja Matic from Benfica, three years after selling him to the Portuguese side, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
Chelsea captain John Terry, whose current deal expires at the end of the season, is confident he will extend his stay at the club and the 35-year-old defender brushed aside any concerns he may have lost a yard of pace over the years. "I certainly think I'll be here next season," said Terry, who scored an own goal as well as a last-gasp equaliser on Saturday against Everton. "I think when you get to my age, there are a lot of people out there saying, 'he's 35, almost 36, maybe his legs have gone,' but I've never had legs, it's as simple as that. "I've never been quick in my career.
Chelsea may still take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as other clubs have done in the past.
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling struck twice as the Premier League champions beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park on Sunday to go top of the table and heap pressure on title rivals Liverpool.
IMAGES from English Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to secure Manchester City a 1-0 English Premier League victory at Leicester City after yet another penalty miss by Pep Guardiola's side on Saturday. Chelsea's Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso returned to the starting lineup to stunning effect by grabbing a goal apiece in a crucial 2-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in the battle between the London rivals for fourth place.
Photos from the Premier League matches played on Sunday
On a crazy evening it looked as though Joe Willock's screamer had earned Arsenal a memorable victory, but Liverpool proved irrepressible as their barnstorming season continued.
Eden Hazard's first-half penalty proved decisive as Chelsea salvaged their season by beating Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final in what is widely-expected to be manager Antonio Conte's swansong.
Last season's FA Cup runners-up Chelsea struck four times before the break to crush second-tier Hull City 4-0 and stroll into the quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
Catalans will have to cope without their inspirational captain Andres Iniesta, the man who has pedigree when it comes to beating the Blues.
Images from the Euro 2024 Group C match between England and Slovenia at Cologne Stadium, Germany, on Tuesday.
Chelsea have left the door open for John Terry to stay at Stamford Bridge after the central defender announced that he is leaving when his contract expires at the end of the season. The Premier League champions said he could be offered the chance to stay at Stamford Bridge following a meeting with the club last month. "In that meeting he asked about the possibility of an extension to his existing contract," Chelsea said in a statement. "John was advised that while no new deal was currently on the table, that situation could change in the coming months." Chelsea said they had the utmost respect for Terry and everything he has helped them achieve, describing him as a "fantastic servant and superb captain".
Chelsea's new signing Gonzalo Higuain netted his first two Premier League goals in Chelsea's 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield Town while Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min struck late for a 1-0 win over Newcastle United as they moved into second place.
Former England midfielder Frank Lampard says he will be "in close contact" with his old club Chelsea as he decides on his next career move. The 38-year-old left New York City in November and media speculation has mounted that he could return to the London team in a coaching role or some other capacity. Lampard watched Premier League leaders Chelsea's 1-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion earlier this month and was an onlooker at training on Wednesday when manager Antonio Conte said he was in good enough shape to continue his playing career.
Italian Antonio Conte was named as Chelsea's new head coach with a three-year contract, the outgoing Premier League champions announced on Monday.
The decision comes after the player's positive drugs test for cocaine and his admission that he took the drug.
Chelsea may have restored some breathing space over Manchester City with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday but they have not regained the form that made them runaway title favourites earlier in the season.
Watford equalised seconds before halftime through Abdoulaye Doucoure and in a rampant spell of attacking football went ahead four minutes after the break when Roberto Pereyra tapped home a Richarlison cross.
Struggling Premier League champions Chelsea have held talks with Montreal Impact over former Blues striker Didier Drogba, the Major League Soccer team has said.
Only one point separates the two sides with Chelsea on 31 and City on 30 but Antonio Conte's impact at Stamford Bridge appears greater than his City counterpart Pep Guardiola's at the Etihad.
Chelsea's ability to grind out victories will make it very difficult for anyone to catch them in the English Premier League, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said.
Manchester United eased the pressure on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a 3-1 win at Everton in the Premier League on Saturday with Bruno Fernandes scoring twice and Edinson Cavani grabbing his first for the club.
All the latest news from the summer transfer window...
A Chelsea deal for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi would be impossible under financial fair play rules, assistant coach Steve Holland said on Friday.
The centre-back has not played since Sarri took over from Antonio Conte at the start of the season, and says he could call time on his career at Stamford Bridge when the transfer window reopens if his situation does not improve.
Struggling Premier League champions Chelsea have the quality to climb back up the table under interim manager Guus Hiddink, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said.
Manchester United's current malaise was laid bare as they struggled past third-tier Rochdale 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the League Cup third round.
Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri has laughed off talk that his side are favourites ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg against Chelsea in Naples.
After scoring twice in Chelsea's 4-1 win over Arsenal in the Europa League final, Eden Hazard said it was the moment to call time on his magnificent career with the London club to seek new challenges.
Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri wants to keep Belgian forward Eden Hazard at the Premier League club and improve him as a player.
Hazard collected 53 percent of the vote making him a comfortable winner, while he and Terry's Chelsea team mates Cesc Fabregas, Branislav Ivanovic and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also featured in the top 10.
Chelsea's Brazilian contingent will grow in size to five players after they agreed to sign teenager Nathan from Atletico Paranaense on Thursday.
Chelsea's hopes of catching leaders Arsenal suffered a setback after a 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa in the premier league.
Frank Lampard controlled his inner turmoil and scored with a brilliantly taken penalty to put Chelsea within sight of their first Champions League final on Wednesday. The 29-year-old England midfielder, whose mother Pat died at 58 from pneumonia last Thursday, then let his guard down and wept with emotion while his celebrating team mates swamped him. The goal, after 98 minutes of a pulsating semi-final second leg against Liverpool, turned the match Chelsea's way.
Messi opened the scoring after two minutes and eight seconds, the quickest goal of his career, slipping the ball through Thibaut Courtois' legs from a tight angle.
Chelsea agreed a deal to sign Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, subject to the Spain international agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.
With dreams of European glory in tatters, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur turn their attention to the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend clinging to their last chance of silverware this season.
