Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Aymeric Laporte and Niall Ennis Rumours

Chelsea are among three of the Premier League's top clubs reportedly prepared to use financial power to force Athletic Bilbao into selling centre-back Aymeric Laporte. The young defender has a release clause of €50 million, but that won't be a problem for Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Joe Short of the Daily Express identifies those three as likely suitors for the gifted 21-year-old. Short cites an article from Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo which suggests that the more lucrative TV deals in England's top flight give teams the spending power to make a club like Bilbao an offer they can't refuse:

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But in the Premier League every team gets an equal share of what will be a £1.67 billion-a-year deal with Sky Sports and BT Sports from next season.

And the Spanish newspaper claim Laporte could be the latest export to leave Spain for England because of the gulf in domestic revenues.

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Short then makes a case for why each one of Chelsea, United and the Gunners are likely to be at the front of the queue if Laporte is made available this winter.

He states how United were previously "unwilling" to meet Laporte's release clause but could change tack this January.

Arsenal represent the most tenuous link. Short simply leans on the oft-repeated stat identifying the north Londoners as "the only team in the top five leagues in Europe not to sign an outfield player." Short concludes by noting how the Gunners' winter transfer strategy is "unclear."

The motivation from Chelsea seems clearer after the club's botched attempts to sign Everton's central defender John Stones. In late August, Express writer Bruce Archer named Laporte as one of four alternatives to the Toffees star.

Of course, all of this speculation hinges on Laporte actually being available for transfer and amenable to moving during this season.

If Chelsea are prepared to meet that hefty release clause, manager Jose Mourinho can recruit an obvious successor to ageing skipper John Terry.

The 34-year-old may even play a role in guiding Laporte through the early stages of his introduction to life in the fast-paced Premier League. What's clear is that Mourinho and the Blues need to identify a real way to refresh a suddenly leaky defence. Chelsea have surrendered nine goals in four league matches to begin this season.

Not only is Terry's age becoming an issue, Gary Cahill is far from accomplished as the fellow first-choice centre-back.

Meanwhile, Mourinho still doesn't seem to quite trust quick young Frenchman Kurt Zouma. The 20-year-old has made only nine league starts in two years since moving to Stamford Bridge, according to WhoScored.com.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Adding a rising young star like Laporte would represent a fantastic way for Mourinho to begin the construction of another water-tight defence.

Blues Eyeing Young Striker

According to ESPN FC's Peter O'Rourke, Chelsea are keeping tabs on 16-year-old striker Niall Ennis. He's broken through the youth setup at Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers during the last year.

Now O'Rourke claims some of the Premier League's heavy hitters are keen to recruit him, including the reigning champions. "The teenager's talents have alerted many of the Premier League's elite and sources told ESPN FC that Chelsea and Manchester City in particular are keen to bring him into their youth teams," he wrote.

Any time Mourinho's Chelsea is linked with a marquee young player, it's a contentious link. The Blues boast an outstanding youth team but not a manager too keen on using young talents.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Not many are given the chance to break through at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho tends to trust the solidity and savvy only established, experienced pros can provide.

Yet perhaps the links to Ennis represent a slight shift in strategy. Taking marquee young prospects from smaller clubs is common practice for many in the Premier League.

Maybe Mourinho is ready to finally create an environment where youth talents can be developed for first-team success. It's a long shot, but if Ennis has really caught the eye, perhaps he could be the start of something new at Stamford Bridge.

With 29-year-old Radamel Falcao and 28-year-old Loic Remy backing up the brittle Diego Costa, there's certainly room for a young striker in Chelsea's ranks.

The current squad needs to get younger, both at the back and up top. Acquiring Laporte and Ennis would be a great first step toward solving that problem.