Chelsea 'eye' audacious £138m double Newcastle United swoop ahead of Stamford Bridge clash

Chelsea have been linked with an audacious double transfer shopping spree at Premier League rivals Newcastle United this summer ahead of the two sides meeting at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.

The Blues look for only their second top-flight win in six against Eddie Howe's inconsistent Magpies. The visitors impressed last time out with a 3-0 win over Wolves but had been beaten by Arsenal 4-1 before that.

A win for Mauricio Pochettino's men would close the gap between 11th-placed Chelsea and 10th-placed Newcastle United to just one point as the London outfit look to clamber into the top half after a shaky first campaign under the Argentinian.

Over the weekend, the Shields Gazette reported that Chelsea are looking at moves for Newcastle United duo Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes, despite some concerns about their ability to meet Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) set out by the Premier League.

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Brazilian midfielder Guimaraes is known to have a release clause in his contract, which is widely reported to be £100 million. The 26-year-old could be a replacement for Conor Gallagher, should the England international move on from West London this summer - his sale would be a big financial tick for the club given his rise from the academy.

There was speculation around Guimaraes' future last summer, but it had been swatted away by Howe before the beginning of the season. He said: “There is no doubt in my mind about his future. We would love Bruno to extend his time with us for a long time. I’m not (a) party to those talks every day. Those talks are ongoing and Bruno knows how we feel about him. He’s very happy here. We hope there’s (a) solution to be found.”

Guimares did then sign a new five-year contract with the club in October 2023, but it is at that point that the release clause is believed to have been baked into the deal.

Centre-back Botman is another reportedly 'eyed by Chelsea' as a means of adding 'experience to a youthful back-line', according to the Gazette. The defender has a market value of £38 million according to Transfermarkt and has seen his reputation rise as part of Howe's Newcastle United. Botman missed a large part of this season with a serious knee injury but is still rated as one of the league's top defenders.