Chelsea intend to strengthen their squad for next season and are considering a summer move for the Atlético Madrid forward, Antoine Griezmann.
Chelsea intend to strengthen their squad for next season and are considering a summer move for the Atlético Madrid forward, Antoine Griezmann.
The France international, who effectively replaced Diego Costa at Vicente Calderón, has enjoyed a prolific season in Spain and is one of a number of potential recruits whose progress has been tracked closely. José Mourinho hopes to add three or four senior players to his Premier League champions in anticipation of losing Petr Cech, Filipe Luís and Didier Drogba.
The club’s recruitment department, headed by the technical director Michael Emenalo, are hoping to conduct business as efficiently as last summer when their major additions – other than Loïc Rémy, whose transfer was necessitated by Fernando Torres’s departure on deadline day – were secured relatively early.
While they retain clout in the market, there could yet be one significant sale to offer Chelsea more leeway given the desire to comply with Uefa’s financial fair play regulations.
Griezmann has scored 25 goals for Atlético since his £23m arrival from Real Sociedad last July on a six-year contract, though his club are attempting to renegotiate the terms of that arrangement given the current deal includes a buyout clause set at around £43m. Atlético’s keenness to redraft Griezmann’s contract reflects how well the 24-year-old has done in his first year under Diego Simeone but the clause as it stands offers suitors the chance to prise him away.
Chelsea’s summer dealings are likely to revolve heavily around Atlético, as they did a year ago when Costa and Filipe Luís were bought and Thibaut Courtois ended a three-year loan spell in the Spanish capital. The Brazilian left-back may return to his former club having failed to make an impact this year, while there is interest in Toby Alderweireld – a versatile defender or midfielder who has enjoyed an excellent season on loan at Southampton and recently joined Jorge Mendes’ stable of clients – the Spain international midfielder Koke and Barcelona’s forward Pedro Rodríguez.
The Premier League champions have also looked at the Getafe goalkeeper, Vicente Guaita, and retain an interest in Queens Park Rangers’ Rob Green, who will become a free agent on 1 July, on the assumption Cech will end an 11-year spell at Stamford Bridge by seeking regular first-team football elsewhere this summer. The Czech international may favour remaining in London with Arsenal, though there is strong interest from abroad.
Reports have also been compiled on Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin and the England full-back Nathaniel Clyne, whose long-term future is in doubt at St Mary’s. Initial interest in the Swiss left-back, Ricardo Rodríguez, at Wolfsburg is unlikely to be pursued.
Regardless, there is an acceptance that reinforcements will be needed before a sterner test next term. “Of course next season is going to be more difficult for us,” Nemanja Matic said. “Everyone knows we are champions, they will fight against us with more motivation. But we deserve that. We are Chelsea, and we know what we have to do.”
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