Chelsea are reportedly set to face competition from AC Milan in the race to sign Torino FC striker and captain Andrea Belotti in the summer.
According to Fichajes, Chelsea are among the clubs interested in signing Torino and Italy striker in the summer transfer window but will face competition from Serie A giants AC Milan.
Belotti has earned the reputation of being one of the most consistent goalscorers in Italian football since he signed for Torino from Palermo in 2015. To date, the 28-year-old has racked up an impressive tally of 107 goals and 28 assists from 238 appearances, constantly punching above his weight in a team that has been battling for survival in the Italian top-flight in recent years.
Belotti has endured a difficult 2021/22 campaign as he has been hit with injury problems, restricting him to just nine league appearances and two goals. But with his contract expiring at the end of the season, there seems to be no shortage of suitors for the Italian international as he gears up for the next chapter in his career.
Chelsea are believed to be one of the clubs keen on signing the UEFA Euro 2020 winner at the end of the season. The Blues spent a club-record sum to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan in the summer. But the Belgian has failed to perform at the level expected, and there are already murmurs over his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
His strike-partner Timo Werner has not fared any better since arriving at Chelsea in 2020 in a big-money deal from RB Leipzig. The German international is likely to pack his bags in the summer if his performances do not improve between now and the end of the season. It would leave Chelsea short on numbers in the No. 9 slot, thus making a new striker a necessary addition.
Erling Haaland has been touted as a top target, but with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City competing for his signing, having other options would bode well for Thomas Tuchel’s side. And this is where someone like Belotti could come into the picture. The Italian has shown enough pedigree to become a handy signing for Chelsea as a backup if not for the first-choice striker.
However, the reigning European champions will have to face competition from AC Milan. The Rossoneri have two ageing strikers in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud as their primary options in the No. 9 role and are looking to add another player in the position. Belotti’s know-how of Italian football and his potential free agency makes him an attractive option for Stefano Pioli’s side.
Apart from Chelsea and AC Milan, there is interest from Sevilla as well. So, it remains to be seen which way Belotti leans when his contract with Torino runs out in the summer.
