Chelsea, AC Milan swapping Morata and Higuaín ‘almost inevitable’ — report

Italy’s Sport Mediaset — generally known to be sensationalist even by “calcio mercato” standards, to be sure — are reporting today that Gonzalo Higuaín’s AC Milan goodbye is “inevitable”, and the way that goodbye will occur is “almost inevitable” as well. Namely, Milan will swap him for Chelsea’s Morata in a cashless transaction of underperforming strikers.

Mediaset even have a specific time for when this will happen, after Milan’s game against SPAL on the 29th of December. Then again, that’s the last game before Serie A goes on winter break (and the January transfer window opens), so that doesn’t take too much insight.

Of course, Milan don’t actually hold Higuaín’s rights, Juventus do. So it’s the Old Lady who would have the final say in any potential deal, which, according to Mediaset could take two shapes.

1. Chelsea take over Higuaín’s loan, including the buyout option and the second-half of the loan fee. According to previous rumors, those figures would be in the region of £32m and £8m, respectively. Going the other way would be Morata on loan, and not just for 6 months but for 18. Chelsea would then have the option to redeem the buyout clause on Pipita or just let him go back to Juventus in the summer.
2. A more straightforward loan-swap for the rest of the season, with a permanent swap to follow in the summer wherein Milan redeem the buy-option on Higuaín and then trade him straight-up for Morata. So basically, Chelsea would get Higuaín and £32m in return for Morata. It’s unclear who pays the £8m remaining loan fee to Juventus in this case.

In a way, the second deal might be almost okay, even if we consider that Higuaín is on significantly higher wages than Morata’s £140k weekly, or that Higuaín, who would have two years left on his contract at that point, has half-a-decade on the latest Chelsea striker disappointment.

Whichever shape the deal takes, Mediaset’s rumormongers are convinced that the process is underway and is “irreversible”. So, I guess it’s happening?

Stay tuned?

And yes, Higuaín has recently started following Eden Hazard on Instagram. As Chelsea superstar Lionel Messi would tell you, that means it’s definitely happening. Well that, or Higuaín’s going to be #Saltbae’s apprentice.