Chelsea are preparing a bid for Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez, who is reportedly growing increasingly unhappy with his lack of game time.
The Blues recently confirmed their first signing of the summer with Tosin Adarabioyo joining from Fulham following the expiration of his contract. However, the club is planning further moves to revamp their squad under new manager Enzo Maresca.
One area Chelsea is targeting is a central striker, as both Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku struggled for consistency last season. A move for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen now appears unlikely, so Chelsea is turning their attention to City’s Alvarez, according to Argentine outlet TYC Sports.
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Alvarez, who joined Manchester City from River Plate in 2022 for just £14 million, scored 11 goals and provided nine assists in the league last season. However, he often found himself on the bench towards the end of the season as Pep Guardiola’s side secured a fourth consecutive league title.
While City is reportedly in no rush to sell the 24-year-old, Chelsea may still test the waters with an opening bid. Paris-Saint Germain and Atletico Madrid are also interested in Alvarez.
In other transfer news, Chelsea is set to end Romelu Lukaku’s time at the club as he returns from his loan at Roma. Lukaku has a £38 million release clause this summer, despite joining Chelsea for £97.5 million from Inter in August 2021. Napoli is considering a move for Lukaku, who has also expressed openness to joining a club in the Saudi Pro League.
“I have often spoken with Yannick [Carrasco] about life there. He lives in a compound, but you really have everything there,” Lukaku told RTL. “Saudi Arabia wouldn’t stop me. The level will only increase to a much higher level than many people think. More and more football players will tend to play there. Also because of how the fans there experience football. The infrastructure still needs to be improved, but all major European top clubs know: ‘Saudi Arabia is coming’. You already see that in boxing, golf, Formula 1.”