Chelsea FC transfer rumors: Millwall's 'new Chris Smalling'; Inter's Brozovic; Bologna's Diawara

A few odds and ends from the midweek rumor mill shuffle.  Nothing to get too excited about, though the two midfielders have popped up before.

CHRISTIAN MBULU

Surely one of the more random stories of the season, but according to The Sun, Chelsea are "watching" Millwall's young defender who's apparently been compared to Chris Smalling.  I have no idea either (Mbulu doesn't even have a Wiki page!), but he probably has a very good agent.  Perhaps the same agent who represents Michael Hector.

MARCELO BROZOVIC

Slightly more realistic target is Inter Milan's talented midfielder.  He's been linked with Chelsea before (Lampard is an idol) and he hasn't done anything since with his performances to discourage further rumors.  While Inter do have an "obligation to buy" the on-loan midfielder (from Dinamo Zagreb), apparently they would not be averse to immediately offloading him to the tune of £15-18m.  The Italian rumor mill seem convinced that the 23-year-old will be playing in the Premier League next season.

AMADOU DIAWARA

Young Diawara (18) has also popped up on the Chelsea radar before, and he continues to turn heads alongside fellow Bologna teenage midfielder Godfred Donsah (also on the shortlist of many big teams).  Gazzetta calls them (plus defenders Adam Masina and Ibrahima Mbaye) "The Gold of Bologna" and Europe's big guns are lining up to siege Bologna's walls for their services.  Diawara's supposed asking price is north of €20m, but most seem to agree that he's a real gem.  Italian teams tend to have the advantage in such domestic "auctions" (i.e. Juventus and the like are probably a more attractive proposition than moving abroad), but perhaps with Conte at the helm, Chelsea could have a chance.  If we are so inclined.