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Football transfer news and rumours: 'Chelsea bid £35m for Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain'
The Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Chelsea story is almost entering saga territory, and the latest suggestion - according to the Daily Star - is that the Blues have made a £35m bid for the Arsenal midfielder.
Antonio Conte is believed to be a huge admirer of the player and is desperate to sign him having seen many of his main transfer targets slip away this summer.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is the final year of his contract and is demanding a wage increase from £65,000 to £120,000, which is way off what Arsenal are reportedly prepared to give him.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger however lavished praise on the 23-year-old in his press conference on Wednesday.
"Personally, I think he is a hugely talented player," said Wenger. "He is on the way up and he will continue to move up because that potential is there.
"He is today very conscious of his qualities as well, which he was not always, and I personally believe he will be a very great player."
Whether Arsenal will resist a huge bid for a player who is out of contract next summer and has rarely been a regular starter remains to be seen.
Chelsea are also interested in signing Barcelona right-back Sergi Roberto, who has a release clause of £36.2m, according to reports in Spain.
Valencia and Portugal's Joao Cancelo is another right-back Chelsea are keeping tabs on, according to Spanish publication Don Balon.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain are - according to the Daily Record - reportedly planning a £160m swoop for Kylian Mbappe, just says after shelling out £198m on Neymar. Financial Fair Play anyone? Nah.
Monaco's exciting young forward Mbappe is also wanted by Real Madrid and Manchester City
Elsewhere, Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez says he has spoken to his Arsenal counterpart Wenger about the possibility of signing Spanish forward Lucas Perez. Arsenal are prepared to let the player go but are holding out for a £13.4 million cash deal whereas Newcastle would prefer a loan.
Arsenal are also happy to let left-back Kieran Gibbs leave, but Watford are ready to drop their pursuit of the defender due to his £16m price tag, according to the Daily Mail.
Moving back to the north east, Middlesbrough's Dutch midfielder Marten de Roon is expected to head back to former club Atalanta, just a year after arriving in Teeside for £8.8m.
Throwback Thursday
On this day in 2007, Manchester United completed the signing of Carlos Tevez from West Ham. The Argentine went on to win two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, League Cup and Super Cup during a highly successful spell at Old Trafford.
Flirtation of the day
Chelsea midfielder Willian has revealed that he was close to a reunion with former manager Jose Mourinho this summer but a move to Manchester United eventually fell through.
"There were a few conversations with my agent. I worked with Mourinho and I became his friend as well," the Brazilian told Goal.
"He likes me a lot and I like him a lot as a coach and as a person. He has put his trust in me and in my work, and I was very grateful to him.
"Manchester came to me, they talked with my agent, but nothing happened, because Chelsea would not negotiate me in any way and I'm very happy at Chelsea."