Chelsea in for Haaland
Chelsea's interest in Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland has been no secret this window.
The west Londoners are keen to steal a march on the competition they would certainly face next season when his release clause becomes active, by potentially offering an astronomical amount of money this summer instead.
Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, the Norwegian forward said:
"Before yesterday I haven't talked to my agent in a month… you’ve to tell me. But I hope they are just rumours, as €175 million would be a lot of money for one person"
The need to win
However, while the hitman revealed that he was happy in Germany, he did concede the importance of winning trophies to him, continuing that:
"I have three years left on my contract. I’m enjoying my time here.
"But of course the trophy [BVB’s DFB Pokal win in May] was important because that's what I want."
Meanwhile, he spoke of the potential link-up between himself and new signing Donyell Malen, saying:
"I hope he's looking forward to being on the pitch with me".
All this points towards Chelsea being left frustrated in their pursuit of the generational striker, who will surely dominate European football alongside Kylian Mbappe for the next decade.
However, with the money being discussed, and the frantic nature of transfer windows, it would be naive to completely rule out the move, despite its bleak outlook at present.