Chelsea Transfer News: Paul Pogba to Snub Mega Offer, Latest John Stones Rumours

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been the subject of recent speculation surrounding a potential move to Chelsea, but contrasting reports have emerged about whether he could be making a move to Stamford Bridge before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday.

According Tancredi Palmeri of beIN Sports (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star), the Blues are ready to offer a staggering £87.5 million in an attempt to prise the French midfielder away from Turin. Here’s a look at what Palmeri had to say about a possible deal:

But according to the Sun (h/t Ryan Rosenblatt of Eurosport), the Bianconeri man isn’t keen on leaving the Italian champions just yet and will reject Chelsea's advances. As noted in the piece, Pogba is said to prefer a move next summer when a staggering £300,000-a-week salary could be up for grabs, with Barcelona said to be keen on striking a deal.

For Chelsea, midfield has been a major concern so far this season. Manager Jose Mourinho has struggled to find the right balance in this critical segment of the field, with Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic badly out of form at the base.

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As noted by Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph, the form of the former in particular is becoming a major concern for Mourinho:

Therefore, it’s no surprise the Blues have turned their attention to Pogba, who ticks all the boxes when it comes to the Chelsea boss’s blueprint.

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The Frenchman is a powerful player in the middle of the park, bustling opponents off the ball and nicking it back by using his rangy somatotype. In addition, Pogba also possesses a real flair to his play and is capable of sashaying forward with the ball, skipping tackles and making telling impacts in the final third of the pitch.

His long-range shooting, which is pretty spectacular, would also give the Blues a different edge in attacking areas of the field, per WhoScored.com:

Juventus won’t sell him at this late stage of the window, though. Not only have the Bianconeri already lost key players in Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal this summer, but they’ve lost their first two games of the season. Selling their prized asset would therefore do little to placate a fanbase that’s becoming a little disgruntled.

Roberto Martinez Discusses John Stones’ Transfer Request

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Everton manager Roberto Martinez has insisted Chelsea target John Stones didn't intend to hand in his transfer request.

The England defender recently lodged an official request in an attempt to join the Blues, which was rejected by the Toffees. But Martinez has since hailed Stones’ professionalism and suggested the player had been pressured into asking for a move, per Sky Sports:

"

I had windows where I had to leave players out completely and when the window closed get him back in the team and what that represents – winning his team-mates over and the fans over.

With John, it's very easy because he's a pristine professional. Obviously he's been put under massive, massive pressure. The transfer request was something he didn't mean to do.

"

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At this point, the Everton boss looks as though he’s merely protecting his player. After signalling his intentions to leave the club, there are some Toffees supporters who will be unhappy with Stones. But given he’s now likely to stay at Goodison Park, Martinez seems to be trying to make life as easy as possible for the 21-year-old.

It appears as though the majority of Everton supporters are well behind their young centre-back anyway, as was evident with the support they showed him at White Hart Lane on Saturday, per Bleacher Report UK:

From a Chelsea perspective, missing out on Stones is disappointing. His composed style of defending would have done plenty to have enrich their struggling back line. Beyond the potential short-term impact the England international would have, had Mourinho lured Stones to Stamford Bridge, he would have potentially been at the heart of the Blues defence for years to come.

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Nevertheless, the Toffees have held firm, and Stones, who was excellent away at Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's stalemate, seems unflustered by the speculation. But the spotlight will be forensically trained upon him during Everton’s next game, as the Merseyside club welcome Chelsea to Goodison Park.