Chelsea: Messi update; Morata latest; £51m centre-back bid

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Whilst Paul Pogba’s future has filled the back pages of late, a different deal could be the major transfer this summer, with Roman Abramovich reportedly having met with Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father, to discuss a potential future deal. These hopes have been boosted, according to some sources, as La Liga boss Javier Tebas, a loyal Real Madrid fan, came out in support of Messi after his tax case was finalised with a 21 month sentence for the striker.

With Chelsea reportedly prepared to offer up to £110 million for the Argentinean, it is unlikely to persuade Barcelona to let go of their prized asset unless their number 10 forces a departure through. Whilst such a move would be devastating for La Liga, it remains unlikely. Some have suggested that the Abramovich-Messi meeting was more hopeful than realistic, and any deal is unlikely to take place in the near future, although it would be a major boost for Chelsea both on and off the field should they succeed in their attempts to attract the world’s best player to Stamford Bridge.

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Spanish sources close to Real Madrid claim that the club from the Spanish capital rejected a bid worth over £50 million from Chelsea in their attempts to lure Alvaro Morata to London. The latest updates claim that Zinedine Zidane and co. have now decided to retain Morata as a player for their first team, rather than selling him on as was initially planned.

Chelsea were previously believed to have been in pole position to secure the former Juventus man’s signature, beating off competition from Arsenal, but Madrid’s decision has put an end to any potential deal, although some hope remains that Morata may struggle for game time with the likes of Benzema, Ronaldo and Bale for competition, and he could demand a move in January or next summer.

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Antonio Conte could also be set to hijack a move by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, according to the Mirror. With a £34 million offer already accepted for Kalidou Koulibaly, Chelsea will have to spend big yet again if they are to tempt Bonucci to Stamford Bridge, with City supposedly budgeting for a bid of up to £51 million for the Italian centre back.

It shows a clear plan of action for Conte, who has made it clear that he plans to rejuvenate an ageing and slow back line which has been all but forgotten in recent years. Bonucci is a player who Conte knows well and trusts which would give him the perfect base to build a new defensive unit, but signing the Italian won’t come cheap and it remains to be seen whether Bonucci’s loyalty to Conte would come above any temptation to join Guardiola in Manchester.

Elsewhere, Nemanja Matic’s future continues to look unclear. The Express claim that Juventus are planning a £17 million bid for the Serbian holding midfielder. However, Chelsea bosses are set to reject any such bid and are believed to be expecting a bid of £25 million before even considering whether or not to sell the player, currently in his second spell at Stamford Bridge.

These same reports in the Express suggest that Antonio Conte is prepared to sell the 27 year old with his focus on trying to agree a deal with AS Roma’s Radja Nainggolan as a ready made replacement, and what Conte believes would be a clear upgrade on Matic and the existing options in Chelsea’s ranks.

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