Chelsea
Chelsea ‘In Talks’ Over £20m-Rated Attacker But Man Utd Also Tipped To Enter Race
Chelsea are understood to have made contact over the signing of a £20m-rated attacking midfield, but face competition from Manchester United for his signature.
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 and Man Utd are linked with Adam Lallana.
Chelsea are understood to have opened talks with Southampton over the signing of Adam Lallana but Manchester United are also keen on the £20m-rated attacker, according to reports.
Lallana has been with the Saints his entire professional career having come through the youth ranks and has been a revelation since the club got promoted to the Premier League almost two years ago.
The 25-year-old has been particularly impressive under the stewardship of Mauricio Pochettino this season and took his tally to eight goals with another strike against Tottenham on Sunday.
His excellent form has not only led to him breaking into Roy Hodgson’s England set-up but it appears he’s caught the eye of some of the clubs from the upper echelons of the Premiership, with Chelsea and Man Utd understood to be interested.
The Mirror cite reports coming from Sky Italia who claim that the Blues have already made contact with Southampton over Lallana’s availability, with journalist Tancredi Palmeri revealing the news on Twitter, saying:
“Chelsea having contacts for Southampton’s Adam Lallana (sic), according to Sky Italy.”
However, the Daily Star are also reporting that Manchester United are ready to battle Chelsea for Lallana’s signature with David Moyes eyeing him as a potential addition for his new-look squad next season.
Southampton are understandably going to be reluctant to lose one of their key men and the newspaper suggests it would take an offer of at least £20m to persuade them to cash in on the attacking midfielder. It remains to be seen whether the duo would be prepared to meet their valuation, although both clubs could easily afford that kind of transfer fee as well as being able to offer the player a sizeable increase to his wages.
Lallana has certainly been one of the most impressive attackers in the league this season so it comes as no surprise to hear the likes of Chelsea and United are keen on luring him away from the St Mary’s Stadium.
United are in transition under Moyes and with Champions League football unlikely to be on offer at Old Trafford next year, Lallana may opt for a switch the Chelsea if given the choice between the two clubs. However, if it’s first team football he’s more concerned with, he may be more tempted to join the soon-to-be former champions as he’ll be up against the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah for a regular spot at Chelsea.
READ MORE –> Chelsea transfer news | Man Utd transfer news
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