Arsenal
Chelsea Line-Up £55m Bid For Luis Suarez
Chelsea are ready to make a £55m move for Luis Suarez this summer after Jose Mourinho told owner Roman Abramovich that the Liverpool striker is his No.1 target
The January transfer window may have slammed shut but clubs will still be working hard behind the scenes at identifying targets for the summer, so we’ll bring you all the latest news, gossip and rumours. Today, Chelsea target Luis Suarez.
Chelsea are ready to make a £55m move for Luis Suarez this summer after Jose Mourinho told owner Roman Abramovich that the Liverpool striker is his No.1 target, according to the Metro.
The Blues boss hinted last week that he was waiting until the end of the season before bringing in a world class striker after saying the player he wants would only be available in the summer, and it appears the player in question is none other than Liverpool hot-shot Luis Suarez.
The Metro claim that Mourinho held talks with Abramovich recently to discuss their summer recruitment strategy and the Chelsea boss is understood to have told the Russian Billionaire that Suarez was the man he wanted to spearhead his attack next season.
The newspaper suggests that Chelsea are set to test Liverpool’s resolve with a £55m offer at the end of this campaign but will still face competition from Arsenal – despite Arsene Wenger insisting he wouldn’t go back in for the player after failing to sign him last summer.
If the report proves accurate, I think it’s safe to say Chelsea’s interest won’t be well received by Liverpool. The Merseysiders dug their heels in and refused to do business with Arsenal and you’d imagine they will do likewise if the Blues come calling.
A £55m offer is unlikely to turn their heads either, particularly when you consider the kind of form Suarez has been showing this season and the fact he recently signed a new long-term contract at Anfield.
The big problem for Brendan Rodgers will be if they miss out on a top four finish. Reports suggest that Suarez’s new deal includes a water-tight £70m buy-out clause that can be triggered should they fail to qualify for the Champions League, although conflicting reports state that it may only apply to clubs outside of the Premier League.
Suarez tried to force his way out of Anfield last summer and you can imagine he’ll do the same again this year if Liverpool miss out on a top-four finish again, and it seems Chelsea will be ready to try and lure him to Stamford Bridge, but they may have to come up with a far better offer than £55m if they want to persuade the Reds into doing business.
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