Chelsea have been splashing out since their change in ownership but that has not produced results on the pitch.
Despite making significant additions, the Blues endured their worst season of this century, finishing trophyless and 12th in the Premier League. With Mauricio Pochettino arriving as their new manager, they are expected to make more signings this summer and appear to have a Real Madrid player in their sights.
Midfield is a position where Chelsea could need major reinforcements this summer. Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher could all leave in this window.
On the other hand, they have have already failed to get a deal done for Manuel Ugarte despite getting close. And recently, Chelsea have been linked with a big move for Federico Valverde.
With Jude Bellingham arriving, some questions have been raised about Valverde and whether he would be a starter come next season. But it looks like the Uruguayan has no plans to leave Real Madrid anytime soon.
As reported by GOAL, when asked if he will be joining Chelsea this summer, Valverde told reporters:
"No, no, I am at Real Madrid. I try to enjoy and value every moment. I want to leave my mark on this team, which is the best in the world, and also continue to win titles for the fans."
Valverde staying on at Real Madrid would be best for the club. He is already a solid player and has a lot of potential left to be fulfilled at the same time.
For a few months at the start of last season, he was absolutely unplayable and easily amongst the top three midfielders in the world for that period of time. But he was not able to continue playing at that level for the entirety of the campaign.
Valverde did show what he is capable of at his best though. Now, the next challenge has to be performing at that level on a consistent basis and not just in spurts for a few months here and there.