Chelsea transfer targets Enzo Fernandez and Declan Rice are the 'perfect' successors for N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Chelsea targeting midfield duo

Reports at the end of December detailed that Chelsea had submitted a £114m bid for Fernandez, however there still seems to be some way to go to complete the signing, with it more recently emerging that 'no agreement' is yet in place.

The Blues' pursuit of Rice is also well known, with TEAMtalk claiming that Stamford Bridge is now his most likely destination, amid interest from Liverpool, and CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has now stated that a deal could cost between £70m - £75m.

The Latest: Jones' comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about Chelsea's interest in the duo, Jones said:

"What we’re looking at is potentially the perfect combination to take over from where Jorginho and Kante are going to be leaving.

“If Declan Rice is genuinely available at around £70m/£75m in the summer and Fernandez is £100m, that combined fee to replace Jorginho and Kante who are both expected to leave isn’t that bad.”

The Verdict: Worth it?

While Jones claims that a combined £175m fee 'isn't that bad' for the pair, it is still an amount of money that Todd Boehly will not want to spend unless they are going to seriously improve Graham Potter's starting XI, and there is a lot of evidence that they would.

Lauded as 'sensational' by the Athletic's Adam Crafton, Rice has been a shining light in a poor West Ham this season, comfortably ranked as the best performing Premier League player in the squad by SofaScore, with an average rating of 7.23, higher than both Kante and Jorginho.

Fernandez oozes class on the ball, averaging 97.41 passes attempted per 90 over the past year, in the 99th percentile and an improvement on the already impressive figure from Jorginho in the same timeframe, with the Italian averaging 71.91.

Both of the current Chelsea midfielders have been fine servants to the club, but they are 31, so younger options are now needed, and the midfield duo being targeted would be fantastic long-term replacements.