Chelsea hold internal talks over re-signing star who Mourinho sold for £17m

Chelsea have now held internal talks over the possibility of re-signing a star former player, with Enzo Maresca’s side now looking to strengthen yet another area of the squad which could soon be weakened.

Chelsea firmly in Champions League race after win over Fulham

The Blues were staring down the barrel of west London derby defeat to Fulham on Easter Sunday, but thanks to two dramatic late goals from Tyrique George and Pedro Neto, Maresca’s blushes were spared.

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The west Londoners have another name on their agenda.

The 2-1 win at Craven Cottage keeps Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League qualification firmly alive, and there are more than four spots up for grabs this year amid a tight race for fifth with Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United.

Defeat at Fulham would’ve spelled disaster for Maresca, but Neto’s 93rd minute winner sparked jubilation in the away end and could come as a season-defining strike.

“Personally, the goal from Pedro doesn’t change my view from the season,” said Maresca on Neto’s late goal.

“I said three or four days ago, and I will repeat, Chelsea in the last two years have never been in a Champions League spot and this season we spent the whole season there. So today’s win doesn’t change my view.

“It’s already a good season and can become very good if we finish in a Champions League spot, no doubt. But for sure today was an important win because first of all it’s a derby, second it gives us the chance to be there and probably was the most difficult win and the reason why is because they all played yesterday, so for us it was a must-win game. And I think after we conceded the goal is the reason why we struggled a bit more because for the players it became more difficult and second half we were much better.”

The race for Europe will also be crucial in determining the club’s transfer plans for this summer, as it will boost the club’s budget and do wonders in attracting their top targets for next season.

Chelsea discuss re-signing Man City legend Kevin De Bruyne

Now, as per reliable journalist Simon Phillips, an attacking midfielder could be on the agenda for Chelsea, with Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Carney Chukwuemeka all likely to be sold or loaned out in the summer.

They’ve also refused to rule out bringing in veteran players if they come as good value, prompting them to consider a move for Man City legend and former Cobham star Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian is out-of-contract and set to leave Eastlands this summer, bringing an end to 10 years of major success at City where he’s been right at the heart of their dominance.

He is undoubtedly one of the best creative midfielders the Premier League has ever seen, and Phillips now reports that Chelsea are internally discussing re-signing De Bruyne, 11 years after Jose Mourinho sold the player to Wolfsburg for just £17 million.

His “beloved” status at the Blues follows a decade of stunning performances, where he’s also managed 107 goals and 177 assists in all competitions.

The 33-year-old has suffered from his fair share of injury problems in the last two seasons, though, and would likely need to take a cut on his sky-high £400,000-per-week salary.