Chelsea are looking at a range of options to strengthen their attack in January, including Gonzalo Higuain and Nabil Fekir, as Alvaro Morata’s Stamford Bridge future looks increasingly bleak.
The club want a new striker and have held talks with AC Milan and Juventus about the possibility of taking over Higuain’s season-long loan from the Turin club, with Morata moving to the San Siro for the rest of the season.
Milan remain interested in midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who is also a target of Monaco, although the Italian club’s Financial Fair Play problems complicate matters.
Allowing Chelsea to take over Higuain’s loan would save Milan money, as Chelsea would have to pay the remaining £8million fee to Juve. Higuain also earns more than Morata’s £140,000-a-week Chelsea wages.
Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso played down the possibility of Higuain joining Chelsea on Friday, but it is understood there will be more talks between Chelsea, Milan and Juve.
Morata has not scored in the Premier League since the start of November and has been out injured. It appears increasingly likely Chelsea are willing to send the Spaniard out on loan or cut their losses on him.
The big advantage of Chelsea signing Higuain would be that he could slot into head coach Maurizio Sarri’s style of play immediately, having played for him at Napoli.
Higuain is not the only attacking player Chelsea are looking at ahead of the January transfer window, however, with Lyon’s Fekir also on the club’s radar.
Although Fekir is more of a wide player or a midfielder, his signing would allow Sarri to deploy Eden Hazard through the middle on a more regular basis.
Liverpool agreed a deal worth up to £52.75m in the summer but with six less months left on his contract, which runs to 2020, Chelsea will be looking to pay a smaller fee for the 25-year-old.
Bournemouth are ready to fight to keep Callum Wilson, who Chelsea assistant-manager Gianfranco Zola admitted an interest in. Chelsea are also watching Jamie Vardy, but fear Leicester City would demand too much money for their star man.
Chelsea are hopeful of signing Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund, but the German club are adamant the United States international will only be allowed to leave at the end of the season.
Fabregas, along with David Luiz, is heading towards the Chelsea exit door because of the club’s refusal to relax their policy of only offer players aged 30 or over one-year extensions.
Monaco, managed by his old Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry, are set to make a bid to sign Fabregas while Milan’s interest opens up the possibility of him being included in a complicated deal for Higuain.
Chelsea are also looking for a new club for Michy Batshuayi to join on loan in January, following an unsuccessful first half of the season at Valencia. Crystal Palace are interested.
