OPINION
Chelsea are reportedly poised to make a second bid for Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater in the upcoming week.
The Telegraph claims that the Premier League champions are prepared to offer in-excess of £25million for the 27-year-old after seeing a £15million bid rejected for him earlier this summer.
The report claims Drinkwater is interested in a move to Stamford Bridge but the Foxes reportedly want to receive around £40million for his services.
Good move for Chelsea?
Drinkwater is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League and given that Chelsea have allowed Nemanja Matic to join rivals Manchester United, the Blues need an extra midfield option and he would be a great addition.
The midfielder played a crucial role in helping Leicester secure their first ever Premier League title during the 2015-16 season, contributing with a total of eight assists.
Although he struggled to replicate that form last season, he still showed glimpses of quality and enjoyed his first taste of Champions League football, featuring in all of Leicester’s matches.
The Englishman would face competition for a place in the starting lineup as Chelsea possess the likes of N’Golo Kante, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Cesc Fabregas but he will surely improve as a player working alongside them on a daily basis.
Drinkwater deserves a chance to play in one of the best clubs in the country and it could potentially lead to him becoming a deserved regular in the England set-up ahead of next year’s World Cup in Russia.
This Is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
The only stumbling block in this move would be Leicester’s desire to receive around £40million for Drinkwater this summer.
There’s no doubt that Chelsea have the funds to sanction the move but they could find themselves under immense pressure with their supporters as they allowed Matic to leave the same amount of money and he is arguably a better player than Drinkwater.
The midfielder did not feature in Leicester’s opening match against Arsenal last Friday night and despite the loss, they seemed to cope well without his presence so this could potentially work in Chelsea’s favour regarding negotiations over the fee.
With the player reportedly keen on a move and Chelsea continuing with their pursuit, it appears that it will only be a matter of time before Drinkwater joins up with the Premier League champions this summer.
This Is Futbol rating: 8/10