These stories are samples pulled from external media sources. They do not represent the views or position of Chelsea Football Club.

Blues rival Spurs in race for South Korean defender

Chelsea have reportedly joined Tottenham in registering an interest in signing highly-rated South Korean centre-back Kim Min-jae.

According to the Daily Mail, the 6ft 4in defender nicknamed ‘the Monster’ has been on Jose Mourinho’s radar since the summer, while the Blues have been keeping tabs on him for some time as well.

Kim currently plies his trade in China with Beijing Guoan, with former West Brom boss Slaven Bilic recently appointed as their manager. He has 30 caps for the South Korean national team and won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games.

However, according to the report, ‘Beijing Guoan are ready to cash in on the 24-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of 2021. With Chelsea entering the race, they claim that Spurs are plotting a fresh move now to ward off their advances.’

The Mail adds that competing interest between the London rivals could prompt them into making official enquiries about the defender before the summer.

Terry backs England rugby team’s bid for glory

Chelsea legend and current Aston Villa assistant coach John Terry is no stranger to World Cups but he is now lending his hand to England’s bid to win such a showpiece event in a different sport from football, according to the BBC.

It reports that both Terry, who played for the Three Lions at the FIFA World Cup in 2006 and 2010, and golfer Lee Westwood will be helping with preparations by the England team taking part in this year’s Rugby League World Cup.

The BBC states: ‘England head coach Shaun Wane is keen for the pair to talk to his squad before this autumn’s tournament starts,’ and it quotes Wane as saying:

‘I love speaking to people like that about how they train, what they do and what their standards are. Our players will have a buzz for that too. Lee is individual in the sport he plays and John has played for England.’

The report goes on to claim Terry has agreed to attend the rugby league team’s training sessions once they are back underway, with Wane saying: ‘He's really keen and he's very smart. He's got a real understanding about rugby league and he loves the game. He's a very proud Englishman.’

Parker’s ‘massive respect’ for Lampard

Ahead of Fulham’s hosting of Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend, Cottagers boss Scott Parker has been discussing his former team-mate Frank Lampard’s progress as a manager.

The duo played together in midfield at Stamford Bridge for 18 months and were also England colleagues before remaining close friends off the field. According to the Press Association and reported by FourFourTwo, Parker always felt Lampard displayed strong managerial qualities.

‘He had a work ethic and a determination,’ Parker said at his pre-match press conference. ‘He drove himself every day in terms of his craft and wanting to get better and had a single-mindedness about him that got him the career he got.

‘With those foundations and abilities, I always knew that if that was a thing he wanted to go into in terms of management then he’d be successful because with those values you’ve always got a chance.

‘It doesn’t surprise me that he goes to Derby and does well and then gets the Chelsea job under tight restrictions last year in terms of what they had to go through. He did an incredible job with them and it’s been the same this year really.’