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Chelsea travel to the London Stadium on Saturday to face West Ham United in the Premier League. The Blues need all three points against The Hammers to continue their stronghold at atop the league table.
Elsewhere. Chelsea are interested in a Brazilian defender who plays for PSG. Elsewhere, Hakim Ziyech is willing to move to Barcelona. On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 3rd December 2021.
Chelsea interested in Marquinhos
Chelsea are interested in Marquinhos, according to The Hard Tackle via Fichajes. The Blues are planning to bolster their backline next year. Manager Thomas Tuchel wants to prepare for the impending exit of quite a few of his current stars. The German has his eyes on Marquinhos to make up for that.
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Chelsea could bid adieu to as many as four of their current defenders next summer. Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta are all in the final years of their respective contracts. The Blues are desperate not to lose all of them together, but contract talks have not been progressive so far.
Chelsea are preparing for the inevitable and have identified Marquinhos as their top target. The Blues failed with an attempt to prise away the Brazilian this summer.
However, the London side are ready to try again next year. Marquinhos is one of PSG's most important players, and was handed the armband after Thiago Silva left the club this summer. As such, Chelsea will have to be at their very best to convince Marquinhos to move to Stamford Bridge.
Hakim Ziyech willing to move to Barcelona
Hakim Ziyech is ready to move to Barcelona, according to The Hard Tackle via El Nacional.
The Moroccan has failed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge. The 28-year-old has also endured quite a few injury setbacks that have limited his game time with The Blues. Despite his recent good form, Ziyech is no longer part of manager Thomas Tuchel's plans at the club.
Chelsea are willing to let him leave and Barcelona are interested in taking him to Camp Nou. The Moroccan is also ready to join the La Liga side to rejuvenate his career. However, the Blues might only let Ziyech leave for €40 million, which could be a problem for the Blaugrana.
Lazio interested in Marcos Alonso
Lazio are interested in Marcos Alonso, according to The Hard Tackle via Fichajes. The Spaniard has reignited his Chelsea career since the arrival of Tuchel at Stamford Bridge. Alonso has displaced Ben Chilwell as the first-choice left-back for The Blues this season.
However, Alonso's current contract with Chelsea expires in the summer of 2023. There are no contract talks lined up at the moment, so Lazio are plotting to take advantage of the situation. Former Blues manager Maurizio Sarri, who is currently in charge of the Serie A side, also reportedly wants a reunion with Alonso.
