When Declan Rice to Chelsea transfer could be completed as £10m Jonathan Clauss bid
stalls
Chelsea's summer transfer window is really expected to get started now.
All the Blues' Premier League top six rivals with the exception of Manchester United have
made a signing at this point whilst the west Londoners had been going about their business
relatively quietly so far.
However, with Romelu Lukaku's loan exit to Inter Milan all but confirmed with the exception
of a medical being done, it is expected that Todd Boehly's sole priority will then turn
to spending some of the £200million transfer budget on incoming business.
With this in mind, football.london brings you all the latest transfer rumours as the
window is starting to heat up for Thomas Tuchel's side amid the big Raheem Sterling update that
was delivered last weekend.
Jonathan Clauss/Cesar Azpilicueta
The Frenchman's potential £10million transfer to the Blues has been complicated at this
early stage by Barca's 'complicated' pursuit of Chelsea icon Cesar Azpilicueta.
Goal exclusively revealed that interim sporting director Boehly had initiated contacts with
Lens to sign Azpilicueta's heir with the view that he would be a direct replacement for
the Spanish international.
However, certain dominoes have to fall before Tuchel can get his new defensive signing in
through the door and the latest on Barca's pursuit of the 32-year-old makes worrying
reading if you are a supporter who wants to see Clauss come through the doors this summer.
This is because as per Spanish outlet EL Golazo De Gol, Barcelona are currently seeing the
signings of Chelsea defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso as 'complicated'.
Until both their futures are sorted out, it is unlikely that we will see any real movement
on the Clauss front.
Christian Pulisic
Liverpool could still sign another attacker this summer after Sadio Mane's move to Bayern
Munich was finally confirmed.
The expectation was that Darwin Nunez would be the natural replacement for the Senegalese
but even if he was to be, the exits of Takumi Minamino and AC Milan-bound Divock Origi mean
that Jürgen Klopp is on the lookout for a new attacking option to join his squad.
Could this be the USMNT star who has already been linked to an Anfield move this summer?
Well, apparently not according to CBS' Ben Jacobs who tweeted: "Liverpool are not looking
at Christian Pulisic as a 'Mane replacement'.
They already have Núñez.
With Origi Milan-bound another attacking option could still be considered, but I am told it
won't be Pulisic."
Declan Rice
All talk surrounding a potential Chelsea move for the former Blues academy player has fallen
flat.
West Ham's asking price of £150million coupled with the other priorities Chelsea have already
on the agenda in the attacking and defensive areas means that all midfield activity hasn't
been able to get going as of now.
But, if The Telegraph's Matt Law's prediction is to be correct, then a move for the Hammers
star could come nearer the end of this summer's transfer window.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if later on in the transfer window that starts to gather
some pace, but the big priorities at the moment are defenders and attackers," he said on the
latest episode of the London is Blue Podcast.