Chelsea 'agree deals in principle for Nicolo Barella, Leandro Paredes'

Chelsea are reportedly in the process of choosing between Nicolo Barella and Leandro Paredes after agreeing deals in principle to sign both players.

The Blues targeted the Cagliari and Zenit St Petersburg midfielders as a direct replacement for Cesc Fabregas, who officially joined Monaco on Friday afternoon.

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea must now decide which player - if any - best suits Maurizio Sarri's system.

Sarri also has Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Danny Drinkwater and Mateo Kovacic to choose from, with the latter expected to turn his loan arrangement into a permanent move at the end of the season.

Cagliari ace Barella has also been linked with a move to Arsenal during the January window, while Paredes of Zenit was touted as a target for Real Madrid and Juventus last year.