Chelsea are once again expected to be looking for a striker in the next transfer window. With Olivier Giroud’s contract expiring and Michy Batshuayi at long last deemed not good enough, the Blues will need someone to provide competition for Tammy Abraham.
Moussa Dembélé of Lyon seems a likely candidate — certainly more so than pipe dreams like Timo Werner or Lautaro Martinez — but today we have a new name. Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik has been thrown into the mix, and by none other than Alfredo Pedullà, who made his name in Chelsea circles by diving the tea leaves correctly for our Napoli-related business in the last couple years (Sarri, Jorginho, Higuaín, etc).
Milik, who arrived on the back of big hype from Ajax in 2016, but outside of one season, has struggled for goals, minutes, and fitness, will have one more year left on his contract after this season. Negotiations for a renewal have stalled, and Milik apparently has made it clear that he sights fixed on something new. Napoli have reportedly placed a €70 million price tag on him, which is definitely never going to be matched by any team.
De Laurentiis seems aware of his disadvantageous position, and is apparently willing to deal at around €40-50 million, which still seems rather high. Juventus have shown the most interest, as Sarri likes his former striker, but the club probably would prefer Mauro Icardi. Spurs have been linked as well, but Chelsea might have a special advantage by being able to offer up Jérémie Boga in a part-exchange (after we buy him back from Sassuolo, claims that rumor from less than reliable sources).
Either way, Milik could be an interesting name to target, especially if he’s able to recreate his form of last season, when he scored 20 goals in all competitions (47 appearances) while staying healthy all year. At 26, he still has a few prime years ahead of him, and could make an immediate impact.
— Alfredo Pedullà (@AlfredoPedulla) April 20, 2020