CHELSEA face a race against time to sign £72m Kai Havertz, if the German is to avoid needing to quarantine.
Meanwhile Inter are reportedly set to step up their pursuit of N'Golo Kante.
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Get all the latest transfer gossip and updates from Stamford Bridge…
NEW BEZZIES
Ben Chilwell and Billy Gilmour ate out to help out after completing their latest round of rehab.
The pair are currently out of full training with knocks.
But Chilwell shared a funny snap of the pair enjoying the government's half-price meal scheme at a restaurant.
KAI'S YOUR GUY
Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol has provided an update on the Kai Havertz situation at Chelsea.
He said: “There have been interesting developments.
“Especially coming from Jim White. He knows a few of the people involved in doing this deal.
“He is saying that Chelsea are very hopeful of doing this deal and it could be done in a matter of days.
“Basically, I think we’re safe to say that Kai Havertz, all being well, should be a Chelsea player by the end of this week.
“Another incredible signing for Chelsea when you look at how much business they have done.”
RARING TO GO
Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have been getting stuck into training with Germany ahead of their Nations League clashes against Spain and Switzerland.
Werner has been a Chelsea player for over a month now, but Kai Havertz is eagerly waiting to complete his switch to Stamford Bridge imminently.
But the 21-year-old may have to wait until after the international break.
LONG WAY TO 'GO YET
Thiago Silva’s agent has confirmed his client intends to play at the ‘highest level’ for another five years.
Paulo Tonietto told l’Equipe: “He is on holiday in Italy, he will be in London between now and the end of the week.
“He is happy to discover the Premier League.
“We had a lot of offers, but Chelsea are one of the world’s top 10 clubs.
“Physically, Thiago can play for another 5 or 6 years at the highest level.
“He is an athlete who looks after himself. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t party. His life is home – work, work – home.”
MORNING CHELSEA FANS
Kai Havertz is set to become the latest big signing to arrive at Stamford Bridge.
The midfield ace is currently on international duty with Germany but his £90million move is “never in doubt” according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
Crystal Palace have reportedly won the race to secure Chelsea starlet Conor Gallagher on loan.
The 20-year-old midfielder was previously linked with West Brom, but Football.London suggested he had a medical with the Eagles on Sunday.
Inter Milan are in for N’Golo Kante as Antonio Conte looks to reunite with the French star.
And he is prepared to sell Diego Godin and Marcelo Brozovic to raise the £50million required, according to reports in Italy.
The club are also thought to be in for Emerson Palmieri who could be shipped out after Ben Chilwell’s arrival from Leicester.
His agent Fernando Garcia old FCInter1908: “[Any] Chance he will leave Chelsea? Yes, this possibility exists.
“I haven’t talked to the London club yet. I can only say that Inter are interested in the player. We’ll see…”
Under-fire keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is set to stay at Chelsea after being backed by Petr Cech.
Cech told Sport.cz: “Kepa struggled last season, that is unquestionable.
“But the club invested in him and gave him a long-term contract because they believe he has the qualities and attributes to be successful.”
CHELSEA FIXTURES
The Blues have had some tweaks to their opening matches of the Premier League season, with rearranged kick-off times due to broadcasters picking their games.
Mon Sept 14 – Brighton (A) – 8pm – Sky Sports
Sun Sept 20 – Liverpool (H) – 4.30pm – Sky Sports
Sat Sept 26 – West Brom (A) – 5.30pm – Sky Sports
KAI NOON
Chelsea could face a race against time if Kai Havertz is to avoid quarantine.
Sky Sports have reported that Manchester United need to sign Donny van de Beek from Ajax before he plays for Holland on Friday in order for him to earn an athlete's exemption from the measure.
Havertz is currently in the Germany squad and will hope to face Spain at home on Thursday.
Yet with Germany not on the government's quarantine list, he is likely to remain exempt after that date.
However, he will definitely need to be a Chelsea player before the Germans' game away to Switzerland on Sunday as the country is currently subject to a 14-day quarantine.
OTD
Chelsea signed Marcos Alonso on this day in 2016.
But will The Blues sell him this summer?
Ben Chilwell has arrived from Leicester to reinforce the left-back ranks.
And Emerson could be off to Inter Milan.
BEING FRANK
Frank Lampard has warned Chelsea not to get ahead of themselves.
The Blues have sent fans into meltdown with a raft of super signings including Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner and Thiago Silva.
Lampard told the club's website: “We have an idea to try to add to improve, as you should do at a club of our level.
“We know that has not been absolutely possible for us, and we knew the ban and all this talk, and it was important for me to try to improve the squad and with the players that we are bringing in.
“It feels that way, but we need to be careful of getting too far ahead of ourselves because we need to give time to players to come in and adapt to the way I want us to play and to their team-mates.
“But I think the moves we are making our positive, so I am excited and then it is up to us to get our heads down and work very hard.”
FEEL THE WERN
New Chelsea signing Timo Werner has joined up with the German side.
Werner is on international duty after bagging his first Blues goal in the friendly against Brighton.
He is joined by Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz who is expected to complete a deal to arrive at Stamford Bridge in the coming days.
EN-EMERY
New Chelsea signing Thiago Silva's agent has blasted Unai Emery.
The two spent time together at PSG but Paulo Tonietto has laid into the former Gunners boss.
He told L'Equipe: “PSG lost two years the day they appointed him.
“His problem is that he has trouble managing the stars. When he went to Arsenal, the first player he got angry with was Mesut Ozil.
“He's a good coach to play in the Europa League, not the Champions League. The suit was too big for him. He was a terrible coach for PSG.
“If there had been a coach of another calibre during these two years, PSG would have already won the Champions League.”
KAN THEY DO IT
Inter are interested in signing N'Golo Kante, journalist Fabrizio Biasin has confirmed.
However, the bald Italian added: “But there is more chance of seeing me at a hairdresser.”
He says this is because Kante will cost between £54m and £62.5m and some sort of “magic formula” would be needed to push the deal through.
Yet another site, Sempre Inter, says that if Kante is an essential purchase, Inter may offer Marcelo Brozovic or Christian Eriksen to Chelsea as makeweights.
They state that the two players are not currently for sale, but not essential either.
GET RID OF EM
After Ben Chilwell's arrival, Emerson Palmieri looks set to leave Chelsea.
And his agent has been talking up a potential move to Inter Milan.
Fernando Garcia told FCInter1908: “[Any] Chance he will leave Chelsea? Yes, this possibility exists.
“I haven’t talked to the London club yet. I can only say that Inter are interested in the player. We’ll see…”
HE'S A KEPA
Kepa Arrizabalaga is set to STAY at Chelsea.
The under-fire Spanish shot-stopper has been backed by former Blues keeper and now exec Petr Cech.
Cech told Sport.cz: “Kepa struggled last season, that is unquestionable.
“But the club invested in him and gave him a long-term contract because they believe he has the qualities and attributes to be successful.”
OTD
On this day in 2006, Ashley Cole controversially left Arsenal to become a Blue.
He won everything there is to win at Chelsea and is back at the club as an academy coach.
MARK MY WORDS
Former Chelsea keeper Mark Bosnich reckons it is too soon to be talking up The Blues' title hopes.
Despite a raft of exciting signings including Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva – with Kai Havertz to come – Bosnich poured cold water on Frank Lampard's title hopes.
Aussie Bosnich told Sky Sports: “To think they would go in as favourites is a little bit premature.
“In terms of definitely being a contender for this season's title that may be a little bit of a stretch, but they are definitely going in the right direction.”
CHELSEA FIXTURES
The Blues have had some tweaks to their opening matches of the Premier League season, with rearranged kick-off times due to broadcasters picking their games.
Mon Sept 14 – Brighton (A) – 8pm – Sky Sports
Sun Sept 20 – Liverpool (H) – 4.30pm – Sky Sports
Sat Sept 26 – West Brom (A) – 5.30pm – Sky Sports
IN & OUT
Inter Milan are reportedly set for a mass exodus with Diego Godin and Marcelo Brozovic the first out to make way for N’Golo Kante and Arturo Vidal.
Antonio Conte is expected to flog at least eight valuable assets to raise enough cash to spend on Inter’s summer targets in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Inter chief Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio have been working overtime to revamp the squad to give Conte a title-winning side, according to Gazzetta.
The Italian outfit is said to be in the market for big players who are coming to the end of their contracts rather than up and coming youngsters.
Vidal’s Barcelona future appears on the rocks as he looks destined to leave this summer as part of new boss Ronald Koeman’s mass revamp.
Former Chelsea boss Conte is also keen to forge a reunion with Blues ace Kante, having prized him away from Premier League-winning Leicester in 2016.
The Blues are asking for a sum of around £50million for Kante and Real Madrid target Brozovic could be the first out the exit door to make way for the Frenchman, Italian reports say.
MATTER OF TIME
Chelsea's move for Kai Havertz is “never in doubt” – according to Fabrizio Romano.
The German has linked up with his international team-mates ahead of Germany's Nations League games against Spain and Switzerland next week.
But Romano was keen to allay fears any Blues fans have.
He tweeted: “Kai Havertz is a Chelsea player [in] one week!
“Just a matter of time to prepare the announcement, have medicals and complete the contracts for a €100m deal. Never been in doubt.”
ALTERNATIVE LINE-UPS
Here are two more ways the Blues' formations could work.
4-2-3-1
3-5-2
FOUR FOUR BLUE
Frank Lampard is facing a managerial headache once his summer spending spree is over.
The Chelsea boss has already brought in FIVE additions for the upcoming season.
Kai Havertz is close to joining Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr as a new Blue.
It leaves Lampard with plenty of options on how his new look side will shape up.
The manager’s preferred formation last season was 4-3-3 and his new additions point to that remaining throughout the campaign.
Kepa Arrizabalaga looks set to fight for his position in the starting 11 next season, but could go up against a new signing.
HE'S O-KAI
Kai Havertz has reported for duty with the German national team, according to reports in the country.
The Bayer Leverkusen player is set to sign for the Blues imminently, with details still being ironed out by the two parties.
The 21-year-old has headed to Stuttgart though, to link up with Jogi Low's squad.
Germany play Spain and Switzerland in their opening two Nations League fixtures.
CON'S EAGLES LOAN
Crystal Palace have reportedly won the race to secure the services of Chelsea starlet Conor Gallagher on loan.
It was believed that the 20-year-old midfielder was set to link up with West Brom for the 2020/21 season.
But the Eagles have swooped in and are now in pole position to capture the England youth international.
According to Football.London journalist Oliver Harbord, Gallagher had a medical with Palace on Sunday ahead of his proposed move.
He tweeted: “Understand Conor Gallagher had a medical with Crystal Palace yesterday ahead of a proposed loan move.
“Several clubs interested in the Chelsea youngster, but seems the Eagles have won the race.”
HAK'D DOWN
Frank Lampard is anxiously awaiting results of an injury to Hakim Ziyech, during their pre-season friendly against Brighton.
Chelsea’s website states: “Lampard described it as a little twist to the knee that will have to be assessed.”
Ziyech cost Chelsea £35.8million and the 27-year-old has yet to play a competitive game for his new club.
EXCLUSIVE – KEPA U-TURN
Kepa Arrizabalaga has done a shock U-turn and wants to fight for his Chelsea future.
He became the world’s most expensive keeper when the Blues paid £71.6million to get the Spanish stopper from Athletic Bilbao in 2018.
But only four weeks ago, Kepa, 25, was axed for the FA Cup final and a Champions League clash at Bayern Munich to leave him fearing he would never play for Chelsea again.
It was the climax to the most troublesome period of his career while he struggled to convince manager Frank Lampard to show faith in him.
But he has repaired relations with the chief and is impressed by the club’s defensive strengthening recently.
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