Chelsea will push on with ambitious summer transfer plans despite the crisis that threatens owner Roman Abramovich, with the club making Robert Lewandowski their No 1 target.
Abramovich’s visa application has been delayed, with the Government set to ask the Russian how he acquired his wealth if his visa is to be renewed.
There is also huge uncertainty over the future of Antonio Conte, with both the manager and the club hopeful of parting ways but Chelsea are unprepared to pay the compensation of at least £10 million – that would be needed to get rid of the Italian and his nine staff.
Despite that upheaval, Chelsea are still trying to move on with a deal for Lewandowski, who they believe is ready for a transfer away from the German club and could cost Chelsea at least £100 million.
If Chelsea were successful in their pursuit of Lewandowski, this will spell the end for Morata at the club after joining just a year ago.
The 25-year-old did not make the 23-man Spain squad named for the World Cup finals by Julien Lopetegui on Monday, as he has scored just three goals since the start of the year. Shortly after the squad was announced, Morata tweeted: “Good luck at the World Cup! I will be supporting you and encouraging you right to the end, as always!”
The striker’s club-mates Cesc Fabregas and Marcos Alonso were also left out, as was Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin.
Although Lewandowski’s age is not ideal for the kind of huge price Chelsea would have to pay – he turns 30 in August – he however does fit the bill for a proven European goal-scorer and his arrival would also be a way of persuading Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois that Chelsea are serious about challenging again for the Premier League and the Champions League next season.
Both players are stalling on their contract renewals until they see evidence that the club are prepared to compete with rivals for the best players, although Hazard yesterday gave a strong hint yet that he was looking to the future at Chelsea.
“We have a lot of top players who are used to winning trophies. We’ll be ready next season,” Hazard told The London Evening Standard. “I think all of the players and the club want one thing and that’s to win the title. Of course, we will see if we can bring in some new players. But we will be focused on winning the title.”
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Real Madrid have always been considered the first in the queue for the Poland international but in the last two years the Los Blancos have had to sell players in order to stay in profit and it is likely that they would do the same to buy Lewandowski.
Bayern were robust in seeing off interest in the forward last summer and he finished as the highest goalscorer in Bundesliga with 29 goals – almost twice as many as any other player in the league.
