Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Atletico Madrid propose swap deal for German star, club ready to pay €40m for French midfielder, and more - 24th August 2021
Chelsea are currently preparing for a blockbuster Premier League clash against Liverpool on Saturday. The Reds could be the first real test for Thomas Tuchel's side, who have won both their games in the league thus far, scoring five goals without reply.
Despite their strong start to the season, Chelsea are still on the lookout for midfield reinforcements. Tuchel is also hoping to offload players who are no longer part of his plans.
On that note, let's take a look at the major Chelsea transfer news from 24 August 2021.
Atletico Madrid offering swap deal for German star
Atletico Madrid have proposed a swap deal involving Timo Werner and Saul Niguez, according to The Express via OK Diario. The Blues have been linked with the Atletico Madrid midfielder all summer and now have a chance to secure his signature.
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, are looking for an attacker after failing to bring Antoine Griezmann to the Wanda Metropolitano. The Spanish giants have turned their attention to Werner.
The German forward has struggled since joining Chelsea from RB Leipzig last summer. Werner netted just 12 goals in 52 appearances in the 2020-21 season.
The arrival of Romelu Lukaku has pushed him down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, and having to play second fiddle to the Belgian will certainly not suit Werner.
However, Chelsea have already offloaded Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud this summer, and the German is the only backup option left in the squad at the moment. As such, the Blues might not be ready to offload Werner without signing a replacement.
Chelsea ready to pay €40m for French midfielder
Chelsea are ready to pay €40m for the services of Aurelien Tchouameni, according to The Hard Tackle via Calciomercato. The Blues made Declan Rice their top priority earlier this summer, but with the Englishman unlikely to leave West Ham United, Tuchel has been forced to explore other options.
Monaco midfielder Tchouameni has been on Chelsea’s radar for a while and the Blues are planning to complete a move before the end of the month. The Premier League giants are even willing to match the Frenchman’s €40m price tag. However, they could face competition from Juventus.
Tchouameni scored three goals and provided four assists last season.
Chelsea planning to offload three midfielders before the end of the month
Chelsea are planning to offload Ross Barkley, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater before the end of the month, according to Caught Offside via The Telegraph.
The three players are not part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans for the season. Bakayoko has struggled to find his feet at Stamford Bridge, while Drinkwater has never really lived up to expectations. Barkley enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with Aston Villa during the 2020-21 campaign, but that's not been enough to earn him game time at Chelsea.
Bakayoko is close to joining AC Milan on loan, but Drinkwater has attracted negligible attention in the market so far. Barkley was linked with a move to Newcastle United earlier in the summer, but that never materialized.
The England midfielder scored four goals and provided one assist in all competitions last season.