Roman Abramovich to give Chelsea £260m to sign Erling Haaland and other transfer targets - Reports 

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is reportedly set to hand the club £260m to augment the squad in the summer. According to a report by TuttoMercatoWeb, the figure will cover potential transfer targets, with Erling Haaland reportedly at the top of his wishlist.

Chelsea were by far the biggest spenders last in the last transfer window, with an excess of £200m spent on new acquisitions. However, most of the new players have struggled to hit the ground running which led to the sacking of Frank Lampard.

Lampard was replaced with Thomas Tuchel and Abramovich sees this as an opportunity to rejuvenate the squad in other to keep them competitive at the highest level.

Thomas Tuchel expects a tough night in the #UCL! #ATMCHE

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 23, 2021

Chelsea to battle it out for Erling Haaland; signing defenders also a priority

Erling Haaland has been in fine form for Dortmund

Erling Haaland has taken his game to a new level since signing for Borussia Dortmund from RB Salzburg in January 2020.

The Norway international has scored goals at an alarming rate with the Bundesliga outfit, leading to Chelsea's interest in his services. The Blues will, however, face competition for Haaland's signature, with Real Madrid and Manchester United among the other clubs linked with him.

The 20-year-old has a release clause valued at £65m that will become active in 2022 but Abramovich is reportedly desperate to land Haaland 'at all costs'.

It's 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆 in the #UCL! Let's go, lads! 👊 #ATMCHE pic.twitter.com/pdsLF2roTj

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 23, 2021

This could see Chelsea spend the bulk of their transfer kitty on him this summer, rather than engage in a bidding war when he becomes cheaper next year.

It remains to be seen what price tag Dortmund will place on their striker but the club are reportedly open to selling off most of their prized assets in light of the current financial crisis engulfing the world.

A potential snag in a move for Haaland could come in the form of his notoriously demanding agent Mino Raiola, who has already highlighted some of his client's demands. Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, however, believes that Haaland would remain with the side for at least another year.

He might be tempted to change his stance if a significant offer is received by Chelsea in the summer. Apart from Haaland, the Stamford Bridge outfit have also prioritized getting a central defender when the window opens. Bayern Munich's Niklas Sule and RB Leipzig's Ibrahima Konate have been identified as potential targets.