Report: Leicester to demand £40M from Chelsea for Drinkwater

Chelsea could be forced to fork over all the money from the sale of Nemanja Matic if it's genuinely interested in completing a transfer to sign Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater.

Leicester officials have already rejected Chelsea's initial bid of £15 million, with the Blues reportedly in the process of preparing a second offer worth £10 million more.

However, Leicester will likely reject the latest advance in favour of a higher offer, as club officials have slapped a £40-million price tag on the English midfielder, Matt Law of The Telegraph reports.

It's the same sum Manchester United reportedly paid Chelsea earlier this month to secure Matic.

Although he's younger than Matic, and his status as a homegrown player will undoubtedly add to his value, few would consider the two comparable in terms of their value on the pitch.

But, perhaps it's a reflection of Chelsea's desperation when the club is coming off an embarrassing opening day defeat to Burnley at Stamford Bridge.

If Chelsea continues its pursuit and succeeds, the club may not be finished with its summer shopping.

It's understood that manager Antonio Conte has been promised three new signings before the transfer window closes. But completing transfers in the final weeks and days of the summer window will likely be an expensive endeavour as teams are expected to demand inflated offers before considering whether to sell assets in the midst of the opening weeks of their respective domestic leagues.