Chelsea Transfer News: Blues In Talks For £30m Midfielder + Eye Bid For Ligue 1 Ace

Managers are now making moves to try and strengthen their squads during the January transfer window or next summer so we’ll bring you all the latest gossip from around the globe. Today, more on Chelsea’s search for a defensive midfielder…

Chelsea remain in talks with Atalanta over a deal to sign £30m-rated midfielder Franck Kessie and are also lining-up a bid for Monaco star Tiemoue Bakayoko, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Antonio Conte’s side saw their 13-game winning streak come to an abrupt end with a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham on Wednesday night but the Blues remain five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

However, despite their dominant position in the league, that Italian coach is still keen to strengthen his options this month and the club have money to spend following Oscar’s £52m move to Shanghai SIPG.

Chelsea have been strongly linked with a move for Franck Kessie in recent weeks and the Daily Mail claim they remain in negotiations with Atalanta but are so far refusing to meet their £30m asking price.

Kessie has predominantly been used as a defensive midfielder this season so he could be viewed as a potential replacement for John Obi Mikel – who’s been linked with a move after falling out-of-favour under Conte – but the 20-year-old is also capable of playing at centre-back so his versatility is likely to appeal to the Italian tactician.

We’ll have to wait and see how talks progress but any potential deal could be delayed as Kessie is currently away with the Ivory Coast squad preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations this month.

And it looks as though Conte is keeping his options open as the Daily Mail are also reporting that Chelsea are lining-up a bid for Monaco’s highly-rated defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.

The 22-year-old has been hugely impressive since joining Monaco from Rennes in 2014 and has been linked with a number of clubs throughout Europe in recent months.

Bakayoko has expressed his desire to see-out the rest of the season in France, however, that doesn’t appear to have put off Chelsea as the Mail say that they’re ready to test Monaco’s resolve with a firm bid.

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So it looks as though Conte has two prime targets in his sights as he looks to bring in another defensive midfielder this month but we’ll have to wait and see whether the Chelsea boss is able to get a deal agreed over the coming weeks.