Chelsea submit €120m offer for their next superstar midfielder

Cameron Smith

• 12 Jan 2026 05:30 CST
• 3 min read

Nieuws

Chelsea have lodged a €120 million offer for Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, as per a shock report from Spain.

The Blues have prioritised signing up-and-coming talents since the arrival of Clearlake Capital as their new owners in 2022, however they have set their sights on completing a blockbuster deal for Valverde this year.

That is according to Spanish publication Fichajes, who claim that Liam Rosenior’s side have put forward a €120m proposal for Valverde as they look to bring the Uruguay international to Stamford Bridge.

Rosenior has reportedly identified Valverde as the perfect player to bolster his midfield ranks in west London, with the injury-prone Romeo Lavia seemingly unable to stay fit and summer signing Dario Essugo yet to make his Premier League debut due to a thigh problem.

Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and club captain Reece James have been heavily relied upon over the past few months as a result of Chelsea’s injury problems in midfield, and they are eager to solve this issue by adding Valverde to their first-team squad.

The 27-year-old has racked up a whopping 348 senior appearances since his arrival at Real Madrid back in 2016, and he has helped Los Blancos win a total of 14 trophies during his time at the Bernabeu.

Federico Valverde to join Chelsea?

Real Madrid are reportedly reluctant to sell Valverde, but they are yet to dismiss Chelsea’s offer as they are aware of the financial impact that a €120m sale could have.

However, Fichajes state that Florentino Perez is unlikely to sanction a departure unless Valverde expresses his desire to leave the Spanish giants in order to complete a Stamford Bridge switch.

The Uruguay star still has three-and-a-half years remaining on his current contract at the Bernabeu, while his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €114.5m - the second-highest of any Real Madrid player behind Jude Bellingham.

Chelsea have also been linked with England duo Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton in recent weeks, and reports speculate that Rosenior’s side are expected to add at least one new central midfielder to their ranks this summer.

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