Reports: Chelsea to accept £36m bid for key player from Premier League rivals 

Kurt Zouma will be allowed to leave Chelsea this window if a £36 million bid is made for the defender, according to Caughtoffside. Premier League sides Everton and Leicester City are interested in the player's signature.

Zouma returned to Chelsea last season after a loan spell at Everton to establish himself under Frank Lampard. However, Chelsea signed defender Thiago Silva this season on a free from PSG to provide competition to the Frenchman.

Kurt Zouma is reportedly ‘wanted’ by both Everton and Leicester. https://t.co/VgQa19bo4u pic.twitter.com/xm4ISldBMb

— Everton FC News (@LivEchoEFC) September 29, 2020

Chelsea have been active in the transfer window this year

Chelsea have had a busy transfer window with Frank Lampard's side making 7 new first-team signings. The London side have retained an interest in West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, a boyhood Chelsea fan.

Kurt Zouma battles for possession against Wolves.

Chelsea are looking to work out deals for players who might be on the fringes of the first-team squad due to the new players coming to the club. Lampard admitted in a press conference that he is looking to move on some players to trim down the squad.

"Yes we have a big squad, we know that. But at the moment, the players remain ours and we'll see how things go as time goes on. I don't expect anything in the window because they are our players and that's a fact," said Lampard.

"There are lots of rumours about those players and others too, so every player will always be a case-by-case situation, and one that would be a happy solution for the player, for myself and the club," the Chelsea manager added.

Antonio Rüdiger, who has been deemed surplus to requirements, has attracted attention from Italy and France. Tottenham are also looking at him as an alternative to Inter defender Milan Skriniar.

As mentioned last week, Chelsea are keen to sign Declan Rice, but they need to sell fringe players:* Callum Hudson-Odoi linked with Bayern Munich again* Antonio Rüdiger/Emerson Palmieri for sale* Kepa sold to whoever will take himThen convince West Ham to sell #CFC #WHUFC https://t.co/vyBJBRdq9L

— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) September 29, 2020

Tiémoué Bakayoko is in a similar boat with PSG reportedly interested in the midfielder. However, the two clubs are yet to agree on a fee for the former Monaco man.

Frank Lampard also hinted in a press conference that the club might be looking to loan out Ruben Loftus-Cheek to allow him regular game time this season.

"I am very open with Ruben. We have had a couple of conversations in the last week. He is fit as a fiddle so he could play week in, week out, but he needs to play. He has done a lot of work now and would have been playing a lot of games earlier if it wasn't for lockdown and Project Restart," said Lampard.

"There is a possibility Ruben might go out (on loan) to play games because I think that would be great for him," Lampard added.