Chelsea step up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang talks as three forwards look for summer exits

Chelsea have a meeting this afternoon with Barcelona and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang's representatives to convince him to move to Stamford Bridge.

The former Arsenal captain is reluctant to make a summer switch, having arrived at Camp Now just seven months ago at the end of the January transfer window.

But Aubameyang is willing to reject interest from Manchester United for Chelsea if he does decide to move.

United have tried to hijack Chelsea's interest in Aubameyang amid a scattergun transfer approach which has seen them contact dozens of players in the last week.

Those involved in the talks estimate that a fee of around £24million could be enough to secure the 33-year-old, with Barcelona needing to sell players due to their financial problems.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is now looking at his attack after radically overhauling his squad in other areas under new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

The Blues have signed Raheem Sterling in a £47.5m deal from Manchester City this summer but Tuchel knows Aubameyang would add further firepower.

Tuchel holds a positive relationship with Aubameyang from their time together at Borussia Dortmund and could use Robert Lewandowski’s arrival at Camp Nou to convince the former Gunners forward to head back to the Premier League.

Chelsea have already agreed on a £12.6m move for 19-year-old Inter midfielder Cesare Casadei, which is set to be announced today.

Everton have rejected two bids worth up to £45m for Anthony Gordon, with a further bid of £50m possibly enough to secure the 21-year-old.

It comes after Callum Hudson-Odoi was given the permission of Boehly to look for a loan move, which would create space in the squad for a new forward, with Dortmund, Newcastle and Southampton known to be interested.

Manchester United are interested in signing Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech. The American has been contacted over a possible loan but Chelsea were not involved in the talks and would block anything other than a financially viable permanent deal.

Both players are keen to leave Stamford Bridge, having seen Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner depart after problems playing under Tuchel’s rigid attacking structure.