Exclusive says Chelsea set €60m asking price for first team regular who Maresca has turned against | OneFootball

Chelsea have so many players coming back from loans this summer that they need to sell. Joao Felix, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling… and that’s just scratching the surface.

There’s also players in the squad like Benoit Badiashile or Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who played a fair bit last season but will likely look to be upgraded on as a squad player.

Then there’s the final category of Blues up for sale – first team regulars who Enzo Maresca relied upon in the league who could still be sold as the team look to improve their first XI.

First team regulars with links away

There are a couple of names in that category, with Nicolas Jackson an example of a regular linked with moves away. But by far the most convincing player to be put in that box is Noni Madueke. There are a couple of reasons for that.

Firstly, he was dropped by Maresca on a couple of occasions last season because of bad training performances. That gives a hint that, despite using him a lot, the coach has reservations.

The second clue is the regular rumours that appeared this time last year connecting the winger with other teams. One of those most regularly mentioned was Newcastle, and it seems they’re coming back for another attempt.

Chelsea set opening price at €60m

Noni Madueke celebrates his goal against Djurgarden.(Photo by David Lidstrom/Getty Images)

An exclusive from CaughtOffside today claims that the Magpies have again “approached Chelsea” to enquire about signing the former PSV man this summer.

The Blues are said to be open to starting talks, but only at a price of around €60m.

That feels unlikely, given Madueke has yet to really explode in the league. But it’s just about reasonable to imagine the two sides reaching a compromise around €40m.

He’s still 23 and has a couple of years Premier League experience. Newcastle have struggled with PSR issues, and would probably only buy Madueke if the likes of Anthony Gordon was sold for big money.