According to the latest reports, Chelsea have received a huge transfer boost in their pursuit to sign Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater as the Foxes are close to landing Adrien Silva from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon. Drinkwater has been a top target for Chelsea this summer after Nemanja Matic moved to Manchester United and Antonio Conte might finally land him on the last day of the window.
Drinkwater hasn’t played a single game this season with Leicester City looking quite comfortable with the pair of Onyinye Ndidi and Matty James. They have options like Daniel Amartey, Andy King and Nampalys Mendy to come off the bench as and when needed, which leaves hardly any space for their former skipper Drinkwater.
The English international has known it for quite some time and had reportedly handed in a transfer request to the club earlier last week. Following the sale of Matic, Conte has been looking for an option who could be thrown into the first team from day one and the veteran Drinkwater remains a priority target for him.
The box-to-box midfielder is expected to cost Chelsea somewhere in the region of £40 million. While the fee remains a slight hindrance on the Blues’ part, they are unlikely to miss out on the chance to field Drinkwater alongside N’Golo Kante, the midfield pair that had won Leicester City the title back in the 2015-16 campaign.
Leicester City’s asking price is in accordance with the amount they would get to facilitate the transfer fee of the 28-year-old Adrien Silva. The Portuguese international is valued at £22 million by Sporting and the Foxes are reportedly confident of striking a deal before Thursday night’s deadline.
An academy product of Manchester United, the midfielder was a flop at Old Trafford as he failed to make a single appearance for the side. He had to spend loan stints with Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Watford and Barnsley FC before joining Leicester City in 2011. He established himself in the Foxes first team instantly before helping them win the title four years later.
Mostly known for his ability to read the game from the deep midfield, Drinkwater also loves to pull strings from the central midfield. Playing alongside Kante, Fabregas or Bakayoko, the player would be able to distribute the ball perfectly to the attacking trio of Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro.
His strong physique and aggressive approach help to provide a good cushion for the back line, which was missing for Chelsea in their first game against Burnley.
