Chelsea have reportedly made a shock ‘offer’ to Real Madrid of a ‘direct exchange’ to sign top Arsenal and Liverpool target Rodrygo this summer.
The Blues are the biggest spenders this summer after laying out over £210m on new signings to bolster Enzo Maresca’s after Club World Cup glory followed the Conference League trophy and a top four finish in the Premier League to secure Champions League football for the coming season.
Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens have arrived to improve Maresca’s forward options but Chelsea want to add another attacking player to their ranks this summer as Noni Madueke has left for Arsenal, while the club also tries to find buyers for Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix.
Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham have all been linked with Nkunku, whom Chelsea want £35m for, while it’s claimed Felix will ‘accept a pay cut’ in order to ‘complete dream transfer’ back to Benfica.
A report earlier this week claimed Chelsea have ‘reignited interest’ in Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho, while it was claimed on Wednesday that the Blues ‘are ready to push the boat out’ to sign Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.
It’s claimed the club bosses have been encouraged to pursue Rogers on the back of Villa’s interest in Nicolas Jackson, who worked under Unai Emery at Villarreal, but it’s now claimed Chelsea could instead use the Senegal striker in a ‘direct exchange’ for Rodrygo, with both players valued around the €90m-€100m mark.
That’s according to Defensa Central, who claim Madrid president Florentino Perez and manager Xabi Alonso are now ‘deciding’ on the ‘offer’ from Chelsea for the ‘no longer untouchable’ Brazilian.
A report on Wednesday claimed that Liverpool could be the ones to watch in the race for the Rodrygo, who is the ‘chosen one’ at Anfield.
Liverpool ‘will do everything in their power’ to bring the Real Madrid winger to Merseyside with Rodrygo falling down the pecking order at the Bernabeu.
It is understood that agent Pini Zahavi has been appointed as an intermediary by Liverpool as they look to get a deal over the line and will send him to open talks with Real Madrid in the ‘coming days or weeks’.
And both Chelsea and Liverpool will be boosted by a revelation from Spanish outlet Cadena SER that while ‘not impossible’, an Arsenal move for Rodrygo has been ‘complicated a lot’ by the signings of Madueke and Gyokeres.
‘Sources close to Arsenal’ claim the ‘road is closed’, opening the door for Liverpool or Chelsea to ‘launch for him’ in what remains of the transfer window, as Madrid want €90m [£78m] for the winger.