Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea are reportedly lining up an
£85million swoop for Torino’s Andrea Belotti as a better alternative to the
much talked about two strikers.
The Blues are said to be interested in the 27-year-old
striker who has bagged 11 goals and six assists in 25 Serie A appearances this
season.
Corriere Granato reports Chelsea are one of four
interested Premier League sides.
High
flying West Ham, Jose Mourinho’s Spurs and Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton are the
other teams mentioned.
Thomas
Tuchel’s side could look to recruit the Torino skipper as a slightly cheaper
alternative to Erling Haaland or former forward Romelu Lukaku.
Borussia
Dortmund’s Haaland would cost Stamford Bridge brass around £150m this summer
while Inter Milan’s Lukaku is thought to be available for £102m.
Haaland
is understood to have a release clause which can be activated at the end of
next season and although it was initially believed to be set at £65m it could
be closer to £100m.
The
report states Belotti has an £85m exit clause that only applies to foreign
clubs, although he could be available for far less.
Belotti’s
good relationship with the club’s hierarchy means it is unlikely any sides
would have to activate the clause.
Instead
reasonable offers are likely to be discussed by all parties.
The
striker’s contract expires in 2022 and Torino are believed to be preparing to
offer him significantly improved terms to ensure he extends his deal for two
years with the option of a third.
He
could be in line for an annual pay rise worth around £850,000, made up of basic
salary and various bonuses.
If
he agrees to a bumper new contract in Turin, Belotti would be on close to
£50,000 a week, but many of the clubs interested in him have greater spending
power and would be confident in luring him away with even more attractive
numbers.
However,
the player is said to be wary about going from the star man at a smaller club
to potentially only a bit-part player at a bigger side.
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