Chelsea are reportedly keen on submitting a second bid for Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater in the upcoming week.
The Telegraph claims that the Premier League champions are set to offer in-excess of £25million for the 27-year-old after seeing a £15million bid rejected by the Foxes earlier this summer.
The report claims the player is interested in a move to Stamford Bridge but the King Power outfits would be looking to receive around £40million for his services.
The England international is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League and given the Blues have allowed Nemanja Matic to join rivals Manchester United, they will need an extra midfield option and Drinkwater would be a great addition.
The midfielder played a crucial role in the Foxes secure their first ever Premier League title during the 2015-16 season, contributing with a total of eight assists.
Although he struggled to replicate that form last season, he still showed hints of quality and enjoyed his first taste of Champions League football, featuring in all of the Foxes’ matches.
He would face competition a place in the starting lineup as Chelsea possess the likes of N’Golo Kante, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Cesc Fabregas but he will surely improve as a player working alongside them on a daily basis.
He deserves a chance to play in one of the best clubs in the country and it could potentially lead to him becoming a deserved regular in Gareth Southgate’s England set-up ahead of next year’s World Cup in Russia.
The only stumbling block in this move would be the Foxes’ desire to receive around £40million for Drinkwater this summer.
There’s no doubt that Chelsea have the funds to sanction the move but they could find themselves under immense pressure with their supporters as they allowed Matic to leave the same amount of money and he is arguably a better player than Drinkwater.
The midfielder did not feature in Leicester’s opening match against Arsenal last Friday night and despite the loss, they seemed to cope well without his presence so this could potentially work in Chelsea’s favour regarding negotiations over the fee.
With the player reportedly keen on a move and Chelsea continuing with their pursuit, it appears that it will only be a matter of time before Drinkwater joins up with the Premier League champions this summer.