Chelsea 'interested' in Barcelona transfer as Tottenham and West Ham hit with FA charge

The weekend saw clubs across London experiencing mixed fortunes in the Premier League. While Tottenham Hotspur picked up a crucial win, Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham United all fell to defeat.

As focus begins to shift towards the January window, Chelsea and Manchester United have both been credited with a long-standing interest in a Barcelona player and are monitoring his ongoing contract situation. Meanwhile, Tottenham and West Ham have been sanctioned by the FA after their London derby on Saturday.

Chelsea ‘still interested’ in transfer move for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo

Both Chelsea and Manchester United are ‘interested’ in a transfer move for Barcelona star Ronald Araujo and are keeping tabs on the player as his contract negotiations with Catalonian giants continue.

This is according to a report from CaughtOffside. As things stand, Araujo’s current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2026. As such, Barcelona are under a modicum of pressure to either tie him down or sell him soon - if they cannot do this, they risk letting him leave the Nou Camp on a free transfer. Araujo has yet to make an appearance for Barcelona this season, as he continues to recover from his long-term injury. Nevertheless, he is still believed to be in Hansi Flick’s first team plans.

While Chelsea’s interest in Araujo is apparent, he seems happy at Barcelona currently. In a recent interview, he said [via FCBN]: “I did not have time to share the field with them, but I am enjoying the team. It is going very well. It is important to start well for a La Liga title, which is long. I enjoy the team; we know we have to work with humility.”

Tottenham and West Ham hit with FA charge following Mohammed Kudus infraction

Bitter rivals Tottenham and West Ham came to blows at the weekend, following a bad-tempered on-field melee which resulted in Mohammed Kudus being sent off late in the match. The two clubs have now been charged by the FA.

After a foul from the Ghanian international on Micky Van de Ven, he appeared to kick the Dutchman while he was on the ground - prompting an irate reaction from him and his teammates. Additionally, VAR revealed that Kudus also appeared to strike Pape Matar Sarr in the face during the altercation.

Following the decision, an official statement from the FA read: “Tottenham Hotspur allegedly failed to ensure that their players didn't behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 82nd minute. West Ham United allegedly failed to ensure that their players didn't behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or violent way at the same time.”

During the match, West Ham took the lead early on thanks to a goal from Kudus, with Dejan Kulusevski finding an equaliser before the break. In the second half, Spurs took control of the contest - Yves Bissouma and Son Heung-min both got their names on the scoresheet, with another goal coming by the way of an Alphonse Areola own goal.

In the end, Spurs came away with a 4-1 win, leaving West Ham still languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table while Tottenham are now seventh.