Chelsea in pursuit of Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez

Posted Friday, July 24, 2020 by ESPN

With Chelsea defensive woes resurfacing against Liverpool during Wednesday's 5-3 defeat at Anfield, Blues manager Frank Lampard has cast his net out to Spain in his latest bid to boost his back line.

Specifically, Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez has caught the eye of Lampard with his scouting team now keeping close tabs on the Uruguayan star, according to The Telegraph.

The report states that in order for Gimenez to make a move to Stamford Bridge, Lampard would have to offload at least one centre-back because of the first team's current defensive depth.

Meanwhile, Chelsea's pursuit of Kai Havertz has been boosted after the Standard reported that Bayer Leverkusen are more inclined to part with the German after the club missed out on a Champions League spot for next season.

Sources told ESPN's James Olley earlier this week that the Blues are confident of securing a deal in the region of £70-£75 million despite Leverkusen demanding closer to £90m when initial contact was made prior to this month.

Bayer Leverkusen finished fifth in the Bundesliga and will instead play in the Europa League, while Chelsea can secure a Champions League spot by getting a result against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday.

Declan Rice has also been touted as a possible option at Chelsea, though that deal looks unlikely after West Ham United secured their Premier League status for next season.