Chelsea transfer latest: Blues eye late swoop for £45m-rated striker as huge earner looks set for exit
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Chelsea have been one of the busiest clubs in the summer transfer window but it would appear that with ten days still go to, they are not finished.
The Blues have already welcomed nine signings this summer before suffering an opening day defeat to Manchester City, but owner Todd Boehly continues to seek new talent for his Stamford Bridge squad and as one England international could be set for a London-club switch, another Three Lions forward is preparing for life after Chelsea.
Here is the latest transfer news from SW6...
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Hide AdChelsea eye swoop for £60m-rated striker
Chelsea are reportedly once more interested in a late swoop for the Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney. Latest reports from SunSport suggest that the Bees are set to accept £45 million for the star, having previously wanted as much as £70m for him at the start of the summer.
The 28-year-old was left out of the Brentford squad that beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on the opening weekend of Premier League action and while he had previously enjoyed interest aplenty from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, attention from the EFL’s top-tier side appears to be waning. Chelsea reportedly, however, remain on the hunt.
According to recent reports, Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli have already had an opening offer of £35m rejected and are now weighing up whether to increase their bid for Toney. The striker is thought to prefer the idea of remaining in England but as TalkSport are claiming he is demanding an annual salary of £17m (£325,000-a-week), a move to the affluent Saudi League could persuade him against a move to SW6.
Thomas Frank’s side are keen to sell Toney before the transfer window shuts on August 30 as they will run the risk of losing him on a free transfer in 12 months’ time when his current deal expires.
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Hide AdWhen asked by the press if it was only a matter of time before the striker leaves, Frank said on Sunday: "Yes, I guess that is fair. Nothing closed yet, but things are happening, so because of all that, we decided not to be involved in the squad."
Huge Blues earner looks set for exit
Raheem Sterling is currently the subject of interest from Serie A giants Juventus after he was left out of the Chelsea squad for their opening clash against Manchester City on Sunday. The former Man City star was included in all six of the Blues’ pre-season matches under new head coach Enzo Maresca but was omitted from the first game of the campaign, resulting in his team’s releasing a statement detailing the 29-year-old’s commitment to the club and would now be seeking clarity over his role at Stamford Bridge.
According to reports from the Daily Mail, talks are reported to be scheduled in the coming days to assess the former England international’s future in SW6 but it has been understood that the has already enjoyed interest from the Turin-based club. The reports suggest that Juventus would need to lighten their current wage bill before making any form of concrete move for the 29-year-old forward but Federico Chiesa could be one such player to leave.
It has become clear that the Blues are hopeful of offloading the former City star who was bought in 2022 for £47.5 million. Sterling is reportedly earning north of £300,000-per-week and, while selling him before deadline day would help in reducing the wage bill, it is highly likely that Chelsea would have to pay part of his wages if they are to send the winger to any realistic options. Sterling has also attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, but he is currently unwilling to take such a move at this stage in his career.
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