Chelsea Transfer News: Blues prepare £35m offer for Man Utd-linked defender

Chelsea are reportedly confident in their ability to lodge a sizeable bid for one of La Liga’s most promising stars.

The Blues have picked themselves up after a rocky start to the new year, racking up four successive wins under new boss Liam Rosenior.

Their recent run has them into the last 16 of the Champions League, while they are still alive in the Carabao Cup ahead of next week’s semi-final second leg. In the Premier League, they remain in the hunt for a Champions League place for next season.

One area Chelsea have not progressed in over the past few weeks is in the transfer window. However, recent reports suggest there could still be exciting activity to come before Monday’s deadline.

According to Fichajes, Chelsea are firmly in the race for Real Betis defender Natan, who has had an impressive campaign for the La Liga side.

Signing from Napoli in the summer following a year-long loan spell, the 24-year-old has become a near-ever-present for Betis, who are in the European spots once again as they continue to progress under Manuel Pellegrini.

And despite ‘fierce’ interest from Real Madrid and Manchester United, Chelsea are thought to be confident they will be able to put forward a proposal of around €40m (£35m) before Monday’s transfer deadline.

There are several obstacles to overcome if Chelsea are to lure the Brazilian to west London, with Natan’s preference said to be to remain in Spain, while Real Betis are in a strong negotiating position having only recently signed him to a five-year contract.

For Chelsea, upgrading the central defensive options appears to be a priority, with the Blues heavily linked with the likes of Rennes’ Jeremy Jacquet during the past month.

Current players such as Axel Disasi have been linked with moves away, with West Ham among the interested parties.

So it feels a matter of time before a change at the back is made for the Blues, but there does appear to be an uphill struggle in store if Natan ends up as their preferred target.

However, given Fichajes’ report seems to suggest Real Betis would welcome hefty offers with glee, perhaps dipping into BlueCo’s deep pockets will be the key to avoiding any stalemate over the next few days.

Graduated in Sport Journalism (BA) with first-class honours from the University of Brighton and has since had bylines in The Times, sports business publication SportsPro, Football FanCast and The Gooner fanzine.

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