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Chelsea ready to make FINAL £12m offer for Atletico Madrid's Filipe Luis
CHELSEA are refusing to pay Filipe Luis' £19m buy-out clause and will instead make a final take-it-or-leave offer of £12m for the defender.
Luis is desperate to leave Atletico for London and has pleaded with the Spanish club to lower their demands.
But, facing financial difficulties, Atletico are insisting that the full fee is paid to trigger Luis' release.
It is the same stance Atletico took with respect to Diego Costa, who eventually joined Chelsea in a £32.5m deal.
But the Blues are not keen on being held hostage over a player who they know wants to leave, particularly given Atletico have already signed a replacement.
Ashley Cole Player Profile
Filipe Luis wants to join Chelsea
As things stand Luis is currently expected to report to pre-season training today, but will compete with Guilherme Siqueira for the left-back slot if he if forced to stay at the club.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are in need of a new left-back having allowed Ashley Cole to depart at the end of last season.
Cole is expected to seal a move to Italian side Roma today.
But it seems that Luis' future is considerably less certain, with negotiations seemingly reaching an impasse.
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