FIRE SALE

Havertz & Kovacic spark Chelsea's multi-million megastar clearout

- MIKE WALTERS

CHELSEA have launched the most expensive clear-out in English football history - and the £100million they have recouped in a single day is just for starters.

After agreeing a £65m fee to sell striker Kai Havertz to Arsenal and a £30m deal with Treble winners Manchester City for midfielder Mateo Kovacic, the Blues confirmed N'Golo Kante will join Saudi club Al-Ittihad when the French midfielder's contract expires next week.

In addition, Manchester United have made an improved £50m offer for England midfielder Mason Mount, whose deal at Stamford Bridge has only 12 months left to run.

And Chelsea misfits Romelu Lukaku, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have all been linked with moves to the money-no-object Gulf state.

Blues owner Todd Boehly signed off an astonishing £600m trolley dash in two transfer windows after his £4.5billion buy-out of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich last year.

But to comply with financial fair play rules the American billionaire is now playing supermarket sweep in reverse - rushing along the aisles to put unwanted purchases back on the shelves and claiming unprecedented refunds.