As noted by The Times, Chelsea cannot register new players for next season’s Champions League squad unless they balance out the squad costs from “List A”, which is the last squad registered with UEFA for the second half of the Conference League campaign. The rule means any spending on new players must be balanced out by income from sales.

Arsenal have been given encouragement by Chelsea in their pursuit of Noni Madueke as talks are set to accelerate.

Madueke offers a two-footed attacking threat from the wing — but it may be his improvement out-of-possession that has caught Arteta's eye