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Chelsea suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday afternoon and several problems were exposed that needs to be sorted out by head coach Maurizio Sarri.
The clock is ticking to the British Transfer Deadline Day and the Blues have a tough task of convincing their best players to stay as well as recruit new signings that will help Chelsea possess a major threat for both domestic and European competitions for the 2018/19 season.
On that note, here are the top transfer stories of the day pertaining to Chelsea:
Chelsea issue Hazard price tag
All season long Eden Hazard has been on the radar of Real Madrid. However, Chelsea have been very stubborn in negotiations thus far and have signalled that they are not willing to part ways the Belgian playmaker.
But Real have remained in the hunt whereas Chelsea have increased their asking price to a world record £225 million, the Daily Express reports. The Los Blancos have set their sights on Hazard and have identified him as the ideal replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 27 year old has two years remaining on his deal with the Blues and during the time of the World Cup, Hazard had remarked that he could possibly leave this season if there was no transparency at the club with respect to business in the transfer window.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have indicated that they are willing to offer Eden Hazard a new contract worth £300,000 per week that would make him the highest paid player at Stamford Bridge and possibly persuade him to stay for another year.
Blues prepare for Ramsey swoop
After missing out on several targets this summer, Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea have turned their attention towards Aaron Ramsey, who has entered the final year of his contract at Arsenal with the agreement of terms still pending.
The Welsh midfielder's situation at the Emirates has attracted interest from Premier League rivals. Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea are ready to capitalize and submit an offer for Ramsey in the latter stages of the transfer window, according to Daily Express.
Sarri has been keen to add another midfielder in his ranks who can bring some variety and provide different options in the middle of the park. The Italian tactician has accepted defeat in the pursuit of Aston Villa's Jack Grealish, who is likely headed to Tottenham Hotspur as he wishes to play in the Champions League.
Similarly, Unai Emery and Arsenal could be prepared to sell Aaron Ramsey as they look to free up some money in their transfer kitty and add new signings to reinforce their squad ahead of the Premier League season.
Chelsea suffer Pulisic blow
Chelsea have been dealt a major hit in their chase for Christian Pulisic. The Daily Mail claims that Borussia Dortmund have refused to sell the American teenager and will not entertain any more offers this month.
Pulisic is contracted until 2020 with the Bundesliga outfit and is valued at £60 million. Talks of a new contract had stalled between both the parties as the 19 year old appears interested in securing a move away from Dortmund in the near future.
However, Borussia Dortmund have been unable to find a fitting replacement for Pulisic and are now reluctant to sell him this month. Chelsea had identified the winger as a potential replacement for Willian who has been highly linked with an exit out of Stamford Bridge this entire off-season.
Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have also been in contention for Pulisic in recent months but Dortmund want to keep hold of him for another season and believe that his value will receive a significant boost in the next 12 months.
Chelsea are limited on funds this season and will have to free up some much-needed room in their squad if they were to finance a move for Pulisic in case they decide to push a deal through prior to deadline day.
