Milan deal approved as Chelsea face Barca transfer twist and Lukaku demand

Chelsea transfer news: The latest Blues headlines, gossip and stories from the market with updates on Romeo Lavia, Romeo Lavia and Christian Pulisic.

Your morning Chelsea transfer round-up on Sunday, July 9.

Chelsea face Barcelona twist in Lavia battle

The future of Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia remains uncertain, with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all heavily linked to a potential summer transfer.

Despite the Saints' relegation to the Championship, Lavia established himself as one of the best young talents in the Premier League last season. As a result, he is said to be valued somewhere between £40million and £50million.

German transfer guru Florian Plettenberg has delivered an update on the Lavia situation, claiming that Barcelona are also interested in the 19-year-old, although the Catalan giants are unlikely to be able to afford him given Southampton's steep asking price.

Drogba sends Lukaku message

Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has sent a message to Romelu Lukaku, amid reports over the striker’s future.

New Blues boss Maurico Pochettino has admitted he plans to talk with Lukaku once he has returned for pre-season, but Drogba could also have a potential role to play.

In an Instagram post, Lukaku shared that he was spending time with friends and family, ahead of reporting back for training. However, in the comments, Lukau’s idol and former teammate Drogba urged him to get in touch: “Hey boy @romelulukaku please call me”.

Giroud approves Pulisic transfer to Milan

Former Olivier Giroud has already given his seal of approval to Christian Pulisic’s pending move to AC Milan.

Milan are believed to have agreed a £18.8million ($24.1million) fee with Chelsea, staving off competition from Lyon, with personal terms also said to be finalised. Former Blues striker Giroud played alongside Pulisic for two years and was asked if the winger would be a good fit for the Rossoneri, back in May.

“Ooh, good question. People here would love it, so would the coach,” Guroud admitted to CBS Sports, via   Football Italia  . “He is definitely a big name in Europe. Yeah, he could help us.”