With a tad over five days to go until the January transfer window closes, Chelsea are continuing their search for a striker to provide backup for Alvaro Morata.
As we`ve already documented, the main target is Edin Dzeko. The deal is still proving difficult to tie up. According to The Telegraph Chelsea have told the Italian outfit that they want the deal done over the weekend and they are not willing to wait until the closing minutes of the window for Dzeko to sign.
Matt Law, who wrote the Telegraph article, believes the deal for Dzeko`s Roma teammate Emerson Palmieri has been done. Marcos Alonso`s backup has agreed to a four-and-a-half-year contract worth in the region of £80,000-a-week. Emerson should still sign regardless of Dzeko, but Law says all parties a keen a solution to be found that will result in becoming Chelsea players.
Despite Antonio Conte constantly suggesting he`s not involved in any transfer dealings, the article goes on to suggest Dzeko is very much the result of the club speaking with Conte. Should Chelsea break their over 30 transfer policy and give the Bosnian more than a one-year-deal, Conte should be satisfied that he has their backing.
Failure to sign Dzeko and Chelsea will turn their attentions in other directions. Last night we mentioned Olivier Giroud, it seems that was not as far fetched as we perhaps believed. It seems Chelsea are certainly interested in getting the Frenchman to Stamford Bridge. We ran an article about Giroud earlier.
With the Dzeko deal looking less likely than it previously has been, those in the media have started to pluck out random names for Chelsea to sign once again. The Daily Mail have plucked out West Brom`s Salomon Rondon as possible target, but then point out in the first line of the article than the Baggies boss Alan Pardew has ruled out the Venezuelen leaving the club. So, it appears to be a genuine piece of tittle-tattle.
Meanwhile, over in Spain Diariogol claim Alvaro Morata is hoping to persuade his friend Marco Asensio to join him at Stamford Bridge should Eden Hazard depart for the Bernabeu in the summer. The article claims Asensio`s nose will be put out of joint by the Belgian`s arrival in Madrid and will be looking for a way out of the club.
One player who has left the club is Baba Rahman as we reported yesterday the Ghanaian has made the loan switch to Schalke 04. Having previously spent time in Germany, with them the deal is for 18 months.
@ChelseaFC left-back Baba Rahman has joined German side @Schalke 04 in a one-and-half-year deal.
He is expected back at Chelsea in the Summer of 2019.#Congrats @Donsummer17 pic.twitter.com/GYWIHoyrLF? Evans Gyamera-Antwi (@ashesgyamera) January 26, 2018
The fluid nature of the transfer window brings us back to the Edin Dzeko story. According to The Express, who quote Italian agent Massimo Briaschi, who in turn was speaking to Tuttomercato, he thinks the Bosnian will end up at Stamford Bridge,
`Now he has a foot in London. There are still situations to be fixed but I think he will go to Chelsea. The proposal is important for Roma and the player.
Finally, Jamie Vardy has had his say on any transfer speculation linking him with a move away from Leicester City. Speaking ahead of their FA Cup tie against Peterborough United, the striker spoke to Sky Sports. He was asked about transfer speculation,
`Who have I been linked with today? Chelsea, they’ve been linked with everybody haven’t they? You just have to take things like this with a pinch of salt, it’s just rumours.`
`Usually, it all gets started by someone throwing a few quid on it at the bookies. I’m a Leicester player and I’m just concentrating on Leicester until the club tell me otherwise and we will be looking to progress to the next round of the cup.`
Well, we shall have to wait and see, whatever happens it seems there will be an outcome to whole Dzeko saga by the time this page is written on Monday evening.