Tottenham handed 'blow' in striker bid as Chelsea 'battle' Man Utd for La Liga starlet

Chelsea and Tottenham are both in action on Saturday as they edge towards the end of their pre-season tours. The Blues face Premier League champions Manchester City in Ohio on Saturday night, while Tottenham faced Bayern Munich in Seoul earlier in the day.

Both sides are headed back to London ahead of next week, which will be the last full week of pre-season before the new campaign kicks off. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Chelsea and Tottenham.

Solanke blow

Tottenham continue to be linked with a move for AFC Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, but there is a major - and predictable - obstacle. Reports suggest the Cherries want as much as £65million for their star striker after enjoying a fine season of last.

That’s a prise Spurs are not going to pay, particularly if they do not end up selling Brazilian Richarlison this summer. According to GiveMeSport, Spurs find the asking price ‘off-putting’, and largely because they haven’t been able to bring in money for Richarlison. The situation means they could end up having to look elsewhere to strengthen their front line.

Martinez ‘interest’

Chelsea and Manchester United are said to be battling for the signing of Real Madrid starlet Joan Martinez. The 16-year-old has burst onto the scene in pre-season, and Diario AS report that there is now serious interest in his services from England.

It’s claimed there is interest from both the Blues and the Red Devils, but it’s also reported that Real Madrid are not concerned with the situation. The report adds that they are confident that Martinez does not want to leave the club this summer.

Dewsbury-Hall warning

New Chelsea signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has warned that Enzo Maresca’s system will take some getting used to as the Blues prepare for their first season under their new boss.

“It will take a bit of time. It was similar this time last year,” he told club media. “There was a long way to go. We were making mistakes, but you could see there was progress from week to week, and I feel like that is what we are seeing at Chelsea.

“Against Club America there were patterns of play that were really slick and smooth. We were getting into great positions. It’s only our third game of pre-season and it’s good you can see progression, and the fans can see that, because six months down the line I’m sure it will be completely different to what you can see now.”

Speaking about his own leadership, the midfielder added: “Naturally I am giving advice on the pitch. In the last year or so I evolved into that person anyway. When I first broke in, I was a bit quieter, but there has been a progression in my personality and mentality in the last year or so. I feel like I’m a more influential person.

“I wanted to try and bring that here to Chelsea, and it obviously helps I know the system. If there are any lads with queries I can give my opinion, and I think they respect that. I want to be someone the lads can talk to and the lads can look at.”