Chelsea verging on double deal with ‘official announcement’ due ‘soon’

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel pointing from the touchline at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea are close to agreeing a pair of deals that will further free up space and funds to make one final push in the transfer market, per a reliable source.

Chelsea answered Man City’s transfer splash on Jack Grealish in kind when agreeing a deal worth £98m to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge. Following Thomas Tuchel’s mid-season appointment last season, Chelsea surged up the table and went on to lift the Champions League.

They achieved those feats without a clinical centre-forward at their disposal. With Lukaku now on board, that issue has now been remedied.

Nevertheless, the club’s work in the market this summer may not yet be concluded. A recent report revealed Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has his eyes on one final deal for an England sensation.

To help ensure further deals can become a reality, trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed a pair of Blues are close to sealing their exits.

Firstly, centre-half Matt Miazga is expected to move to Spanish side Alaves on loan. The 26-year-old American has spent the last five seasons out on loan and Chelsea are ‘confident’ of agreeing terms over a sixth.

Romano declared negotiations to be at the ‘final stages’, with an ‘official announcement’ due ‘soon’.

Secondly, Chelsea could be about to generate around £4m for academy graduate, Ike Ugbo.

August 16 Transfer Chatter - Spurs identify Kane replacement, Mbappé wants Liverpool or Real Madrid and Chelsea eye Dortmund youngster

August 16 Transfer Chatter - Spurs identify Kane replacement, Mbappé wants Liverpool or Real Madrid and Chelsea eye Dortmund youngster

Tottenham have identified their Harry Kane replacement if he leaves the club, Kylian Mbappé has a choice of either Liverpool or Real Madrid and Chelsea ready to pursue Jude Bellingham, all in today's transfer chatter.

The 22-year-old forward has also frequently been loaned to clubs across Europe. He found success last year, operating at one goal in two while with Cercle Brugge.

That has led to interest from from fellow Belgian side Genk, who Romano claims Ugbo is ‘set to join.’

Romano did not indicate the structure of the deal. However, recent reports from both the Scottish Sun and Goal indicated the deal in question is a permanent exit worth around €5m (£4m).


History stacked against Man City and Pep Guardiola after opening-day defeat


EXCLUSIVE: Joe Cole on Lukaku, Kane transfers

Meanwhile, Joe Cole believes Lukaku will propel Chelsea to the next level in their pursuit of the Premier League title –  but he believes the future of Harry Kane is crucial to this season’s title race.

Speaking exclusively to TEAMtalk at a BT Sport event, Cole said: “Lukaku is not the final piece of Chelsea’s jigsaw, but he is a piece that puts them right in contention for the Premier League title this season.

“Chelsea’s top scorer in the Premier League season last season was Jorginho with seven penalties. So it wasn’t hard to work out where they needed to improve.


Give our social media channels a follow – we’re on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram


“Despite that glaring problem, they still won the Champions League, got a top four finish in the Premier League and reached the FA Cup final. So it shows the potential of that squad. Now they have that top-level striker who has a track record of scoring 20 goals a season.

“I had a long chat with Rio Ferdinand when I was doing the UEFA Super Cup game in Belfast. We came to the conclusion that Lukaku is unrecognisable from the player who left Chelsea to join Everton.

“He has become aggressive with everything he does. You watch him and seems to be desperate to score goals game after game, which wasn’t always the case.

“There were times in the past where he would have period of being untidy. But he has real aggression in his game now. And when he is 6’5” and built like a tank, that is a problem for any defender.”

Cole went on to claim why he believes Kane could yet land the decisive blow in this year’s title race.

READ MORE: Abramovich circling over huge deal to end Chelsea transfer window in style