Chelsea are reportedly considering a surprise player-plus-cash deal to sign England hero Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa this summer.
Chelsea are reportedly prepared to launch a sensational player-plus-cash bid for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.
The Blues have already strengthened their forward line with the addition of Barcelona academy product Marc Guiu this summer.
However, Chelsea are still keen to bring in further reinforcements to provide competition to their current first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson.
The West London club have been linked with a number of names this summer, including Villa’s 20-year-old forward Jhon Duran.
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Chelsea eyeing Watkins swap deal
However, according to Football Insider, Chelsea are now considering a sensational swap deal for Duran’s Villa teammate Watkins.
The report claims that Chelsea are willing to offer midfielder Conor Gallagher plus cash to prise Watkins away from Villa Park this summer.
Gallagher, who has entered the final year of his contract, has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, largely due to his status as an academy product.
Selling the 24-year-old would enable Chelsea to generate pure profit to help them meet the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Chelsea have already successfully negotiated with Villa this summer, having sold full-back Ian Maatsen and signed attacking midfielder Omari Kellyman.
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Will Villa sell Watkins this summer?
Although Villa are believed to be among Gallagher’s admirers, his signature is unlikely to be enough to convince the Villans to sell their star striker this summer.
Villa boss Unai Emery will be reluctant to part ways with Watkins ahead of the club’s highly-anticipated Champions League campaign.
Watkins, who is under contract until June 2028, is likely to be crucial to Villa’s hopes of making a positive impression in UEFA’s elite club competition.
Last season, the forward registered 19 goals in 37 top-flight matches to finish the campaign as the Premier League’s joint fourth-highest scorer.
The Villa man recently made headlines after he came off the bench to score a dramatic 90th-minute winner in England’s Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands on Wednesday.
After scoring his fourth international goal, Watkins will wait to see if he has a role to play in Sunday’s European Championship final against Spain.