Sources: Chelsea five-man shopping list revealed
Chelsea have shortlisted five possible midfield signings for the summer transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.
The Blues are set for another summer of heavy spending and a major overhaul of their squad, with a central midfielder deemed to be a top priority by Graham Potter.
The London club have listed Romeo Lavia, Declan Rice, Ansu Fati, Moises Caicedo and Manu Kone as possible targets.
Chelsea could lose both Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic this summer, with both midfielders entering the final year of their contract at Stamford Bridge.
Football Insider sources revealed on Friday (31 March) that both Mount and Kovacic could leave this summer with Chelsea hoping to raise close to £100million for the duo.
Todd Boehly has invested heavily since arriving at the club, and Chelsea are now aware that they will need to sell players if they are to invest further this summer and abide by financial fair play rules.
It is understood that Chelsea are currently only planning to sign one midfielder in the summer, but could sign a second from their list if they lose both Mount and Kovacic in one window.
The Blues have shared a long-term interest in bringing Rice back to the club after he departed their academy in 2014, but are aware that they may fall behind rivals in the race for his signature because of a lack of Champions League football next season.
Caicedo was a target for Chelsea and Arsenal in January, but his recent contract with Brighton has made a deal tough to complete this summer.
Man United, Man City and Chelsea are all monitoring Fati’s situation at Barcelona following his father’s public complaints about game time, while Lavia and Kone are considered the two most acquirable signings from the list.
Potter and the Chelsea board will hold further talks to narrow down their midfielder search, with the Blues boss keen to find a long-term partner for January arrival Enzo Fernandez.
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