Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign former Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma on a free transfer, according to reports.
Chelsea approved the £125 million sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City on deadline day but aimed to bring in a midfield replacement before the end of the window.
Xabi Alonso is an admirer of Martin Zubimendi but Chelsea’s approach for the Spanish midfielder was swiftly rejected by Arsenal.
A deal for Roma’s Manu Kone also failed to materialise, before the Blues then agreed a deal with Monaco worth €55 million (£47.1m) for Lamine Camara.
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However, despite a club-to-club agreement, the Ligue 1 side cancelled their agreement with an hour to go before the deadline, leaving Chelsea without a new midfielder when the window shut.
The summer signings of Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco have given Chelsea some cover in central midfield, but reports suggest the Blues might consider looking at free agents to bolster their ranks in the middle of the park.
Earlier in the week, reports in France suggested that Chelsea had held talks with former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum after he left Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq earlier this summer.
And The Sun now reports that former Spurs midfielder Bissouma has been offered to Chelsea as a potential option for Alonso’s side.
Bissouma joined Tottenham from Brighton in 2022 for a fee of around £25m and went on to make 111 appeareances in all competitions for the club.
However, a loss of form and various off-pitch controversies saw him fall down the pecking order, with the 30-year-old making just 11 Premier Lesgue appearances last season before being released this summer.
Bissouma is said to have interest from other European clubs such as Monaco and Ajax, but is keen to remain in the Premier League.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will explore a move for the Mali international, with Alonso insisting on Friday that he was ‘very happy’ with the club’s transfer window.
‘I think that we can be very happy with the whole transfer window,’ the Chelsea boss said. ‘I think that what we started talking in late May, early June, many things we have accomplished.
‘I think that it’s a very balanced structure, phase one, that we have made in this transfer window with what we had and where we are now. It’s a good first one. Phase one is completed. It’s a good one for now and for the future.
‘I’m happy with the squad, with the depth, with the healthy competition we have in different positions. As well, I’ve mentioned that there is a good balance between players of different stage, mature players, young players, players already that are in a good maturity moment as well.
‘We need to build that energy during the week to perform well in the weekends. So far, it’s just two games, but it has been a good start and now we know who is going to be in the building and that’s good to have this certainty.’
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