Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours, Stars Reportedly Wanted by Antonio Conte

Chelsea have reportedly had a £32 million bid for Valencia midfielder Andre Gomes rejected.

The news came from Sky Sports News HQ on Wednesday:

Reinforcing Chelsea's central midfield is likely a priority for incoming head coach Antonio Conte this summer, with the Blues having few options in the middle beyond Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic. 

Valencia endured a largely torrid campaign as they finished 12th in La Liga, just six points above the relegated Rayo Vallecano, and like many of their players, Gomes did not have his best season.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old was able to rack up four goals and seven assists for Los Che in all competitions, and that form saw him rewarded with a place in Portugal's European Championship squad.

Though his side were held to a draw in their opening game against Iceland on Tuesday, Gomes stood out as a key performer for Portugal, per Squawka:

The Telegraph's James Ducker praised the youngster for his outstanding ball for Nani to tap in at the near post:

Football journalist Rafael Hernandez has also sung his praises, though he believes Gomes could be heading to Manchester United instead:

Chelsea can ill afford to be beaten to one of their targets by a rival—particularly in a position where they sorely need more options.

However, if Valencia won't accept a bid of £32 million, the Red Devils aren't likely to have an easy time landing him either.

In other news, the Blues are reportedly maintaining their interest in AS Roma defender Antonio Rudiger, despite the German being likely to miss the early part of next season after tearing his ACL.

Ettore Ferrari/Associated Press

That's according to Matteo Pinci of Italian newspaper La Repubblica (h/t the Daily Star's Alex Harris). Roma activated their option to buy Rudiger after a successful season with them on loan, but Chelsea are willing to offer £15.8 million for him—£9 million more than the Giallorossi just paid.

As noted by sports journalist Stefan Bienkowski, the 23-year-old isn't the calmest presence at the back:

However, he still enjoyed a strong season in the Italian capital, per WhoScored.com:

Here are some of his best moments:

According to Squawka, he made 33 tackles, 45 interceptions and 109 clearances in Serie A last season, as well as winning 44 aerial duels and maintaining a passing accuracy of 87 per cent.

Rudiger formed an impressive partnership with Kosta Manolas at the back for Roma, and it's evidently important for the Italian side to keep him at the Stadio Olimpico.

However, it's not inconceivable that the Giallorossi will be tempted to cash in on him, particularly now he's sidelined with injury.