Chelsea Transfer News: Oscar Set to Be Sold Amid Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Rumours

Chelsea playmaker Oscar is reportedly set to be put up for sale by the Blues this summer in order to "raise funds for an overhaul of their underachieving squad," with Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a potentially key target.

According to Matt Hughes in the Times, the Brazilian is seen as dispensable by both Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and incoming manager Antonio Conte, with the Italian boss eager to keep Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Willian while also bringing back Juan Cuadrado from his loan at Juventus.

Hughes also indicated Chelsea believe they can get a decent amount of money for Oscar, 24, with both Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly interested in him.

Per Italian outlet Tuttosport (via Football Italia), the Blues will demand €35 million (£27.9 million) for Oscar having signed him for £19.35 million from Internacional in 2012.

	Oscar	Hazard	Willian	Fabregas
Appearances (as a sub)	20(5)	21(5)	26(3)	27(4)
Minutes	1753	1787	2281	2359
Goals	3	0	4	4
Assists	3	3	5	4
WhoScored.com Rating	6.91	6.86	7.27	7.08

As with many of the Chelsea squad this season, Oscar has been far from his best, netting three times and providing three assists in 25 Premier League appearances, per WhoScored.com.

If Conte is indeed keen to bring Cuadrado back and play him in the first team, then Oscar would be squeezed out of a front line including the Colombian, Hazard, Willian and Diego Costa.

Given how poor Chelsea have been this season, they are going to have to make some significant moves in the summer transfer market, and Abramovich is reportedly "determined to stick to a transfer policy funded by the sale of players," per Hughes.

As Oscar is still young and has displayed quality in the past, it would be unsurprising if he was indeed the player chosen to be sold on to raise funds for further additions.

Oxlade-Chamberlain could reportedly be one of those additions.

ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

According to Squawka's Greg Stobart, Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo "is a long-term admirer" of the Englishman, who is currently embroiled in a "contract stand-off" with the Gunners as he is concerned about his future.

Stobart added Arsenal want to agree new terms with the 22-year-old—who has two years left on his current deal—not least to prevent his transfer value from dropping.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is a much-coveted player across London it seems, as West Ham United are also planning to make a move for him in the summer, per Bleacher Report's Dean Jones:

The attacking midfielder has bags of talent but has yet to fulfil his potential to the extent many expected, and he remains on the fringes of the Arsenal first team—he has made just nine Premier League starts this season, per WhoScored.

Stobart indicated Oxlade-Chamberlain wants to move to a club where he will get more playing time, meaning Chelsea may struggle to sign him unless they can guarantee first-team action.

That would be a big risk as the England international is frustratingly inconsistent, and many of Chelsea's current attacking options—including Oscar—have arguably proved themselves more in the Premier League.