Transfer gossip: Chelsea eye Everton midfielder, rival Liverpool for Klopp’s long-term target

Ian Watson
Everton midfielder Amadou Onana during a match

Chelsea are looking to boil p*ss on Merseyside by taking one of Everton’s brightest talents now before nipping in ahead of Liverpool in the summer for one of the Reds’ midfield targets…

 

CHELSEA TURN TO ONANA 
Chelsea appear determined to pillage Everton in the next five days. Initially it was thought their primary Toffees target was Anthony Gordon. Now it seems their sights are shifting to Amadou Onana.

The Blues are desperate for a central midfielder, having seen offers for Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo rejected by Benfica and Brighton respectively. The Times says Chelsea are now ramping up their pursuit of Onana before next Tuesday’s deadline.

The Belgium international only moved to Goodison in the summer for a fee of around £30million and he has since been one of the few good things about Everton’s wretched season. The Toffees are apparently not keen to sell but if Chelsea rock up with over £50million in cash, there could be a deal to be done.

Neither Onana or Gordon have trained in recent days, apparently, while they wait on suitors to make their move and Everton faff about in identifying a replacement for Frank Lampard. Gordon will be back in his boots at Finch Farm today, though, with both Chelsea and Newcastle ready to look elsewhere while the asking price for his services remains excessive.

Newcastle are said to be willing to pay £40million but Everton are still insisting on something closer to £60million, despite his form falling off a cliff this term.

 

BLUES RIVAL REDS FOR WOLVES STAR
Regardless of whether they sign a midfielder in the coming days, Chelsea will still be looking to reinforce their engine room in the summer. Which could be bad news for Liverpool.

The Reds are also in dire need of midfielders, arguably more so than Chelsea, but Jurgen Klopp looks increasingly likely to mend and make do through to the end of the season before they go for a top target. Ideally Jude Bellingham, but Wolves’ Matheus Nunes is also in their sights.

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea also want Nunes. The Portugal midfielder moved to Molineux last summer, when Liverpool were also sniffing but chose to leave it. Wolves paid £44million and, apparently, £55million could be enough to secure Nunes this summer.

HAVERTZ PRICE SET BUT BAYERN NOT KEEN
Chelsea could make that sum by selling Kai Havertz. Though probably not to Bayern Munich.

Reports recently suggest the Bavarians have been tracking Havertz with a view to a summer move, but Sky Germany says that’s not the case. And they certainly don’t ses him as a centre-forward. Not daft, Bayern.

But that doesn’t mean Chelsea aren’t open to selling, with a price tag between £44million and £53million. Which would mean a hit of at least £20million on the investment they made in 2020.

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