Vlahovic, Balogun, and Cherki are all mentioned in the current Chelsea news.

£66m beast makes Chelsea decision – Blues negotiate £43m man – Chelsea make £50m move on signing

Here’s a recap of the top Chelsea news and gossip we think you might have missed on icfootballnews…

Chelsea have increased their interest in Rayan Cherki and are in direct contact with the Frenchman’s representatives.

CHELSEA have already been busy in the transfer market this summer, snapping up some players – but also allowing a number of stars to leave to raise money.

Cherki is a man who is now on the agenda of the Chelsea board, as he meets the criteria to be one of the most exciting young players in the game, with the ability to become one of the brightest stars in the game.

It has been claimed Lyon are unwilling to sell – but that hasn’t stopped media reports that Chelsea have been in touch over a potential deal for the talented star.

WHAT IS THE LATEST –

Football.london understands the French club have not said they are not for sale, but with the financial difficulties plaguing at the moment, they will try to squeeze every penny they can out of Chelsea if they make an offer. An offer is currently under consideration and representatives of Chelsea and Cherki have been trying for a few days to reach an agreement on personal terms.

French football expert Jonathan Johnson has recently hinted that they may be forced to sell some of their top talent this summer.

WHAT DID HE SAY –

“Rayan Cherki might be someone to watch. There were reports linking him to CHELSEA. Breaking through a bit earlier than Barcola, he’s another promising young player who’s been making waves for some time. He’s someone who is firmly in the focus of Europe’s top clubs, as we saw when PSG tried to sign him last year.

“I think Cherki is someone to watch as I wouldn’t be surprised if other big clubs replace him as well.”

“Lyon is generally not lacking in talent that could interest all of Europe. If I had to choose two players likely to leave Lyon this summer, I would probably put Cherki and Castello Lukeba ahead of Barcola then, but it depends on the most attractive offers Lyon face during these financial difficulties.

Once these problems are solved, I think it will be more difficult to sell Lyon. So it really depends on which club will be the first to come up with an attractive offer for Lyon.

BALOGUN DECISION TAKEN –

CHELSEA have reportedly decided to sign Arsenal star Folarin Balogun for £50m this summer.

With just a few days left in the transfer window and Chelsea working hard to sign a new striker – Balogun is a man they are seriously interested in. The striker impressed in Ligue 1 last season, scoring an impressive 22 goals for French side Reims – and many believed he would get a chance from Mikel Arteta.

However, that is not the case, as the Spanish manager cannot guarantee him the regular playing time he wants, and is reportedly desperate for a move from the Emirates, and Chelsea are in deal talks.

WHAT IS THE LATEST –

Gunners want £50m to part ways with Balogun but Chelsea don’t think he’s worth that much, BBC report says

After initial talks with the Gunners over a fee, the Stamford Bridge club ended interest in him.

At Monaco, the offer for the 22-year-old has already been rejected, while Inter are trying to negotiate a loan package with the right to buy.

IS BALOGUN WORTH £50 MILLION? The youngster is certainly a talent and the kind of player the Chelsea board have been dying to sign in recent weeks – but he’s not worth £50m yet and anyone would be mad to pay that .

He scored an impressive 22 goals for Reims last season, but Mikel Arteta has worked with him all summer and if he thinks he’s not good enough for the club, other clubs should keep one eye open.

CHELSEA need a striker ready to make a difference – not a player who might struggle in the Premier League.

So, if the reports are true and Chelsea have opted against signing the youngster, they need to hurry up and land a striker who can have repercussions for the club.

VLAHOVIC DECISION –

Chelsea have discussed signing Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic this summer and he has made the decision to leave the Italians. CHELSEA have already agreed numerous transfer deals this summer – with some top players leaving and big names moving to Stamford Bridge.

But their transfer deal is up and running and a new centre-forward is set to join London – especially as the club really struggled to score weekly goals last season.

And Vlahovic – who joined Juventus last summer – is a player who will leave the Italians this summer after missing out on the Champions League.

WHAT IS THE LATEST  –

Juventus are keen to strike a deal with Chelsea involving Romelu Lukaku but are expected to sell Dusan Vlahovic in particular to fund a transfer.

As things stand, Vlahovic doesn’t want to leave. Chelsea are yet to return to the negotiating table over a possible swap deal.

It is understood that funds could be raised through the sale of Moise Kean. However, if Juventus lost Kean, they would likely look to sign Alvaro Morata as his replacement – not Lukaku.

WOULD HE BE A GOOD SIGNING FOR CHELSEA?

Vlahovic is a brilliant striker who has what it takes to be a big star at CHELSEA and if they manage to get a deal done he would be a real statement for the Blues board. Chelsea’s attack is very exciting and should score a few goals – but they still need to add a good striker to that attack – and Vlahovic could be that man.

But if he doesn’t want to leave the Italians, Chelsea will have to go ahead and try to sign someone as the transfer window is just days away from closing.