Chelsea ‘agree’ to Real Madrid ‘swap’ deal for ‘2026 biggest signing’ but transfer unlikely for two reasons

According to reports, Chelsea have ‘agreed’ on their side of a Real Madrid ‘swap’ deal, but there are two rather significant problems to overcome.

Chelsea are not quite top of our five-year Premier League net spend table because they have sold really well in recent seasons, with this business offsetting them investing way over £1bn on signings following BlueCo’s takeover.

And Chelsea‘s heavy spending is unlikely to stop anytime soon, as they remain linked with some of the world’s best players and clearly need upgrades in certain positions if they are to win the Premier League and/or Champions League in the next year or two.

The Blues are particularly weak in the goalkeeper, centre-back and striker departments, so these positions are likely to be bolstered in the coming weeks/months.

It initially seemed that the London side would wait until the summer, but they have looked to bring forward plans for a new centre-back this month and have targeted Rennes star Jeremy Jacquet.

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However, it has also emerged that a deal for Jacquet is unlikely in this window as Rennes are demanding “crazy” money for their prized asset, who is also attracting interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

Regarding a potential new forward, Chelsea are among a host of clubs to be mentioned as a possible destination for Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.

The Brazil international’s current contract is due to expire in 2027 and it has been suggested that Real Madrid could cash in on the winger if they cannot reach an agreement before next season.

And a report from Spanish outlet Defensa Central claims Chelsea are keen to sign Vinicius Junior as part of a ‘swap’ deal including Enzo Fernandez.

Fernandez has been loosely linked with Real Madrid in recent months, with it being reported that he is not fully satisfied at Chelsea following Enzo Maresca’s exit.

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The report from Defensa Central claims Chelsea have ‘agreed to swap Fernandez’ for Vincius, who could be the ‘biggest signing of 2026’.

This suggests a deal is pretty advanced, but this is not actually the case.

This is because Real Madrid are ‘not’ as keen on the deal as Chelsea for two main reasons.

The report explains: ‘It doesn’t seem likely to go through, as Real Madrid are currently refusing.

‘Firstly, because their main objective remains securing Vinicius’s contract renewal. And Enzo Fernández isn’t among their priorities.’