Chelsea transfer news: Chelsea chase Stuttgart's Antonio Rudiger

Wolfsburg are reported to have agreed terms with the 22-year-old but have not yet been able to agree a fee with Stuttgart, reports Goal.com.

Stuttgart want €18 million for German international, who has played for Stuttgart since 2012.

"I know there’s interest from Chelsea and Wolfsburg," his agent Sahr Senesie told Kicker.

"Antonio would love to stay in Germany.”

This appears to be a classic piece of rumour mongering from Rudiger’s agent. Rudiger looks set to leave Stuttgart and wants to stay in Germany, so looks like an attempt by Rudiger’s agent to force Wolfsburg’s hand. This suggestion is that if they don’t seal a move for Rudiger then Chelsea will.

Falcao’s uncle and father have confirmed to The Guardian that a contract has been signed between the striker and Chelsea - a one-year loan deal has been agreed between Chelsea and Monaco with an option to make the move permanent next summer.

Chelsea are yet to officially announce the signing but have held three weeks of talks with Falcao’s representative, Jorge Mendes, in a bid to reach an agreement regarding the forward’s £265,000-a-week wages.

The Guardian reports that the Premier League champions will agree to pay the striker nearer £180,000-a-week with a loan fee negotiated at around £4 million.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is another of Mendes’s clients and has said he intends to “help Falcao get back to his level” after a torrid season at Manchester United following a serious knee ligament injury.

Mourinho would love nothing more than to be the man who turned Falcao's career in English football around after United failed to get much out of the Colombian. There was little doubt that the striker could not function as he wanted to last season following his very serious knee injury, so it represents a gamble of sorts for Chelsea in taking on his mammoth wages, even if it is initially a loan deal with a fee attached. If Mourinho can somehow get Falcao back to form and restore his confidence then he has a world-class forward to back up Diego Costa. If not, well it'll just go down as a very expensive loan deal.

Radamel Falcao has reportedly penned a contract with Chelsea, according to Colombian TV.

It was announced on Gol Caracol that the former Manchester United striker had agreed terms at Stamford Bridge, with a deal set to be announced on July 19 or July 20.

Falcao managed just four goals in 26 appearances under Louis van Gaal last season as United opted against making his loan move permanent.

"If I can help Falcao reach his level again, I will do it,” Mourinho had previously announced.

"It hurts me that people in England think that the real Falcao is the one we saw at Manchester United."

This deal looks extremely likely – but if Falcao has signed a contract then we suspect Chelsea wouldn’t sit around for three weeks to announce it.

If he’s available on the cheap, there’s no harm in taking the Colombia as a gamble, but it all has a sliver of Fernando Torres about the deal – a player desperately trying to recapture his best form… and failing to do so.

- - -

Chelsea are hoping to snatch away promising defender John Stones from Everton, according to reports.

With Raphael Varane seemingly out of the frame after new Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez promised him first-team football, Jose Mourinho looks to be turning his attention to the England international, says the Evening Standard.

However, if Chelsea do line up a bid, they will have to pay a huge fee for the 21-year-old, who has been tipped as a future England captain.

John Terry can’t go on forever. Despite the 34-year-old’s outstanding form last season, Jose Mourinho would be wise to get in a replacement soon so he can start building him into his first-team plans. John Stones fits the bill perfectly and would slot in well next to Gary Cahill. However, Everton will not want to part with one of their prize assets – who could play on for at least a decade - and it is surely unlikely unless and astronomical sum is put in front of them.

- - -

Chelsea could end up without a decent back-up keeper for Thibaut Courtois, accoring to the latest reports.

Asmir Begovic had been the man on everyone's lips, the well-travelled Stoke goalkeeper being a very safe pair of hands - and a man thought to be happy to take the big money to sit on the bench at Stamford Bridge.

But the Bosnian-born, Canadian-raised, Portsmouth-trained 28-year-old has a new option emerging, according to the Evening Standard: Aston Villa. Apparently Tim Sherwood wants to sell Brad Guzan and put Shay Given into semi-retirement, and wants Begovic as his number one.

That means Chelsea will have to look elsewhere for a back-up for Courtois - and with Rob Green also keen to stay put (at QPR) having got back into England contention, the Blues scouts have a bit of work to do. Otherwise, a serious injury to Courtois could potentially derail their title defence.

Not being able to sign your, er, first-choice, second-choice goalkeeper isn't the end of the world. Chelsea did well with a player like Mark Schwarzer previously so they are bound to be able to find someone half decent knocking about. It's hardly a crucial position.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is prepared to offer Oscar to Juventus if it means getting his hands on playmaker Paul Pogba, according to a report in the Daily Mirror.

Juve's manager Massimo Allegri has admitted in the past that he likes Oscar "very much", and that, "He is one of those players who can make a difference in Europe."

Pogba's agent Mino Railoa has apparently been in contact with both player and club over a deal.

Additionally, Chelsea are reported to be hot favourites to sign Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid, despite interest from PSG and Manchester United.

United are said to have made a huge bid, but the well-worn path between Atletico and Chelsea could give Mourinho the edge he needs.

Reports from Italy suggest Chelsea will offer Atletico Madrid €50m plus Mohamed Salah for French international forward Antoine Griezmann.

Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport say that Jose Mourinho has identified the forward as his priority target this summer and the Premier League champions are willing to do pay what it takes to get him.

Bayern Munich and Monaco are also said to be interested in the former Real Sociedad man, despite Griezmann insisting his future was at Vicente Calderon.

Salah was signed by Chelsea in January 2014 but struggled to get into the Blues first team and was sent on-loan to Fiorentina in January this year.

Antoine Griezmann is one of the most exciting players in Europe at the moment so if Chelsea can agree a deal for him it would be a major coup. 22 goals in 37 league matches this season show that he would add potency to the Chelsea attack but, it has to be asked, where exactly would he play?

Predominantly a left-sided player, Griezmann would be best in the spots occupied by Eden Hazard and Diego Costa. He could be played on he right, but with Willian and Cuadrado at the club already it doesn't exactly seem like a priority for the Blues.

Sevilla have completed the signing of Gael Kakuta from Chelsea on a free transfer.

The French midfielder, 23, has agreed a four-year contract with the Europa League winners and passed a medical on Friday ahead of completing his Bosman switch.

"If I’m here then it’s because of what I did last season [with Rayo Vallecano]," he said at his official unveiling.

"I hope to show my quality [at Sevilla] and perform even better than I did last year."

When Gael Kakuta arrived off the bench to make his debut at Stamford Bridge in November 2009, he showed enough energy and tricks to suggest he was primed for a bright future.

That future never materialised.

At 23, and following his solid loan showing at Rayo Vallecano, he still has time to reignite has career – one that promised much, but has delivered little thus far – and potentially force his way into the France senior setup.

Colombian striker Radamel Falcao told journalists "you will know soon" when he was asked about a possible loan move from Monaco to Chelsea.

The 29-year-old spent a largely disappointing year on loan at Manchester United last season, but Chelsea seem undeterred in their efforts to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Falcao is currently with the Colombia squad at Copa America but a move is expected to be confirmed as soon as their involvement in the tournament is over.

Speaking after Wednesday night's surprise 1-0 win over Brazil, Falcao said:

"I'm just thinking of the Copa America and the squad - my staff are taking care of [the transfer]. It could happen, you will know very soon."

Two of Falcao's potential Chelsea teammates who were in the Brazil squad also gave enthusiastic responses about the move.

"I played with Radamel Falcao at Atletico and he is a great player," said Felipe Luis.

"I'm not sure if it's official but I'm sure that he would be very welcome and it would help Chelsea a lot to win trophies."

Brazilian midfielder Willian added, "Falcao is a great player, a striker that knows how to score and I'm sure it will help us a lot; I hope he can be happy at Chelsea."

- - -

Chelsea have identified Stoke City's Asmir Begovic as the man they want to replace Petr Cech as their backup goalkeeper.

The Bosnian international has been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the league over the last five years and is know to be open to a move.

With just one year remaining on his contract at the Britannia Stadium, Chelsea should be able to get the 27-year-old for a reduced fee.

Whether he is interested in a move to be a backup goalkeeper remains to be seen, with Thibaut Courtois firmly in place as Chelsea's first choice stopper.

Signing Asmir Begovic would be an excellent move for Chelsea considering they already have Courtois at the club. While Begovic may not be quite at the level of Petr Cech, he is still a very high quality goalkeeper and an outstanding option as backup. It's debatable whether it would be a good move for Begovic's career in the long-term, however.

- - -

Sergio Ramos is said to be unhappy at Real Madrid which may prompt his former manager Jose Mourinho to launch a bid for the defender, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The report does not go into detail regarding the 29-year-old’s unhappiness but does state that the Spanish international is angling for a new contract, one said to be worth an eye-watering £10m-per-year.

"For now he still has two years of contract. We await the call of the club but Real Madrid have not called me,” said his agent, Rene Ramos.

"For now there are no talks. Perhaps it is best if he doesn't finish his career at Real Madrid but at another club. We never know.

"Football is changing so fast – you must enjoy the moment."

Ramos would represent a fine signing for any elite-level football club – however, his signing would represent a dramatic transfer policy turnaround from Chelsea, who over the last few seasons have invested in youth with high sell-on values.

Furthermore, at 29 he would be a relatively short term solution to Chelsea’s aging defence. Add in the fact that he is after a prohibitive £10m-per-year and it makes this proposed transfer a bit of a no-go for the Blues.

Chelsea winger Gael Kakuta looks set to be sold to Sevilla, with reports in Spain claiming the deal will be done next week.

Spanish newspaper AS reports that the 23-year-old - who has made just 16 appearances since moving to the club as a teenager in a controversial deal back in 2007 - will move to the Europa League champions for a mere £2 million.

If the rumour proves to be true, Kakuta's eight-year spell at Chelsea - most of which has been spent on loan elsewhere - will finally be over.

- - -

Despite speculation linking Juan Cuadrado with a move back to Italy this summer, Blues manager Jose Mourinho says that the Ecuadorian winger will not be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge.

“Cuadrado is not going anywhere this summer,” Mourinho told DirecTV.

“People don't know Cuadrado yet, I have seen him many times when we were both in Italy, me at Inter and him at Udinese.

"Because of that I have a lot of hopes for him for next season. I hope in the Copa America he can regain his self-esteem, his ego and that he has that joy of playing.”

The Colombian only arrived from Fiorentina in January but scored no goals in his 17 appearances for the Blues.

It's only fair that Chelsea give Juan Cuadrado more time to adapt to the Premier League after he moved to the club from Fiorentina in January. Expecting a player to adapt immediately, especially mid-season, is naive and Chelsea fans should see a much better player next season. It's easy to see why the club may be tempted to sell with players like Raheem Sterling available but sticking with Cuadrado is definitely the right call for now.

- - -

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that the club are in the market for a striker this summer, with Radamel Falcao heavily rumoured to be his primary target.

With Didier Drogba bringing his second spell at the club to a close, the Blues have just Diego Costa and Loic Remy as options in attack.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the Portuguese coach insisted that was not enough.

"We have to buy a striker because we want to have three strikers of a good level," he said.

"This season is about improving the squad, bringing players to make us more consistent, so we don't go through difficult periods like last season when we had crucial injuries. We have to try and protect that situation by adding two or three players."

Two things are certain when it comes to Radamel Falcao - one is that he was extremely disappointing for Manchester United last season, with four goals in 26 games, and the other is that he has been an absolutely outstanding striker. Manchester United baulked at Monaco's demands for a permanent transfer but Chelsea may feel they can get the Colombian for less. If they do take him on as a squad player, on terms they can afford, then he may be worth it. There are no guarantees with Radamel Falcao now though, and he will be a risk.