Chelsea report: Jude Bellingham top target for new-look Blues recruitment team

Jude Bellingham
(Image credit: Getty)

Chelsea view Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham as a top transfer target, according to reports, while West Ham captain Declan Rice is still of interest to the Stamford Bridge club.

The Blues had an extraordinarily busy summer, spending a world record £273 million on a glut of new signings.

Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Raheem Sterling were among the big-money arrivals as new owner Todd Boehly stamped his authority on the club.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly

Boehly oversaw a frantic summer of transfer activity for Chelsea.  (Image credit: Getty)

A report in the Evening Standard says that Chelsea are now looking at re-jigging the team in charge of transfer activity before the window re-opens in January.

Joe Shields is set to join from Southampton as a co-director of the scouting department, while Christopher Vivell will come in from RB Leipzig as a technical director.

Boehly, who put himself in charge of transfers over the summer, will be less involved after the arrival of the pair, but he will present them with a list of targets.

Chelsea are looking at bolstering their central midfield options, with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante both in the final year of their contracts.

West Ham United captain Declan Rice gestures during the Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United on 4 September, 2022 at Stamford Bridge, London, United Kingdom

Rice has a contract until 2024 with West Ham.  (Image credit: Offside via Getty Images)

England star Bellingham is a major target, but the Blues are likely to face stiff competition from the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United for the 19-year-old. 

West Ham skipper Rice has long been linked with a return to his former club Chelsea, and the west London club remain admirers.

The 23-year-old has a contract until 2024 with the Hammers, who are likely to demand a big fee for a player who is valued at £72 million by Transfermarkt.

More Chelsea stories

Chelsea are said to have made long-term target Declan Rice their top transfer target for 2023.

Meanwhile, it's been reported that the Blues at the front of the queue to sign AC Milan and Portugal forward Rafael Leao and that they've already made an acceptable offer to RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku.

In other news, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has described how he's found it "strange" not to be playing under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea – after the German was sacked last month.

Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio. 

Read more
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca
Chelsea eye 'big-money' Bellingham move to re-charge their squad: report
Enzo Maresca could be preparing to say goodbye to one forward this month
Chelsea to break the bank AGAIN with €180m Real Madrid duo now being eyed: report
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 18: Chelsea Head Coach Enzo Maresca with Cole Palmer and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester City FC at Stamford Bridge on August 18, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Chelsea move for Premier League wonderkid in repeat of Cole Palmer transfer: report
Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, speaks to Moises Caicedo at the end of the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC at Old Trafford on November 03, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Chelsea want youngster tipped to become even better than Moises Caicedo: report
Todd Boehly File Photo
Chelsea facing major £25m summer transfer headache: report
Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran is liked by Chelsea
Chelsea tipped to land Aston Villa's Jhon Duran - as Enzo Maresca wish comes true: report
Latest in
James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur scores their 2nd goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Etihad Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Tottenham and Manchester City could smash transfer record for British wonderkid: report
Tottenham Hotspur back row (L-R) Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez, Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen; front row (L-R) Son Heung-min, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier, Ben Davies during the Champions League match against Juventus at the Wembley Stadium on March 7, 2018 in London United Kingdom
Tottenham cult hero calls retirement - to avoid 'painkiller dependency'
Thomas Tuchel will take charge of England for the very first time this evening
'He pushed us. It was tough love, but that's Thomas' Former player reveals that the new England manager will be HARD on his players
Arsenal squad for 2024/25 LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 11: William Saliba of Arsenal celebrates scoring his teams first goal with teammates during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Arsenal FC and Olympique Lyonnais at Emirates Stadium on August 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal warned, as Real Madrid are coming for their star next: report
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola holds aloft the Premier League trophy at the Etihad in May 2023.
Quiz! Can you name every Premier League champion... in just 90 seconds?
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 19: manager Ange Postecoglou of Tottenham Hotspur FC and Micky van de Venand Cristian Romero during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and West Ham United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 19, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Tottenham star Cristian Romero 'willing to do everything' to LEAVE: report
Latest in News
James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur scores their 2nd goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Etihad Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Tottenham and Manchester City could smash transfer record for British wonderkid: report
Tottenham Hotspur back row (L-R) Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez, Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen; front row (L-R) Son Heung-min, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier, Ben Davies during the Champions League match against Juventus at the Wembley Stadium on March 7, 2018 in London United Kingdom
Tottenham cult hero calls retirement - to avoid 'painkiller dependency'
Thomas Tuchel will take charge of England for the very first time this evening
'He pushed us. It was tough love, but that's Thomas' Former player reveals that the new England manager will be HARD on his players
Arsenal squad for 2024/25 LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 11: William Saliba of Arsenal celebrates scoring his teams first goal with teammates during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Arsenal FC and Olympique Lyonnais at Emirates Stadium on August 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal warned, as Real Madrid are coming for their star next: report
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 19: manager Ange Postecoglou of Tottenham Hotspur FC and Micky van de Venand Cristian Romero during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and West Ham United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 19, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Tottenham star Cristian Romero 'willing to do everything' to LEAVE: report
Newcastle United's Dan Burn battles with Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on February 26, 2025.
I watch every football game on this TV - and it's been discounted by £210 in the Amazon Spring Deal Days