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Transfer news and rumours: Manchester United and Chelsea to battle for Gareth Bale, Liverpool want Eduardo Salvio

The biggest transfer news and rumours on Wednesday 18 March

Jack de Menezes

Wednesday 18 March 2015 12:58 GMT

Gareth Bale is a reported target for Manchester United and Chelsea (Getty Images)

Manchester United and Chelsea are both being linked with summer raids on Real Madrid with Gareth Bale and Raphael Varane believed to be interesting the Premier League sides.

The Daily Express claims that Jose Mourinho will look to address the Blues’ early Champions League exit with a whopping £150m move for both Bale and Varane, despite claims from the Spanish club that the man who they signed for £86m less than two years ago is not for sale. Mourinho is known to be a fan of Varane’s having been impressed with the young French defender during his time as manager at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the Daily Star claims that United will look to use goalkeeper David De Gea as bait to land Bale this summer, with Real interested in signing the 24-year-old Spaniard as a replacement for the long-serving Iker Casillas.

Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

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1/12Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)

Newspapers in Spain report that Chelsea had a mammoth £102m bid rejected for Real Madrid's Welsh winger. It seems unlikely given the Blues' adherence to FFP, while Los Blancos claim they do not want to sell.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Andrej Kramaric (Rijeka)

The Croatian striker is attracting interest from across the Premier League with Tottenham and Leicester also interested in his services. The Foxes even had a bid accepted but the 23-year-old rejected a move to the King Power Stadium. Kramaric has 28 goals in just 30 matches for Rijeka this season.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Paul Pogba (Juventus)

The former Manchester United midfielder has become one of the most sought-after players in world football during his spell at Juventus. Still only 21, the Frenchman, who has drawn comparisons with Patrick Vieira, has helped Juventus to titles in both his seasons in Serie A, while he impressed the world at the World Cup. Could cost upwards of £40m, but Juventus have claimed that he won't be leaving during the current transfer window as they want to build 'a team of champions'.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus)

The Ghanaian utility man can play on the left wing, central midfield, left-back and as a wing back and has become a crucial part of Juve's recent success. The Blues are linked with a £24m move for a player who would bolster their squad.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Kevin Strootman (Roma)

Manchester United and Chelsea are both believed to be interested in the Dutch midfielder, 24, who has played only three matches this season as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury he suffered in January. At his best, Strootman is a brilliant box-to-box threat.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)

Just about every top club in Europe is chasing the German star, who looks destined to leave struggling Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season. But with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich potential suitors, it may take a lot to convince the 25-year-old to come to Stamford Bridge.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)

A long-term target and personal favourite of Jose Mourinho's, Varane is already one of the world's best defenders. Classy in possession, a gifted athlete and smart reader of the game, Real Madrid would be foolish to allow the 21-year-old to depart.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Karim Bellarabi (Bayer Leverkusen)

The German international is one of two Bayer Leverkusen players Chelsea scouts watched in the Champions League in midweek. Bellarabi, 24, is a pacey winger who has scored an impressive seven goals and added five assists for Leverkusen this season. With Mohamed Salah failing to get into the first team, Bellarabi might be seen as a perfect replacement for the Egyptian.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Hakan Calhanoglu (Bayer Leverkusen)

The other Leverkusen player Chelsea scouts watched is a Turkish international born in Germany; the 20-year-old playmaker has also impressed for Roger Schmidt's team with six goals and four assists this season. Like Bellarabi, he would be considered one for the future rather than a first-team regular straight away.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Anderson Talisca (Benfica)

Chelsea were interested in the 20-year-old Brazilian in the summer but would not have been able to get a work permit for the former Bahia forward. He has flourished at Benfica, with nine goals this season with the club six points clear at the top of the Prineira Liga. Unlikely to move in January but a long-term target.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Munir El Haddadi (Barcelona)

The brilliant teenager is unlikely to be allowed to leave Barcelona as he likely has a bright future ahead. At just 19 has become a regular on the bench and in the first team for Luis Enrique.

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Chelsea: The players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month

Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina)

One of the hits of the 2014 World Cup, Cuadrado has put himself firmly on the radar of a number of clubs including Chelsea. Wolfsburg's reported interest in Andre Schurrle could lead to the Blues moving for Cuadrado to replace the German, but if Schurrle stays then any deal in January is unlikely.

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De Gea’s future at Old Trafford has come into question with talks over a new contract yet to materialise into anything formal, and with Real keen to bring the Spanish No 1 back to his homeland, they could look to sell Bale given his recent struggles in the side.

Despite the talk of Bale leaving, the Welshman did improve to score both goals in the weekend victory over Levante, and Real president Florentino Perez gave his backing to the 25-year-old just last week by saying: "Gareth Bale is one of the best players in the world. The only thing I can say is that we shouldn't forget what he was able to achieve in his first year at Real Madrid."

Elsewhere, United are said to be rivalling Liverpool in the hunt for Benfica winger Eduardo Salvio as his own contract talks continue to stall. According to the Daily Mirror, both clubs are interested in bringing the 24-year-old Argentinian to the Premier League, having witnessed him score eight goals in 23 Portuguese Liga games.

Salvio is a reported target for United and Liverpool (Getty Images)

The same newspaper claims that Stoke are hoping to fend off interest from Tottenham and Inter Milan in goalkeeper Asmir Begovic by offering him a new contract before the end of the season. The 27-year-old Bosnia-Herzegovina international has his admirers across Europe after a number of impressive performances over the past few seasons, and Spurs could look to land him in the summer should they miss out on the top-four and Hugo Lloris elects to move to a Champions League club.

Finally, the Daily Star reports that Edin Dzeko could be on his way out of Manchester City in the summer with the club’s hierarchy finally losing patience with his inconsistent form since arriving from Wolfsburg in 2011.

Dzeko could pay the price for City's poor form (Getty Images)

The Bosnia-Herzegovina striker has scored 50 league goals in 125 appearances for City, but has failed to convince whenever Manuel Pellegrini has chosen to play him in a two-pronged attack with Sergio Aguero, and he could pay the price following Wilfired Bony’s arrival in January.

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