Chelsea are reportedly considering letting their central midfielder N’Golo Kante leave this summer in order to raise the fees necessary to sign Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell.
Kante, 29, has been a crucial part of the Blues first-team since moving to the club in 2016, helping them win the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Europa League in that time.
However, with Chelsea having already splashed out close to £100m on the signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, manager Frank Lampard has been told he will need to sell if he wants to bring in further players.
And according to reports, Kante is one of those who could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge, along with fringe players such as Tiemoue Bakayoko, Michy Batshuayi and Baba Rashman.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Havertz, who has had a hugely impressive season in the Bundesliga, is valued at around £75m by his club, and Chelsea are thought to be desperate to try to lure the winger to west London, although he himself is said to prefer a move to Real Madrid.
Meanwhile Lampard is also a huge fan of Leicester full-back Chilwell, and the club are confident that a bid in excess of £50m will tempt the Foxes into letting the England international go.
The squad is certainly shaping up nicely for next season, but owner Roman Abramovich will no doubt be desperate for the team to qualify for the Champions League, especially given the financial incentives being in the competition offers.
The Blues currently sit in fourth place in the Premier League, just three points clear of Manchester United, and they will be desperate for three points when their campaign gets back underway against Aston Villa on Sunday ahead of two tricky-looking games against Manchester City and Leicester.
