By Football Talk.
Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain for £34m. Blues officials will now ponder over whether to bid for the Argentine international, but it’s understood any move will only be made if Chelsea fail to lure Liverpool striker Fernando Torres to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea manager and former Juventus coach, Carlo Ancelotti, knows Higuain well and it’s understood that agents close to former Juve executive Luciano Moggi are trying to broker a deal. The Madrid forward would want £3.9m a year in wages which wouldn’t be an issue for Chelsea, however the only problem may be the £3.4m payment to the players representatives to secure the deal, as Roman Abamovich is thought to be against paying such fees.
Higuain has had an impressive season for Real Madrid scoring 20 goals in La Liga, and keeping big money signing Karem Benzema out the side. Signed from River Plate for £10m in 2007, the French Born Argentine international is expected to be part of Diego Maradona’s World Cup squad.
Carlo Ancelotti is looking to make 2-3 key signings this summer in an attempt to rejuvenate his ageing squad, with all potential signings preferably under 26 years of age, Torres would be an exception to this rule. At 22, Higuain fits the bill perfectly but it would be interesting to see how Ancelotti would fit him into his team with Chelsea boasting an array of attacking options already. Higuain is predominantly a centre forward so would be competing with Didier Drogba for a starting berth, unless the Italian tactician reverts back to playing two strikers next season.
But it appears likely that Chelsea will only make their move for Higuain if they fail to secure the signing of Fernando Torres from premier league rivals Liverpool. Chelsea officials have made tentative enquiries to Torres’s representatives to see what the strikers plans are at the end of the season after Liverpool failed to qualify for the champions league and manager Rafa Benitez’s future remains unclear.
Who would Chelsea fans like to see at the Bridge next year, Torres or Higuain? Please leave your comments below….
