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Chelsea will kick-start their 2020-21 season at Stamford Bridge against Crystal Palace. Thomas Tuchel will be hoping to have a squad of his choice by then, with changes expected over the summer. Fikayo Tomori has left the Blues and he is expected to be followed by a few others as the German trims the squad to make space for new arrivals.
A new striker remains high up in Chelsea’s agenda, with the Blues also hoping to strengthen their fullback area.
On that note, let’s look at the major Chelsea transfer news from 18th June 2021.
Chelsea edging closer to Inter Milan star
According to Sport Witness via Calciomercato, Chelsea are edging closer to completing a deal for Achraf Hakimi, with Inter Milan compelled to sell one player by the end of this month to balance their books. The Serie A giants are facing financial problems and will have to offload players to raise funds.
The Nerazzurri have decided to sacrifice Hakimi to help address the situation. The Moroccan has sparked a battle for his signature between the Blues and Paris Saint-Germain, but it is the Premier League side who are inching closer to victory.
Chelsea have been locked in negotiations with Inter Milan for many days, but now, with the finish line reportedly in sight, they are ready to complete the move. The Blues have tabled a €60m offer for Hakimi and have accepted the Nerazzurri’s request to include Marcos Alonso in the deal.
There’s now a quiet optimism that raising their offer from €60m to €65m would be enough to convince Inter. With PSG reportedly looking at alternate targets, the Premier League giants are expected to see a breakthrough in their pursuit of the Moroccan very soon.
Blues willing to offer €60m for Swedish striker
Chelsea are willing to offer €60m for Alexander Isak, according to The Hard Tackle via El Gol Digital. Tuchel wants a striker to compete with Timo Werner and the Sweden international fits the bill. The German has worked with the 21-year-old before, during his time at Borussia Dortmund, when he allowed Isak to join Real Sociedad for just €6.5m.
The Swedish striker has since scored 33 times in 89 appearances for the La Liga side and is a natural number nine who could improve players like Werner and Kai Havertz. However, Chelsea’s offer for Isak is lower than his €70m release clause. Things could become complicated due to a €30m buy-back clause that Dortmund had inserted when they sold the young forward.
Chelsea winger wanted by Real Betis
Chelsea winger Kenedy is a subject of interest from Real Betis, according to Caught Offside via Diario de Sevilla. The Brazilian is not part of first-team plans at Stamford Bridge and spent the 2020-21 season on loan at Granada. He impressed with his performance and scored a few crackers too, attracting attention from Real Betis as well as Valencia.
The Brazilian’s current deal expires in 2024, so pricing him away will not be easy. Kennedy is expected to report for Chelsea’s pre-season training before a final decision is made.
