Mauricio Pochettino has warned his Chelsea players that Luton will get the better of them at Stamford Bridge on Friday night if they fail to match the desire to win of Rob Edwards’ newly promoted side.

The manager recalled one of his early games in charge of Espanyol when he took his team to the Nou Camp and staged a famous victory against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona en route to masterminding the team’s La Liga survival.

That 2-1 win in February 2009, earned thanks to two goals from midfielder Ivan de la Pena as Espanyol ended a 27-year wait for a victory at the home of their city rivals, announced Pochettino’s arrival as a coach and was a springboard for dragging his new team out of the relegation zone to safety.

It went down as one of the shocks of the LaLiga season in Spain, particularly as Barcelona were en route to winning a domestic and European treble in what was Guardiola’s first season in charge.

Pochettino prepares his side to welcome Luton in rather less swashbuckling form, still seeking a first win under his tenure following a draw and a defeat in his first two games in charge and grappling with the problem of integrating a flux of summer recruits.

Defeat to the Hatters, who last won in the league at Stamford Bridge in 1986 and are yet to pick up a point in their debut Premier League season, would add to the noise surrounding Pochettino’s Chelsea rebuild, with the club having spent more than £350million on nine new signings so far this summer.

In contrast, Luton have paid out around £20m on transfers during the last 18 months, but the Chelsea manager was quick to remind his players of football’s unique propensity for springing upsets.

“It’s the beauty of football. In the pre-season I was talking with (Brighton manager) Roberto De Zerbi, he’s a good friend. I said ‘look, I was at Southampton and at Espanyol. Sometimes you face Real Madrid and you cannot complain, because I know how you feel when you face this type of team’.

“I was on one side, now I am on another. I understand. Sometimes people will say ‘you need to win 4-0 or 5-0’ before the start of the game. But it’s the beauty of football. At Espanyol we beat the dream team of Barcelona with Lionel Messi and Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta. It is similar (to) Luton and Chelsea. It’s the beauty of football.

“I was telling the players today in the meeting. We need to match the same will as the players of Luton. If we match all this, then we presume that we have better quality for us to win. But if not the game can be crazy. Maybe we can win or we can lose. That is football. It happens more here in the Premier League.

“It was the first time the bottom team had beaten the top team. It had never happened in the past. It was amazing, Espanyol in the Camp Nou. It was a little but lucky, we had some help also.

“There’s nothing to lose (for Luton). You go there, we were Espanyol and we said we don’t care about making a mistake. We need to be brave. (But) I don’t want to give the Luton coach all the strategies.

“It can only happen in football. You can see basketball, NFL, you see the quality of the players and you say (one team) it’s impossible, you cannot do it. In football you can shoot 30 times and not score, and they can shoot only once and score. In other sports, it’s impossible.

“Football is about belief, being together and (showing) fight, and then the quality that you have, if you match this, it’s about the players. If you don’t match this, the game is going to be over.”

It was near the end of the transfer window last season that former manager Thomas Tuchel talked of there being “a curse” on Chelsea’s number nine shirt, such has been the club’s lack of success with strikers in recent seasons.

Pochettino acknowledged that the door may not be fully closed on Romelu Lukaku’s future at Stamford Bridge if a deal cannot be reached to sell him before the end of the window, although the player is eager to leave and unlikely to prove the answer to the team’s goalscoring woes unless his relationship with the club improves.

The manager said the club remain in the market for another attacking option but only if a player of the hight profile becomes available.

Summer signing Christopher Nkunku is out until December and the number nine shirt is currently not assigned.

“I didn’t hear about the curse,” said Pochettino. “We need to do something to try to change the energy. I’ll ask the kitman to bring all the number nine shirts and we’ll do some cleaning, energetic thing.

“If we bring a new striker I’ll be sure he gets the number nine to try and change the feeling that this number is not welcome.”

Mauricio Pochettino said it is unrealistic to expect Chelsea’s summer recruits to be playing their best football for the club already, despite upwards of £350million having been spent so far this transfer window.

The team is winless after the manager’s first two games in charge with one point on the board in the nascent Premier League table, with flashes of good play having been punctuated by inconsistency as was the case in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to West Ham.

Their plight has been worsened by injuries to goalscorer Carney Chukwuemeka, who was forced off at half-time having equalised for his side and is expected to miss six weeks, and winger Mykhailo Mudryk who will also miss Friday’s meeting with Luton at Stamford Bridge.

The pair join summer signing Christopher Nkunku and defender Wesley Fofana as long-term injury absentees whilst none of Reece James, Benoit Badiashile, Armando Broja or Trevoh Chalobah are ready to return.

On Thursday the club confirmed the £17m signing of Brazilian forward Deivid Washington from Santos, though the 18-year-old may be sent out on loan rather than join the first team straight away.

It leaves Pochettino relying on new faces finding their feet quickly as the team look to win for just the sixth time in their last 32 league matches when newly promoted Luton visit west London.

But after record buy Moises Caicedo, signed from Brighton for a fee likely to rise to £115m, became the latest player to endure a torrid time in blue when he conceded a penalty on his debut at the London Stadium, the manager called for perspective on the pace of change taking place at Chelsea.

“(It’s unrealistic) if we expect today the best of Caicedo, (Romeo) Lavia, (Axel) Disasi, all the players that arrived in the last moments, with only a few days working with us and starting to compete,” he said.

“Of course, if we see the perception of these players and we expect the best of them, yes we should win every single game.

“But at the moment the form of them, we need to provide the tools to improve every day. The way that we are playing, the platform and the structure of the team, gives us the signal that we are in a good way. It’s only a matter of time to put it all together and start to perform.

“With the situation (with transfers) in and out, next week when the transfer window has closed it’s going to be easier also to put it all together. I have no doubt about the quality of the squad.”

With an average age of 23.7 years Pochettino has the Premier League’s youngest squad, following the club’s policy of signing promising players of relatively little experience and tying them to long contracts – in Caicedo’s case up to nine years.

The manager admitted he still needs to sign a goalkeeper, after Kepa Arrizabalaga joined Real Madrid on a season-long loan, and another forward player, but he insisted that any further buys should not bar the path of academy graduates and other young players to the first team.

Albania international Broja, who has been at the club since he was 12, is expected to play a part as a number nine when he is fit to return.

“We need to wait with Armando,” said Pochettino. “He’s close but sometimes the last step is always difficult after the injury that he suffered. He’s training well and we have hope.

“It’s easy to say we need another offensive player. We have offensive players, they need to recover. If you bring in a player that maybe is not fit or needs to adapt to the Premier League, you’re going to spend the same time you need to wait for Broja or Nkunku or for Carney. You’re going to create a mess in the squad.

“We will win, we will succeed in the way that the players will buy into the ideas and the philosophy and the way that we play, it’s only a matter of time. (But) it’s a process we cannot force to go quick. I think it’s about working on the confidence.”

The manager added that nothing has changed regarding Romelu Lukaku’s situation, with the striker still training away from the first team and keen to leave before the transfer deadline, but he refused to fully close the door on a possible return.

“Things can change. This is football. I saw (Jurgen) Klopp said ‘I will not be in the business (if Liverpool spend £100m)’ and then they offered £100m (for Caicedo) and he says, oh I made a mistake, and something changed.”

Caicedo is expected to make his full debut against Luton but fellow new signing Lavia “needs a few more weeks to assess”.

Lewis Hall has joined Newcastle on a season-long loan from Chelsea with the option for a permanent deal for the defender.

The clubs have been in negotiations over a move for the 18-year-old academy graduate since last week, with Eddie Howe’s side having come in with an initial offer of £28million.

The PA news agency understands that should Newcastle choose to make the deal permanent in a year’s time, the deal will include an additional £7m in possible add-ons plus a sell-on fee owed to Chelsea should he later depart.

Hall agreed a new six-year contract to stay at Stamford Bridge earlier in August but Newcastle’s interest has persuaded the Blues to part company with a player who made 11 first-team appearances last season, including nine in the Premier League.

In a difficult season for the club, the teenager’s integration into the senior set-up was one of a few bright spots, with one of his most impressive performances coming against his new side in a 1-1 draw on the last day of the season.

His first start had come in a 1-0 defeat at St James’ Park in November, playing 73 minutes before being substituted, and after impressing interim boss Frank Lampard he went on to start in each of Chelsea’s final four games of the season.

He first joined the club aged eight and progressed through the academy set-up before making his first-team debut under former manager Thomas Tuchel in a 5-1 win against Chesterfield in the FA Cup third round in January 2022 aged just 17, making him the youngest player to appear for the club in the competition.

During Chelsea’s injury crisis that struck immediately following last year’s World Cup he was pressed into action as an emergency midfielder, enduring a difficult game as the team were dumped out of the FA Cup 4-0 by Manchester City in January.

He becomes Newcastle’s fifth singing of the season as they prepare to make their first appearance in the Champions League since 2003.

Carney Chukwuemeka has undergone surgery on the knee injury he sustained playing for Chelsea against West Ham on Sunday.

The PA news agency understands the 19-year-old, who scored his first goal for the club in their 3-1 defeat at the London Stadium, will be out for around six weeks.

The former Aston Villa midfielder struggled for game time last season after joining 12 months ago for £20million, but has started both of Mauricio Pochettino’s first two Premier League games in charge.

He had surgery on Monday night after being withdrawn 15 minutes from the end of his side’s loss in east London, the first defeat of Pochettino’s tenure.

Earlier, he had equalised Nayef Aguerd’s headed goal when he cut inside and crashed an unstoppable right-footed drive past goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

It was his first goal in 17 appearances in all competitions since arriving at Stamford Bridge.

The Hammers went on to win it in the second half with goal from Michail Antonio and a penalty from Lucas Paqueta, after Enzo Fernandez had a penalty saved for the visitors.

Chelsea are waiting to discover the extent of the injury suffered by Carney Chukwuemeka at West Ham.

The 19-year-old scored his first goal for the Blues at the London Stadium to cancel out Nayef Aguerd’s early header.

But Chukwuemeka had to be helped from the field with a knee injury shortly before half-time.

“We need to assess him (on Monday),” said Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino.

“There will be an assessment with the doctor. We hope it’s not a big issue, but we need to wait.”

Further goals from Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta’s stoppage-time penalty condemned Chelsea to a 3-1 defeat, despite West Ham playing the last 25 minutes with 10 players following Aguerd’s red card.

The Blues had the chance to go 2-1 ahead before half-time but Enzo Fernandez’s spot-kick was saved by Alphonse Areola.

France international Areola insisted he was confident about saving the penalty despite his wretched record.

The 30-year-old is West Ham’s new first-choice this season having been promoted ahead of veteran Lukasz Fabianski, who has an excellent record of saving spot-kicks.

Areola, by contrast, had let in all four of the penalties he has faced for West Ham, as well as watching all 10 fly past him in a Carabao Cup shoot-out defeat by Blackburn last season.

He said: “I think we showed that we are strong defensively and can score after that.

“We tried to survive first and then with the red card, which was unlucky, we showed that we have the character and we are now experienced.

“I was quite confident on the penalty. I was ready and luckily for me and for the team I stopped it. I was happy and happy for the team, and I think it helped the team to push and keep our belief.”

Mauricio Pochettino is confident Chelsea will improve quickly despite an alarming 3-1 defeat at 10-man West Ham.

The Blues were the better side but James Ward-Prowse, making his Hammers debut, created goals for Nayef Aguerd and Michail Antonio, either side of Carney Chukwuemeka’s equaliser.

Enzo Fernandez had a penalty saved by Alphonse Areola and West Ham had to play the final 25 minutes a player down after Aguerd saw red.

Yet not only did David Moyes’ side cling on for a first win of the season, they wrapped it up in stoppage time.

While Chelsea’s £105million player missed a spot-kick, their £115million signing gave one away with Moises Caicedo, on as a substitute, sending Emerson Palmieri tumbling and Lucas Paqueta converting the spot-kick.

“I think today the result doesn’t reflect the performance but in football these situations happen,” said Pochettino.

“I am disappointed in the way we conceded the first goal. We know West Ham are good at set-pieces. That is a little bit disappointing and we need to work hard on that.

“Then I think also did really well in the first half and we should have been winning at half-time.

“But that is the process. We need to accept the defeat and keep on working.

“If we score the penalty we miss you are talking about a different game. We are going to perform better in the next games.”

Ward-Prowse was brought in to replace Declan Rice in West Ham’s midfield but he offers plenty more in attack.

His seventh-minute corner found Aguerd at the far post, and his clever ball over the top sent Antonio through on goal.

“His character is, in lots of ways, similar to Declan Rice,” said manager Moyes.

“He’s a really good boy. His delivery, his assists, that’s what he’s capable of and I thought he did a great job today. His corner gave us a great start.”

Paqueta was in the West Ham line-up despite being reportedly investigated by the Football Association for potential betting rule breaches.

The Brazil midfielder is said to be shocked by the probe, which is believed to centre around bets placed in his homeland on yellow cards awarded against him.

A move to Manchester City may have fallen through so the 25-year-old celebrated his goal with the ‘crossed Hammers’ sign.

“I thought 65,000 people stood to their feet and applauded him,” added Moyes.

“He played as well as anybody, he showed character and his performance was very good, especially in the second half.

“There was never any doubt (he would play). He’s a solid and tough character so no problems. He’s a very good player.”

James Ward-Prowse set up two goals on his West Ham debut and Lucas Paqueta scored a late penalty as the 10-man Hammers somehow secured a 3-1 win over Chelsea.

Ward-Prowse, the £30million signing from Southampton, created goals for Nayef Aguerd and Michail Antonio, either side Carney Chukwuemeka’s equaliser.

But Mauricio Pochettino’s expensively-assembled side will wonder how on earth they came away from the London Stadium empty-handed.

Enzo Fernandez missed a penalty and West Ham had to play the final 25 minutes a player down after Aguerd saw red.

Yet not only did David Moyes’ side cling on for a first win of the season, they wrapped it up in stoppage time with Paqueta’s spot-kick.

Ward-Prowse is renowned for his ability from set-pieces but surely not even Moyes could have expected such an immediate impact.

Seven minutes in and from his second corner in a claret and blue shirt, Ward-Prowse swung in a cross which Aguerd nodded in unmarked at the far post.

Chelsea have now conceded a goal in each of their last 13 matches, their worst run since 1996.

But they were making inroads at the other end with Nicolas Jackson eager to get in behind West Ham’s back line.

One such run and cut-back was hacked away but when Ben Chilwell drove back in to the area, his cross was cleared by Kurt Zouma only as far as Chukwuemeka.

The 19-year-old steadied himself before lashing the loose ball past Alphonse Areola for his first Chelsea goal.

Paqueta was in the West Ham line-up despite being reportedly investigated by the Football Association for potential betting rule breaches.

The Brazil midfielder is said to be shocked by the probe, which is believed to centre around bets placed in his homeland on yellow cards awarded against him.

Paqueta did pick up a first-half booking for dissent after complaining about the award of a corner, but moments later he was inches away from scoring, dragging the ball down in a crowded penalty area only to clip a post.

Chelsea were gifted the chance to go ahead before half-time after Tomas Soucek tripped Raheem Sterling in the area, but Fernandez’s penalty was saved by Areola.

Instead Antonio fired West Ham back into the lead eight minutes into the second half when he raced on to Ward-Prowse’s cute ball over the top.

Pochettino turned to Chelsea’s latest record signing, Moises Caicedo, for his debut on the hour mark, the Ecuadorian immediately sending a long-range shot wide.

West Ham were then reduced to 10 in the 68th minute after Aguerd was shown a second yellow card for needlessly fouling Jackson.

But Chelsea, it seemed, had run out of ideas and could only muster a deflected Noni Madueke shot which was tipped wide by Areola.

And the away fans left en masse even before Paqueta rubber-stamped the victory from the spot after Caicedo fouled Emerson Palmieri.

Pep Guardiola has claimed Manchester City would be “killed” if they spent the sort of sums being coughed up by Chelsea over the last 12 months.

City’s spending has long been scrutinised since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008, with the club still facing 115 Premier League charges for alleged breaches of financial regulations.

But Guardiola insisted their approach had always been prudent, in contrast to that taken by Todd Boehly’s ownership group at Stamford Bridge, where the arrival of former City academy star Romeo Lavia this week had taken spending to nearly £1billion since the start of last summer.

City, who have signed Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic in this window, could go back into the market with Kevin De Bruyne facing up to five months out and uncertainty over Cole Palmer’s future, but Guardiola said they would only pay fair prices.

“I couldn’t sit here if we spent what Chelsea spent in the last two transfer windows – you would kill me,” Guardiola said. “You will kill me, that is for sure. We’d be under scrutiny like you couldn’t imagine.

“When people say just Manchester City and Pep Guardiola buy players, I didn’t know I had a lot of money in my pocket to buy all the players I have.

“We have to see what happens in the market and if we can do it and to pay what we believe is fair.

“We wanted (Harry) Maguire and didn’t buy him because we didn’t want to pay, we wanted (Marc) Cucurella and didn’t pay, we wanted Alexis Sanchez and didn’t pay.

“In the end we will pay what is fair to do it. Otherwise, we have the academy.”

Guardiola was adamant he was not criticising Chelsea, but the Catalan clearly feels a sense of double standards.

“They can do what they want,” he added. “I don’t criticise Chelsea for one second. I’m saying, if we do it, we are dead, all around the world. They can do whatever they want…

“If they want to spend, I don’t know, £900million since (Boehly) arrived, 900 more, 900 more. They have it. The business is the business. They sell a lot this season so they can do it.

“I don’t like when they criticise me, what we do, what I have to say. Everyone has their own business and everyone does what is best for the club.

“Everybody wins. Tell me the truth: are you enjoying a lot the transfer window? This player, the other one, every few minutes on Sky TV, a new player here, new player there. It’s so funny.”

This summer’s transfer window has been shaken up by the influx of cash from the ambitious Saudi Pro League, with City having sold Riyad Mahrez to Al-Ahli and accepted an offer from Al-Nassr for Aymeric Laporte.

“Everybody complains about Saudi Arabia, the clubs, then they open the door, red carpet, ‘What do you want my friend?'” Guardiola said. “They sell everything. They are so happy. Everyone complains but everyone opens the door.”

With De Bruyne set for surgery on a hamstring injury, Guardiola said he was speaking to director of football Txiki Begiristain about their options in the window.

“We maybe need to add someone else,” Guardiola said. “My opinion is I like a small squad. But the blow from Kevin changes the perspective. He is a very important player and it is not one or two weeks.

“It’s four or five months, he’s 32 years old and he needs to be physical because of the way he plays physically. So we have to reflect a bit on the squad and think about what we have to do but we have to control.

“But we are not the only ones spending a lot of money in the last few years.”

Mauricio Pochettino has warned big transfer fees will not guarantee players a place in Chelsea’s starting XI after the club’s summer spending surpassed £350million.

Significant headway was made earlier in the window on reducing the size of a squad that was heavily bloated last season, but eight incoming signings together with players returning from loan has meant the size of the first team remains almost unchanged.

Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and long-time target Moises Caicedo, signed on Monday from Brighton for a British record £115million, are the latest recruits to Pochettino’s playing staff.

Graham Potter and Frank Lampard both voiced their frustration at the negative effect that having too many available players had on their job last season and Pochettino has already found himself fielding similar queries.

The manager was bullish in his response ahead of Sunday’s trip to face West Ham, placing responsibility firmly at the door of his new recruits to repay the club’s faith and financial outlay in order to force themselves into his plans.

“Players that aren’t happy and don’t want to fight for their place, to be part of the team, playing or not playing, the door is open (to leave),” he said.

“The players have a clear idea that they need to compete for their place and then it’s the coach that is going to decide who are the best for every single game.

“It’s not that (if) we sign a player and we spend big money, that they are sure to play. I don’t tell Moises or Lavia ‘you are going to play, (whether) you are good or bad’. It’s not like this, football.

“Talented players, players that the club spends money on, they need to show every day that they deserve to play.

“My job is to be fair with everyone in the squad. You sign a player on an eight-year contract and after (that) he doesn’t run, is not involved, no commitment – is he going play? That is our job. It’s our judgement.

“I have the support of the owner, I have the support of the sporting director, so far. They need to trust in our judgement. It’s not the people of social media, it’s our judgement.”

Chelsea have pursued a policy of awarding unusually long contracts during the ownership of Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium, with deals of between six and eight years now commonplace at the club.

Pochettino was asked how easy it would be to get rid of players on lengthy deals who are unwilling to work for their place in the side.

“If you have an eight-year contract, you need to be responsible,” he said.

“Players need to show respect, need to show commitment, need to show the performance that we expect from them. If not, they’re not going to play.

“The player cannot be upset. If we sign a player and give an eight-year contract and then the player is not going to do what we expect or what he needs to do and then he doesn’t play, it’s because of him, not because of us.

“They need to give their best and for sure if they have the talent that we assume and we paid for them, they are going to play.”

Chelsea's new recruits are perfectly suited to playing under Mauricio Pochettino, according to Gus Poyet, who believes the Blues could surprise their Premier League rivals this season.

Chelsea have continued to invest heavily ahead of their second full season under the Todd Boehly regime, spending an estimated £328million on Moises Caicedo, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and others during the current transfer window.

Former Brighton and Hove Albion star Caicedo became the most expensive player in Premier League history when he joined the Blues in a £115m deal this week, with fellow midfielder Romeo Lavia also arriving from Southampton for £58m.

While Chelsea's costly recruitment policy has attracted plenty of criticism, former Blues favourite Poyet feels they have acquired players likely to excel under Pochettino.

"Obviously they have a new coach. They have too many new players," Poyet told Stats Perform. 

"They're very young and normally the young players have that stamina, they are going to run and create, but then you have that dip in form.

"The thing that I am the most pleased about, thinking about the coach, is they are made for Pochettino. 

"Young players that need to be built, that need to be coached, that need to feel part of a group and have togetherness… things that Pochettino does tremendously well. 

"A few weeks ago, I was worried. Now I've got a feeling that maybe they can be the surprise. I'm not saying they can win the title, but the surprise in terms of how they're going to develop."

Chelsea produced a positive display in their season opener last Sunday, enjoying 64.9 per cent of the possession and creating five big chances in an entertaining 1-1 draw with Liverpool.

Conor Gallagher partnered Enzo Fernandez in the heart of Chelsea's midfield for that game, but Poyet believes Caicedo's arrival can take the Blues to a different level.

"I think was quite a good call from Pochettino to play Fernandez a little bit further forward," he said. "For that, you need a proper sitting number six, which Gallagher did the other day. 

"I think Gallagher did tremendously, he made two or three unbelievable tackles to recover the ball in difficult circumstances, but they're looking for that athletic South American that can cover the pitch and be good on the ball. 

"[Caicedo] learned a lot with Roberto De Zerbi about positioning and passing, so I think they have an incredible group of players that just need to gel or to find the right system."

Poyet – who coached Brighton between 2009 and 2013 – also believes the transfer represents a remarkable piece of business for the Seagulls, adding: "I want to talk about Brighton, who are outstanding with their recruitment system.

"To have players from everywhere in the world and sell them for the amount of money they are selling them for is tremendous."

Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea must adapt their current squad rather than continue to seek solutions in the transfer market after failing in their bid to sign Michael Olise.

The Crystal Palace winger turned down a move on Thursday in order to sign a new contract at Selhurst Park, despite Chelsea having activated a £35million release clause.

It leaves Pochettino’s squad still seemingly lacking in attacking options, a problem made more acute by the knee injury sustained by summer signing Christopher Nkunku in pre-season that is likely to rule him out until December.

The club are waiting for striker Armando Broja to make a long-awaited return from the ACL injury that has kept him out since the end of last year, and Pochettino said he would be reluctant to go into the market for a player that might limit first-team chances for the Albania international.

Academy graduate Broja played 18 times for the club last season before getting injured, scoring once in a 3-0 against Wolves in October, following a successful loan spell at Southampton the previous campaign where he netted nine times in 38 appearances.

Nicolas Jackson is currently the only fit striker available to Pochettino, with out-of-favour Romelu Lukaku having not been given a squad number and eager to leave before the September 1 deadline.

But after a transfer spree that has seen the club spend in excess of £350m during the current window – including the £53m capture of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia on Friday – the manager said that the current squad must sooner or later be made to show its flexibility.

“We’re working of course, seeing all the options that we can manage in the market,” said Pochettino. “All clubs are doing the same as us.

“I think at the same time we are keeping one or two eyes on Armando Broja because I think we can’t forget him. We cannot stop him, and to bring some profile of player than can stop his evolution.

“We really believe in him. We know him very well. He can be a really important striker for Chelsea. We need to be careful.

“We’re disappointed with the situation of Christopher because he should be a very important player for us, helping Nico Jackson to score goals. But that is football and we need to accept that situation.

“At the same time, we cannot go for some player that is going to stop a player that we have, maybe we need to be patient and try to adapt our squad to try to get results, waiting for Armando to be fully fit.”

There are currently 28 first-team players that have been assigned squad numbers this season, though a deal for defender Lewis Hall to join Newcastle is understood to be imminent.

Defender Wesley Fofana is likely to miss much of the season after undergoing surgery on a cruciate ligament injury, but it still leaves Pochettino with more available players than he would like, indicating more departures are planned.

“This number –  22, 23 players –  is perfect,” he said. “This season we are not going to be in European competition, so I think (the number) is good.

“But maybe even if next season we are in Europe, I think it’s good also, to have  the possibility to bring young guys through the academy to be involved and to show they can play for the first team.”

Pochettino was asked for his response to the suggestion that some of his squad see him as more of friend than a manager.

“I am not happy with this,” he said. “Tell me the names of the players, because there’s something wrong if I am more friend than coach.

“No, I understand the situation. To be strong like a coach, in the same time you can be friendly. You can be honest and be tough, and in the way that we can approach today, all the young guys can be my kids.

“I think  it’s important to understand the psychology today of the players. In the past it was different, but now we need to learn, we need to see society how they are and to apply the ideas and the way to approach them in the way that you can get the best from them.

“I prefer to be a better coach than a better friend.”

Chelsea have completed the signing of midfielder Romeo Lavia from Southampton for a reported £53million, possibly rising to £58m, taking their total number of first-team acquisitions this summer to eight.

The 19-year-old, who has played just 29 times in the Premier League, has signed a seven-year deal having made clear earlier this week his desire to move to Stamford Bridge over Liverpool, who also had a bid accepted.

Chelsea have now spent more than £350m during this transfer window once performance-related add-ons are taken into account, though that has been significantly offset by fees received for player sales.

Lavia told the club’s website: “I can’t wait to meet all my new team-mates and build a chemistry together to achieve great things together.”

Lavia, who made his Belgium debut in a friendly win against Germany in March, will likely compete with Enzo Fernandez and fellow new-signing Moises Caicedo – the two most expensive players in English transfer history – for a starting place in Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield.

Chelsea broke that record for the second time in eight months on Monday with the capture of Caicedo from Brighton for an initial £100m, possibly rising to £115, eclipsing the £106m they paid Benfica for Fernandez in January.

Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said: “We are very pleased to welcome Romeo to Chelsea.

“He demonstrated his quality in the Premier League last season at Southampton, showing maturity despite his young age, and is a player we have monitored for some time.”

The PA news agency understands that a deal is yet to be agreed with Newcastle for defender Lewis Hall, though a move for the 18-year-old is close.

Hall signed a new six-year contract with the club just days ago and was set to spent the season on loan at Crystal Palace but Newcastle’s offer, believed to be £28m, has persuaded the club to reconsider.

As an academy product, any sale would be recorded as pure profit in Chelsea’s books as they look to remain within Financial Fair Play rules following a total transfer outlay over the last year in excess of £900m.

A deal had also been agreed with Palace for the transfer of winger Michael Olise after the club met his £35m release clause, but the France Under-21 international has opted to remain at Selhurst Park and signed a new four-year contact on Thursday.

What the papers say

Chelsea have reportedly added Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson to their list of potential targets up front. According to The Guardian the Blues have already held initial talks with the 22-year-old, as Forest are believed to want £40million for his services.

The Independent says Rennes winger Jeremy Doku is attracting a lot of attention from Premier League heavyweights. West Ham, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea are all said to be interested in the 21-year-old.

According to The Telegraph, Monaco have set their sights on Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez. The 27-year-old is unlikely to feature in manager Ange Postecoglou’s future plans, and could make his exit this summer.

And the Daily Mail says Manchester City are looking to beat Brighton to the signature of Boca Juniors defender Valentin Barco.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Benjamin Pavard: The Bayern Munich defender is set to choose between Manchester United and Inter Milan before the end of the window, according to L’Equipe.

Bradley Barcola: RMC Sport says Chelsea and Paris St Germain are interested in the Lyon winger.

Roy Hodgson said Crystal Palace can help Michael Olise move to another level after the winger turned down the chance to join Chelsea to sign a new four-year deal at Selhurst Park.

Palace had looked set to lose the France Under-21 international when Mauricio Pochettino’s side activated a £35million release clause in his contract on Tuesday.

But in a surprise turnaround the 21-year-old has now committed his future to the club, spurning Chelsea in favour of continuing his development in south London.

Palace have already lost Wilfried Zaha to Turkish side Galatasaray this summer and Hodgson admitted to having been concerned at the prospect of losing another key member of his attack in so short a space of time.

Olise was persuaded to stay after conversations with owner Steve Parish and sporting director Dougie Freedman.

Had he opted to move to Stamford Bridge, he would have become the eighth first-team signing of the current transfer window with the club having paid out more than £300m so far.

“I had been concerned,” said Hodgson. “It’s always concerning when a club of Chelsea’s stature take interest in a player, and people will suggest that a move to them might be the best bet.

“I had always hoped that wouldn’t be the case and that Michael would realise that at such a young age, his future here is very bright, and we can help him move very quickly on to another level.

“I am delighted for the club, and I must congratulate Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman on the fantastic job they have done in persuading him that, even though there was pressure from outside, ‘this is your place and this is where we think you will progress in the right way and develop in the right way’.

“To lose a player like Wilfried Zaha and then to lose Olise, that would have changed my perception as coach.”

Olise appeared in all but one of Palace’s Premier League games last season and played a key role during the period late in the campaign when Zaha was out injured.

He has steadily become a central figure in the club’s first team since signing from Reading in 2021 after starring for the Royals in the Championship.

Hodgson said that he had been in discussion since pre-season with the player about his future, in which he expressed his view that Palace represented the best place for him to continue his development.

“I had a long chat with him when the subject was first broached, but that’s a long time ago, pretty much in the pre-season.

“I had a long chat to him, and I made it clear of course how much I enjoyed working with him and how much potential he has as a player.

“I suggested, of course, that being at Crystal Palace and playing here would be best option, but I also made it clear I wouldn’t put him under unnecessary pressure.

“He was under pressure from all sides. I can only tell you: ‘I’m always here if need to speak to discuss further’.

“We spoke every day, but I shied away from asking ‘What are you going to do?’ and giving further advice. He knew what I was going to say, so we just hoped we would get the answer we wanted.”

Chelsea academy graduate Tammy Abraham completed a £34million transfer to Roma on this day in 2021.

Abraham, who had spent three spells on loan away from Stamford Bridge, left his boyhood club on a permanent deal after a 17-year association.

Forward Abraham signed a contract with Roma until 2026 after they paid 40million euros to reunite him with old Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

Abraham had spent time in and around the squad under Mourinho, but it was Gus Hiddink who handed the striker his Chelsea debut in 2016.

With chances hard to come by, Abraham had successful loan spells in the Sky Bet Championship with Bristol City and Aston Villa, sandwiched between a temporary switch to Swansea when they were in the Premier League.

Frank Lampard’s appointment as Chelsea boss in 2019 saw Abraham finally given a consecutive run of matches and he scored 15 goals in all competitions, but starting opportunities were more limited in the 2020-21 season.

Roma’s pursuit of Abraham in the summer of 2021 proved successful with Mourinho praising the “ambition” of his new number nine after he left the Blues following 30 goals in 82 appearances.

Abraham and Mourinho would go on to enjoy success, combining to win the Europa Conference League last year before they made the Europa League final in May.