Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Baba Rahman Rumours, Loic Remy Set to Stay

Chelsea are closing in on a £17.5 million move for Augsberg left-back Baba Rahman.

According to Ed Aarons of the Guardian, Rahman is being lined up as Filipe Luis' replacement. Per his report, Rahman's agent Sascha Empacher said: "Both clubs are still working on fine-tuning, but we hope the agreement will be finalised soon."

The comments follow Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho's admission that, "We are trying to sign a left-back. We have only one [Cesar Azpilicueta]. We are trying."

As highlighted by WhoScored.com, the 21-year-old is excellent at winning possession:

Squawka reported that Rahman also won 67 per cent of his aerial duels last season and successfully completed 66 per cent of his take-ons.

Bleacher Report's own Clark Whitney notes the left-back's ability to contribute going forward, as evidenced by his four assists last season:

Though Azpilicueta will undoubtedly remain the first choice in that position next season, Rahman represents a significant upgrade on Luis and a top young prospect who still has plenty of room to grow.

Expect Rahman to impress as cover for the Spaniard at Stamford Bridge in the coming years.

Loic Remy to Stay with Chelsea

According to James Phillips of the Daily Star, Loic Remy is committed to the Chelsea cause, despite interest from Crystal Palace and West Ham United. He said:

"I want to bring everything I can to the team, and I just want to do more as I think this season will be more difficult than the previous one. So, all the players must be better than last season, and I just want to be better, play more and score more."

Per the Mirror's John Cross, Mourinho is confident in his current strikeforce, including the Frenchman: "I am very happy with Remy, really happy with Remy. We could use two strikers, we did against Barcelona, last 20 minutes we played Remy and [Radamel] Falcao."

The 28-year-old scored seven goals in the Premier League last year, despite only starting six matches.

Rich Schultz/Associated Press

Remy enjoyed productive spells in front of goal for Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle United, and while he may not be as prolific as Diego Costa, the forward is a quality back-up even for a Champions League team such as Chelsea.

As Chelsea prepare to do battle on four fronts next season, rotation will be necessary to keep the players fresh and avoid burnout, so Remy will likely make a reasonable number of appearances.

Just how many opportunities Remy will have next season largely hinges on Costa's fitness and Falcao's form.

Should Costa suffer an injury or Falcao produce the disappointing form that characterised his year with Manchester United, then Remy will have plenty of chances to show his quality.