Chelsea’s hopes of finishing in the Premier League’s top four were dealt a huge blow on Sunday as they lost 2-1 against leaders Arsenal.
Defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber netted for the Gunners – either side of a Piero Hincapie own goal – to restore Arsenal’s five-point lead at the top.
Chelsea, who had Pedro Neto sent off in the second half, now sit sixth and are six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United in the race to secure Champions League qualification.
Away from the action, however, it appears that Chelsea could soon be handed some good news in regard to the futures of two key players.
TEAMtalk claims that those in charge of the West London club are keen to tie both Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo down to new contracts in the near future.
The duo were each signed for fees in excess of £100 million but, after relatively slow starts, both Caicedo and Fernandez have established themselves among the best midfielders in Europe.
Fernandez and Caicedo have established themselves as two of Chelsea’s most important players (Photo: DPA/Alamy)
It is claimed that Spanish giants Real Madrid are set to explore other transfer targets having conceded that signing either midfielder from Chelsea will prove tricky.
The report suggests that the two players are both settled at Stamford Bridge and, with neither star pushing for a move away, those in charge of the club are keen to begin talks over new deals.
Caicedo and Fernandez – who are currently contracted to the Blues until 2031 and 2032 respectively – have made a combined 290 appearances for the west London side across all competitions.
The report suggests that Manchester City star Rodri is also a target for Real Madrid, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha is another player admired by Los Blancos.
Real are also said to have been exploring a move to sign either Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, or his Reds teammate Dominik Szoboszlai, in recent months, however a move for either of the pair could also prove tricky.