Stamford Bridge side look to use Bernabeu target as makeweight in Argentine striker deal.
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Chelsea are ready to use Real Madrid’s interest in up and coming goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois as impetus in the Blues push to snap up Bernabeu forward Gonzalo Higuain.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is looking to bring in a fresh striking option in the summer and has set his sights on Argentine Higuain and is ready to offer Belgian custodian Courtois in part exchange for the underused Real Madrid marksman.
The Russian billionaire brought in Demba Ba to help support Fernando Torres for the remainder of the current campaign but is looking to bring in a further ‘marquee’ signing that may well spell the end of Torres’s misfiring tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Abramovich is willing to wait until the summer to bring in big name striker signing, begrudgingly realizing that a push for the Premier League title could be something of a lost cause and with the Chelsea having been knocked out of the Champions League at the first hurdle he is willing to wait until the summer to seal a deal to bring in a proven goal-scorer of note.
Interest in Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani, with both Atletico Madrid and Napoli goal machines known to be Chelsea targets, has stalled with both sides valuations increasing with every goal so Abramovich is attempting a new avenue to resolve his side’s firepower problems.
Higuain has struggled to retain a spot in Jose Mourinho’s first team plans and may well be tempted by a move to Chelsea. The former River Plate man has an excellent strike-rate, with 99 goals in 175 La Liga appearances, but has started less than half of Real Madrid’s matches thus far this term.
Real Madrid are said to be very interested in young Chelsea keeper Courtois who has spent the last two seasons on loan at local rivals Atletico Madrid and proved a hugely successful member of Diego Simeone’s Vicente Calderon squad.
The giant 20 year old custodian helped Atletico to a Europa League triumph last term and his displays between the sticks have helped the club split Barcelona and Real Madrid in the La Liga table, indeed Atletico Madrid have conceded less goals than both of the Spanish giants.
Chelsea are in something of a pickle with regards to Courtois as they are well aware of his potential as well as current form but moves to bring the former Genk keeper back to West London may well result in the starlet warming the bench as Petr Cech is still considered a nailed on first choice starter for the Champions League holders.
Therefore the option to use the young stopper to help in their push to bring in Higuain is one that Abramovich is very much open to.
Mourinho recently elected to drop captain Iker Casillas, a hugely controversial decision that led to rumours that the Spanish keeper had fallen out with the Real Madrid boss. Therefore there is certainly scope for a fresh goalkeeping option being brought in to keep the experienced goalie on his toes.