Transfer News: Chelsea set £159m transfer record for Paul Pogba and John Stones
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho feels his side could strike two birds with one stone before the transfer window ends in less than a week. The Blues are set to make a transfer record of £159 million (AU$346.1 million) to lure Paul Pogba and John Stones into Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea believes the club can pull off the biggest spending spree in British football by signing Juventus midfielder Pogba, and Everton defender Stones in the next few days. Signing both footballers would take the team’s summer spending to £159 million in total after acquiring Danilo Pantic, Nathan, Asmir Begovic, Abdul Baba Rahman, and Pedro. Chelsea’s move to land Pogba and Stones would also eclipse Manchester City’s £146 million (AU$317.9 million) summer signings.
According to Mirror, Mourinho will make a fresh bid to land Pogba, who has a price tag of £70 million (AU$152.4 million), after the team’s failed bid to get the French international last week. Mourinho is convinced that 22-year-old Pogba would certainly improve Chelsea after the club’s slow start to the season, describing the French midfielder as “one of the best players in the world.”
On the other hand, the Premier League defending champions have already started negotiations of a £34 million (AU$74 million) deal with Everton for Stones, who formally submitted a transfer request to the Toffees on Wednesday. However, Everton boss Roberto Martinez remains clear that the English international will not be sold, rejecting Stones’ transfer request to Chelsea.
Martinez claimed that Everton cares about Stones and that the club will give everything to the 21-year-old Englishman to make him enjoy football. Martinez also hit out at football authorities for allowing the transfer window to be open while there are ongoing games.
"We have a chairman who will do the right thing for the club and for the team and as a true Evertonian we are clear he will not be easily influenced in taking the money and accepting things which will clearly make our team weaker,” Martinez said, reports ESPN FC.
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