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The transfer ban imposed on Chelsea by FIFA in 2019 has enabled the club to pile up stacks of cash. Big-money sales of Álvaro Morata and Eden Hazard last summer only ensured those piles would get bigger.
Fast forward to this summer, and Roman Abramovich, with more ambition than ever, has already sanctioned the acquisitions of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner for a combined sum of about €90m. And we’re probably not done, as there’s still at least half the €200m warchest remaining.
That’s the claim from HLN’s Kristof Terreur — a familiar name in Chelsea circles after all the years of Belgian super talents in the squad — who adds that €80m of the remaining fund is being “considered” for Kai Havertz.
200 miljoen euro aan nieuwkomers? Afwezige baas Abramovich bouwt met behulp van geheime agenten nieuw rijk bij Chelsea https://t.co/hFw7tAFCJ3 pic.twitter.com/Vy0agvDnCY
— HLN Sport (@hlnsport) June 22, 2020
As we’ve seen in other recent reports, that much may not be enough to get a deal done, with Bayer Leverkusen holding firm at €100m and other teams like Real Madrid also in the conversation and Bayern Munich never wise to count out.
Chelsea may be among the frontrunners for the 21-year-old’s signature, but things can change quickly in the transfer market.
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— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) June 22, 2020
Chelsea's game this weekend against Aston Villa highlighted the center back position as the one that requires an immediate upgrade, but given the scarcity of top quality players at the position in the market, Chelsea could do worse than swooping in for a talent like Havertz and then assess the center back situation — rather than lose out on Havertz and compromising on quality.
Either way, it's good to see Chelsea taking the upcoming window and season seriously in order to close the gap between us and the top teams of England and Europe!