Romelu Lukaku was Chelsea's top target for the summer, but the striker has decided to join Manchester United instead. The Blues' held several meetings with Everton for the Belgian international but were not able to agree on a fee for him.
Now with the deal done and dusted, Chelsea are set to make a move for their other targets. Antonio Conte wants to sign a striker or two this summer, and he is not going to rest before he gets them.
Bertrand Traore has already left the club while Tammy Abraham has been loaned out. Diego Costa has been told to leave and that leaves Conte with just Michy Batshuayi and Loic Remy.
Both the strikers are not ging to lead the Chelsea attack next season and not so surprisingly; they to have been rumoured to be looking for a move away. Here are the five strikers who are linked with a move to Chelsea right now:
#5 - Andrea Belotti
The Italian manager wants the Italian striker. It's as simple as that.
Torino are willing to let go of Belotti, but they are not ready to negotiate with any club. The striker has a €100 million release clause and only if that is activated, Chelsea will be able to sign him.
While Belotti is a better fit for Conte's system, the Torina star is not proven in the Premier League like Lukaku. It might take time for him to adapt and with Chelsea have some tough fixtures at the start, it may prove costly.
His game depends mainly on small movements to skip past the defenders and not based on bullying them off the ball. He scored 26 goals and added seven assists in Serie A last season and will be a brilliant addition to Chelsea.
#4 - Fernando Llorente
This is not the fist time Chelsea have been linked with Fernando Llorente. The Swansea striker was on the radar in January, but the Spaniard rejected the move.
He is once again on the transfer wishlist on Antonio Conte and Chelsea are reportedly in talks with the Swans. He only has a year left on his contract and should be available for a cut-price.
Chelsea share a good relationship with Swansea and the Blues former player, and assistant manager Paul Clement is the current coach of the club. Tammy Abraham has also been loaned to the club for the season, and that has brought the clubs even closer.
#3 - Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez
Former Manchester United striker, Javier Hernandez is said to be one of the strikers Chelsea have an eye on right now. The Mexican is free to leave Bayer Leverkusen if any club activates his £13 million release clause and Chelsea are keen on doing it.
West Ham United were the front-runners so far, but with Chelsea interested, Chicharito has put that move on hold. He has apparently already rejected a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
Though Chicharito might not be the first choice if signed, he can prove to be a perfect super sub. He has Premier League and Champions League experience, and with an eye for goal, he can be one of the best 'impact' signings of the summer.
#2 - Alvaro Morata
Antonio Conte's new #1 target is now said to be Alvaro Morata. The Real Madrid star was the Italian manager's first interest when he joined Chelsea, but Los Blancos were reluctant to sell him.
Manchester United tried to sign him this summer, but with Madrid increasing their asking price, the Red Devils backed out. Chelsea are now in talks with the Spanish giants and are confident of sealing a deal.
Di Marzio reports that Chelsea are willing to pay anything it takes to land the striker this summer. Real Madrid were demanding £80 million from United but reports suggest that is will be less than that for Chelsea.
#1 - Christian Benteke
Easily the most shocking name on the list. The Belgian was a target for Chelsea 3 seasons ago when he was at Aston Villa.
Chelsea refused to pay £32 million demanded by Villa, and he ended up joining Liverpool. A big time flop there, he moved to Crystal Palace for a similar fee and has found his feet again.
However, he is yet to improve his game is nowhere near the lever Chelsea demand from their players. Conte see's him as an ideal backup striker, and that would mean that he will only launch a move for the Belgian if he has enough cash generated from the sales of Michy Batshuayi and Loic Remy.
