Chelsea news: Transfer target set for summer move

Chelsea are going through the dreaded transitional period, with Graham Potter's side set to miss out on Champions League football.

The Blues are ninth in the Premier League - 10 points behind Newcastle in fourth - and will miss out on Europe's premier competition next season unless they enjoy a sensational run. Alternatively, they could qualify by winning the current Champions League campaign.

It is unclear what the future holds for Potter, who succeeded the sacked Thomas Tuchel last September, his players and the club's chair Todd Boehly. It promises to be intriguing, however, with lots of debate. Here are the latest headlines from Stamford Bridge.

Legend wants Cucurella dropped

Former Blues defender Frank Leboeuf wants Marc Cucurella to be dropped by Potter after struggling to impress since his transfer.

Chelsea signed the Spain international, 24, from Brighton for £60million last summer and has played 24 games since after fellow left-back Ben Chilwell suffered a hamstring injury. Many critics, including Leboeuf, does not believe Cucurella has lived up to his price tag.

"Hopefully, Reece James and Ben Chilwell will go back into fitness ASAP, because we need them," Leboeuf told ESPN. "Because we don't want to see Cucurella anymore.

"With all due respect to a man that I don't know, the player is not good enough for Chelsea. It's as simple as that, you know. It's crazy that they signed him for £60m or £70m, but we can see that he doesn't belong to that level."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has returned to training after being left out of Chelsea's Champions League squad by Potter.

Aubameyang, 33, will not be involved in Chelsea's last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund due to the club bringing in several new players - including Enzo Fernandez - during January. The striker also played no role in their goalless draw against Fulham last Friday.

There were rumours Aubameyang would leave Chelsea in the immediate future - with AC Milan interested - but the player has now returned to training and is in contention for the team's Premier League fixture against West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday.

West Ham's sporting director Mark Noble has admitted no one could "begrudge" Declan Rice for joining a more competitive club in the summer.

Rice, 24, is believed to be a transfer target for Chelsea - nine years after he was released by the club. Premier League leaders Arsenal and Manchester United are also interested in the player, who has admitted he wants to play Champions League football.

Noble told the Evening Standard : "We're West Ham and these players want to go out and play Champions League football - and do you blame them? Dec is no different. Dec will always be hailed at West Ham as a fantastic player and such a top, top person.

"But I don't think anyone begrudges him wanting to go and win things. We just hope he'll keep performing like he has been over the last month or so.

"Wherever Declan ends up, or however much someone pays for him, whether it's here or anywhere else, he's worth every penny. He's said openly he loves playing at West Ham, but he has got ambitions as a player to go and play in the Champions League and win trophies. I don't think any West Han fan can actually have an agenda over that.

"Do you blame him for having really big ambitions? Of course you don't. If he didn't, he probably wouldn't be as good as he is."