Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Ivan Perisic and Virgil van Dijk

Chelsea are considering a late move for Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic, who has also been strongly linked with Manchester United.

That's according to Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror, who suggested the Blues will make a play for the Croatian as they look to spend big late in the transfer window. It's added that United are also poised to step up their interest in the player, who is valued at around £48 million.

As well as the Inter man, the English champions are said to be ready to swoop for a clutch of players, including Juventus' Alex Sandro, Valencia right-back Joao Cancelo and Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater.

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Former Chelsea and Inter forward Hernan Crespo suggested Perisic may end up at Stamford Bridge but admitted he wasn't sure where the Croatian would fit in.

"It's possible he joins Chelsea—but he plays on the left, and on the left you have Eden Hazard, Perisic and Marcos Alonso," he said, per Lewis. "Maybe he could come in through the middle or to the right."

Meanwhile, football writer Liam Canning believes Perisic would make a big impression if he were to join United:

The winger would bring something different to the Chelsea team if he were to arrive. Players like Willian, Pedro and Hazard drop into pockets, link play neatly and make runs into dangerous positions; the Inter man is a lot more aggressive and direct in the way he looks to attack opponents.

Granted, the fee is a lot for a footballer who is limited in some aspects of his game. But the Blues need a boost in the final third, and snatching a player like Perisic, potentially from under the nose of United, would give everyone at Stamford Bridge a boost.

Blues to Move for Virgil van Dijk

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According to Tom Hopkinson of the Daily Mirror, Chelsea are ready to make a formal bid for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.

It's suggested the offer will be in excess of £50 million, with the Blues ready to rival Liverpool for the centre-back's signature. Manchester City are also said to be keeping an eye on proceedings, with Van Dijk having recently handed in a transfer request.

"But [Antonio] Conte and technical director Michael Emenalo are confident they can tempt the 26-year-old to make the switch to Stamford Bridge, and they will step up their pursuit of him in the coming days," Hopkinson wrote.

However, Yahoo Sport reported more on Southampton's desired compensation for Van Dijk:

"Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool will NOT bully Southampton into selling the defender to the Merseysiders, a club source has revealed.

"And, we understand, the centre-back will more likely be sold to Chelsea or Manchester City – for a world record fee for a defender.

"Yahoo Sport have been told that an offer in excess of £70m may tempt Southampton to complete a deal with Chelsea if the Premier League champions are prepared to break their transfer record to bolster their defensive line, but the club are still hopeful of keeping van Dijk for one more year at least despite the ill-feeling created by his actions in recent months."

As noted below, Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino has not given up hope of the defender staying with his team:

Chelsea's defensive play was one of their major strengths last season, although with European football on the agenda at Stamford Bridge this term, they need more depth in the position. Van Dijk, who is one of the best defenders in the division, would be a fine signing.

The Dutchman is rarely beaten in physical battles, while he's also exceptional in distributing from the base of the team. It's easy to see Van Dijk settling into the Blues' three-man defence and making a big impact, although it appears competition for his signature will be fierce.