Chelsea could reportedly be in pole position to seal the transfer of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland this summer.
This is because Real Madrid don’t look as able as Chelsea to pay the fee of around €150million that is likely to be required to sign Haaland, according to Don Balon.
The 20-year-old has been a world class performer for Dortmund, scoring 43 goals in 45 games for the Bundesliga giants to attract plenty of interest from top clubs around Europe.
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Writing in his column for Benchwarmers, Fabrizio Romano named a number of elite European giants as being among the potential destinations for Haaland, and it now looks like Chelsea could be in the strongest position.
Don Balon suggest Real probably won’t be able to move for the Norway international and may prioritise Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe instead.
This could be huge for Chelsea, who look in need of a top signing up front after their struggles this season.
Haaland could be an ideal upgrade on disappointing summer signing Timo Werner, while Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud also look unlikely to be long-term options.
Speaking to CaughtOffside this week, ex-Blue Alan Hudson stressed the need for a top striker signing this summer, saying: “Is there anyone at Chelsea that can see that they are crying out for a world class striker?
“I know they thought they bought one but whoever bought him did not do their homework. When you look at the free scoring Polish Number 9 Robert Lewandowski that is what you have to have in your side to become a force in world football.
“I have heard Chelsea are willing to give Thomas Tuchel money to spend, and he better spend it quickly and wisely on a top Number 9.”