Report: Chelsea to increase offer for top target with time running out, £8m more to seal deal

By Harry Sykes

Chelsea will increase their efforts to land top target Danny Drinkwater in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

The Sun claim that they are set to go back with an increased bid of £32million, with Conte aware that time is running out before the summer window shuts at the end of August.

Leicester are in no mood to sell their player cheaply though and as Drinkwater has no release clause they can sit in and demand what they want.

And they want £40million, which means that Chelsea are £8million short.

Eventually it will go back to how badly manager Antonio Conte wants him, and the Sun claim that Leicester will sell if the price is right.

They do not want to stand in his way of a dream move but also want to be adequately compensated for what they see as a key first-team player.

The Sun report that Chelsea are also interested in Inter Milan's Antonio Candreva but Drinkwater is their preferred option.

The Evening Standard previously reported that Drinkwater was Conte's top summer target with his chemistry with former teammate N'Golo Kante a big part of his thinking.

Football Insider verdict:

Chelsea seemingly aren't giving up on this one and with time running out Leicester are happy to play hardball. £40million for Danny Drinkwater would be a very astute piece of business for the former Premier League champions. Is he worth it? At the moment all you can say is that players are worth what clubs are willing to offer. And it looks like Chelsea will eventually value him around £35million+. Call it madness if you want but if it helps Chelsea fight on the two main fronts – the Premier League and the Champions League – then it will be worth it. Conte obviously sees something that most Chelsea fans don't though. 

In other Chelsea news, the club have been handed a huge boost as this vital duo are set to return to action.

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