Chelsea enter the race for Barcelona and Arsenal target: Reports

Chelsea have reportedly joined the race to sign Arsenal and Barcelona target Mikel Merino this summer, as per Spanish journalist Roberto Gomez. The Spanish midfielder's contract with Real Sociedad is set to expire next summer and he hasn't yet agreed to an extension with the La Liga side.

As per the aforementioned report, Merino is likely to leave Real Sociedad this summer and is keen to join a Premier League side. Chelsea are interested in signing the 28-year-old, who was also a part of the Spanish squad at the 2024 European Championships.

At Euro 2024, Merino made just one start for La Roja but scored a crucial extra-time winner against Germany in the quarterfinals. He joined La Real from Newcastle United in July 2018.

Since then, Merino has made 242 appearances for Real Sociedad, bagging 27 goals and 30 assists. Apart from Chelsea, the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid have also been linked with the 28-year-old Spaniard.

Mikel Merino has a release clause of €60 million. However, according to Sport, Real Sociedad can sell the midfielder for €30 to €50 million in summer.

Chelsea aim to sign 21-year-old forward this summer: Reports

Chelsea have reportedly revived their interest in signing French forward Elye Wahi in the ongoing transfer window, as per L'Equipe. The 21-year-old was on the Blues' transfer radar last season too. However, he eventually joined Lens from Montpellier in August 2023.

As per the aforementioned report, the Stamford Bridge outfit made a £24 million offer for the Frenchman. However, he joined Lens for a reported transfer fee of £25.3 million. As a result, the Blues ended up signing Nicolas Jackson from La Liga side Villarreal.

Last season, Elye Wahi made 36 appearances for Lens across competitions, bagging 12 goals and four assists. Nevertheless, the French forward still has four years remaining on his contract with the Ligue 1 side and could prove to be expensive for the Blues.

Chelsea already have Romelu Lukaku and Armando Broja on their books, but are looking to offload the strikers. Romelu Lukaku spent last season on loan at Roma and could return to Serie A to join Antonio Conte's Napoli.