Chelsea Transfer News LIVE updates: £32m Drinkwater bid; Hazard, Oxlade-Chamberlain latest

Chelsea transfer news LIVE: Follow all the latest news and gossip from Stamford Bridge

Thursday August 24

Ox development

23:10: Arsenal could be forced to sell Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to a direct rival, with the player reportedly set to reject their latest contract offer.

Oxlade-Chamberlain sat down with Gunners chiefs for a round of talks earlier today, with the club desperate to resolve his future.

The 24-year-old is currently out of contract at the end of the season along with team-mates Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

Chelsea are eager to land him before next week’s deadline (11pm) and the club are considering raising their offer to £35million in order to land the England international.

And according to the Daily Mail, a new contract offer by the Gunners worth £180,000 a week has been proposed to Oxlade-Chamberlain, but he is set to rebuff it.

The north London outfit would loathe to lose the winger on a free transfer next summer, and the Mail add Liverpool are still in the hunt for his signature.

Given on Ox

22:33: Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be tempted by a move to Chelsea, according to Shay Given.

“It’s encouraging that he started both games this season,” he told Sky Sports. 

“He might be thinking mentally ‘am I getting more game time so I can commit to this long-term contract or am I getting more game time to be in the team’.

“It’s not an ideal situation for Arsenal and all these big game players. He should have been for contact talks 18 months ago.

“I know Chelsea are interested and I think he will be tempted. If he moves he will be going to the champions.

“If a manager signs you for a new club then you’re definitely going to play so he’ll be thinking of all those things and sometimes he hasn’t gone enough game time.”

Chelsea v speed guns

21:28: Eden Hazard and Tiemoue Bakayoko looked sharp in training this afternoon as Chelsea continue their preparations to face Everton on Sunday.

Hazard and Bakayoko both had injuries to overcome at the start of the campaign, with the latter making his debut in the 2-1 win over Spurs.

But the duo looked to be in good form as they were snapped taking part in training drills under the watchful eye of manager Antonio Conte. 

Chelsea’s stars were tasked with dribbling around cones as fast as possible with high-tech speed guns positioned to allow coaches to analyse and scrutinise their respective performances.

Champions League fate

19:50: Away from transfer news, Chelsea discovered their Champions League fate this evening.

They will be in Group C along with Atletico Madrid, Roma and Qarabag.

Drinkwater £32m compromise

17:59: Chelsea are preparing a £32million bid for Leicester star Danny Drinkwater.

Leicester are so far playing hardball and are demanding £40m for the 27-year-old, and the lack of a buy-out clause helps their case.

While a prospective £32m offer would fall short of Leicester’s asking price, the report suggests it would be represent a compromise on the Blues’ part.

Chelsea’s Houghton off on loan

16:30: Chelsea midfielder Jordan Houghton will head back to Doncaster on loan next week.

“Houghton’s all done. It’s just been agreed now,” said Doncaster boss Darren Ferguson at his pre-match press conference.

“It won’t be completed until Wednesday but it’s done. The paperwork’s all completed, it’s gone to the Football League.

“We’re all absolutely delighted.

“He’ll probably join us around mid-September time.

“The last game he’s got pencilled in for Chelsea Under-23s is on September 18, the Monday night.

“That’s the last one he would play for them and then he would come with us. It’s the week of the cup match [with Arsenal] he’d be with us.”

Big spenders

14:00: Premier League spending in the current transfer window is already at an all-time record level, with a week remaining.

Figures released by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group showed top-flight clubs had spent £1.17billion on players this summer by 9am on Thursday, breaking the record of £1.165m set last year.

That was already a 34 per cent rise on the previous record for a single window – and with time remaining this time around the numbers could rise to even more breathtaking levels.

Danny Drinkwater move

13:15: Chelsea are reportedly preparing a £32million bid for Leicester star Danny Drinkwater. 

After Nemanja Matic’s £40m move to Manchester United, this has cleared some space at Chelsea, and while Tiemoue Bakayoko has already joined, Antonio Conte wants to embark on a spending spree before next week’s deadline (11pm).

Leicester are so far playing hardball and are demanding £40m for the 27-year-old, and the lack of a buy-out clause helps their case.

Reports have suggested the Blues could seal deals for Drinkwater AND his Foxes team-mate Jamie Vardy.

As far as Vardy goes, it is believed Conte harbours doubts over Michy Batshuayi and wants more quality up front.

The report adds Leicester could cave in should they get a more suitable bid.

AC confident on Costa

12:30: AC Milan are confident of signing Diego Costa this summer because the Chelsea striker needs to leave Stamford Bridge to earn a place at the 2018 World Cup.

Costa has already snubbed interest from Milan in a bid to force a move to Atletico Madrid.

But Atletico cannot field any new signings until January because of a FIFA-imposed transfer ban.

And Corriere dello Sport claim Milan believe Atletico’s embargo puts them in the hot seat to land Costa before deadline day.

The OX is going nowhere – Wenger

11:30: Liverpool and Chelsea have suffered a KO blow in their pursuit of Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Premier League champions Chelsea are believed to be the front-runners in the battle for his services, and will reportedly submit a £35million offer later this week.

But Arsene Wenger has reiterated his desire to keep Oxlade-Chamberlain at the Emirates.

Asked whether Oxlade-Chamberlain has told him he wants to stay at the Emirates, Wenger said: “I want him to stay and be one of the big players of the future of this club.

“He is one of the players this team has to be built around in the future. Personally I want him to commit to the club and to be one of the carrier of the values of our team.

“I want to keep my best players. I only have one target: to keep everybody on board. I think we invested a lot of time, confidence and money on players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who we bought at a young age.

“For me, they have a responsibility for the future of this club because Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be one of the big English players in the coming years. I personally am highly determined to keep him here at the club and I hope he will commit.”

Champions League: Who could Chelsea draw?

10:30: Chelsea will discover their Champions League opponents in Monaco today. Below is a list of their possible opponents.

Pot two: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, Porto

Pot three: Napoli, Basel, Olympiakos, Anderlecht, Roma, Besiktas

Pot four: Celtic, CSKA Moscow, Sporting, APOEL, Feyenoord, Maribor, Qarabag, RB Leipzig.

Hazard contacts Zidane

09:30: Chelsea star Eden Hazard has told Zinedine Zidane he will push for a move to Real Madrid if they make an offer, according to shock reports in Spain.

Spanish website Don Balon claim Madrid could even make an effort to sign him before the transfer window shuts next Thursday.

Madrid are hoping to land a marquee signing in the coming days and Monaco star Kylian Mbappe looked likely to complete a move to the Bernabeu.

But the forward isn’t actively pursuing an exit from Monaco leading to negotiations between all parties coming to a halt.

However, Hazard would be willing to push for a move to Madrid if they come knocking.

Don Balon claim Hazard has been in contact with Zidane and told him he will make the necessary steps to facilitate a move to the Spanish capital if Madrid make a respectable offer to Chelsea.

Chelsea favourites for Llorente

08:30: Chelsea are leading the race to sign Real Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente.

TribalFootball claim the coveted playmaker is considering his options with potential first-team opportunities at a premium.

Zinedine Zidane’s side are reported to have received 35 offers from across Europe for Llorente, but have resisted the urge to sell.

Pundit Miguel Angel Diaz revealed the interest on Spanish radio show El Partidazo, he said: “Marcos Llorente, who is one of the pearls of Real Madrid and who played on loan at Alaves last year, has had around 35 teams that have been interested in him, including Atlético de Madrid and Barcelona.

“All Primera teams, except Athletic (Bilbao), have been interested in him. There have been offers from several countries, he is a very coveted player.”

Chelsea make Ox bid

07.15: Chelsea have made a bid for Arsenal ace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The winger is set to hold talks with Arsene Wenger today over his future.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, 24, has one year left on his contract and is wanted by Chelsea and Liverpool.

And the Blues want three English players for a combined total of £100m, according to the Telegraph.

Chelsea have offered £35m for Oxlade-Chamberlain and are also hoping to sign Ross Barkley and Danny Drinkwater before deadline day.

Carabao Cup

05:00: Away from transfer news, Chelsea will play Nottingham Forest in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Fresh Oxlade-Chamberlain bid

01:30: Chelsea have intensified their interest in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and made a £35million bid for the Arsenal star, reports claim.

Chelsea have already had a £30m offer for the winger, with Antonio Conte keen to make more additions before the transfer window closes next week.

The west London outfit have already made four acquisitions in Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Willy Caballero and Antonio Rudiger, but Conte has been frustrated at missing out on several key targets.

Arsene Wenger has already made it clear he doesn’t want to sell Oxlade-Chamberlain.

And now according to the Daily Mirror, the Blues have upped their bid to £35m for the winger.

The report says the Blues expect him to engineer an exit and Conte believes he will be at Stamford Bridge before deadline day.

Wednesday August 23

Carabao Cup draw

23:45: Away from transfer news, the Carabao Cup third-round draw takes place tomorrow morning and Express Sport is on hand to bring you up to date on all you need to know.

Carabao Cup Draw: How can I watch it? When is the draw? Why is it in China?

Conte going nowhere

22:30: Chelsea are not looking to replace manager Antonio Conte. 

Conte arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer and guided Chelsea to the Premier League title in his first season in charge.

But reports surfaced this morning that Chelsea are looking to replace Conte, with the Italian said to be at loggerheads with the club. 

German outlet Sport Bild claimed former Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel has been lined up as a potential successor.

However, the Mirror say reports in Germany are wide of the mark and that Conte’s position is safe for now.

Conte wants three more

20:53: Chelsea are looking to bring in three new signings before the transfer deadline, according to journalist Dominic Fifield.

“I think they will be active, I think they will try and bring in at least three,” Fifield told BT Sport’s Football Writers podcast. 

“But I think we’re into the stage where they are looking at people like Danny Drinkwater.

“He is a good player but by moving to Chelsea he’s effectively saying ‘I’ll be fourth-choice at a team competing in the Champions League and I’m there almost for the home-grown numbers’ which I don’t think is a particularly healthy situation to be honest.”

Barcelona approach Willian

18:54: Barcelona have opened talks with Chelsea winger Willian.

France Football claim the club have turned their attention to the 29-year-old after failing to land Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.

The report suggests Barca officials are in contact with Willian to discuss the possibility of a deal.

Chelsea prepare Sandro bid

16:45: Chelsea are ready to make one final attempt to land Juventus star Alex Sandro to make him the world’s most expensive defender.

According to Italian publication CalcioMercato, Chelsea will launch a €70million (£64.6m) bid to tempt Juve into doing business.

Juve are adamant he won’t be sold but Chelsea are willing to break the bank to keep Conte happy.

Should the Italian side accept their latest offer Sandro would become the world’s most expensive defender – eclipsing the £52m Manchester City paid for Benjamin Mendy this summer.

Conte to go?

15:25: Antonio Conte’s odds of being sacked at Chelsea have been slashed from 14/1 to 7/2 amid claims Tomas Tuchel has been lined up to replace him.

German magazine SportBild claim Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia is keen to offload the Conte and thinks former Borussia Dortmund boss Tuchel would be an ideal replacement.

Conte signed a new two-year deal at Stamford Bride on improved terms this summer but has been non-committal about how long he may eventually stay at the club.

Toucher’s odds of being the next Chelsea boss are priced at 2/1 with Joachim Low next at 6/1 and Brendan Rodgers and Luis Enrique both 8/1.

Costa will leave

11.50: Nigel Winterburn has claimed Diego Costa will get his summer move but he must start by showing respect to Chelsea.

“He’s going to get a move but Chelsea want the right price for him,” Winterburn said.

“As a player I could never see myself going on strike, he’s got to focus on his football and get himself back.

“He’s being paid by chelsea football club and until you are sold you have an honour to the club to commit 100 per cent if you are fit to play.”

Cancelo to Inter done

09:45: Joao Cancelo has joined Inter Milan on a season-long loan.

The right-back has been linked with a move to Chelsea but will now spend a year in Italy.

“Inter represent a step forward in my career,” Cancelo said.

“It’s a historic club and I hope to grow here, contributing to the project. I hope to win a trophy this year.”

Tuchel for Conte?

08:20: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte could be replaced by former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel, according to reports in Germany.

Magazine SportBild claim discussions about Conte’s future at Stamford Bridge are ongoing, despite the Italian agreeing a new contract this summer.

The report says Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia is keen to offload the former Juventus boss and thinks Tuchel would be an ideal replacement.

Conte’s current deal with the club runs until 2019 but he has been non committal about how long he intends on staying with the Blues.

Belotti transfer battle

07:45: Chelsea face stiff competition from Monaco to sign Torino striker Andrea Belotti, according to Italian outlet TransferMarketWeb.

The Blues were linked with a move for the 23-year-old yesterday, with the club reportedly readying a fourth bid.

However, the Premier League champions must now battle with Monaco for his signature as they seek a replacement for Kylian Mbappe.

The report says the Frenchman is nearing a move to Paris Saint-Germain, prompting Monaco to swoop for Belotti.

Leicester double raid

06.00 Chelsea are lining up a double swoop for Leicester duo Jamie Vardy and Danny Drinkwater, according to The Mirror.

The Blues need a replacement for exiled striker Diego Costa and must bolster their midfield following the departures of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Nathaniel Chalobah, and Nemanja Matic.

The report says Drinkwater will cost in the region of £30m and an agreement is close to being agreed with the Foxes.

Vardy, however, is yet to agree terms with the Blues and previously turned down a move to Arsenal last summer.

Antonio Candreva talks

05.00 Chelsea have reportedly held talks with Inter Milan over a possible deal for Antonio Candreva. 

Candreva, 30, has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as Antonio Conte looks to bolster his options in wide areas. 

The Blues boss wants to sign another right-wing back to offer cover and competition for Victor Moses.

And The Daily Mirror claim he has earmarked the experienced Candreva as a possible target.

Aubameyang on radar

04.00 Chelsea are still interested in signing Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to reports.

The Guardian claim Antonio Conte has reaffirmed his interest in the 28-year-old following his recent comments about leaving Dortmund.

“This club and these fans are incredible, but if I want to grow, I feel I need to leave,” he said.

“I need time to think about it. If I want to grow, I surely need to leave this summer.”

Barkley still an option

03.00 Chelsea and Tottenham are both interested in signing Ross Barkley despite the Everton star suffering a hamstring injury.

Sky Sports reporter Paul Gilmour claims Everton are yet to receive a sufficient bid for Barkley but are willing to let him go if the price is right.

“Tottenham, along with Chelsea, remain interested in the Everton player,” Gilmour said.

“Barkley has told Everton he will not sign a new contract. 

“Ronald Koeman expects the England international to leave the club this summer.”