Chelsea Transfer News: Blues 'Convinced' Paul Pogba and John Stones Will Sign

Chelsea are "convinced" that deals can be done to bring two of European football’s brightest young stars to Stamford Bridge before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, with reports suggesting Juventus and Everton are willing to negotiate for Paul Pogba and John Stones, respectively.

That’s according to Sam Wallace of the Independent, who wrote that as long as the fee is right for both players, there’s an understanding the sales could go through before next week's cutoff.

Wallace outlined the current scenario when it comes to Pogba and why the Blues feel as though they have a chance of getting him in:

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The club’s director in charge of transfers, Marina Granovskaia, remains in contact with Juventus over Pogba, rated at £70m by the Italians. That the Italians are still entertaining negotiations has given Chelsea belief that there is a willingness on the part of the club to sell their most prized asset this summer rather than wait to sell him to Barcelona when they emerge from their transfer embargo next year.

The deal for Pogba, 22, would break the British transfer record by more than £10m and, while its success is by no means guaranteed, sufficient encouragement has been given to Chelsea that they will pursue the deal this week.

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Chelsea’s midfield has been a cause for concern in the early weeks of the season. The dynamic between Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic at the base has been a little frayed in matches against Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion, so perhaps it’s no surprise manager Jose Mourinho is looking for a more authoritative presence in this area.

While he’s still young, there’s no denying Pogba fits the bill in that sense. The 22-year-old has become one of European football’s standout midfield men during his time in Turin, as is evident here:

But despite reports to the contrary, there would surely be a massive reluctance from the Bianconeri to sell. They’ve lost Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez already this summer, and after handing Pogba the iconic No. 10 jersey, it seems as though Juve are ready to build a team around the young Frenchman in 2015-16.

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After losing their first game of the season at home to Udinese, there would likely be huge uproar if the Italian champions decided to cash in now, even for the mooted £70 million fee. The transfer of Stones could well be a lot more straightforward, though, after the Everton defender handed in a written request to leave the club on Tuesday.

Wallace thinks Everton could be tempted by an offer which exceeds £30 million:

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On Tuesday afternoon, Everton were formulating a response to the latest development in the Stones saga. It is understood that the player made his manager, Roberto Martinez, aware of the request before training on Tuesday. 

Last week Martinez said that a transfer request would not change the club’s official policy on Stones’ availability, that he is not for sale. There has always been an underlying acknowledgement that once the offer climbed beyond £30m serious consideration would have to be given.

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The Toffees have been staunch in their stance when it comes to selling Stones and the manager in particular has been adamant that he’s not for sale. But, perhaps waiting too long for his club to accept a bid, the player has decided to take matters into his own hands.

Selling him now would leave Everton with one senior centre-back, minimal time to draft in replacements and with a substantial fee incoming, they’d most likely be held to ransom when it comes to their pursuit of possible replacements. As such, Daniel Storey of Football 365 thinks the club could have handled the matter better:

For the Blues, the player’s desire to join could potentially expedite a transfer and it seems increasingly likely that if they pay their money, they’ll get their man.

Despite the hyperbole that has engulfed him throughout the early stages of the season, Stones has continued to put in measured performances at the back for Everton. If a deal was to go through, Chelsea would not only be getting a player ready to make an immediate impact in the first team, but a genuine world-class talent in the making.