Chelsea Transfer News: Blues Hit Sofiane Feghouli Hurdle, Marko Grujic Rumours

Chelsea's bid to sign Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli may have hit the buffers following Manchester United's intervention, while Marko Grujic has confirmed Chelsea are one of the clubs he's interested in joining.

The Blues were hopeful of landing Feghouli on the cheap with his contract set to expire next summer, but Italian outlet Calciomercato reported United are offering better wages (h/t Metro's Jamie Sanderson).

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Feghouli is entering the last six months of his current deal at the Mestalla, and it's alleged the Algeria international is seeking an annual salary of £2.5 million a year—roughly £50,000 a week.

ESPN FC's La Liga reporter Dermot Corrigan proclaimed last month the player believes himself to be deserving of a bump in wages, and a move to England may be his best chance of earning it:

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is assumed to be seeking change at Stamford Bridge following a nightmarish start to the 2015-16 season, with his wingers among those failing to impress.

Two-time Chelsea Player of the Year Eden Hazard has struggled immensely trying to reach his best, while summer arrival Pedro has also been lacklustre. In fact, United might be relieved after failing to win the race for the Spain international, says ESPN's Colin Udoh:

Feghouli has scored four goals in 14 appearances for Valencia this season and is averaging two key passes per game, according to WhoScored.com, more than any other player in Nuno Espirito Santo's squad.

The 25-year-old failed to make the five-man shortlist for 2015's African Player of the Year award, but BBC's John Bennett noted Feghouli was unfortunate not to make the cut:

By Chelsea's standards, the player's alleged wage demands are far from extortionate, and Los Che may well be willing to do a deal on the cheap rather than lose Feghouli for free in the summer.

Mourinho's side could also look to recruit the player on a pre-contract agreement in advance of a summer move, but that tactic leaves the risk of allowing United to steal in on his services first.

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The west London giants can take more heart in their pursuit of Red Star Belgrade midfielder Grujic, however, after he listed the Blues as one of the clubs he'd like to join in the future.

Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb provided quotes from Grujic, who added Barcelona as one of his ideal destinations (h/t Squawka):

"

I never doubted my decision to stay at Red Star. This choice could help my future growth, when I move abroad one day. It was difficult to refuse a very tempting offer when things here at Red Star were going badly, but now things have improved. I hope one day to play at Chelsea or Barcelona, but not immediately.

"

The 19-year-old is enjoying a breakthrough season in his native Serbia after scoring four goals in 16 league appearances for Red Star, the same club at which Chelsea anchor Nemanja Matic spent a portion of his development.

However, FourFourTwo's Charles Ducksbury has highlighted the need for Grujic to persevere in his current setting for the time being, hinting at the potential loan limbo that can befall young players at Chelsea:

The teenager is already an established member of Serbia's under-21 team, but Ducksbury may be right in that his chances of first-team football at Stamford Bridge would be extremely slim.

Mourinho has shown a willingness to experiment with his selection following this season's dismal start, but Grujic has provided a bright spot among that gloom by admitting his Chelsea desires.