Transfer Rumors: Chelsea Will Need To Deal Players First Before Thinking Of Oblak

Mikel Arteta has his eyes on Jan Oblak and Atletico Madrid has now set its asking fee. As expected, the amount needed to get the Slovenian goalkeeper was pretty stiff. Hence, the Blues may need to pull some strings if they are bent on upgrading their goalkeeping needs.

Atletico Madrid is asking $137.5 million for Oblak, an amount that could easily turn off other clubs. Chelsea has been on a spending frenzy but may run short of what Los Indios is demanding, Goal.com reported. Aside from that, Atletico has shown no indication of wanting to deal away from the 27-year-old goalie.

Regardless, the thing here is that Chelsea and Atletico have been known to hold a good relationship. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to whether the Blues can come up with the funds to facilitate the deal. For now, the best solution to that is for Chelsea to sell off some of their players. And the first name that comes to mind is Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Frank Lampard is far from pleased with the performance of Kepa. Most remember that there was a time when Chelsea went with Willy Caballero. Lampard gave Kepa the chance to work on his game, seeing how he was playing below par. It appeared that the Spanish player tried to do just that, patiently working on improving his game. Unfortunately, it seems Kepa's efforts are not enough.

Even before the name of Oblak came into the picture, Chelsea already had several goalkeepers in mind. The list includes Andre Onana of Ajax and Roman Burki of Borussia Dortmund.

Hence, the first thing that Chelsea needs to do right now is to find a taker for Kepa. Valencia is reportedly interested in Kepa but on loan. The Spaniard would take over from Jasper Cillesen. Los Che would be interested in a two-year loan with an option to buy.

Unless some other club enters the picture, this is the best option the Blues have on the table. Sevilla expressed interest in the 25-year-old player However, his $214,000-a-week wage may be too much for them to manage.

If not Kepa, Lampard could also unload some other players in the mix. Chelsea has already spent a lot and it appears they have no plans of slowing down. However, they need to manage their finances to attain those players - including Van Oblak.