Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Cesc Fabregas and Kalidou Koulibaly Rumours

Chelsea will reportedly "offer" Cesc Fabregas to Juventus so as to ward them off signing Nemanja Matic this summer.

According to Antonino Milone of Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t Joe Short of the Express), the Spaniard will be sacrificed so the Blues can retain Matic, as the Serb is set to feature heavily in manager Antonio Conte's plans.

Fabregas enjoyed an outstanding campaign in his first season at Stamford Bridge as he helped Chelsea win the Premier League title, serving as one of the side's primary creative forces along with Eden Hazard.

However, like many of the Blues players—including Matic and Hazard—the 29-year-old fell below his usual standard.

Here is how his stats compared across the two seasons, per Squawka:

	2014-15	2015-16
Apps	34	37
Minutes	2,884	2,900
Goals	3	5
Assists	18	7
Chances Created	93	66
Take-Ons	36	23
Tackles	73	76
Interceptions	24	23
Pass Completion	85%	84%

Despite his underwhelming campaign, he nevertheless earned an admirer in temporary Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink, according to journalist Dan Levene:

At his best, Fabregas is an outstanding playmaker who can make incisive, match-winning contributions.

Should he be sold this summer, the Blues would have a dearth of creativity in the middle—Matic and N'Golo Kante are fine players, but they specialise in winning the ball rather than creating chances.

Per Milone (h/t Short), the Bianconeri have only set aside £17.3 million for another midfielder this summer.

Unless Juve decide to spend more—something they will reportedly only do to bring in No. 1 target Blaise Matuidi—it seems unlikely Chelsea would part with either midfielder at that price.

Meanwhile, Napoli are reportedly hoping to keep Kalidou Koulibaly for one more season and hope a new contract and a "verbal agreement that they will sell him next year if a sizeable offer comes in" is enough to tempt him into staying.

Salvatore Laporta/Associated Press

That's according to the Evening Standard, who noted the Blues are still trying to sign the defender after seeing a £42 million bid for him turned down.

Per Goal's Nizaar Kinsella, it seems the Senegal international has one of two choices this summer:

Gianluca Di Marzio's David Amoyal is an admirer of the powerful defender:

Indeed, Koulibaly has emerged as one of the best centre-backs in Serie A outside Juventus in recent seasons and looks more than capable of adapting to the rigours of the Premier League.

Chelsea are in serious need of defensive reinforcements this summer—they cannot allow Koulibaly to slip through their fingers.