Chelsea star has already 'tried to turn head' of international teammate amid striker search

Chelsea have reportedly had an inside man this summer as they bid to land a new striker ahead of the new season. The Blues have invested heavily in the position over recent years, but they still find themselves needing to up the quality.

Romelu Lukaku’s return proved to be a disaster, while Nicolas Jackson and Christian Nkunku are improving, but Enzo Maresca is likely to want more competition, with Cole Palmer likely to play a wider role. Palmer may also have a role to play in Chelsea’s signing of a striker this summer, or at least according to reports.

Football Insider report that Palmer has actively been trying to convince fellow England star Ollie Watkins to make the switch to Chelsea. It’s not clear whether the Blues are actually targeting Watkins this summer, but it’s no secret that Palmer and Watkins have been combining well with England.

Meanwhile, Watkins has a proven record of scoring in the Premier League, netting 59 goals in 146 league appearances for Villa. The issue is that Villa are reportedly likely to demand at least £75million to sell their star frontman as they prepare for Champions League football this season.

Chelsea know they are going to have to pay a fee somewhere in that region if they want to sign a proven goalscorer who is ready to score goals at the highest level. But with Chelsea in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the Champions League, it’s going to take them turning Watkins’ head to get a deal done, something Palmer appears to have helped with.

What Emery and Watkins have said

Watkins only penned a new deal with Villa last October, giving the Midlands club total control over any negotiations this summer. Emery said of Watkins while the contract talks were ongoing: “I’m very happy, and I think his commitment is really high commitment every day. He’s an example for other players. His performance as well is always at a good level for us and for him sometimes scoring more goals, sometimes less, but always doing his work.”

Meanwhile, Watkins has already spoken about his excitement for the new season, saying in May: “Next year will be very special. What happened at Palace was poor - individually and collectively - but this doesn’t tell the story of our season. We’ve been great all year.

“On a personal note, I’ve been consistent. There’s not much more I can do. It was the aim - to get to 20 goals - but there’s always next season. Has it been a breakthrough? Yes. But I wasn’t surprised by how well I’ve done because of all the hard work I’ve put in. And next season will be better, I’m sure of that.”