Chelsea round-up: Closing in on Arsenal deal; £50 million Van Dijk bid prepared; Perisic move possible

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The London Evening Standard believe that Chelsea are making progress in talks over a deal for Arsenal ace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The England international’s contract will expire next summer and manager Arsene Wenger is reported to be considering selling the versatile midfielder.

Chelsea are prepared to pay up to £35 million to get Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is likely to compete with Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso in the wing-back roles. There may only be two weeks left to seal a deal this summer, but it seems that the two clubs may be progressing in talks at just the right time.

Another big money bid that could be made is a £50 million offer for Southampton’s Virgil Van Dijk, according to the Mirror. They say that Antonio Conte is desperate to bolster his defence after the departures of John Terry and Nathan Ake and Van Dijk could be the leader that he is looking for.

Liverpool are also thought to be interested and Van Dijk has submitted a formal transfer request at Saint Mary’s. However, the Saints are refusing to sell at present and have repeatedly insisted that they are hoping that Van Dijk will change his mind and see out his contract on the south coast.

The Blues may also be considering another controversial move as the Mirror claim that Chelsea may emerge as surprise candidates for the signing of Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic. Perisic has been targeted by Manchester United throughout the summer but they have been unable to agree a deal with the San Siro club.

Now, Chelsea are hoping that they may be able to swoop in and secure a deal at the last minute. That may seem unlikely given Inter’s tough stance to date, but Perisic could be the perfect alternative to Eden Hazard on the left wing at Stamford Bridge as he recovers from a broken ankle.