These stories are samples pulled from external media sources. They do not represent the views or position of Chelsea Football Club.

Blues make Hakimi inquiry

According to the Mirror, Chelsea have asked Real Madrid about the availability of Morocco international Achraf Hakimi who is currently on loan at Boussia Dortmund.

A product of Real’s academy system, Hakimi is in the second of a two-season loan at Dortmund and has gradually grown in influence at the Bundesliga club, appearing in all of their 25 league matches so far this season.

‘The loan deal between the two clubs does not contain an option to purchase at the end of the campaign and that has prompted a number of clubs to register an interest,’ states the report.

‘Chelsea are one of them and were told by Real that they will not make any decisions until this season finally reaches its conclusion.

‘Real’s initial plan was to include Hakimi in the first-team squad next season but the final call on that will be left with coach Zinedine Zidane.

‘Hakimi operates primarily at right-back but can also play left-back and as a winger.

‘His contract in Madrid runs until June 2022 and contains a release clause of around £50million.’

Chelsea close to signing Lille defender?

The Sun reports Chelsea are closing in on Lille’s highly rated Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, who has also been linked with Arsenal and Everton.

Gabriel played in both of Lille’s Champions League matches against the Blues earlier this season and Europsport reporter Manu Lonjon has tweeted that a deal for him to move to Stamford Bridge is ‘almost completed’ with Chelsea ‘far ahead’ of Everton in the race for the 22-year-old.

‘The Brazilian youth international has impressed for the Ligue 1 side this season, making 24 appearances in the French top flight with his side sitting fourth in the table,’ states the Sun’s report.

‘A strong imposing defender, who is also adept at playing out from the back, Gabriel's improvement this season has drawn admiring glances from across Europe.

‘Arsenal have been interested for a number of months now, with a fee of £30million expected to be required to prise him from Lille.But Everton were recently thought to have moved ahead in the race for his signature.

‘Chelsea however, under the guidance of director Marina Granovskaia, are adept at getting deals over the line ahead of league rivals.’

Ferdinand on rivalry with former best mate Lampard

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinanand has revealed his friendship with Frank Lampard became strained because of the rivalry between Chelsea and the Red Devils, the Metro reports.

The two players were close friends when they came through together at the West Ham academy but found themselves on opposing sides when Lampard moved to Stamford Bridge and Ferdinand went to Leeds and Manchester United.

Ferdinand believes the intense rivalries between the top clubs may have had a detrimental effect on the England national team.

‘It was bad for England because we were such rivals and the main players in the squad were all at those clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool – you had Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher – and then Chelsea had like Frank, JT, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole,’ he said on Instagram Live.

‘So those three were the best three clubs in the land at the time, along with Arsenal probably. And we were all in the England team together, so we’d be rivals at the weekend and we’d come in and there’d still be a little bit of tension – underlying tension, we’d all have a laugh, but deep down… I don’t know.

‘I’d never shared enough stuff with Stevie. And we laugh about it now, me and Stevie and Frank have worked together on BT Sport, loads of times, and we laugh about it over a beer like, “How were we like that?” But it was just so intense our rivalry.

‘And you have to remember Frank Lampard was one of my best mates, my best mate in football when we were growing up, talked to him and see him every day, roomed with him for like four or five years.

‘And I went from being like that close to not chatting to him on the phone, not seeing him, because I was desperate to win for United and I hated the thought of him winning for Chelsea.’