Chelsea forward Dominic Solanke looks set to leave the club this summer, with Newcastle United reportedly putting an offer forward for his services.
The 19-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season, and his reported demands of £50,000-a-week have led to Antonio Conte revealing in his press conference this week that he’s likely to leave Stamford Bridge.
Now it will be a race to sign him, as according to the Chronicle Live, Newcastle United and Sunderland have joined the race to sign the talented youngster, with the former offering £35,000-a-week to prise him to St. James’ Park.
Rafa Benitez is leading the Magpies back to the Premier League this season, and it appears as though he’s identified the Chelsea starlet as a possibility to fire them to success moving forward.
Solanke has shown his quality at youth level for Chelsea, while he also had a loan spell in the Eredivisie last season to continue his development.
However, with a lack of first-team opportunities coming his way in the near future it seems, he is seemingly pushing for an exit with the club unlikely to meet his hefty demands.
Interest in him is high as a whole host of clubs have been linked with an interest, but it remains to be seen who he opts to join with his time at Chelsea coming to an end.
The Daily Mail note this weekend that Bayern Munich have also lodged an interest, and they will benefit from the fact that they won’t have to pay an £8m tribunal fee, with teams from abroad only needing to pay out an initial £300,000 in compensation.
It will be a disappointment for Chelsea not to see him come through the ranks and flourish with the senior side, but they also deserve respect for not bowing to his unrealistic demands for a player who has yet to prove himself at that level.