Chelsea and Manchester City are currently trailing Real Madrid in the race to sign highly-rated Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, with Thomas Tuchel looking to bolster his midfield options.
N'Golo Kante is set to have just one year remaining on his current Chelsea contract at the end of the season, leaving the club with a big decision to make. At 31-years-old, Kante is unlikely to be offered a new long-term deal, so the Blues may be weighing up whether to cash in on the midfielder while they still can.
Jorginho also finds himself in the same position with the Italy international strongly linked with a future return to Serie A. Declan Rice has been touted as a possible reinforcement but with West Ham likely to demand in the region of £100 million for his signature, it is a deal that remains up in the air for the time being.
Conor Gallagher also appears set to be given the chance to impress next season too after an excellent campaign on loan with Crystal Palace. Add Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to that list and a solid trio of midfielders will be available.
But with Tuchel's ultimate ambition to topple Liverpool and Manchester City from the top of the Premier League, adding a star name to that area appears to be a priority. It seems Tchouameni may be beyond their reach as things stand, however, with The Telegraph reporting that Madrid are leading the race to land the 22-year-old.
Monaco are set to demand in the region of £67 million for the player. Having brought in Eduardo Camavinga last season, it is clear Real Madrid are looking beyond Toni Kroos and Luka Modric and to the future.
Uncertainty over ownership is unlikely to be doing Chelsea any favours in the transfer market either. With Roman Abramovich still in charge but under government sanctions, the Blues are unable to negotiate transfer fees or contracts.
