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Chelsea have seen their initial offer for Manchester City starlet Cole Palmer turned down, according to recent reports, amid a late push to sign the youngster this summer.
With just a couple days left of the summer transfer window, the Blues are still looking to complete one final incoming to conclude their business. football.london understands that the west London outfit are eyeing a forward that can play on the wing as well as at No.10.
A whole host of players have been linked with fulfilling that role, from Emile Smith Rowe and Ansu Fati to Bradley Barcola and Joao Felix. The latest name to crop up is Palmer, who has shown plenty of promise for City despite his limited number of minutes for the senior side.
The England youth international impressed with goals in both the Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup so far this season, with regular starts and impact becoming the next step in his development. However, a switch to Chelsea could well boost his progression to the next level.
Perhaps crucially, Chelsea director Joe Shields has spent plenty of time working with Palmer at City, giving him a keen insight into his ability and potential. Mauricio Pochettino's call for Premier League experience is partially answered as a result, though the youngster has only played a handful of times.
READ MORE: Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: Done deal, Cole Palmer bid, Cucurella to Man Utd, Smith Rowe offer
With time of the essence, an opening offer has been made and the Evening Standard reports that the bid from Chelsea was in the region of £35million. That has since been rejected by City, though a sale has not been ruled out so long as their valuation is met by the Blues.
The magic number is believed to be in the £50million range, though there could be some wiggle room in terms of negotiating a lower fee. It remains to be seen whether that will be reached, but with such drastic decisions to be made in the final hours of the window, it could be all or nothing for Chelsea.
