Blues step up interest in Arsenal target.
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Chelsea have focused their efforts on the signing of Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, and have tabled an official £30m bid to the club in an attempt to sign him ahead of their rivals Arsenal.
However, this is expected to be in response to the fact that the Gunners are leading the chase to sign Real Madrid star Sami Khedira, who has also been linked with both clubs for much of this summer.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea have been eyeing new signings in the defensive midfield department, with Arsene Wenger desperate to bring in a new face after losing club captain Mikel Arteta to injury for two weeks or more, and with Jose Mourinho keen to find an upgrade on the likes of Ramires and John Obi Mikel, the latter of whom could still leave the club before the end of the summer transfer window.
Carvalho now looks to be Chelsea’s first choice replacement for Mikel in that position, with the 22-year-old emerging as one of the most promising young players in Europe in recent times after his fine displays in the Portuguese top flight.
Mourinho is known to keep an eye on the best up-and-coming talent from his native Portugal, and he has now instructed the Blues to try their luck with a £30m bid for the player, who they know is unlikely to move on the cheap this summer.
Arsenal have previously failed with a £20m bid for Carvalho, and have dropped out of the running due to their belief that they can land a more experienced player in Khedira for less, with the German international now looking likely to move for just £12m after rejecting a new contract offer from Real.
The 27-year-old would be available for free next summer, and this has persuaded Real to lower their demands for the World Cup winner, who is thought to be keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium over Stamford Bridge.
Both of these sagas could be resolved before the end of the summer, though there is still said to be lingering interest from Bayern Munich in signing Khedira.
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