Chelsea have a ‘Plan B’ in place if they are unable to sign Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland this summer – with another world-class striker on their radar.
Haaland, believed to be a longstanding primary target for the Blues and undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world right now, could leave Germany if Dortmund receive the right price for the star forward.
However, the Bundesliga club are believed to want as much as £150m for the Norweigan talisman – and the Blues are said to have a back-up plan if a deal were to fall through for the 20-year-old.
According to Spanish national news outlet Fichajes, if Chelsea fail to secure Haaland’s signature then the Blues will instead recruit Gerard Moreno.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is said to be a big fan of the Spain international – and the Villarreal forward will be available for significantly less than Haaland.
The 29-year-old, who has two years remaining on his contract at the Estadio de la Ceramica, is valued at £36m on transfermarkt – that’s £114m cheaper than Haaland’s eye-watering asking price.
Moreno was prolific for the La Liga side last season notching 30 goals and providing eleven assists in all competitions.
He also scored in the Europa League final against Manchester United as the Yellow Submarine lifted the trophy and their first-ever piece of European silverware.
The Blues are keen to sign a striker during the transfer window, with Tuchel looking to add attacking reinforcements ahead of their Premier League title bid next season.
It comes as no surprise that Chelsea are on the hunt for a new striker, too, especially after Timo Werner’s difficult debut season at Stamford Bridge and Tammy Abraham tipped to leave the club.
Marina Granovskaia closing on completing latest summer transfer deal.
Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is closing in on a move to Italian giants AC Milan, according to reports in Italy.
The former Arsenal man, who joined Chelsea back in January 2018 on an initial 18-month deal, is reported to have agreed personal terms with the Serie A outfit ahead of making the move to the San Siro.
Giroud, who stepped off the bench during France’s 1-1 draw with Hungary at Euro 2020 on Saturday, was confirmed to have had his Chelsea contract extended earlier this month, despite finding opportunities limited under Blues chief Thomas Tuchel.
However, despite having seen the option of a one-year extension triggered, Giroud still looks set to leave Stamford Bridge, with Sky Italia, as cited by the Metro, reporting that the 34-year-old has put pen to paper on a two-year deal, reported to be worth £3million a year.
Although personal terms between Giroud and Milan have been agreed, the Italian giants are yet to agree a fee with Chelsea for his signature, although the striker hopes the Blues will allow him to leave on a free transfer.
However, with the Blues keen on adding fresh blood to Tuchel’s squad this summer it is unlikely that they would be willing to accept a free offer, with them keen to raise as much money as possible to fund possible deals for the likes of Inter Milan’s Achraf Hakimi and Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund.