After seemingly missing out on Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea are reportedly considering their options as Antonio Conte waits for a marquee signing up front.
As noted by The Telegraph, Manchester United are set to complete the £75m signing of Lukaku in the coming days, with Chelsea also keen on taking the Belgian international back for a second spell at Stamford Bridge.
While it appears as though they’ve now missed out, barring any late drama, Conte will have to consider alternatives and the report claims that four names are under the microscope.
Diego Costa is expected to move on, and in that situation, the Premier League champions will be absolutely desperate to bring in another striker as they will need additional firepower ahead of next season with their return to the Champions League also in mind.
In turn, Alvaro Morata is put forward as the most likely candidate to solve the issue, as the Real Madrid striker was of interest to both Chelsea and United along with Lukaku.
However, it’s added that Madrid will not drop below their demands of £70m for the Spanish international, but with suggestions that Morata had told friends that he would be open to a move to London and to play for Conte, it could still be a possible avenue to explore.
Elsewhere, the Telegraph add that Alexis Sanchez, Andrea Belotti and a surprise candidate in Christian Benteke are also options, although it’s added that the latter would only be signed to compliment another striker rather than be brought in to be the focal point up front.
It’s been a frustrating summer for Chelsea in general as they’ve yet to get key deals over the line for top targets such as Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rudiger, as per the report. With pre-season around the corner, Conte will be desperate to get things moving quickly.