AFC Bournemouth have reportedly asked Chelsea to stump up £75 million for their star striker Callum Wilson in the ongoing transfer window.
If the report by The Sun is to be believed, Bournemouth have slapped a staggering £75 million price tag for their prolific goalscorer in the January transfer window. The Blues have been intent on bolstering their attack this month, with their scoring woes deepening.
If the transfer goes through, the Blues would have broken their previous transfer record of £71.6 million for Kepa Arrizabalaga from Atletico Madrid set last summer. The interest in Wilson though, does make a great deal of sense.
Chelsea are in dire need of firepower with neither Alvaro Morata nor Olivier Giroud proving to be prolific enough this season. And, with Eden Hazard heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, the West Londoners are in danger of becoming completely feeble in attack.
Wilson has been in fine form this season with 9 goals and 5 assists from 20 outings, and have played a pivotal role in Bournemouth being in the fray for a top half finish. The Cherries though, aren’t very keen to sell off their star man and weaken their attack in the process.
In Dominic Solanke, Joshua King and Lys Mousset, Eddie Howe has at his disposal some serious firepower which could wreak havoc to the best of defences. But, it goes without saying that Wilson is their talisman, which explains why they would want to thwart Chelsea this month.
Indeed, the exorbitant £75 million fee for the English striker could possibly scare Maurizio Sarri from targeting him, although flush with funds, the Blues may just surprise us. The upturn in funds though, would likely come from the sale of Eden Hazard, which is not expected to happen in January, if at all.
Bournemouth bought Wilson from Coventry in 2014 for a paltry £3 million. If Chelsea go ahead with the deal, the Cherries would make a whopping profit of £72 million, making it the 5th most profitable transfer of all time.
That Chelsea are interested in signing Wilson is certain. But, it remains to be seen if they are willing to splash the cash for a player who has been capped just once in the senior England squad. Sarri would have to play and select his cards right if he wants his side to qualify for the Champions League next year, and it might come at a cost of £75 million.
