Chelsea are reportedly ‘leading the chase’ ahead of Manchester United to sign Strasbourg striker Joaquín Panichelli, as per Caught Offside.
Nicolas Jackson was the Blues’ first-choice centre-forward last term, and he helped them qualify for the Champions League by finishing top four in the Premier League. Moreover, the 24-year-old led Enzo Maresca’s side to win the Conference League, making 18 goal contributions across all competitions.
However, Chelsea weren’t fully satisfied with his performances, so they decided to revamp the No.9 position by purchasing Liam Delap and João Pedro last summer. Maresca’s side allowed Jackson to join Bayern Munich on a season-long loan deal.
But Delap has struggled with fitness problems thus far this season, making only six starts in all competitions. On the other hand, Pedro has displayed inconsistent performances.
So, it appears the West London club are planning to reinforce the frontline once again next year. Chelsea have already purchased Emanuel Emegha from Strasbourg, and the forward will move to Stamford Bridge at the end of this season.
However, Caught Offside claim that Chelsea are planning to raid their sister club once again and are keen on purchasing Panichelli, having been impressed by his recent eye-catching performances.
The French side bought the Argentinian last summer as a potential replacement for Emegha, and he has showcased his qualities in Ligue 1 this season, scoring 10 goals in all competitions.
Battle
Man Utd have also expressed their interest in the 23-year-old through intermediaries, while Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona are in this race as well.
However, Chelsea are currently ‘leading the chase’, as both the West London club and the French team are owned by the same ownership group, BlueCo.
Man Utd currently have Benjamin Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee as options to deploy in the centre-forward position. However, the Dutchman has struggled to find regular game time thus far this season.
So, he is reportedly open to leaving, as a result, it seems United have started exploring options to sign a new striker.
Panichelli is a 6ft 3in tall player and could be a shrewd acquisition for Chelsea or Man Utd should either club eventually manage to secure his service in January or next summer.
