Report: Chelsea plot raids for two England midfielders to increase home-grown quota
By Aramide Oladipo
Chelsea are plotting to make moves to sign Everton midfielder Ross Barkley and Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer, according to a report.
The Sun reports that the Blues manager Antonio Conte is looking to splash the cash and spend around £50million for the English duo.
The newspaper claims that the Italian is eager to add more “home-grown” talent to his squad as Premier League sides are only limited to 17 foreign players.
It is said that the Premier League champions have been following Barkley for a long time.
The Blues will be encouraged that a deal for the 23-year-old can get over the line as BBC journalist Juliette Ferrington recently revealed on her official Twitter account that Everton boss Ronald Koeman admitted that the midfielder wants to leave the club.
Chamberlain, 23, looks set to leave the Emirates Stadium this summer but Chelsea are set to face some competition for his signature as the Sun recently reported that Stoke City have held discussions with the player’s agent over a potential deal.
Both men have represented the England national team a combined 28 times in their footballing careers and they will be determined to be involved in next year’s World Cup finals in Russia.
Both midfielders currently have a year remaining on their contracts with their respected Premier League clubs.
Football Insider verdict
Both players will no doubt be tempted to move to Stamford Bridge this summer. Chelsea were an unstoppable force in the Premier League last season and they have the chance to prove themselves in the Champions League in the upcoming campaign. The question that both men need to ask themselves is whether they will be guaranteed first-team football in west London next season? Having excelled in the full-back position in the latter stages of last season, Chamberlain has a better chance of becoming a regular at Chelsea as he could challenge Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso for the position. Barkley will find it tougher to break into the first-team especially with Cesc Fabregas struggling to hold down a regular place in the side. Both players need to seriously consider their future as they are both still very young and they don’t need to make a hasty decision.
In other Everton transfer news, a Premier League rival is lining up a bid for this £25million-rated outcast.
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