Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Paul Pogba, Youri Tielemans Rumours

Transfer speculation continues to surface regarding Chelsea and their apparent search for another midfielder, with Juventus star Paul Pogba again being discussed. Meanwhile, Anderlecht starlet Youri Tielemans could be a hot name once the January transfer window opens.

The Daily Express' John Richardson claims Pogba looks certain to move to Barcelona in January, with negotiations between the Catalans now apparently complete. Gazzetta dello Sport made the same claims days ago, per the Daily Express' Joe Short.

Pogba's future remains a hot topic despite the fact the transfer window closed earlier this month, and with Juventus and Chelsea both starting the 2015-16 campaign in dreadful form, rumours will only intensify.

The France international remains adamant there are no reasons for him to leave Turin right now, per Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News:

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Why would I not stay? I didn’t have any motive to go, it wasn’t the right time. It was never clear that I would leave, and there’s no reason I can’t continue here for longer; let’s see. I am at Juventus, I am only thinking about Juventus, but I do not know for how long. We will do this year and then see how things go.

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A January move remains unlikely, despite Richardson's report, with the player being cup-tied and just half a year away from appearing at Euro 2016. It will be Pogba's first major international tournament as France's obvious leader, and it would make no sense to hamper preparations for that tournament with a mid-season transfer.

The summer of 2016 will be interesting, however. Juventus will once again do whatever it takes to make sure their star midfielder doesn't leave the club, but the Bianconeri have already admitted they will not hold a player against his will.

Arturo Vidal, Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Angelo Ogbonna left the Italian champions this summer, and director general Beppe Marotta said the club made those moves happen because the players expressed a desire to leave, via Football Italia:

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We’ve always said we won’t sell players unless the players indicate that’s what they want. That’s how it was. [Carlos] Tevez asked to return home to Argentina. [Andrea] Pirlo made some assessments, and decided he wanted a new experience.

[Angelo] Ogbonna asked for opportunity and consistency in playing time, and as for Vidal I asked him before I went to meet the Bayern Munich leadership.

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Pogba may or may not ask for a transfer next summer. The timing of such a move would make sense, with his value possibly soaring after Euro 2016, and with the Premier League's new TV deal kicking in, the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City could offer him the kind of wage deal Juventus simply can't.

A move is not inevitable, however. And if Pogba does leave Juventus, it will be for a fee close to or above the record fee Real Madrid paid for Gareth Bale, and looking at the list of most expensive signings of all time, that would indicate a move to La Liga―per the Daily Mail's Alex Sharp, the five most expensive players of all time all moved to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

An alternative could be Anderlecht's Tielemans, who will remind fans and pundits of Pogba at the same age―18―and will be a target for Arsenal in January, per the Daily Express' Adam Skinner.

The teenager is perhaps the biggest talent to come out of Belgium since Eden Hazard, making his Champions League debut at the age of 16 and signing a new deal with Anderlecht late last season. According to Skinner, the Belgian side are holding out for a fee of £14.4 million, which apparently scared off the Blues but won't deter the Gunners.

Chelsea already have a young stud midfielder who looks like a future star in Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but where the excitement surrounding RLC is based on his obvious potential and a handful of impressive performances, Tielemans is already an established player with nearly 100 appearances for Anderlecht on his resume.

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The two could easily feature together, with Tielemans playing slightly ahead of Loftus-Cheek, and for £14.4 million, the Belgian would be a nice alternative to Pogba as a low-risk, high-reward signing.

Similar to Pogba, a January move seems unlikely, as Tielemans seems determined not to leave Belgium until he's ready. Anderlecht's Purple Talents project has produced its fair share of talent the last few years, so expect Tielemans to stick around until there's nothing left for him to learn.

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