Chelsea are believed to have submitted a £26.8m bid for Zenit Saint Petersburg midfielder Leandro Paredes, as they look to find a long-term successor the recently departed Cesc Fabregas.
Blues boss Maurizio Sarri was adamant that he wouldn't let the Premier League legend leave the club without a suitable replacement waiting in the wings, and he appears to have found his man with the Argentina international.
The 24-year-old is renowned for his slick passing and ability to dictate play, making him a natural replacement for midfield maestro Fabregas.
According to the Standard, Chelsea have submitted their opening offer for Paredes, after struggling to convince Cagliari's Nicolo Barella to make the switch from Serie A to the Premier League.
The report claims the Blues will offer Paredes around £80,000-a-week, which they hope will convince him to spurn the opportunity to return to his boyhood club, Boca Juniors.
Despite having Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek waiting in the wings, as well as Ethan Ampadu, Sarri is of the belief that none of these options can replicate Fabregas' abilities, and is keen to recruit a new backup to Jorginho. Paredes has been with Zenit since 2017, when he joined the club in a £24m deal from Roma.
It certainly looks to be a busy month for the Blues, with Sarri intent on bringing in a new midfielder, and ideally a new striker.
With Álvaro Morata seemingly unable to hit a barn door, the club are on the hunt for a new frontman and want to bring in Juventus' Gonzalo Higauín on a short-term loan in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth are believed to have issued Chelsea a hands-off warning over their pursuit of their striker Callum Wilson, with the Cherries reportedly demanding an astonishing £75m for his services.
Such an offer would make the 26-year-old the most expensive English player of all time, eclipsing Kyle Walker's £50m move to Manchester City.
Source :
90min
