Chelsea Transfer News: Huge Paul Pogba Contract Readied, Latest Blues Rumours

Chelsea are hoping the temptation of a £300,000-a-week contract will succeed in luring Paul Pogba to Stamford Bridge this summer, with John Obi Mikel eyeing an exit from the west London giants.

The Blues have long been associated as one of the front-runners to land Juventus star Pogba, with the Mirror's Darren Lewis claiming Chelsea are ready to make the France international one of the world's best-paid players.

Lewis quoted manager Jose Mourinho lauding Pogba's talent in pre-season, proclaiming: "Pogba is not to put pressure on people. Pogba is one of the top players in the world. Pogba goes to any team and improves that team automatically. If he stays at Juventus, Juventus will be very strong again. If he goes somewhere else, he will improve immediately a team.”

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The Serie A champions have already conducted business with the west Londoners this past week after sealing the season-long loan of former Fiorentina-star-turned-Stamford-Bridge-flop Juan Cuadrado.

Chelsea will hope that transfer helps them in their plight to secure the services of arguably Europe's most sought-after star, but Gianluca Di Marzio translator David Amoyal says a move will not be coming to fruition:

The Daily Mail's Simon Jones reported Chelsea saw a £54 million offer for the central midfielder rejected last week, adding his signature is now valued in the region of £73 million, with Barcelona supposedly boasting first option next summer.

Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Vidic reigned as Mourinho's midfield pivot en route to the Premier League title triumph last season, but Jones goes on to say the helmsman wishes to move the former forward and bring in Pogba.

The 22-year-old has quickly risen to become a major European force since moving to Turin from Manchester United on a free transfer in 2012, but the Blues could succeed where the Red Devils did not.

It would be one of the biggest transfers in modern football if Chelsea pulled off the move, but the Mirror's John Cross says Pogba won't be handing in a transfer request at the Old Lady:

Cross of course mentions Everton's John Stones in his example after the England international submitted a transfer request at Goodison Park on Tuesday, per Lewis' report.

Chelsea's most recent bid for Stones was worth a reported £30 million, and although the Toffees turned the deal down, Lewis says the west Londoners are now hoping to return with a fourth offer.

Stones could become part of a "£159 million splurge" as the Blues look to launch a late run at the transfer window, having brought in Pedro and Abdul Baba Rahman as their only big signings of the summer so far.

Another deal that could come to impact any hopes of a late move for Pogba is that of Mikel, who has been linked with a move to Turkish outfit Besiktas after they suffered defeat in their hunt of Liverpool's Lucas Leiva.

The Daily Mail's Jones says Besiktas are "desperate" to add options in midfield this summer and are hoping the offer of first-team minutes is enough to lure Mikel.

The Nigeria international started just six Premier League games for the Blues last season and has become a peripheral figure at the west London club after once standing as a hugely valued star.

As he so often does, Mikel came off the bench late to help see out Chelsea's 3-2 win over West Bromwich Albion—their first of the season—but ESPN's Jake Cohen noted his presence as nevertheless being important:

Mikel's deal may not influence the Pogba situation in a financial sense, considering he wouldn't acquire a large transfer fee, but his departure would free up the space for another foreign signing.

Chelsea's need to comply with the Premier League's homegrown player quota has played a role in past transfer windows, which demands that eight players in every 25-man squad qualify as home-grown.

Prior to Petr Cech's summer move to Arsenal, ESPN FC's Gabrielle Marcotti described the goalkeeper as "gobbling up a valuable spot" that could otherwise be allocated to a foreign talent.

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Mikel has played more than 300 games for Chelsea in a nine-year stay at Stamford Bridge, but his declining involvement over the last few years may mean an exit appeals this summer.

At 28 years of age, Mikel still has time before entering what should be his peak playing years, and a cut-price move could prove to be of huge value to Besiktas.