Chelsea open talks to sign “incredible” forward; willing to make £80m+ bid

Chelsea have now opened talks over a summer move for an “incredible” forward, and they are willing to make an offer of £83m to get a deal over the line, according to a report.

Maresca keen on new forwards

Nicolas Jackson’s form has been on a downward spiral since December, while fellow forward Christopher Nkunku has scored just three goals in the Premier League this season, meaning Enzo Maresca is now keen to bring in new attacking options in the summer.

Maresca is thought to rate Athletic Club winger Nico Williams extremely highly, and the Blues are said to have offered the Spaniard a £319k-per-week contract to move to Stamford Bridge.

Another wide option the west Londoners have in mind is Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, and they have now made their first move to sign the winger, tabling a blockbuster £66m bid in an attempt to get a deal done this summer.

Earlier this week, it was revealed Chelsea are also in a strong position to sign AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, with the Italian club now more open to a departure, and there has since been a new update on their pursuit of the Portugal international.

According to a report from Spain, talks have now been opened with Leao’s representatives ahead of what could be a big-money move this summer.

The Blues are willing to make an offer of €100m (£83m) for the winger, with the board expressing a serious interest in getting a deal done, having identified him as one of their key targets.

Chelsea are said to be the frontrunners for the forward, who Milan would prefer to keep hold of, but there is a feeling the Italian side could be tempted to sanction a sale, should they receive a big offer.

“Incredible” Leao could be a fantastic signing

Maresca recently sent scouts to watch Bologna defender Sam Beukema in action against AC Milan, but their attention may also have been drawn to Leao, given that the Portuguese forward bagged his sixth goal of the season in the Serie A.

Although Milan lost 2-1, the former Lille man put in another impressive performance, having been a key player for the Serie A side for quite some time, amassing 68 goals and 52 assists in a total of 247 appearances for the club.

Not only that, but the 25-year-old also ranks very highly on some key attacking metrics, when compared to his positional peers over the past year.

Leao has been a brilliant servant to Milan, but he may want a fresh challenge after spending six seasons in Italy, and if he decides to test himself in the Premier League, his attacking numbers indicate he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea and one to watch by the looks of things.