Report: Chelsea interested in surprise splash on Drinkwater

Out of all the transfer tales to drip through this summer, Chelsea's apparent interest in Danny Drinkwater is perhaps the most left-field.

The Blues are sighting Leicester City's midfielder as someone who can help plug the gap left by Nemanja Matic's sale to Manchester United, and offer competition to N'Golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas, and new signing Tiemoue Bakayoko, sources told Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol.

Depth is required for the upcoming campaign, with Chelsea needing to juggle domestic commitments and, after winning the Premier League title last season, Champions League dates.

Chelsea is also believed to be interested in Renato Sanches, but the Bayern Munich teenager has already talked up a loan move to AC Milan as he seeks more first-team football.

In Leicester's improbable 2015-16 Premier League triumph, Drinkwater prospered alongside Kante in the heart of Claudio Ranieri's 4-4-2 system. While Kante was employed buzzing around the midfield, thieving possession and intercepting play, Drinkwater expressed himself with his expansive passing. It's perhaps this strong understanding that manager Antonio Conte is looking to rehash at Stamford Bridge.

Leicester's stance is that it doesn't want to sell another midfielder to Chelsea in the space of a year after the previous summer's £30-million departure of Kante. Drinkwater signed a new four-year contract last year, and was notably one of the few players to churn out decent performances in the first half of the Foxes' limp 2016-17 title defence.

Solhekol understands that Chelsea is still interested in wantaway Everton midfielder Ross Barkley - although Tottenham Hotspur looks in the best position in that particular chase - and the versatile Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose contract with Arsenal expires in June 2018.