Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will hope to see his side continue their good start to the season when they face Burnley after the final international break of the year.
The Blues currently sit third in the Premier League table after beating Wolves 3-0 last time out, and Maresca’s side have also reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Things haven’t been quite so simple in Europe, with the West London side sitting 12th in the group phase table and at risk of having to go through a play-off round to reach the knockout stages.
Away from the action, though, it has emerged that the London giants are set for talks about a La Liga star.
As per CaughtOffside, Chelsea are set for talks with Barcelona as they look to beat rivals Arsenal to the signing of midfielder Marc Casado.
The report claims that the Blues could be preparing to hold talks with their Spanish counterparts when the two sides meet in the Champions League later this month.
Casado has earned the attention of Chelsea (Photo: Magara Press SL/Alamy)
Chelsea welcome Barcelona to Stamford Bridge on November 25, with Maresca’s side in need of a positive result to bolster their hopes of qualifying automatically for the next round.
Casado, 22, has emerged on the radar of both Chelsea and Arsenal, with the defensive midfielder having already made more than 50 appearances for the Spanish side at senior level.
The report claims that Chelsea hold serious interest in the Spaniard, who made his international debut a year ago but has only been capped twice by Spain.
Casado’s contract with the La Liga champions is set to run until the end of the 2027/28 season, but it appears that both Chelsea and Arsenal could attempt to lure him away from Catalunya next year.