Chelsea have made their first major move in the transfer market since
reappointing Jose Mourinho by opening talks with Napoli over a potential
British record fee for Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani.
It is understood that a pounds 40million deal was initially suggested by Chelsea but Napoli, who are now managed by former Stamford Bridge manager Rafael Benitez, have said that they would expect Cavani's pounds 53million buy-out clause to be met. It is unclear whether Chelsea are prepared to go beyond the pounds 50million fee they paid for Fernando Torres and there remains competing interest in Cavani from Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Any deal for Cavani would also place the future of Torres under fresh doubt although he has repeatedly said that he wants to stay and fight for his place under Mourinho regardless of what happens this summer. Torres has scored only 34 goals in 131 Premier League appearances since joining from Liverpool at the beginning of 2010. Cavani has scored 104 goals for Napoli during these past three years and was also the top goalscorer across Serie A last season. Manchester City have also held talks with Aurelio de Laurentiis, Napoli's owner, and could offer Edin Dzeko as a potential makeweight.
De Laurentiis said yesterday that he was expecting to hear more from Chelsea in the coming days. "Chelsea are interested in Cavani and they will call me soon," he said. "If he did decide to go to Chelsea we would take time out to think and replace him with people worthy of replacing him." De Laurentiis, a film mogul, also suggested that he was making plans for life after Cavani by revealing that he had offered pounds 34million for the Roma's Erik Lamela and Marquinhos. At least one new striker is certainly one of the main transfer priorities this summer for Mourinho and it has also been claimed by Hulk, the Brazil striker, that Chelsea are interested in him. Dzeko and Fiorentina's Stevan Jovetic have also been considered, while Romelu Lukaku will be assessed when he rejoins training after a successful loan spell at West Bromwich Albion.
Signing Cavani, though, would be an especially significant statement of intent by Chelsea, particularly in the context of Manchester City's competing interest. Chelsea named eight players yesterday available on free transfers, including Yossi Benayoun, Paulo Ferreira, Hilario, Florent Malouda and Ross Turnbull. The departures of Turnbull and Hilario would also probably leave Chelsea wanting to recruit a goalkeeper this summer. Thibaut Courtois will return from an impressive loan spell at Atletico Madrid, although there is the expectation that he could again return to Spain for the season rather than risking stagnating on the bench as Petr Cech's understudy.
Hilario could also still be offered a one-year deal to offer short-term back-up. Mourinho yesterday made it clear that his selections at Chelsea would not be shaped by reputation and that he would only select players according to their form. "I am a coach who looks for a meritocracy," he said. "Whoever I think is best must play - without looking at status or the past. You play as you train. It is a normal situation. As it was normal for me to leave [Marco] Materazzi, a mythical player at Inter Milan, on the bench. Or like Benitez this year at Chelsea with John Terry."
It is understood that a pounds 40million deal was initially suggested by Chelsea but Napoli, who are now managed by former Stamford Bridge manager Rafael Benitez, have said that they would expect Cavani's pounds 53million buy-out clause to be met. It is unclear whether Chelsea are prepared to go beyond the pounds 50million fee they paid for Fernando Torres and there remains competing interest in Cavani from Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Any deal for Cavani would also place the future of Torres under fresh doubt although he has repeatedly said that he wants to stay and fight for his place under Mourinho regardless of what happens this summer. Torres has scored only 34 goals in 131 Premier League appearances since joining from Liverpool at the beginning of 2010. Cavani has scored 104 goals for Napoli during these past three years and was also the top goalscorer across Serie A last season. Manchester City have also held talks with Aurelio de Laurentiis, Napoli's owner, and could offer Edin Dzeko as a potential makeweight.
De Laurentiis said yesterday that he was expecting to hear more from Chelsea in the coming days. "Chelsea are interested in Cavani and they will call me soon," he said. "If he did decide to go to Chelsea we would take time out to think and replace him with people worthy of replacing him." De Laurentiis, a film mogul, also suggested that he was making plans for life after Cavani by revealing that he had offered pounds 34million for the Roma's Erik Lamela and Marquinhos. At least one new striker is certainly one of the main transfer priorities this summer for Mourinho and it has also been claimed by Hulk, the Brazil striker, that Chelsea are interested in him. Dzeko and Fiorentina's Stevan Jovetic have also been considered, while Romelu Lukaku will be assessed when he rejoins training after a successful loan spell at West Bromwich Albion.
Signing Cavani, though, would be an especially significant statement of intent by Chelsea, particularly in the context of Manchester City's competing interest. Chelsea named eight players yesterday available on free transfers, including Yossi Benayoun, Paulo Ferreira, Hilario, Florent Malouda and Ross Turnbull. The departures of Turnbull and Hilario would also probably leave Chelsea wanting to recruit a goalkeeper this summer. Thibaut Courtois will return from an impressive loan spell at Atletico Madrid, although there is the expectation that he could again return to Spain for the season rather than risking stagnating on the bench as Petr Cech's understudy.
Hilario could also still be offered a one-year deal to offer short-term back-up. Mourinho yesterday made it clear that his selections at Chelsea would not be shaped by reputation and that he would only select players according to their form. "I am a coach who looks for a meritocracy," he said. "Whoever I think is best must play - without looking at status or the past. You play as you train. It is a normal situation. As it was normal for me to leave [Marco] Materazzi, a mythical player at Inter Milan, on the bench. Or like Benitez this year at Chelsea with John Terry."
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