Chelsea Bid £26m for Zenit Ace Leandro Paredes as Hunt for Fabregas Successor Continues
Chelsea are believed to have submitted a £26.8m bid for Zenit Saint Petersburg midfielder Leandro Paredes, as they look to find a long-term successor the recently departed Cesc Fabregas.
Blues boss Maurizio Sarri was adamant that he wouldn't let the Premier League legend leave the club without a suitable replacement waiting in the wings, and he appears to have found his man with the Argentina international.
The 24-year-old is renowned for his slick passing and ability to dictate play, making him a natural replacement for midfield maestro Fabregas.
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According to the Standard, Chelsea have submitted their opening offer for Paredes, after struggling to convince Cagliari's Nicolo Barella to make the switch from Serie A to the Premier League.
The report claims the Blues will offer Paredes around £80,000-a-week, which they hope will convince him to spurn the opportunity to return to his boyhood club, Boca Juniors.
Despite having Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek waiting in the wings, as well as Ethan Ampadu, Sarri is of the belief that none of these options can replicate Fabregas' abilities, and is keen to recruit a new backup to Jorginho. Paredes has been with Zenit since 2017, when he joined the club in a £24m deal from Roma.
It certainly looks to be a busy month for the Blues, with Sarri intent on bringing in a new midfielder, and ideally a new striker.
With Álvaro Morata seemingly unable to hit a barn door, the club are on the hunt for a new frontman and want to bring in Juventus' Gonzalo Higauín on a short-term loan in the coming days.
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Meanwhile, Bournemouth are believed to have issued Chelsea a hands-off warning over their pursuit of their striker Callum Wilson, with the Cherries reportedly demanding an astonishing £75m for his services.
Such an offer would make the 26-year-old the most expensive English player of all time, eclipsing Kyle Walker's £50m move to Manchester City.
