Chelsea ready to end transfer rule that's lasted over TWO DECADES in £120m plan

Chelsea are reportedly ready to break their long-standing transfer policy by considering selling players to Tottenham Hotspur. The Blues are facing a hectic end to the transfer window, with several players still expected to leave the club.

The Blues already secured substantial fees for Carney Chukwuemeka, Renato Veiga and others this month, but there are many other deals to be sorted before the deadline. Nicolas Jackson and Christoper Nkunku, estimated to be valued at a combined £120million, are among the first-team stars that Chelsea are keen to offload before further bolstering Enzo Maresca's squad, with RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons among the club's targets.

Leipzig and Bayern Munich are among the clubs to have shown an interest in Nkunku, while Jackson also has several possible suitors. However, it is claimed that Chelsea considers no club out of bounds when it comes to player sales, potentially paving the way for a deal with Spurs for the first time since 2001.

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The Daily Mail reports that while Chelsea once shunned transfer dealings with their London rivals, this is no longer the case. While the Blues' preference is not to sell to a rival, it is said that Chelsea would be open to negotiations with Tottenham, who have been loosely linked with Jackson and Nkunku this summer.

The same report indicates that Chelsea value Jackson at £80million and Nkunku at £40m. However, whether clubs will be prepared to meet these asking prices remains to be seen, as demonstrated by Chelsea reportedly being open to loan proposals for Jackson.

The last player to be sold directly from Chelsea to Spurs was Gus Poyet, who made the switch for a fee of around £2.2m in 2001. After winning the Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FA Cup during his four-year stint at Stamford Bridge, he ended his career with a three-year spell at Spurs.

Ex-goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini joined Spurs in January 2009 as a free agent after nearly a decade at Chelsea, meaning there was no direct business between the clubs. Frode Grodas and Jason Cundy are the only other Chelsea players to have been sold to Spurs in the Premier League era. On the flip side, Chelsea haven't purchased a Spurs player since signing Micky Hazard in 1985.

Despite their past reluctance to sell to Spurs, the same rule has not applied to all their London rivals. This summer, Chelsea offloaded both Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga to Arsenal, following similar moves for Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz in recent years. Fulham have also previously benefited from loan deals for Armando Broja and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Jackson, meanwhile, has reportedly agreed to a loan move to Bayern, according to German publication BILD, but Chelsea will only sanction a temporary move if the deal includes a buy option. The striker's prospects at Chelsea have been impacted by the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. However, Jackson would arguably face a greater challenge in taking Harry Kane's starting spot at Bayern.

football.london reports that Nkunku is also set to leave Chelsea this summer, given the signings of Jamie Gittens and Estevao in attacking roles, coupled with the club's pursuits of Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho and Leipzig forward Simons. The 27-year-old featured in 48 matches for Maresca's side last campaign and the boss recently spoke about Nkunku and Jackson's futures.

"Christo is with us like Nico, but it's the same answer as Nico," Maresca explained. "We'll see if they're going to be here. It's always better if they find a solution, as they are going to be more happy - and the club the same. But you need someone that is going to buy you. It's not so easy."

Meanwhile, Chelsea are also seeking moves away for Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, David Datro Fofana and Alfie Gilchrist. All these players had spells elsewhere on loan last season, but Chelsea would prefer permanent departures.

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