The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is wanted by big clubs across Europe.
(Image credit: Getty)
Chelsea view Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham as a top transfer target, according to reports, while West Ham captain Declan Rice is still of interest to the Stamford Bridge club.
The Blues had an extraordinarily busy summer, spending a world record £273 million on a glut of new signings.
Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Raheem Sterling were among the big-money arrivals as new owner Todd Boehly stamped his authority on the club.
Boehly oversaw a frantic summer of transfer activity for Chelsea. (Image credit: Getty)
A report in the Evening Standard says that Chelsea are now looking at re-jigging the team in charge of transfer activity before the window re-opens in January.
Joe Shields is set to join from Southampton as a co-director of the scouting department, while Christopher Vivell will come in from RB Leipzig as a technical director.
Boehly, who put himself in charge of transfers over the summer, will be less involved after the arrival of the pair, but he will present them with a list of targets.
Chelsea are looking at bolstering their central midfield options, with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante both in the final year of their contracts.
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Rice has a contract until 2024 with West Ham. (Image credit: Offside via Getty Images)
England star Bellingham is a major target, but the Blues are likely to face stiff competition from the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United for the 19-year-old.
West Ham skipper Rice has long been linked with a return to his former club Chelsea, and the west London club remain admirers.
The 23-year-old has a contract until 2024 with the Hammers, who are likely to demand a big fee for a player who is valued at £72 million by Transfermarkt.
Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.
