Chelsea battle Liverpool for £67m-rated winger afer falling behind in race to sign defender

Chelsea will now be putting the final touches on their preparations for this weekend’s clash with Morecambe in the FA Cup third round. The Blues will be expecting to progress to the fourth round, and Enzo Maresca will hope to do it while resting many of his key players.

It has been a bruising festive period for the Blues, and the kind draw will help Maresca as he continues to consider any possible new signings. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Stamford Bridge.

Araujo blow

Chelsea will reportedly miss out on a deal to sign Barcelona centre-back Ronaldo Araujo, who has been linked amid Maresca’s search for more defensive depth. According to reports in Spain, Araujo has already indicated to teammates that he is considering a departure.

According to The Boot Room, it won’t be Chelsea who get their hands on the Uruguayan, though, with Juventus reportedly in prime position to pull off a deal. It’s reported Juve have already made an offer of a loan with an option to buy in the summer. Crucially, Barca could do with the sale amid struggles to register Dani Olmo.

Kvaratskhelia links

Chelsea are said to be interested in a deal to sign Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia this month, although Liverpool are also linked. The Athletic say PSG are also in the mix, but Napoli are said to value the winger as highly as £67m.

It’s unclear whether the Blues will be in the market for a winger this winter, but if they are, that seems like a very high sum of money to pay while there are other areas Maresca will want to address, starting at centre-back.

Nkunku claim

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton believes Christopher Nkunku is likely to leave Stamford Bridge amid a struggle for appearances. He said: “I can see Nkunku leaving. Maresca seems reluctant to use his bench and Nkunku hasn’t had enough regular game time. The fact he’s down the pecking order and not getting regular game time, it certainly tells you that Maresca thinks he’s OK, but you need more than OK if you want to push for the Premier League title.

“Nkunku had that horrific injury but unless you get regular game time, it’s really difficult to find that rhythm. He is a talented player but it looks like another one where it’s just not going to happen for him at Chelsea.”