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Chelsea face Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday. The Blues are third in the points table and will look to stay there with a win over the resurgent Magpies.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Manchester City are battling for Blues full-back Reece James. Elsewhere, Danny Mills believes striker Romelu Lukaku could join Tottenham Hotspur.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 13th March 2022:
Real Madrid and Manchester City battling for Reece James
Real Madrid and Manchester City are locked in a battle for Reece James, according to The Daily Mail. The English right-back has been one of the rising stars at Stamford Bridge. His assured performances have earned him admirers around Europe.
The 22-year-old rose through the ranks at Stamford Bridge, earning his debut in 2019. James has not looked back since then and is an integral part of manager Thomas Tuchel’s team. The Englishman has been in outstanding form this season - six goals and seven assists across competitions. So the Blues could struggle to keep James at the club beyond the summer.
Real Madrid are eager to sign a replacement for Dani Ceballos, who has been plagued with injury woes this season. Los Blancos are unimpressed with Lucas Vazquez, so James has emerged as an option. Meanwhile, City manager Pep Guardiola is laying down succession plans for Kyle Walker and believes the Chelsea man can fill his shoes.
Ideally, the Blues would be unwilling to consider any offers for James, as he is tied to the club till 2025. However, the UK government’s decision to sanction Blues owner Roman Abramovich has pushed the club to uncertain times. The London side could endure a mass exodus in the summer, and the Englishman could be one of many high-profile exits.
Danny Mills tips Romelu Lukaku to join Tottenham Hotspur
Former Manchester City full-back Danny Mills believes Romelu Lukaku could join Tottenham Hotspur this summer. The Belgian has not settled in well since returning to Chelsea last year. With the Blues pegged with issues off the pitch, the 28-year-old could leave the club at the end of the season.
Speaking to Football Insider, Mills said that Spurs manager Antonio Conte could turn to Lukaku if Harry Kane departs.
“We know that Kylian Mbappe is going to go to Real Madrid, so he goes in there. Pep has said that he wants a centre-forward. Let’s say Kane’s available and Kane goes. Then Conte may want Lukaku. That might seem a little bit farfetched, but he’s not overly happy there. They have also got a myriad of issues going on at the club. He loves Conte; Conte knows how well he can play and knows how to get the best out of him,” said Mills.
He continued:
“It would be a statement signing for Spurs. If you lose Kane and replace him with Lukaku then you would appease the fans a little bit and everyone’s happy. As long as Conte’s still at Spurs, that is. There an awful lot of decisions to make. Mbappe, where does he go? Haaland, does he go to Real Madrid?”
Lukaku has scored only 11 times in 31 games across competitions this season. That's a far cry from his exploits (30 strikes in 44 games) with Inter Milan last season.
Barcelona interested in Chelsea's Timo Werner
Barcelona are interested in Timo Werner, according to The Hard Tackle via Mundo Deportivo.
The German forward has blown hot and cold since joining Chelsea in the summer of 2020. The 26-year-old has dropped further down the pecking order since the arrival of Romelu Lukaku last summer. Werner has managed just seven goals and four assists this season in 26 games, so the Blues are ready to offload him.
The Blaugrana are plotting to take the German to the Camp Nou. The La Liga giants could look to sign a new striker this summer and have their eyes on Erling Haaland. However, in the event the Blaugrana fail to sign the Norwegian, they could turn to Werner.
