Chelsea
Chelsea Transfer News: £8m Bid Rejected For Spanish Midfielder?
European champions Chelsea have had an £8m bid rejected for Real Betis midfielder Benat but are expected to go back with an improved offer for the Spaniard.
With the January transfer window now open for business we’ll be keeping you up-to-date with all the latest transfer gossip. Today, Chelsea are linked with a Spanish midfielder.
Chelsea have had an £8m bid rejected for Real Betis midfielder Benat as they start to plan for life without Frank Lampard, according to the Daily Star.
The report claims the European champions are on the look out for a replacement for Lampard after telling the veteran midfielder he will not be offered a new deal at Stamford Bridge and is free to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires.
The Star understand that Chelsea have had an £8m bid for Spanish midfielder Benat rejected by Betis, but are expected to return with an improved offer for the 25-year-old.
The newspaper claims that Blues owner Roman Abramovich is willing to up his offer for the attacker – who is believed to have a £16m release clause in his contract with the La Liga outfit.
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Benat moved to Betis from Athletic Bilbao in 2009 and after spending a year in the B team, he broke into the first-team set up at the start of the 2010/11 season and has been virtually ever-present since.
He’s scored 14 goals in 84 appearances so far with arguably his most memorable coming in November 2012 when he scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid. His form has seen him break into the Spanish international team set-up – earning 4 caps so far.
Will Benat be making the move to Chelsea any time soon? It appears there is interest and the Star suggest the Blues will up their initial £8m offer, so he may very-well join the ever-growing Spanish contingent at Stamford Bridge. Watch this space.
Would you like Benat at Chelsea? If not, who do you think they should sign? Get involved in the comments section below.