Chelsea have responded to a bizarre claim of involvement in Ruben Amorim’s visit to London for talks with West Ham last week.
It has been a strange week or so in the worlds of West Ham and Chelsea.
But as they gear up to face one another in the Premier League this weekend, it somehow got even stranger.
At West Ham there has been an avalanche of links to new managers since the thumping defeat at Palace nine days ago.
Chelsea have seen public rows between players over penalties during 6-0 wins and a 5-0 thumping to Arsenal either side of consistent rumours Mauricio Pochettino may follow David Moyes out of his club’s exit door this summer.
New managers for West Ham and Chelsea?
Last Monday Sporting boss Ruben Amorim was pictured boarding a plane for London where he is said to have had talks with West Ham majority owner David Sullivan at his mansion.
Many Hammers fans were dizzy at the prospect of Amorim joining West Ham.
There has been claim and counter claim since that Amorim was merely using the Hammers to pressure Liverpool into offering him the job to replace Jurgen Klopp.
Three-hour long talks were said to have ‘gone badly’.
But many still hope the coveted coach can still be their successor to Moyes after doors to Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona were closed to him.
Chelsea respond to claim of involvement in Amorim’s West Ham visit
Especially as Amorim offered no guarantees over his future when he held an apologetic press conference on Saturday admitting the timing of his meeting with West Ham was regrettable.
In the meantime some worrying news from west London. The Daily Mail claimed Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is prepared to make a major decision on Pochettino and bring Amorim to Stamford Bridge.
Fast forward to today and an extraordinary claim from Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda, who has been right across the Amorim story in the last week.
He was the reporter who posted pictures and details of the young manager’s flight to West Ham for talks.
But today he claimed Amorim’s plane to London was in fact paid for by Chelsea and that the 39-year-old met with members of their board.
Not only that but they used West Ham as a diversion tactic.
If it sounds far-fetched that’s because – according to Chelsea – it is.
Now Chelsea have responded to the bizarre claim of involvement in Amorim’s visit for West Ham talks.
And the Blues have dismissed them out of hand.
Telegraph journalist Matt Law, who covers Chelsea, says he has spoken to the club about Sepulveda’s Amorim claim.
And it has been completely refuted.
“Chelsea absolutely adamant that the club did not pay for a flight for Ruben Amorim to visit London last week and did not hold any meetings or talks with him,” Law said on X.
That in itself could be good news for West Ham.
Because if Chelsea are ruling themselves out too then the Hammers really do look like being the only Premier League game in town for Amorim come the summer.
It comes after an extremely exciting claim from a Sky Sports journalist about West Ham’s managerial plans.
And it offers detail on not only Amorim but a former Chelsea boss too.