Published Jul 30, 2026, 6:25 PM GMT+1

Emilio is an experienced football journalist who has worked at Football FanCast for over six years.

After graduating with first-class honours from the University of Central Lancashire in 2019, it didn't take long for Emilio to clinch his first job in journalism at Snack Media, now Valnet.

Emilio has written for a host of the company's biggest past and current football news websites - Vital Football, The Transfer Tavern and Football FanCast. 

Emilio's strengths include the intricacies of football transfers, while he particularly enjoys writing about the business side of football. He has covered Tottenham Hotspur on a weekly basis for a number of years now, developing a deep understanding of the culture and what Lilywhites fans engage with.

In his spare time, you can find Emilio travelling the world, or even in a boxing ring.

Morgan Rogers arrived in a £117 million deal, while the Blues have continued adding experienced Premier League quality in the form of Maxence Lacroix as Alonso reshapes a squad that finished well below expectations last season.

After that spending, Chelsea are expected to move players on before the transfer window closes, and Trevoh Chalobah is one of the most obvious candidates.

The academy graduate enjoyed the busiest campaign of his senior career last season, making 47 appearances before earning a late England World Cup call-up.

However, Como remain in advanced talks over a permanent move after making multiple offers, with Chelsea reportedly seeking around £30 million plus add-ons.

Josh Acheampong's future is rather different.

Chelsea reportedly see the 20-year-old as one of the club's brightest academy graduates and Alonso has already given him opportunities during pre-season.

Despite Crystal Palace's reported interest, the Blues are understood to be reluctant to sanction a permanent departure because they believe he can become an important first-team player over the coming years.

While departures remain part of Chelsea's plans, there is also a strong belief that another top-class midfielder could still arrive before the deadline.

They've already agreed a deal for Jordan Henderson and remain in pursuit of Alex Scott, but reports suggest they could also sign Adam Wharton on top of the aforementioned duo.

Wharton has been admired inside Stamford Bridge for some time.

Since leaving Blackburn Rovers for Palace, the England international has developed into one of the Premier League's most promising young midfielders.

His calmness in possession, ability to dictate tempo and impressive range of passing have helped establish him as a key figure for Palace despite still being only 22.

Wharton also played an important role as Palace lifted the FA Cup before following that success with another impressive campaign, despite injuries limiting his consistency since his England breakthrough in 2024.

With Chelsea continuing to evolve under a new manager, adding another technically gifted midfielder would fit the wider direction.

That brings fresh attention to Chelsea's fruitful business relationship with Palace.

Chelsea hold fresh talks with Crystal Palace over Adam Wharton

The two clubs have, of course, already held successful discussions over Lacroix, and those conversations have widened to include several other names.

According to journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack, he has now received confirmation that fresh talks have taken place between Chelsea and Palace regarding Wharton in recent days.

Palace have every reason to demand a huge fee for one of their most valuable players, which could be £80-100m, while Chelsea would need to balance any further spending with player sales.

However, continued dialogue between the clubs suggests Wharton remains firmly on Chelsea's shortlist as Alonso continues shaping his midfield.

Whether the move happens this summer or not, the interest underlines just how highly Chelsea rate the England international.

If Palace were prepared to negotiate, Wharton would give Chelsea another young Premier League-proven player capable of becoming a cornerstone of Alonso's project for years to come.