Chelsea now targeting €40m striker as Romelu Lukaku replacement

Chelsea have finally offloaded Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Gabonese joined Olympique Marseille on a free transfer. The Blues are also pushing to offload Romelu Lukaku this summer with the possibility of bringing in one more striker at Stamford Bridge. Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has emerged as a target for CFC.

Chelsea signed Nicolas Jackson earlier in the window and the Senegalese forward has shown glimpse of his talent. The Blues could sign one more striker and have already been linked with names like Lautaro Martinez, Dusan Vlahovic and Victor Osimhen. On the other hand, CFC want to sell Lukaku. The player has made it clear that he doesn’t intend to stay at Stamford Bridge. Ideally, he would have liked to return to Inter Milan but the Nerazzurri have pulled out of negotiations.

Inter had several meetings with Chelsea to discuss Lukaku’s future and even bids were tabled. The West London outfit wanted €40 million for the Belgian striker. Inter Milan were negotiating with CFC when it was discovered that the Belgian forward held discussions with Juventus behind Inter’s back. The Nerazzurri were disgusted by Lukaku’s actions and decided to walk off from the deal.

Chelsea interested in Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins

Juve are surely keen on the 30 year old but their pursuit will depend on the future of Dusan Vlahovic. If the Serbian departs for PSG, Juventus will actively pursue a deal for Lukaku. If this is to happen, CFC need to wait but the Blues want to offload the striker as soon as possible. The Belgian did not travel with the squad to the USA pre-season tour and Mauricio Pochettino has been pretty clear that the player will be sold as he is not in his plans.

According to journalist Simon Phillips (via football.london), Aston Villa forward Watkins has emerged as a target for Chelsea. However, getting the deal over the line will be a challenge as Villa wants to keep their star striker ahead of their Europe campaign next season. Villa have been proactive in the transfer window and they are planning to challenge the status quo of the top six.

The Englishman is valued at €40 million by Transfermarkt but the deal is very difficult as things stand. The 27 year old has a deal at Villa park till 2025 and the Birmingham club are in no rush to sell Watkins. The Blues have also been linked to Kylian Mbappe but there is no concrete offer or talks with PSG at the moment.

Is Ollie Watkins a viable option for the Blues?