Bayern Munich are eyeing up shock moves for Premier League midfield duo Tiemoue Bakayoko and Tanguy Ndombele, according to reports.
The Bundesliga champions are believed to be readying themselves for the imminent departures of Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez.
And with Corentin Tolisso also potentially nearing the Allianz Arena exit, boss Hansi Flick is seeking summer reinforcements.
Le10 Sport claim that the Bavarians are looking to out-of-favour Premier League stars to fill the impending gap in their illustrious team.
While Bakayoko, 25, featured in pre-season for Frank Lampard last year – he hasn’t seen competitive action in a Blues shirt since the 2018 FA Cup Final.
Chelsea have reportedly made Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak their No 1 summer target to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Blues boss Frank Lampard has seen current first-choice Kepa struggle badly this season with the club now looking at potential replacements.
Atletico Madrid keeper Oblak, 27, has a £120m buy-out clause in the contract he signed last year with the deal due to expire in 2023.
The Daily Mirror suggest Chelsea keeper Kepa could be used in a player-plus-cash deal for Oblak to try and offset the huge fee which would be a world record for a goalkeeper.
Chelsea would value Oblak at less than £100m and would hope to put Kepa into the package to come up with a good value deal.
Oblak was Chelsea’s first choice when the London club wanted to replace Thibaut Courtois after joining Real Madrid.
They eventually settled for Kepa, who has not lived up to the high standard Chelsea were expecting from the Spain international.
Antonio Conte has reportedly put N’Golo Kante, Arturo Vidal and Emerson Palmieri at the top of his transfer wish-list for Inter next season.
The Italian signed the Frenchman from Leicester City during his first year at Chelsea, and was handsomely rewarded by Kante on the field of play, winning the Premier League trophy.
Meanwhile, his Inter Milan have lately not been living up to Conte’s standard, repeatedly complaining about the lack of ‘experience’ in his squad, which he blames for their tendency to fumble leads.
The Nerazzurri have dropped an astonishing 20 points from leading situations in Serie A this season and currently sit in fourth place.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, Conte is asking for 29-year-old Chelsea midfielder Kante, who is no longer untouchable in Frank Lampard’s team.
The France international has made 27 competitive appearances for Chelsea this term, scoring three goals, but hasn’t featured in the last two outings.
Kante played 89 games under Conte at Stamford Bridge and would relish a reunion.
Former Chelsea attacking midfielder Gael Kakuta has rejoined his former club Lens on loan from Amiens.
The 29-year-old DR Congo international was on the books of Les Sang et Or between 1999 and 2007 as a youth player before moving to Chelsea, where his senior career kicked off.
He was not a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge, making just 16 appearances in six years, and spent time on loan at seven different clubs before joining Sevilla in 2015.
Kakuta was enmeshed in a transfer storm when he joined Chelsea in 2007 as Lens took the matter to fifa, and was consequently fined and banned for for four months for a breach of contract.
Chelsea were equally fined and banned from signing players in the next two transfer windows, but appealed against the sanctions, and got the Court of Arbitration for Sport to lift the sanctions on club and Kakuta.
“After I left, I continued to follow Lens. I have always kept in touch with my friends I have known here, players and employees.” Kakuta said on the Lens website.
“This is where it all started. I always wanted to play with the Lens first team. It was my childhood dream.
“This club has always been in my heart and Bollaert-Delelis is a stadium that makes you dream! I did not hesitate as soon as I got the Lens proposal. No matter which club approached me, it was Lens and nothing else.”
Lens are returning to Ligue 1 for the first time since 2015 after they finished second in the second division in the abruptly-ended season and coach Franck Haise is thrilled to have Kakuta, who he says will be an “important element”, at the squad.
A late Toby Alderweireld header earned Tottenham Hotspur a 2-1 comeback win over Arsenal to boost their hopes of European qualification.
Arsenal went in front in the 16th minute through Alexandre Lacazette’s stunning strike into the top-left corner.
Lacazette received the ball 25 yards out, and took one look up before arrowing an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
But within 137 seconds the hosts had equalised when Sead Kolasinac’s misplaced pass back towards David Luiz put his team-mate in trouble, and Heung-min Son took full advantage.
An entertaining and open first half continued to yield chances, with Emi Martinez at full stretch to divert Ben Davies’ long-range strike against the bar before Nicolas Pepe curled a low shot just wide at the other end.
The Ivorian was growing in influence as the half wore on, and after winning a free kick on the edge of the area after escaping Davies.
Both sides hit the woodwork either side of half-time. Ben Davies’s strike from distance was tipped on to the bar by Martinez, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s fierce shot came off the corner of the goal after the break.
The decisive moment came with nine minutes remaining, when Alderweireld headed in from Son’s corner.
Spurs move above Arsenal into eighth with 52 points, three behind sixth-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Arsenal are ninth, two points behind Spurs.
Spurs (4-4-2): Lloris (c), Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies, Sissoko, Winks, Lo Celso (Skipp 84), Lucas (Bergwijn 82), Son (Lamela 90+4), Kane. Substitutes (not used): Gazzaniga, Vertonghen, Tanganga, Sessegnon, Gedson, Ndombele.
Chelsea fans have heaped praise on their former academy star Dominic Solanke for scoring twice for Bournemouth to defeat Leicester City who are breathing down the neck of the London club in the race for the top four slot.
Solanke scored his first two Premier League goals for AFC Bournemouth as they fought back to beat Leicester City 4-1 with a sensational second-half display.
Jamie Vardy had slid the ball in from two yards to put the Foxes in front after 23 minutes, with his 23rd goal of the campaign.
But half-time substitute Junior Stanislas made it 1-1 on 66 minutes from the penalty spot, slotting down the middle after Wilfred Ndidi fouled Callum Wilson.
And AFC Bournemouth were in front 101 seconds later after Kasper Schmeichel was unable to keep out Solanke’s low shot, with Caglar Soyuncu sent off in the aftermath for kicking Wilson.
Jonny Evans’ own goal in the 83rd minute and a second for Solanke four minutes later wrapped up the win.
A first victory in 10 matches leaves the Cherries three points from safety in 18th with three fixtures to go.
Solanke came up through the youth team at Chelsea before moving to Anfield in 2017.
With the defeat, Leicester City remain in the 4th position while Chelsea retain their 3th position pending the outcome of Monday’s math between Manchester United and Southampton.
After the match at the Vitality Stadium, Chelsea fans thronged twitter to express their appreciation to their former youth star:
Dominic Solanke is our hero for tonight!!! He ensured we maintained our 3rd position!!
— Chris Wright 🏴 (@chriswrightzz) July 12, 2020
Dominic Solanke was once an academy player for Chelsea. He scored a brace tonight against Leicester to ensure that Chelsea maintains our stay in the top 4.
