Your Chelsea morning digest on Wednesday, August 30.
César Azpilicueta criticised for error in player ratings
Chelsea lost 2-1 to Southampton on Tuesday night.
Edouard Mendy - Had to gather the ball more often than Chelsea would have liked at St Mary's. Vision blocked as he tried to save Rome Lavia's strike and couldn't keep it out despite getting a palm to the ball. 6.
Cesar Azpilicueta - decided to give away a corner when perhaps he didn't need to, and his clearance for the resulting kick went to Romeo Lavia, who finished with a fierce strike. 4.
Thiago Silva - A more physical outing from the Brazilian than we often expect and even took it upon himself to carry the ball upfield as Chelsea struggled. 6.
Kalidou Koulibaly - A more secure display than what he offered versus Leeds on his return to the team. He was very good in one vs one situations. 6.
Marc Cucurella - Produced a vital clearance early in the second half to add to a solid performance. The Spaniard was unafraid to step up for a physical battle against the Saints' forward line. 6.
Read all the player ratings here.
READ MORE: Chelsea's next Premier League fixtures compared to rivals Arsenal, Tottenham and Man United
Hudson-Odoi's first words on Leverkusen loan
Callum Hudson-Odoi finally has his move to Germany. The 21-year-old has completed a transfer to Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan, though Chelsea have the option to recall the winger in January should they wish to.
The move comes as Thomas Tuchel looks to bolster his frontline with new signings this summer as the pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Anthony Gordon, and Wilfried Zaha goes on late in the window. Hudson-Odoi's departure could open up room for those deals to accelerate.
Upon his arrival, Hudson-Odoi said: "The move to Germany is really exciting for me, and I can play in the Champions League with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. That combination is really attractive, and I'm keen to get to know the club, the fans and the Bundesliga."
Read what else he had to say here.
Neymar links
In one of the late shocks of the transfer window, Chelsea have been linked with a huge transfer to bring in Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar to the Premier League.
According to the Secret Scout, Todd Boehly still wants to make a statement signing in the remaining days of the window and sees Neymar as a possibility despite having a contract until 2025 and an extra year option on top of that.
It also comes as Chelsea are linked with Wilfried Zaha, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang awaits confirmation on his own future at Barcelona.
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