Chelsea make £25m bid for Ross Barkley and £15m offer for Fernando Llorente

CHELSEA last night made a formal £25 million bid for Everton midfielder Ross Barkley and were locked in talks with Swansea over a £15 million deal for Swansea striker Fernando Llorente as they prepared a remarkable four-pronged transfer deadline day swoop.

Ross BarkleyGETTY

Ross Barkley has been linked with a move away with Chelsea and Tottenham interested

The Stamford Bridge club, who are trying to sign Arsenal’s England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a £35m capture, and are also in talks with Leicester over a £30m move for Danny Drinkwater, made their move for Barkley yesterday.

If all four targets can be landed by the time the transfer window shuts tomorrow (Thurs), Chelsea will have spent £105 million just this week on new recruits.

Everton had originally valued Barkley, 23, at £50m, but are set to lower their asking price with the player refusing to sign a new contract, and his current deal running out at the end of this season.

Although Barkley is currently nursing a hamstring injury, Chelsea are eager to push through a deal for a player, with the west London outfit hoping to make a late splash.

Chelsea are also hoping to make Swansea striker, Fernando Llorente, the fourth star to head to Stamford Bridge.

Fernando Llorente undergoes RIGOROUS training at Swansea

Fernando LlorenteGETTY

Fernando Llorente worked with Antonio Conte before at Juventus

Swansea are close to completing the £13m signing of striker Wilfried Bony from Manchester City, and Chelsea are hopeful that can trigger a move for Llorente, 32.

Llorente, who played for Conte at Juventus, scored 15 goals for the Swans last season but is expected to be used as a back up striker at Chelsea to £70m new boy Alvaro Morata.

He is currently recovering from a broken arm, sustained in a cycling accident, but is expected to be ready to play within a fortnight.

Meanwhile, Oxlade-Chamberlain has asked for time to think over his move across London, which has triggered fears of a late Liverpool bid.

Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?