Saudi government's head of football is in London to negotiate deals for 3 Chelsea players: Reports

The Saudi Arabian government's head of football is reportedly in London to discuss deals for three Chelsea players.

The Blues are currently in the process of finding potential suitors for a number of their first-team stars. After dishing out £550 million on 18 new players last season, their dressing room is brimming with a lot of additional footballers.

Among the out-of-favor players, Hakim Ziyech, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy have been rumored to depart for a long time. The troika were phased out of their club's plans during the second half of the 2022-23 campaign.

According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, the Saudi government's head of football is currently in the English capital to hold meetings with Chelsea. He is aiming to strike deals for Ziyech, Koulibaly and Mendy soon.

Ziyech, 30, has failed to cement a first-team spot at Stamford Bridge since arriving from Ajax for £33 million in 2020. He was displaced by Noni Madueke in the pecking order last campaign, limiting him to just 928 minutes of action.

Koulibaly, on the other hand, has also struggled in a similar way like his African counterpart. Since joining the Blues from Napoli for £34 million last summer, the 31-year-old failed to settle in at his new team in a three-man defence.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Mendy has been demoted to a second-choice goalkeeper behind Kepa Arrizabalaga in the recent past. He registered just one clean sheet in 12 games for Chelsea last season, conceding 17 in the process.

Apart from the aforementioned trio, Mauricio Pochettino's side are also likely to listen to offers for a number of other stars. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are some of the potential outgoings.

Meanwhile, N'Golo Kante is set to be announced as an Al-Ittihad star in the upcoming hours. He completed his final part of the medical tests ahead of a free transfer from Chelsea earlier this Saturday, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Chelsea set to step up efforts to snap up La Liga attacker: Reports

According to The Guardian, Chelsea are set to step up their attempts to sign Villarreal striker Nicolas Jackson next week. They have already reached a personal agreement with the player, who has a £30 million release clause.

Jackson, 21, has established himself as a key performer for the Yellow Submarine since recovering from a hip injury earlier this year. He impressed with his 10 goals and two assists in his final 11 La Liga appearances last campaign.

A right-footed centre-forward blessed with pace and dribbling, the Senegalese was a part of Villarreal B in the 2021-22 campaign. He made the most of his chances in the senior side last term, bagging a total of 18 goals and assists.