Ligue 1 and European champions PSG have reportedly set their sights on a key Chelsea star, right after Luis Enrique’s side were dominated by him in the Club World Cup final.
Chelsea in talks to sign £40m "superstar" who'd brilliantly replace Madueke
With Noni Madueke on his way to Arsenal for £52m, Chelsea remain “in contact” to sign one of the Premier League’s “brightest young talents” for £40m.
1 ByBen GrayJul 15, 2025
Enzo Maresca led the Blues to a triumphant 3-0 win over PSG at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey – a result very few on-lookers expected given PSG’s imperiousness in the build up to Sunday’s game.
The French heavyweights won five out of six matches en route to the final, including convincing performances against Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, with the elite European trio all failing to score against them.
Cole Palmer
7.33
Moises Caicedo
7.02
Enzo Fernández
6.95
Nicolas Jackson
6.88
Noni Madueke
6.82
via WhoScored
However, while Enrique managed to shut their previous CWC rivals out, he had no answer for Chelsea’s tactical masterclass.
In what was a real statement performance all-round, Chelsea transitioned from defence to attack in devastatingly effective fashion, with Cole Palmer’s brace and a strike from summer signing Joao Pedro putting the result beyond all doubt before half-time.
Chelsea hoisted the Club World Cup trophy aloft with US president Donald Trump on stage, finally putting an end to their long 2024/2025 campaign, and BlueCo also received a seismic £87.5 million financial windfall via the tournament’s prize money pool.
Attention now turns to 2025/2026 with pre-season for most clubs already starting, with Chelsea having almost no time for any rest ahead of what will be yet another crucial season for Maresca.
Stamford Bridge chiefs are also working to trim their bloated overall squad, which will have a profound effect on any plans to bring in more new recruits (Simon Philips), which they could still do.
Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Christopher Nkunku, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka are among the players up for sale at Chelsea right now, and striker Nicolas Jackson could yet follow Noni Madueke out of the exit door.
This comes after Djordje Petrovic sealed a £25 million move to Bournemouth and Mathis Amougou joined Strasbourg in a permanent deal last week, just months after he signed for Chelsea from Saint-Étienne.
PSG prepared to pay £217 million for Chelsea star Cole Palmer
Now, a very bold claim has surfaced from the European media.
According to reports in Spain, PSG are “prepared” to pay £217 million for Chelsea forward Palmer, coming after the England international’s two goals against them secured Chelsea a memorable Club World Cup final win at Enrique’s expense.
Palmer is one of Maresca’s most crucial star men, and has been since his move from Man City in 2023. This definitely isn’t lost on PSG, according to this report, and their alleged potential bid would smash the world-record £200 million fee they paid for Neymar in 2017.
PSG’s sporting directors have apparently “outlined an ambitious plan” to sign Palmer, but they’re set to fall short.
Indeed, unlike many of the surplus players on their books right now, it is believed that £217m might not even be enough to get Palmer, as Chelsea are not considering his departure “under any circumstances”.
The doors are “firmly closed” when it comes to any negotiations, and the 23-year-old is happy at Chelsea as he gears up to spearhead a 25/26 trophy charge.