Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Antoine Griezmann and Robert Kenedy Rumours

Spanish football expert Graham Hunter believes Atletico Madrid's financial situation means Chelsea have a clear path to sign Antoine Griezmann, and his transfer would push the Blues to new levels.

As reported by Metro's Sean Kearns, Hunter believes any offer will have to be substantial, but Atletico would not be able to keep hold of Griezmann if the eventual bid is high enough:

"

Antoine Griezmann is exceptional and would set the Premier League alight.

This is a really talented, quick and robust young footballer. The price will have to be extraordinary because neither Simeone or Atletico want to let him go.

Chelsea have the power to buy him though. If they go all-in they have the power to take him from a club which is more than €500m in debt and trying to pay for a new stadium.

Griezmann is not pushing to get out, but the fact remains the economic power at Chelsea is such that, if they want him, they can prise him away.

"

Griezmann exploded during the second half of the 2014-15 campaign after taking a few months to settle in with Atletico, and his fine performances have not gone unnoticed. Gazzetta Dello Sport (h/t AS) claim Chelsea are lining up a €50 million bid for the France international.

The 24-year-old scores rather easily for a winger―he can also play through the middle―and did well for himself during the second half of the season in that department, via WhoScored:

Chelsea ran away with the Premier League title in 2014-15, and the club doesn't have a real need for big-money reinforcements. But manager Jose Mourinho always keeps an eye on the future, and there's little doubt someone like Griezmann would make the Blues a better squad.

Too often during the second half of the season, Chelsea relied heavily on the brilliance of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa's instincts in the box to win close matches, and there were too few other options if either of those two players couldn't find the breakthrough.

By adding another free-scoring winger, the Blues' attacking game plan would open up tremendously. Mourinho probably assumed he had done just that when he brought in Juan Cuadrado, but so far, that experiment has failed. The Colombian may still prove himself worthy of his hefty transfer fee, although his chance of winning the starting job out wide would likely evaporate following the addition of Griezmann.

Like Cuadrado, Griezmann offers incredible pace and dribbling, but the Frenchman is more versatile than that. He shocked pundits with his ability to be a force inside the box for Atleti, even converting several crosses rather than being the one to fire them in.

Griezmann's fee appears to be the only stumbling block standing in the way of a deal. He only joined Atletico one year ago, so the club will not be keen to sell, and while Atletico's debt is significant, they've managed to start turning that situation around in recent years, in part thanks to their excellent strategy on the transfer market.

Chelsea aided them with the transfers of Diego Costa and Filipe Luis last season, and the sale of Mario Manzukic to Juventus this year has given the club a bit of a reserve. Then again, the imminent arrivals of Luciano Vietto and Jackson Martinez―per Sport―might indicate Atletico know Griezmann's sale is likely.

Robert Kenedy Transfer Reportedly Agreed

According to Globo Esporte (h/t Daily Telegraph) Chelsea and Fluminese have agreed to a £6.3 million transfer of forward Robert Kenedy, a 19-year-old winger regarded as one of the top talents in Brazil.

Kenedy has long been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge and previously spoke of his desire to play for the club. Per the Telegraph, he said: “Of course, I am happy to play for Fluminese but it is my ambition to one day play in Europe. I like Chelsea because of players like Oscar and Ramires. I like the whole team.”

Pundits will make the inevitable comparisons to Neymar because Kenedy is a young Brazilian winger―that's all it takes to make comparisons these days―but the two aren't exactly alike, both in playing style and prior production.

According to Squawka's Oliver Young-Myles, Kenedy scored five goals in 40 appearances last year, and he lacks his compatriot's flair and instincts in front of goal.

That shouldn't take away from his potential, however. Kenedy is a legitimate prospect with an athletic build and the size and versatility to play as a striker or at any attacking position in midfield. His ability shoot from long range is impressive, although he's a volume shooter who almost looks selfish out on the pitch at times.

Kenedy is raw and still has plenty of developing to do, and he will probably need a significant period of time to adapt to the closer marking he'll see on the European pitches. He's a likely candidate to leave the club on loan as soon as he's announced, and fans shouldn't expect to see him at Stamford Bridge for the foreseeable future.

But if he can develop his game and continue growing into his already impressive body, he has the potential to be a very good, mobile striker or a winger with plenty of scoring potential, depending on how the club decide to develop him.

Follow @ReverschPass