Chelsea are now prepared to bid £58 million for Atletico Madrid star

BlueCo, assisted by co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, are busy laying the groundwork for potential summer signings at Chelsea behind-the-scenes after an uneventful January – with one Atlético Madrid star apparently high in their thinking.

Chelsea preparing for busier summer transfer window

Much has been made of the club’s lack of new attacking signings in the winter market, despite reported interest in some noteworthy players.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano shared towards the back end of last window that Chelsea were in contact over a deal for Mathys Tel, who eventually ended up joining Tottenham on loan, while there was also interest in Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho (Matt Law).

Interestingly, there was even talk of a potential Chelsea swap deal involving Christopher Nkunku, but those negotiations ultimately failed to get off the ground.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reportedly wanted both a midfielder and a forward to come in after they activated their recall clause in Trevoh Chalobah’s loan deal at Crystal Palace (Simon Phillips), with the Italian ultimately getting Mathis Amougou through the door but no new striking option.

There is a belief that Chelsea will look to rectify this in the summer, with the Blues laying “significant groundwork” on a deal for Ipswich Town starlet Liam Delap already, even if he isn’t their only option (Simon Phillips).

Nicolas Jackson is expected to return from injury for Chelsea’s next game against Brighton, but the Senegalese has been out of form recently, while striking counterpart Marc Guiu could be out for months with a long-term problem

Chelsea could yet add another midfielder to their ranks at the end of the season as well, with Amougou expected to head out on loan to sister club Strasbourg for the 2025/2026 campaign.

Chelsea prepared to bid £58 million for Atlético Madrid star Pablo Barrios

According to reports from Spain, Atlético sensation Pablo Barrios is an option they’re seriously considering.

The 21-year-old has started 17 La Liga games under Diego Simeone this season, and is currently the sixth-highest performing player by average match rating according to WhoScored, explaining why he’s turned some heads within Chelsea.

Right now, it is believed that Chelsea are the most interested team in signing Barrios, and they’re prepared to bid around £58 million for his services this summer as they ponder enticing him to the Premier League.

Simeone has praised the midfielder’s quality for a couple of years now, especially lauding the fact he can play “several” different roles.

“I’ve talked to him about his role,” said Simeone on Barrios. “He has a fantastic game, and I told him that we’re going to work to shape it. Koke is there now (at the ‘5’) and we are trying to bring out Pablo’s full potential. He has to grow, but he’s doing very well. I’m excited. He’s a kid from the academy, and he can play several roles.”