Chelsea told Xhaka will stay as Chalobah talks near
Chelsea are monitoring Barcelona's Gerard Martín as a left-sided option for Xabi Alonso, but AC Milan are pushing harder and could raise their offer to €35m.
Chelsea have held positive initial talks with Brighton over Danny Welbeck. The 35-year-old scored 13 times last season and a deal could cast doubt on the futures of Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu.
Chelsea beat Crawley 3-1 and Bromley 3-0 in behind-closed-doors friendlies, with Jamie Gittens and Emmanuel Emegha scoring in both before the Australia and Asia tour.
Chelsea's left-back search has led Xabi Alonso to keep pushing for Alvaro Carreras as a Pep Chavarria alternative, though Real Madrid would want more than the £47m they paid for him.
Manchester City have added Pedro Neto to their winger shortlist, but Chelsea are not looking to sell and no formal approach or club-to-club talks have been reported.
Jamie Gittens has welcomed competition from £117m signing Morgan Rogers, said Xabi Alonso wants him to stay positive and direct, and feels close to full fitness after his hamstring injury.
Chelsea have been told to forget Granit Xhaka after Sunderland rejected an £8m bid, with Regis Le Bris insisting 'the topic is closed' and the captain wants to stay.
Chelsea's midfield options include reviving interest in Bruno Guimaraes, making a second bid for Alex Scott or simply keeping Enzo Fernandez amid uncertainty over his future.
Romeo Lavia is a doubt for Chelsea's friendly with Western Sydney Wanderers, with youngsters in line for midfield roles and Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro tipped to start.
Chelsea have been linked with Tottenham captain Cristian Romero, with Inter also keen as Spurs weigh the defender's future after a turbulent end to last season.
Liverpool are weighing a move for Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong after Joe Gomez's injury, but Xabi Alonso is said to view the 20-year-old as central to his plans.
Como are pushing to sign Trevoh Chalobah, with reports claiming personal terms are agreed and a crucial meeting with Chelsea is set to finalise a deal worth up to €30m.
