Chelsea’s four-man summer shortlist revealed including England internationals and La Liga star

Chelsea recorded a third consecutive victory on Saturday as they defeated Leicester City 3-1 at The King Power Stadium. 

Former Foxes man Ben Chilwell opened the scoring for the visitors, before Patson Daka’s long range effort drew the hosts level.

Kai Havertz put The Blues back in front on the stroke of half-time, before Mateo Kovacic sealed the win with The Blues’ third goal late on.

Graham Potter’s side remain tenth in the Premier League, but closed the gap on the likes of Liverpool and Brighton with the win.

A number of Chelsea’s new stars impressed against Leicester, including Enzo Fernandez and Mykhaylo Mudryk, but it appears that owner Todd Boehly is plotting for another summer of spending.

The American has splashed out on no fewer than 16 permanent signings since taking charge of the west London club, but reports suggest that he will look to bolster the squad once again this summer.

As per Football Insider, The Blues have drawn up a four-man shortlist of targets as they look to sign a central midfielder this summer.

England internationals Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are said to be on the list, alongside Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo and Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.

Rice and Bellingham are both reportedly on Chelsea’s shortlist

It is claimed that a midfielder is a priority for Potter and Boehly this summer, despite landing Fernandez for a Premier League record fee of £107 million back in January.

Italy international Jorginho departed Stamford Bridge in January, while the futures of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher and N’Golo Kante remain uncertain.

The latter is set to be out of contract at the end of the season, which could prompt Chelsea to move for one of the players on their shortlist.

West Ham captain Rice, 24, has established himself as one of the best in the league in his position in recent seasons but has been linked with a move away from The London Stadium.

The Englishman, who spent time with Chelsea during his youth, has been linked with a return to the club but has also reportedly attracted interest from Arsenal.

His England teammate Jude Bellingham is another player that is set to be the subject of significant interest this summer.

The Borussia Dortmund man has reportedly attracted interest from the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid, but Chelsea are now said to have joined the race for the ex-Birmingham City man.

25-year-old Barcelona star De Jong is said to be top of Chelsea’s wishlist for the summer, with those in charge of the club perceiving the Dutchman as the most realistic option.

The ex-Ajax man was seemingly close to leaving the Spanish side last year, and Barcelona’s poor financial situation could mean that they opt to sell De Jong this summer.

Caicedo, meanwhile, was reportedly close to joining Arsenal in January, but a move never materialised and The Gunners ultimately landed Jorginho from Chelsea.

The Ecuador international has since signed a new long-term deal with The Seagulls, which could make luring him away from the south coast even more tricky.