Antonio Conte remains confident he will sign Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco despite Manchester United closing in on a deal for the France international.
Chelsea came close to signing the 22-year-old last month, but he underwent a routine keyhole operation to clean out a knee, which postponed a Chelsea medical which had already been planned and delayed his move to London.
The Red Devils tried to swoop in and lift yet another player from under Chelsea's noses, especially with the Blues reluctant to up their bid of £37 million for Bakayoko.
Monaco want at least £40 million plus add-ons for their midfield star, and now it seems Abramovich will be willing to pay as much. Chelsea will attempt to swoop in and pip United to the signing, much like the way they tried to do with Lukaku.