Chelsea ready to rival Barcelona in race to sign former Newcastle United winger

Chelsea are reportedly ready to rival Barcelona in the race to sign Nice winger Hatem Ben Arfa, according to The Times via The Sun.

Incoming Blues boss Antonio Conte is keen to complete an overhaul of his squad when he takes charge later this summer following a disappointing campaign for the Stamford Bridge outfit, with a £28million deal for Roma’s Radja Nainggolan already rumoured to be complete.

Now the Italian has turned his attentions to Ben Arfa, who has scored 18 goals for the Ligue 1 outfit this term from the number 10 position, despite failing to make an impression during spells with Newcastle United and Hull City in the Premier League previously.

Chelsea will face competition from Barcelona for the signature of the 29-year-old though, with reports in France on Friday suggesting that a deal was already in place for the Frenchman to move to the Camp Nou at the end of the campaign.