Chelsea submit official offer for £17M-rated free-kick specialist but will face competition from Manchester United

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Chelsea have submitted a bid for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu as Antonio Conte searches for a replacement for Oscar, report The Sun.

The Blues find themselves in need of midfield reinforcements this month after the departures of John Obi Mikel and Oscar. It appears as though Conte has set his sights on who he wants to fill their shoes.

The Sun cite Turkish reports in claiming that Chelsea have made an official approach to secure Calhanoglu’s services this month. The source claims that Chelsea sent scouts to watch the Turk in action merely days after Oscar sealed his big-money move to Shanghai SIPG.

However, as per The Sun, Chelsea are not the only team in the race for Calhanoglu’s signature. The tabloid believe that Manchester United are also interested, with Calhanoglu himself expressing his desire to join up with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

The size of the bid remains unclear, but The Sun reported earlier this season at Bayer Leverkusen rated their talisman at £17 million – a fee that Chelsea would comfortably be able to afford.

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