Silly season is well underway with just over three weeks of the summer window remaining and transfer rumours are circulating with incredible velocity here at Football FanCast.
So quickly, in fact, that we’re struggling to keep track of them all. You probably are too, and thus we thought it would be a good idea compile all the rumours regarding the Premier League’s top clubs into one easily accessible place, trimmed down into digestible chunks with a simple-yet-effective ‘Three In, Three Out’ format.
This edition focuses on reigning champions Chelsea, who have been suspiciously quiet in the transfer market this summer. Indeed, the Blues spent around £120million on new signings last season but have thus far forked out around a tenth of that sum on three players; Brazilian hotshot Nathan, former Stoke City No.1 Asmir Begovic and Manchester United loan flop Radamel Falcao.
So have the Blues accelerated their transfer activity in the last week? Is Jose Mourinho on the verge of a blockbuster signing? Read this week's Three In, Three Out to find out!
IN - JOHN STONES
Chelsea's interest in Everton defender John Stones is no great secret. In fact, they've been so public about it that Toffees boss Roberto Martinez has accused them of breaching Premier League rules.
Indeed, the Blues have already launched two failed bids for the 21 year-old, who appears to the ideal long-term successor to ageing skipper John Terry as one of the only current England defenders to possess true world class potential.
And it's actually the words of the Chelsea captain that's got the Goodison gaffer all riled up. "One day I won’t be in the team but Chelsea are looking to the likes of John Stones for the future, so the club will continue to grow and do well," said the 34 year-old.
That's prompted this response from Martinez; "That is wrong; that is illegal. The rules don’t allow you to comment on players who are registered at other clubs in that open manner. That is disappointing."
The west London outfit are certainly piling the pressure on the Toffees, but the tabloids believe they'll only part with the four-cap international for £34million; which would smash the Premier League's record transfer fee for a defender, currently held by Manchester City's Eliaquim Mangala.
OUT - MOHAMED SALAH
In a move that's been in the pipeline for some time, Mohamed Salah completed a loan switch to Roma earlier this week.
The Egypt international showed glimpses of his potential immediately after signing for Chelsea in January 2014, bagging two goals in his first ten Premier League appearances, but has been deemed surplus to requirements essentially since the start of last season, finding himself loaned out to Fiorentina for the second half of the 2014/15 campaign.
Serie A seems like a good fit for the 23 year-old, based upon his impressive run of form for Viola last term; netting nine times in 26 outings across all competitions including a superlative two-in-two run in the Coppa Italia.
However, Fiorentina are still rather miffed that the speedy winger has swapped them for the Stadio Olympico outfit despite their previous agreement to extend his loan spell for another twelve months.
The loan move has gone through without a much-speculated last-minute blockade from the Florence outfit but there's still a chance they could rope in a governing body - particularly UEFA or the FA - to try and squeeze some compensation out of the Blues.
IN - ABDUL RAHMAN BABA
Chelsea have been linked with potential left-back targets for much of the summer, spanning Europe's main top flights and yonder. But since the departure of Filipe Luis, who returned to Atletico Madrid last week, reports have almost exclusively focused on Augsburg prodigy Abdul Rahman Baba.
The Ghana international, who represented his country at this year's African Cup of Nations, was in superlative form for the German outfit last season, claiming four assists in 33 Bundesliga appearances whilst averaging the second-most tackles per match, 3.5, of any player in the division.
As a 21 year-old still relatively unknown outside the German top flight, he smacks of a classic Chelsea signing - echoing their deals for Branislav Ivanovic, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien, for example, who all arrived at Stamford Bridge shrouded in mystery.
And according to agent Sascha Empacher, Rahman Baba has already agreed personal terms with the Premier League champions, telling reporters earlier this week; "It is only the clubs that have to find an agreement. We on our side are agreed."
It's believed Augsburg are demanding somewhere within the region of £17million for the African starlet - which would eat up the fee Chelsea received for Filipe Luis and then some.
But with their interest in Rahman Baba so widely reported, it seems a matter of when rather than if the Blues get this deal over the line.
OUT - TODD KANE
Another loan move confirmed this week - Blues youngster Todd Kane has joined NEC Nijmegen on loan.
The 21 year-old signed a contract extension earlier this week, having impressed throughout his prior temporary spells in the Football League with Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, Bristol City and Nottingham Forest, but was hastily shipped off from Stamford Bridge in the name of first team football soon after.
The 5 foot 11 right-back will now be spending the campaign in the Eredivisie, surprisingly not with Chelsea feeder club Vitesse Arnhem, to gain some 'European experience' - which will undoubtedly add a few more pennies to any future selling fee.
IN - GODFRED DONSAH
Abdul Rahman Baba isn't the only promising Ghanaian youngster on Chelsea's transfer radar this summer.
According to reports from The Express on Tuesday, Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini has claimed he's been approached by the Premier League champions regarding the availability of prodigious midfielder Godfred Donsah - who is most likely being targeted as a potential addition to their ever-expanding loan army.
The 19 year-old impressed in Serie A last season, grabbing two goals and one assist from his 20 appearances to earn comparisons with Blues' fan favourite and countryman Michael Essien.
Guilini told reporters earlier this week; "We had a chat a few weeks ago with Juventus and Chelsea, but I am stunned by all these rumours around him. The lad needs to grow up with us."
As he explains, interest in Donsah stems from his contract situation; "We have many other players on low wages and their contracts will be renewed at the right time, including Donsah’s. We received a request to attend a meeting via a lawyer, but I am accustomed to doing things a different way. As soon as the right moment comes, we’ll be happy to renew his contract."
The Express claim Cagliari have already turned down a £4.2million bid from Serie A champions Juventus.
OUT - OSCAR
To finish off, we have some welcome news on the outward front, with agent Giuliano Bertolucci revealing all that talk of Oscar being snapped up by Juventus was, unsurprisingly, a load of tabloid manure.
Indeed, the Brazil international has been continuously linked with an Old Lady switch this summer, in no small part due to his worrying dip in form towards the end of the last two campaigns.
Likewise, Juve's hopes of signing a star-studded playmaker this summer are no great secret; they've been mooted as potential suitors of Schalke's Julian Draxler and Arsenal's Santi Cazorla to name but a few.
However, the 23 year-old's agent has now ruled out a move, whilst claiming his apparent talks with the Turin outfit's hierarchy never actually happened. He said; "The negotiations between Juventus and Oscar were never grounded in reality. These talks were only in the media. I never spoke to Marotta and Paratici [Juventus representatives] for him, nor did any Italian club come looking for him. Besides, José Mourinhohas no intention of selling Oscar."
Pretty conclusive evidence then - Oscar's sticking around!