Chelsea want SURPRISE deal for £50m Liverpool midfielder | OneFootball

Liverpool have completed phase one of their transfer plan. Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez have been onboarded - while Giorgi Mamardashvili finally arrives following his loan to Valencia.

The next part of the process will have to be sales. Club bosses have got ambitions to add a centre-forward - and maybe a centre-back - before the end of the current transfer period.

Before that however money will need to be raised. Fees have already been banked for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher and Nat Phillips - while Jarell Quansah is also expected to depart.

That will boost the coffers - as will an exit for Darwin Nunez - but there are plenty more first-team stars looking over their shoulders.

Among them is Harvey Elliott - who has been unable to make a decisive breakthrough under Arne Slot. The 22-year-old is a rare talent but has got Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and now Wirtz in front of him in the queue for first-team minutes.

Elliott could be sold this summer

Accordingly it is believed a sale will be considered for the right price this summer - and the playmaker isn’t short of admirers. At this stage of his career he requires game time and several Premier League and European sides can give him those guarantees.

Brighton are among the leading contenders to sign the England under-21 international - according to a new report in Caught Offside - but watch out for surprise package Chelsea.

The Blues picked up a gem in Cole Palmer when he was discarded by Manchester City in 2023 and have been tipped to repeat the trick for Elliott.

Chelsea's slightly surprising raid for Elliott

“Chelsea are understood to be one of the clubs on alert for the potential transfer of Liverpool attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott this summer,” the report reads.

“The Blues seem prepared to make this slightly surprising raid on their rivals."

Elliott could go for up to £50m this summer given his Premier League title-winning pedigree and potential to improve. That’s why so many clubs will be in the shake-up to sign him.

© IMAGO

Five clubs interested in Elliott

“As well as Chelsea and Brighton, there has also been some interest from Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Borussia Dortmund,” the report states.

As things stand, Elliott is under contract only until 2027. Liverpool will have a tough task in convincing him to sign a new deal unless first-team football can be offered.

That means a sale sooner rather than later is likely, and Chelsea have potentially spotted another Palmer-like bargain.