Chelsea given greenlight to sign this £44m-rated Spaniard

Chelsea are weighing up a £44 million bid for Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke after Barcelona ended their interest.

Speculation is rife that the Catalans were planning to mark the end of their transfer embargo by signing him next January.

However, Jose Mourinho now has a free run at the highly-rated 23-year-old after the Spanish giants pulled out of the race, according to The Metro.

It was previously reported that the West Londoners may look to use out-of-favour Filipe Luis as a makeweight in a player-plus-cash deal this summer.

What say you? Should Chelsea move for Koke? Let us know in the comments below.