BLUES PREPARE TO SWOOP FOR BARCA’S AUBAMEYANG

CHELSEA are poised to make an offer for Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as they bid to take advantage of the financial problems engulfing the Catalan club. Talks between Chelsea and Barcelona are underway and will continue over the next 48 hours, with the Premier League club prepared to make a formal offer for Aubameyang if discussions are positive. This week’s talks will determine how open Barca are to selling the striker, although Aubameyang is believed to be unaware of any wish from Nou Camp chiefs to sell him despite the £42.5million signing of Poland striker Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. Interestingly, he has recently been handed the No 17 shirt — the number he wore successfully at Borussia Dortmund under Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel — which has been viewed by some at Barcelona as an indication that they intend to keep him. Indeed, the 33-year-old is not pushing to leave, having impressed since joining from Arsenal in January. Chelsea are in need of strikers this summer having let £97.5m record signing Romelu Lukaku return to Inter Milan on a season-long loan with Timo Werner rejoining RB Leipzig. They are also weighing up a third bid for Wesley Fofana despite Leicester’s reluctance to sell their star defender. Chelsea’s second bid was thought to be worth about £65m. Leicester have said publicly that the 21-year-old is not for sale but an offer in excess of £80m — a record fee for a defender — would give them a decision to make. Leicester need to sell players this summer to fund Brendan Rodgers’ spending plans, but have turned down two bids from Newcastle for attacking midfielder James Maddison.