Chelsea news: Reece James speaks out over transfer surprise as Garnacho gets savage verdict

This summer saw Chelsea in a state of transition, with manager Enzo Maresca receiving over £275million to refine his squad.

The Blues' Europa Conference League victory last season was complemented by their triumph in FIFA's revamped Club World Cup during pre-season. However, Maresca's team has yet to fully translate their cup success into Premier League victories this term, due to a mixed start.

Despite remaining unbeaten in the Premier League, their two wins have been balanced by two draws, including a 2-2 draw against Brentford at the weekend. The summer transfer window was a whirlwind of activity for Chelsea, with several notable arrivals and departures.

Among the most significant were Alejandro Garnacho's move from Manchester United, Noni Madueke's departure to Arsenal, and Nicholas Jackson's transfer to Bayern Munich. Here, we take a look at all the latest news from Stamford Bridge.

New Garnacho verdict

Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given has given his verdict on Chelsea's decision to sell Madueke and sign Garnacho, which has raised some eyebrows, reports the Mirror.

Madueke is starting to silence his critics at the Emirates Stadium, with a strong performance for England during the recent international break highlighting his promising start with the Gunners. In contrast, Garnacho had a moment to forget against Brentford.

The £40m acquisition appeared lively upon his introduction against the Bees. Nevertheless, he drew criticism for his part in the hosts' 93rd-minute leveller after seemingly losing track of goalscorer Fabio Carvalho from a throw-in, with Given voicing his reservations about the Argentine.

"I'm actually surprised that Chelsea let Noni Madueke go because it looks like they've replaced him with Alejandro Garnacho and at the minute you would say Madueke is miles ahead of him," Given said on The Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I think Madueke is going to just get better and better as well. He's still a young player, still going to be improved under Mikel Arteta I'm sure. He looks to be enjoying his role at Arsenal."

Reece James surprise

Jackson's temporary switch to Bayern Munich this summer followed an extended transfer saga involving clubs such as United and Newcastle pursuing the striker.

The Senegalese forward's departure appeared inevitable after slipping down the pecking order under Maresca. Yet Chelsea skipper James has revealed his astonishment that Jackson, who netted 30 goals for the Blues, was permitted to depart Stamford Bridge.

"I was surprised," James admitted. "I didn't expect him to go. But I think the player wanted a solution and the club wanted a solution as well, I'm not sure how the situation came about. But he's an amazing player and Bayern have got a super good number 9 in him. And I wish him all the best."

Harry Kane on Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer has arguably been Chelsea's most impressive signing in recent seasons. The 23-year-old has proved instrumental under Maresca, with the attacking midfielder making an impact from the substitutes' bench to find the net in Saturday's 2-2 stalemate against Brentford.

Whilst he enjoys the confidence of his club boss, Palmer also seems to have earned the respect of England skipper Harry Kane, with the former Manchester City talent having accumulated 12 caps for his country.

Speaking of Palmer during a pre-match media briefing ahead of Chelsea's Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich on Wednesday, Kane suggested the midfielder was developing into a "world class" talent.

"All I can say is he's a great player. I enjoy playing with Cole," Kane said. "Whenever you have a No.10 who can find through balls, [make] good crosses, [have] good link-up play, drop deep and play longer balls, arrive in the box and score goals... I think he has all the attributes to be a world-class player.

"For me, world class is when you do it over a period of time, consistently over five, 10 years. For sure, he's on that path.

"It's been a shame not to play with him in the last camps. Hopefully, he stays fit over the next year because he's an important player for us with the national team as well."

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