Welcome to the summer silly season! Chelsea FC were essentially “champions” of this competition, last time out, as they outspent the rest of the world, by a considerable margin, in the last summer transfer window.
Expect Owner Roman Abramovich to greenlight another summer spending spree this time around, so let’s dive straight in with the latest Blues transfer news and notes. This edition begins with the latest on Erling Haaland, who has said he’ll contemplate his future when he’s on holiday, after Euro 2020 is done.
The face of Norwegian football and the Next Big Thing among goal scorers in the global game is wanted by numerous big clubs, including both sides of Manchester. However, it’s Chelsea who are reportedly making the most aggressive push, according to Norwegian media putlet ViaPlay.
This report claims that the 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund star would cost over $212 million if he were to be signed this summer, but that next summer it would be “only” $95 million. His contract is structured in this manner so that his release clause, reportedly, would drop by more than half in 2022.
Not that BVB really want to sell him right now anyway, but this is of course what they do as a club. Their m.o. is to scout, recruit and sign young talent, then turn a very handsome profit later upon selling them. If Chelsea are to be that buyer, they may have to lay the groundwork now, and execute the deal in 2022.
The way Haaland is talking about his future, it seems like he’s intent on staying at Dortmund for the upcoming season, but anything can happen after that.
Turning to the other item in today’s Chelsea news and notes, Emerson Palmieri is reportedly the main transfer target of reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan, as they seek out a new left-wing back. This according to Tuttosport.
Of course, Inter won’t be spending much this summer shopping market, as they’re looking to cut costs.
So much so that it forced Antonio Conte to walk away. The Italian media outlet adds that Emerson contingency plans include Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic and Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.