Chelsea Transfer News: Top Weekend Rumours and Gossip

Chelsea face a fight to keep gifted young playmaker Oscar. The 23-year-old Brazilian star has emerged as a prime target for Serie A giants Juventus. He could even be used as a makeweight for Paul Pogba.

Italian outlet Sport Mediaset (h/t Daily Mirror) believe the Turin club has made Oscar a prime target in a bid to add more creativity at the tip of midfield. Current Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri relies on a 4-3-1-2 formation and wants a true flair player behind the frontmen.

However, if Allegri wants Oscar, he will be forced to pay as much as €30 million to get him. The initial report suggests Borussia Dortmund's misfiring Armenian schemer Henrikh Mkhitaryan may be a more cost-effective and plausible summer target.

Chelsea would surely be reluctant sellers. After all, Oscar has progressed well since arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2012.

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He's got a keen eye for a defence-splitting pass and also boasts a knack for darting late into the box to finish off a move with a scoring touch. The South American ace has scored six goals and provided seven assists in the Premier League so far this term, according to WhoScored.com.

That's helped the Blues open up a seven-point gap at the summit of England's top flight. Oscar has also helped manager Jose Mourinho's team feature a brand of stylish football that's been pleasing on the eye all season.

Chelsea have been free-flowing, imaginative and full of attacking intent whenever Oscar has played ahead of complementary duo Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic. His flair, along with Fabregas' creative guile and the power and drive of Matic, forms the backbone of Chelsea's current winning run.

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Just as important, Oscar has also developed quite an engine of his own. Far from a typically languid schemer, he covers ground and contributes to Chelsea's overall game.

Those are qualities that will surely have endeared him to Mourinho, who insists his flair players put plenty of work in. Add everything up and Oscar is a valuable member of the squad Chelsea would be loath to lose.

In fact, the only thing likely to prompt a change of heart would be an eye-watering offer. One akin to the kind of fortunes Chelsea received from the sales of Juan Mata and David Luiz.

Juve would perhaps baulk at those fees. Yet maybe the club needn't worry. The Bianconeri certainly have somebody Chelsea want.

At least that's the view of Daily Star reporter Alex Harris, who's claimed Chelsea could sanction the sale of Oscar as part of a deal to sign £75 million-rated midfield colossus Pogba.

Harris believes the Blues will be keen to beat Premier League rivals Manchester United to the outrageously talented Frenchman. Pogba is probably the most sought-after young star in world football. However, it's not easy to work out exactly where he'd fit at Chelsea.

Maybe that explains their interest. Pogba has the physical power to play alongside Matic. But he's also technically dynamic enough to occupy a role further forward. In fact, the 21-year-old does some of his best work in forward areas, evidenced by his seven goals this season, per WhoScored.com.

Losing Oscar would be a blow. But few Chelsea supporters would be irked if the Brazilian's exit contributed to landing Pogba.

However, any such hopes could be dashed. B\R insider Guillem Balague believes La Liga giants Real Madrid will make a deal with Juve this summer:

For the moment, then, it's probably best to consider any Oscar and Pogba swap rumours fanciful. Mourinho's squad is very settled, particularly in midfield. There's little need to change that or to see Oscar realise his full potential elsewhere.