Chelsea 'make £26.8m bid for Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Leandro Paredes'

Chelsea have reportedly made an offer of £26.8m as they look to sign Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Leandro Paredes.

The Blues confirmed last week that Cesc Fabregas had left Stamford Bridge for Monaco, and head coach Maurizio Sarri is keen to bring in a replacement before the end of the January transfer window.

According to the London Evening Standard, Paredes is the most likely arrival at the Premier League side providing that Chelsea can tempt Zenit into a sale.

The 24-year-old has netted eight times from 55 appearances for Zenit since signing from Roma in 2017, and it has been suggested that Chelsea may have to increase their offer for the Argentine.

However, the Blues are also looking to strengthen in other areas, something which could potentially hinder their efforts to pay above their own valuation of Paredes.