Chelsea have been told that they need to shell out as much as €80 million in order to sign Edinson Cavani from Ligue 1 champions PSG, if reports from the French media are to be believed.
The Blues have long been linked with a move for the PSG striker, especially after a disappointing run last season. The rumours linking Cavani and Chelsea had died down since then, after the Blues signed Belgium international Michy Batshuayi from Olympique Marseille.
However, Diego Costa’s exit rumours have been gathering pace over the summer, after the Spaniard managed a poor showing last season scoring just 12 times in 28 Premier League appearances. The situation has not been helped by Costa’s former club Atletico Madrid, as Rojiblanco’s Enrique Cerezo implied last month that the Chelsea striker wants to return to the Vicente Calderon.
“We are there, he wants to come. But that is already complicated. Simeone wants new players and one of those is a striker. We desire a striker with goals, a good salary, and the ability to help us win many trophies,” Cerezo had said last month.
Chelsea are reportedly unwilling to sell their star striker though, as their newly appointed manager Antonio Conte is said to be planning to play a system with two strikers up front. Hence, the West London club have reportedly issued two ‘hands off’ warnings to Atletico Madrid regarding Costa.
However, Chelsea are said to be preparing contingency plans in case their Spanish star leaves this summer, and have already launched a €50 million bid for PSG’s Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, according to French news outlet Le10Sport. PSG, though, are unwilling to sell the 29-year-old and have already turned down Chelsea’s offer, and are demanding €80 million for Cavani, according to the report.
Cavani has never really been able to establish himself as a regular in PSG’s starting XI. The Uruguayan has had to play as understudy to the mercurial Zlatan Ibrahimovic during his three-year stay in the French capital. Now, a spot seems to have opened up for Cavani, with the departure of Ibrahimovic to Manchester United on a free transfer.
Edinson Cavani: Of players to make 15+ apps in the last 3 Ligue 1 seasons, only Ibra (88.3 mins) has scored more often than Cavani (136.5)
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) July 22, 2016
However, Cavani seems to have run out of patience with the Ligue 1 champions, and has already declined a contract extension with PSG earlier this year. While PSG are asking for €80 million for Cavani, it will be interesting to see how long they can hold out for such a high price for a 29-year-old striker whose contract runs out in two years.
