Chelsea are hoping to hijack Paris Saint-Germain’s deal to sign Achraf Hakimi by offering Inter Milan Marcos Alonso in addition to €55 million in cash.
According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, Paris Saint-Germain are closing in on the capture of Achraf Hakimi. The Ligue 1 giants have reportedly agreed a deal with Inter Milan worth around €70 million, which is €10 million lower than the original asking price, but the deal is nearing its completion nonetheless.
Chelsea, though, are not willing to back down and have offered a new bid worth around €55 million. In addition to the cash, they are also willing to send Marcos Alonso the other way, as a potential sweetener in the deal to sign Hakimi, even though the player prefers playing in Paris rather than London.
This appears to be the second time Chelsea are offering one of their fringe players in order to lower Inter’s demands. They had earlier offered Ruben Loftus-Cheek, while names like Emerson Palmieri and Andreas Christensen have also emerged in the past. The Nerazzurri, though, haven’t shown any desire to sign any of these players and are instead interested in a direct cash payment.
It is hardly surprising either, as Inter are going through a difficult phase financially and need a fresh injection of money into the club. The direct €70 million for Hakimi, in that regard, could go a long way in not only helping the club recover but also give new coach Simone Inzaghi the additional funds to reshape the squad to his liking, after Antonio Conte left in the summer.
It does leave Chelsea in a precarious position, though, with head coach Thomas Tuchel almost desperate to sign a new right wing-back in the summer. Hakimi was the German’s desired option, having shone during his time at Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, notably being involved in as many as 17 goals this past season, helping the Nerazzurri seal the Scudetto.
Not to mention, the Blues have shown the desire to offload some of their existing players. Hakim Ziyech, a subject of interest from Milan, is facing an uncertain future while Callum Hudson-Odoi has been courted by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
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Chelsea have been linked recently with Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who is making quite an impression with Italy in the ongoing European Championships. The Premier League giants, though, are expected to face stiff competition from Real Madrid, with new coach Carlo Ancelotti keen on signing a long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal.
As for their late hijack attempt to snare away Hakimi, the efforts may end up proving futile as the Moroccan international has his heart set on a transfer to Paris.
