Chelsea have reportedly taken the first step in pursuit of Habib Diallo and submitted an offer worth €20 million to his parent club FC Metz.
French publication Le Republicain Lorrain have claimed that Chelsea have lodged a bid worth €20 million for FC Metz striker Habib Diallo. The Senegalese forward is reportedly on the radar of several clubs. But, it seems the Blues have decided to convert their interest into something real with the tabled offer.
24-year-old Habib Diallo was the main man upfront and one of the in-form stars for FC Metz in their promotion winning Ligue 2 campaign in the 2018-19 season. Diallo scored 26 times, with six assists to his name during the season as Metz returned to the French top-tier.
Now in Ligue 1, while FC Metz have struggled to an extent, currently sitting 17th on the league table, the 24-year-old has shown he can cope up with the increased level of competition and overall quality, with 10 goals and an assist to show for his efforts in 19 league appearances.
His performances have seen him draw interest from several clubs including Chelsea, who have submitted a €20 million bid as per the report. Metz, though, are not prepared to part ways with Diallo, with the 24-year-old crucial to the club’s chances of surviving relegation come the end of the season.
Chelsea have their own reasoning to get Diallo in January. Tammy Abraham is the only forward who has shown consistency along with form under Frank Lampard. Olivier Giroud doesn’t seem to be in the manager’s plans and while Michy Batshuayi has chipped in with important goals, the Belgian is not that good a fit into the main system that Lampard deploys.
Ideally, Lampard would want to sign a forward in January, with Chelsea in multiple competitions while also looking to secure top four in the Premier League. It will be interesting to see how Metz deal with the €20 million bid that is on the table and whether any other clubs come swooping in for Diallo.
Chelsea might be in the driving seat, but it will be a tough ask to get Diallo from Metz in January. A summer transfer though, is a favourable prospect.
