According to Sport Witness via Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has identified Erling Haaland as a ‘priority’ target for the club this summer.
TuttoMercatoWeb claim that the Blues’ mega-rich owner wants the side to ‘win at a high level in Europe’ again, with Chelsea winning the continent’s elite club competition, the Champions League, in 2012.
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It’s suggested that Haaland is the ‘first name’ that ‘Abramovich absolutely wants’, with the Russian-Israeli wishing to sign the Norwegian superstar ‘at all costs’.
Abramovich is willing to fund a move for Haaland this summer, in an effort to beat the wide array of the world’s biggest clubs that would be able to contend for the striker when his €75m release clause can come into play from the summer of 2022.
TuttoMercatoWeb add that it would be ‘almost impossible’ for Chelsea to beat the competition if they waited until 2022. The Athletic name Manchester United, City and Real Madrid as suitors.
If the Italian report wasn’t shocking enough it’s also claimed that Abramovich will offer up a mammoth budget once again, with €300m on offer to Thomas Tuchel, even if the Blues don’t qualify for the UCL.
The general noise coming from the media seems to be that Chelsea will swoop for the 20-year-old this summer, in a move that will cost them more but leave them with less contenders for the signature.
Only this past weekend it was claimed that the Blues are set to offer an initial €90m for the wonderkid born in England, who has scored 43 goals and laid on 10 assist in just 43 appearances for Dortmund.
Haaland continues to shine every week, it’s no surprise that Barcelona also see the sensation as their preferred striker option, per ESPN, though the cash-strapped side will struggle to finance a deal.
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