According to French journalist Fabrice Hawkins, Chelsea have accelerated their efforts to sign Lyon winger Bradley Barcola after their failure to land Michael Olise.
The London giants were recently touted to sign Olise from Crystal Palace, but the Frenchman made the surprise decision to sign a new contract with the Eagles. As a result, Chelsea have turned their attention to Lyon’s Barcola.
Hawkins reports that Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the talented youngster. Lyon recently turned down an offer of £30 million from them. Barcola has yet to agree terms with any club.
Huge prospect
The 20-year-old had his breakthrough with Lyon last season. He accumulated 7 goals and 10 assists from 35 outings. The youngster played on the left wing, right wing as well as the centre-forward role.
Chelsea are likely to consider him as a right-winger, given it is a position where they have struggled in recent times. Barcola would be a handy addition to Noni Madueke and Raheem Sterling for the role.
The Frenchman does not have the same experience as his compatriot Olise, but he has a lot of potential. The forward has plenty of pace and likes to take on opposition with his superb dribbling skills.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea can lure him from the French club. Lyon have already turned down a £30 million bid from Paris Saint-Germain for the player and the Blues may need to pay more.
They have the financial capacity to afford the young prodigy, but will face fierce competition from the French champions, who were the first to approach for him in the summer transfer window.
Chelsea lost the services of Manuel Ugarte to Les Parisiens earlier this summer. The Uruguayan was lured with a higher salary. The Blues will surely be aiming to avenge the blow by signing Barcola.
Barcola may need some time to adapt to the Premier League, but he could be a star of the future.
