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

Chelsea eyeing Locatelli

The Blues are reportedly interested in Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Chelsea are the latest club who are ready to bid for the highly-rated Italian.

The report states that Thomas Tuchel is keen on increasing competition among his midfielders and is interested in bringing another one in.

Locatelli was a member of the AC Milan academy from the age of 11 and made his debut in the 2016/17 season.

However, he was not seen as a starter and was loaned out to Sassuolo with an option to buy and has been impressive ever since.

The 23-year-old has played 34 games in Serie A this season, scoring four goals and picking up three assists.

The Blues are expected to fight off interest from Manchester City who also are impressed by the winger and look at him as a Fernandinho replacement.

Melchiot hails Kante

Mario Melchiot has praised N’Golo Kante for his leadership skills in the Chelsea squad.

Speaking to TalkSport, the former Blues defender also compared the 30-year-old to another former Blue who was a ‘big brother’, Claude Makelele.

‘You know what I like about Kante?’, Melchiot said. ‘It’s a little bit like what I had with Makelele. They are similar guys in the way they are built.

‘Sometimes they walk next to you and they look like your little brother but the moment they put on the kit they become your big brother.’

Kante was crucial towards the business end of our Champions League triumph, picking up the Man of the Match award in both legs of the semi-final against Real Madrid and the win over Manchester City in the final.

‘I feel like Kante is something like that,’ Melchiot added. ‘You see this little guy, you look at him and think "why would I be scared of you?"

‘And then when you are on the field with him you go “oh, this man becomes a giant” and he runs the show.’

Drogba receives honorary award

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was awarded an honorary degree for his charity work in the Ivory Coast.

According to Sky Sports, the 43-year-old received the award after dedicating nearly 20 years to helping others in West Africa.

He was awarded by an Ivory Coast university for bringing peace to the country as well as his football contributions.

In 2005, in the middle of a civil war, the former Blues attacker invited TV cameras into the changing room after they qualified for the 2006 World Cup.

After the game, he made a speech urging the country to end the violence and caused a ceasefire after years of conflict.

Drogba was also awarded a 2020 UEFA President’s Award last year. The UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin labelled the Ivory Coast all-time leading goalscorer as a ‘leader and a pioneer’.