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After the end to a dismal campaign in the Premier League, Chelsea fans will be pleased that their Board has been busy prior to the start of the upcoming transfer window as they have been linked with big-name players and managers alike.
Antonio Conte's future looks pretty clear, as he looks to be on his way out but that will not stop the Blues from eyeing replacements. They require reinforcements in different positions of the pitch following the failed summer signings of 2017 as they will be keen on avoiding controversy and mistakes of last year that has ultimately led to this turmoil.
On that note, here are the top transfer stories of the day pertaining to Chelsea:
Chelsea lead the race for Seri
Chelsea are in pole position to land Nice starlet and Arsenal target Jean Michael Seri, according to the Metro UK. The midfielder's contract is due to expire in 2019 and is believed to be worth for a fee of around €35 million.
Michael Seri has been playing in France for the past three years and was close to making a move to Barcelona last summer before the transfer broke down as both the clubs couldn't come to an agreement on the terms.
The Ivorian has been part of another successful season in Nice, scoring two goals and registering five assists in the league with an average of 5.2 successful long balls per game. The Blues are considering reinforcements in midfield as the signings of Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater did not deliver.
Seri has all required attributes needed for a Premier League midfielder with his wide range of passing and defensive work rate as he would complement N'Golo Kante perfectly in midfield since the Blues are eyeing a proper holding midfielder. The transfer value of the 26 year old should not be a problem for the Board to meet as he will be entering the final year of his deal.
Mourinho looking to reunite with Willian
Jose Mourinho and Manchester United are keen on bringing Chelsea winger Willian to the north of England, as per the reports of Manchester Evening News. Mourinho had signed the Brazilian in 2013 during his second spell at Stamford Bridge and was previously linked with the winger earlier in the year.
This season, Willian has not been a consistent member of the starting XI as the majority of his appearances have come off the bench, as he has bagged 12 goals, eight assists and has won the Chelsea Players 'Player of The Year' of the award.
The 29-year-old is contracted until 2020 in London and on the other hand, Man Utd do not have a proper right side wide player in their squad after the departure of Henrikh Mkhitaryan with the likes of Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial, and Alexis Sanchez have to shift into that role during the second half of the season.
The Portuguese manager would preferably add some quality on the right wing and Willian may be available at a cut-price option for the Red Devils as 'The Special One' would like to steal another player from his former club following the arrival of Nemanja Matic in 2017.
Chelsea youngster close to joining Reds
Following the departure of Dominic Solanke to Liverpool in 2017, another Chelsea academy product is set to follow the U20 World Cup Winner and move to Merseyside. As per the sources of ESPN, Isaac Christie-Davies is on the verge of joining Liverpool on a free transfer.
Christie-Davies joined the youth ranks of Chelsea in 2013 following a move from his native Brighton. He made 13 appearances for the Chelsea U23s in the Premier League 2 before being moving to Liverpool on a trial.
The 20-year old's contract is set to expire this summer and it doesn't look like he will be earning a new deal in London. Davies is primarily an attacking midfielder, having played both on the left and through the middle in his brief career.
The Blues are set to lose another young talent to the Reds in successive seasons but it less likely that Christie-Davies will get a role in the first team since he is only 20 and will have to prove himself for the U23s first.
