Chelsea are working on three major deals, though a reporter has cast doubt on their chances of success, while Frank Lampard has provided an Anthony Gordon update that requires a double take.
The Blues have already splashed out around £136m on Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling. A further £41m has been spent safeguarding their future on the arrivals of teenage trio Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Gabriel Slonina.
Another teenage prodigy could soon arrive, and a curious demand Chelsea have made of their midfield target has come to light.
Regardless, moves for those who can make an immediate impact in the first team this season are far from over.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Transfer Show, reporter Kaveh Solhekol confirmed deals for Wesley Fofana, Anthony Gordon and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are all being worked on as we speak. However, Solhekol stated it’s unlikely all three will wind up at Stamford Bridge.
“We’ve said over the last few days it was very unlikely Chelsea would sign Wesley Fofana before the Leicester game,” said Solhekol.
“They still want Fofana, Gordon and Aubameyang. It would be surprising if they got all three, but it’s what they’re working on.
“We heard from Brendan Rodgers yesterday about some frustration in how Fofana had been behaving compared to some other players who had left Leicester in the past.
“He’s also spoken to the newspapers, with Rodgers saying he’s gone to Jonny Evans, the captain, just to speak to them and explain the situation. He said both players could understand it from the club and the player’s perspective.”
Fourth time lucky for Fofana?
Chelsea have lodged three separate offers for Fofana, the last of which totalled £70m including add-ons. A fourth attempt was hotly anticipated and according to Fabrizio Romano, has finally been accepted.
The transfer guru tweeted Fofana’s move to the capital is ‘finally set to be completed’. A six-year deal will be signed, with L’Equipe reporting the fee stands at £70m prior to add-ons.
Aubameyang, meanwhile, has already agreed personal terms with Chelsea. The sticking point there is the fee Barcelona are demanding.
Barcelona are believed to want upwards of £20m for the 33-year-old. Chelsea hope to include Marcos Alonso in the deal to bring down the price, but Barca consider the left-back a separate issue.
Lampard said what about Anthony Gordon?
The final player Chelsea are pursuing is Everton flyer, Anthony Gordon.
The 21-year-old has already been the subject of a £40m bid from Chelsea. A £60m fee is rumoured to be the number Everton may sell at, though whether Chelsea will bid that high remains to be seen.
However, when speaking to Sky Sports, Toffees boss Frank Lampard provided an eyebrow raising update on his attacker.
When discussing some of the finest young talent he has coached, Lampard hinted at Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount when claiming they’re now worth £100m+.
Lampard reckons Gordon is also a £100m player, and for now at least, isn’t entertaining the idea of losing him any time soon. If Everton were to hold out for a nine-figure sum for Gordon, it stands to reason he won’t be leaving any time soon anyway.
Anthony Gordon in £100m bracket?
“He is our player and remains so, he is in the squad for tomorrow,” said Lampard (via the Sun).
“He is a huge player for us, I said it last week, not only is he of great value to the club financially, but more importantly of great value to the squad and to me.
“They haven’t bid £60m so let’s not talk about a number that’s not there.
“I can’t put a number on his value to the club. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with fantastic young players at Derby and Chelsea, seen them develop and become England internationals and Champions League winners, worth triple figures (£100m+) in terms of their personal values.
“Anthony is in that bracket, he’s been a pleasure to work with and he’s ours. He’s an Everton boy, he plays for us and the crowd relate to him.
“It’s understandable that people would be interested in him because of the level of player that he is. The facts remain the same.”
