CHELSEA SET CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RECORD AS ESTEVAO-INSPIRED YOUNG BLUES PROVE THEIR WORTH IN THRASHING OF AJAX

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Chelsea set a Champions League record during their thrashing of Ajax on Wednesday. Stamford Bridge roared with pride as Chelsea’s young guns produced a night for the ages, dismantling a helpless Ajax side 5-1 in the Champions League. Marc Guiu, Estevao, and Tyrique George, all three still in their teens, etched their names into history with impressive performances across the board.

History makers at the Bridge

The breakthrough came courtesy of Guiu, just 19 years and 291 days old, who showed composure beyond his age to give Chelsea the lead. For a fleeting moment, he became the club’s youngest-ever Champions League scorer, but the chaos that followed made sure his record didn’t last long. If the first act belonged to Guiu, the second was stolen by Estevao, the Brazilian wonderkid, who is already being touted as the next global superstar. At just 18 years and 181 days, he coolly dispatched a penalty to steal the record. It was the third penalty of the night after Enzo Fernandez and Wout Weghorst converted the earlier spot-kicks.

As if that wasn’t enough history for one night, Enzo Maresca turned to his bench and introduced Tyrique George, another academy jewel. Within three minutes of coming on, the 19-year-old joined the teenage goal parade with a composed finish from the edge of the box, sealing Chelsea’s fifth of the evening and putting the record beyond doubt. With that strike, Chelsea became the first team ever in the competition to have three different teenagers on the scoresheet in the same match.

- Soham Mukherjee

CHELSEA SET CONFERENCE LEAGUE RECORD 8-0 ROUT OF FC NOAH

Chelsea set a UEFA Conference League record with an emphatic 8-0 win over Armenian side FC Noah at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. 

João Félix and Christopher Nkunku each scored twice for the Premier League club, who were six goals to the good by half-time. Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Axel Disasi and Mykhailo Mudryk scored the other goals as Chelsea recorded the biggest win in the competition's history.

The previous largest margin of victory in the Conference League, which began in 2021, was six goals.

The result also equals the second-biggest win in Chelsea's history. The club's largest victory remains a 13-0 triumph over Luxembourgian side Jeunesse Hautcharage in 1971.

Chelsea sit top of the Conference League standings during the league phase with a maximum nine points from three games.

Axel Disasi, right, and Christopher Nkunku were among the goal scorers in Chelsea's 8-0 rout of FC Noah. Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images

"The players once again showed how professional and serious they are," Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca told reporters.

"It's easy to sleep or fall down in this type of game. Football is full of surprises. What I asked them before the game was to show how serious we are, how professional, and they showed that."

The home crowd had to wait only until the 12th minute for the opening goal, when Adarabioyo headed in a corner kick before the second came a minute later with Guiu intercepting a poor defensive pass before slotting home.

Another headed goal from a corner came through Disasi after 18 minutes, and in the 21st Félix gathered a pass from Enzo Fernández and slipped his shot under the keeper.

Mudryk curled a beautiful shot into the top corner six minutes before the break to make it five, and Félix netted his second two minutes later.

After six goals in the opening half, Chelsea took their foot off the gas, but Frenchman Nkunku did manage a brace, knocking in a rebound after his initial shot was saved in the 69th minute and then converting a penalty seven minutes later.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

BARCELONA PRESIDENT SAYS $270M SUMMER BID FOR LAMINE YAMAL REJECTED

Lamine Yamal, who helped Spain to this summer's European Championship, is currently sidelined with a hamstring strain. Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said the club turned down an offer worth $270 million (€250M) for forward Lamine Yamal in the summer.

Laporta did not reveal who wanted to sign Yamal, but various reports have suggested Paris Saint-Germain had lined the teenager up as a replacement for Kylian Mbappé, who joined Real Madrid earlier this year.

Laporta made the revelation as he defended Barça's decision to let certain players leave, denying that the club's financial problems had forced their hand in certain situations.

"There are those that think we have [transferred players] to balance the accounts," Laporta said in an interview with Barça's in-house television channel. "But that is not the case. The players that have left have left for sporting reasons.

"[Ousmane] Dembélé, [Marc] Guiu ... they won't have things as good as they did at Barça at any other club.

"We know what we are doing in the transfer market. We want those that are the best and who want to be here to stay -- and we have shown that.

"A club came to me to sign Lamine for €250M and I said no."

Since making his first team debut as a 15-year-old in 2023, Yamal has become a regular for club and country.

The 17-year-old has already made over 60 appearances for Barça and played a key role as Spain won the European Championships this past summer.

In an interview with ESPN this week, Cesc Fabregas labelled Yamal the biggest talent in world football, but there are already concerns over his exposure to senior football.

"We don't want a repeat of what happened with Pedri. Making Lamine play [against Denmark] was reckless. Of course we defended our interests and they understood our planning and what the player felt.

"Lamine is a big personality and in the end the correct criteria was applied."

Yamal returned to Barcelona on Sunday, sitting out Spain's win over Serbia on Tuesday, and is rated as touch-and-go for Sunday's LaLiga game against Sevilla.

However, Barça are hopeful he will be fine for the games which follow, against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and away at Real Madrid in the league on Oct. 26.

Yamal has scored five goals and set up five more in 11 appearances for Barça this season, forming part of the most productive front three in Europe's top five leagues alongside Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.

- Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens

CHELSEA MAKE JOÂO FÉLIX LATEST SIGNING FOR CHELSEA OF TRANSFER WINDOW

João Félix has rejoined Chelsea from Atlético Madrid on a permanent transfer. Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Chelsea have signed João Félix on a permanent transfer from Atlético Madrid, the London club announced on Wednesday.

The forward has put pen to paper on a seven-year contract.

Sources have told ESPN that the clubs agreed a deal worth in the region of €50 million ($55.4m), including add-ons. Atlético will retain a 20% share of any future fee that the player generates in a transfer away from Chelsea.

It marks a return to west London for Félix, who spent six months on loan last season at Stamford Bridge, scoring four goals in 20 appearances.

"I'm really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can't wait to get started," Félix said. "I can see some familiar faces from the last time I was here, which is always nice.

"I loved my time here before and I told my friends and family that I'd love to return to the Premier League one day. To do that with Chelsea is a great feeling and I'm excited to be back."

Félix played last season on loan at Barcelona from Atlético and scored 10 goals in 44 appearances.

He had hoped to continue at Barça beyond this summer but returned to Atlético after playing for Portugal at Euro 2024.

The 24-year-old is Chelsea's 11th summer signing after Pedro Neto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jörgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley, Renato Veiga and Marc Guiu, with Estêvão Willian having agreed to join the club in 2025.

Félix, who began his career at Benfica, moved to Atlético in the summer of 2019 for a club-record €126m. He did not live up to expectations and struggled to adapt to head coach Diego Simeone's tactics. He scored scored 34 goals in 131 games for Atlético.

- Adriana Garcia

CHELSEA AIMING TO SIGN MORE PLAYERS - ENZO MARESCA

Enzo Maresca is set to embark on his first season as a head coach in the Premier League. Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has said the club are targeting further incomings before the end of the transfer window despite completing their 10th summer signing earlier this week.

Pedro Neto joined Chelsea in a £54 million ($69.6m) deal from Wolves on Monday, following Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jörgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley, Renato Veiga and Marc Guiu into west London while Estêvão Willian will join the club in 2025.

That activity has left Chelsea with a bloated squad of 43 players as they look to move on several unwanted members including Conor Gallagher, whose proposed £34 million move to Atlético Madrid is on hold while the LaLiga club raise funds to complete the deal.

Chelsea are in talks with Atlético over the possible acquisition of João Félix while Napoli are open to incorporating Victor Osimhen in a player-plus cash swap deal for Romelu Lukaku.

Asked about the links to Félix and Osimhen, Maresca said on Friday: "The only thing I can say is I always have to say the same. They are not our players so it is not correct, I think, to talk about a Napoli player or -- who is the other one? -- an Atlético Madrid player.

"In this moment, the club knows exactly what I think in terms of what we need in case we do something and hopefully before we finish the transfer window, we can bring in some players."

Gallagher and Trevor Chalobah are among a number of players training away from the first-team squad ahead of Chelsea's season-opener against champions Manchester City on Sunday.

Gallagher will not be available against City, while Ben Chilwell, Armando Broja and Raheem Sterling are among the players who could depart before the window closes.

"We have been 20 days in America with 28, 29 players so it has been quite good in terms of managing the squad," Maresca said. "Now we have the guys who are not involved in our squad, they are training apart. At the moment, it is not difficult, also because if I start to think I have 43 players, probably it is not a good thing.

"I just finished the session now and I am already thinking about tomorrow's session. It is the only thing I like to do, I like to control, If you start thinking about 43 players, 'manager [has] no time,' I think it is not worth it.

"The [sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart] are there trying to find solutions for these kinds of players. I am not the guy in charge of finding solution for these players otherwise they have to pay me double."

Maresca left Leicester City after winning the Championship title last season to succeed Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge and revealed that he has recently spoken with two fellow Italians in Claudio Ranieri and Carlo Ancelotti, both of whom managed Chelsea previously.

"I spoke with Claudio Ranieri and the reason why was also because I spoke with him before I started the season with Leicester and we won," Maresca said.

"So when I signed to Chelsea I called him immediately just to see if it would be the same! Then I spoke with Carlo Ancelotti when we played against Madrid [in preseason] for a while. Both of them were talking about the club [as] fantastic, about their experience here, fantastic."

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC