Chelsea face London derbies against both Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford when the Premier League returns at the start of April.
Enzo Maresca’s side were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal in their latest outing on Sunday, but are now out of action for a fortnight as the international break takes place before the FA Cup quarter-finals at the end of the month.
At present the Blues occupy fourth spot in the top flight table and are therefore on course to qualify for the Champions League next term, however a run of just four wins from their last 13 league games is cause for concern for Maresca.
This summer is set to be another busy one at Stamford Bridge with several incomings and outgoings likely, but it now appears that those in charge of the club are considering a very unusual course of action in relation to one of their current players.
According to the I, the West London outfit are considering taking the unusual step of paying a to get out of their obligation to buy winger Jadon Sancho from Manchester United this summer.
Sancho has struggled for consistency since joining Chelsea last summer
The Englishman joined the Blues on loan from United last summer, and the London side have an obligation to buy the forward for a fee of £25 million if they finish above 14th in the Premier League table.
The report claims, however, that Chelsea are contemplating paying a ‘significant amount’ to avoid having to sign the 23-time England international on a permanent basis.
It is claimed that the Blues, who have recently agreed a deal to sign Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP, are considering paying the penalty fee that would see Sancho return to Old Trafford and the Blues avoid having to take on his £250,000-per-week wages.
Sancho, 24, has scored twice and provided six assists in 29 matches across all competitions for the Blues so far this term.