Chelsea Transfer News: Blues settle on £53 million deal for Juventus Star, Personal Terms agreed with Courtois' replacement and more - July 5, 2018
A week ago, Chelsea fans had reason to be excited as it looked clear that the next manager and a new signing were about to be announced imminently. However, in a drastic turn of events, the club has been halted as the same old story continues in West London.
New players are yet to be signed and in the biggest shock of the season, Antonio Conte is still the Chelsea Boss. Just when the Blues seemed to be making some sort of progress in the transfer window, they have once again been halted by a roadblock.
On that note, here are the top transfer stories of the day pertaining to Chelsea:
Alisson set for £66 million move
Chelsea look to have found a new shot-stopper as they have agreed on personal terms with AS Roma goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, the Metro claims.
The Blues are in the hunt for a new man between the sticks as Thibaut Courtois has less than 12 months remaining on his contract and is favoured to join Real Madrid.
Alisson has three years remaining on his contract in Italy and Roma are adamant on receiving a fee in the range of €70-80 million for their prized asset. However, Chelsea are in pole position to land the Brazilian ahead of the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid and are willing to arrive at a £66 million along with bonuses.
Meanwhile, Courtois has hinted at leaving England for Spain as he would able to become close with his children who currently live in Madrid and will play a key factor in the decision regarding his future, which will be announced after the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Chelsea strike agreement for Higuain transfer
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have landed at the £53 million valuation set for Gonzalo Higuain. Potential new manager, Maurizio Sarri has been keen on reuniting with the Argentinian striker and one of his long-term transfer targets has been met by the club.
Higuain had a prolific campaign in Sarri's debut season in charge of Napoli, as he scored a record-breaking 36 goals in Serie A before sealing a move to Juventus in 2016.
The duo established a great relationship that season and the Italian manager outlined the striker as his primary signing as he was keen on working with him again. The deal is set to be completed once Sarri takes charge of Chelsea and Higuain returns from his holiday, which is likely to take place after the World Cup is concluded.
However, the Juventus number 9 had a disappointing last season as he finished with just 18 goals to his name in all competitions. Gonzalo Higuain will be a questionable signing in the eyes of the Chelsea fans as they already have a veteran striker in Olivier Giroud who possesses the similar characteristics and qualities.
Blues step up Golovin and Pulisic chase
Incoming Boss Maurizio Sarri has been busy shortlisting his transfer targets as Chelsea are set for a major revamp. Aleksandr Golovin and Christian Pulisic are the latest names to emerge in the summer wishlist, the Express UK reports, as the transfer window is just over a month away from being shut for Premier League clubs.
The Blues are favourites to land the £27 million-rated Golovin, who has been impressive thus far in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, racking up a goal and two assists in Russia's passage to the quarterfinals that has caught the eye of major European clubs.
Last season, the 22 year old notched up seven goals for his club CSKA Moscow and is known for his control in midfield along with his dribbling, long-range shooting and passing attributes.
Meanwhile, Pulisic has been touted as a replacement for Willian, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona and Manchester United. Despite having a mediocre 2017/18 campaign, the American International is widely regarded as one of the hottest young talents in European football.
Both Aleksandr Golovin and Christian Pulisic have been targeted by Chelsea keeping the future in sight, as the Blues missed out on Champions League football for next season and a time will come when they will have to deal with the likely departure of Eden Hazard in the near future.