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The arrival of new manager Maurizio Sarri along with new signing Jorginho has sparked some light at Stamford Bridge. The duo both reported for pre-season training imminently as the required work and preparation has begun as the friendlies approach in the span of one week.
A lot of scepticism loomed around Chelsea prior to the appointment of Sarri but now that the everything has been set in place, its time for the Blues to show some urgency and bring in new players quickly through the door in a limited time frame as the transfer window shuts in three weeks for Premier League clubs.
On that note, here are the top transfer stories of the day pertaining to Chelsea:
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Blues announce a mammoth price tag for Hazard
Chelsea have declared their intentions for Real Madrid target Eden Hazard and appear very adamant as they revealed an enormous price tag of £200 million, according to The Times. Hazard has been heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge and Real have identified the Belgian as the perfect replacement for the recently departed Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 27-year-old is determined on making the switch to Real but still has two years remaining on his deal at Chelsea and the Blues are willing to offer him £300,000 per week to convince him on changing his mind.
Following Belgium's third-place finish in the World Cup, Hazard admitted: "After six wonderful years at Chelsea it might be time to discover something different. “Certainly after this World Cup. I can decide if I want to stay or go, but Chelsea will make the final decision - if they want to let me go. You know my preferred destination.”
It will be a very big challenge for the 2018 FA Cup Winners to persuade Eden Hazard on staying in West London for another year especially with no Champions League football next season.
The winger's time has possibly come up at Chelsea. He looks set for departure in the quest to elevate his career to the next level at one of the biggest clubs in the world and strive for both individual and team glory as Hazard will aim to cement himself as the next big sensation in world football alongside Lionel Messi and Ronaldo.
Chelsea enter race for Milinkovic-Savic
Chelsea are the latest contenders to join the competition for the signature of highly-rated Lazio midfielder, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, talkSPORT reports. The Blues are looking to hijack the deal for the Juventus and Real Madrid target and have outlined £130 million offer to sign the Serbian international.
Milinkovic-Savic has been of the uprising talents to emerge in Italian football over the last two seasons. The Serbian's impressive performances for Lazio has caught the eye of several big-name European teams over the last few months but recently, Manchester United backed out from the race to land Savic.
New Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri admitted his likeness towards the 23-year-old and is keen on snapping him this the transfer window from the grasp of Juventus and Real. Milinkovic Savic had his best season in a Lazio shirt last campaign and scored a career 14 goals in all competitions.
Savic is regarded highly for his all-round abilities in midfield and contributes equally in both attack and defence with his biggest strengths lying in his headers, passing, long shots and dribbling. However, he can be careless at times defensively and commits reckless challenges that draw him unnecessary yellow cards.
Blues target Leonardo Bonucci signature
Chelsea have been in the hunt for several defenders during this offseason. The latest name to emerge on Maurizio Sarri's shortlist is AC Milan captain, Leonardo Bonucci, Corriere Dello Sport claims.
But, the Blues are not the sole contenders vying for the Italian as Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United provide stiff competition. Bonucci made a shock €40 million switch to Milan from Juventus last summer and is contracted with the Rossoneri until 2022, earning £100,000 per week.
However, AC Milan find themselves in a precarious situation for breaching the Financial Fair Play rules and were exempted by UEFA from participating in the 2018/19 Europa League campaign.
Due to their ongoing financial instability, AC Milan are left in a huge turmoil and are forced to sell a number of their high profile players and raise money to pay back the loan taken by their former owner that was used for the £160 million spending spree in the summer of 2017.
Bonucci is one of the players available for transfers but the Rossoneri could demand a fee up to £50 million for the Italian centre back. Despite having a disappointing debut season in the Red and Black shirt, the 31-year-old is still one of the top defenders in European football.
Leonardo Bonucci brings veteran leadership into the dressing room and on the pitch, something that is required for a makeshift Chelsea defence. He is an excellent header of the ball and scores important goals in timely situations.
The transfer budget is very tight at Chelsea this season with the uncertainty regarding owner Roman Abrahamovic's legal issues and only time will tell if Sarri and the Blues pursue hard enough for Bonucci's signing.
