Chelsea set for £30m transfer talks on Sunday, Conte eyes swoop for PL star

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Chelsea will reportedly sit down with Everton and discuss a transfer for Ross Barkley in a deal worth £30m after their clash on Sunday.

The two sides meet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, and aside from locking horns on the pitch, they may well do so in the boardroom too.

According to The Sun, Chelsea are ready to launch a £30m move for the 23-year-old, although he is just one of several key targets that the reigning Premier League champions are eyeing ahead of the transfer deadline next week.

The report also mentions Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater, although for now it looks as though the focus is on Barkley.

It’s suggested that Conte is keen to build a strong British core to his side to compliment the international stars at his disposal, and that would certainly be mission accomplished if he were able to land these three individuals from their direct rivals.

Tottenham are also credited with an interest in Barkley, with the Sun noting that they’re willing to splash out £28m on him. However, his £150,000-a-week contract demands may swing the situation in Chelsea’s favour as they should have no problem satisfying those demands.

Opinion will be split on whether Barkley is worth that much as he has struggled to establish himself under Ronald Koeman while an exit seems likely given his contract situation having refused to sign an extension.

In turn, it now comes down to whether or not Chelsea can match Everton’s valuation, and strike an agreement with the England international on personal terms with developments expected this weekend.

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