Chelsea will try to hijack Tottenham’s move for Ross Barkley and hold talks with Everton this weekend.
Everton midfielder Barkley has emerged as a target for Chelsea who are keen to bolster their home grown talent before the transfer window shuts.
Chelsea are also in for Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater and are trying to push through a £60m double deal for the pair.
But they will also sound out Everton owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright when the clubs meet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Tottenham have been favourites to sign Barkley but his hamstring injury will now keep him out for two months and the potential deal has been dragging on with Spurs looking at other targets.
Everton initially asked for £50m but could now get bids of around £25m to test whether they want to sell as Barkley is in the final year of his contract.
Tottenham could leave it late on Barkley while Chelsea are keen to get business done.
They have already made a bid for Drinkwater and are likely to get a compromise at just over £30m.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has not signed a new deal at Arsenal and they are now likely to sell him before the window shuts.
Chelsea could face competition from Liverpool but relations between the two London clubs may mean a move across the capital is more likely.
Chelsea will bid around £35m and if Arsenal sell it will make them even more determined to keep Alexis Sanchez who is a target for Manchester City.