Chelsea have made a shock £34m ‘offer’ for Real Madrid star Gonzalo García after the striker’s Club World Cup heroics in what could be good news for Arsenal.
The Blues have already landed Liam Delap as a new No.9 this summer after triggering his £30m release clause to sign him from Ipswich, while Joao Pedro has also joined for an initial £55m from Brighton to further bolster Enzo Maresca’s forward line and Jamie Gittens’ arrival is thought to be imminent after Chelsea agreed a £55.5m deal with Borussia Dortmund for the winger.
But they’re not done yet according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, who claim the Blues are ‘ready to shake the market with a forceful proposal for Garcia’, who’s thrust himself into the public eye with three goals and an assist in four games at the Club World Cup.
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But after the 21-year-old scored the only goal of the game to see Real Madrid past Juventus and into the quarter-finals, manager Xabi Alonso refused to confirm whether there would be a spot for Garcia in his first-team squad next season.
“Today we are thinking about the World Cup,” Alonso told DAZN when asked what was in stall for the young striker.
“There will be time. I knew him well, I didn’t expect him to score three goals in four games, I won’t say that either, but I knew his pressure and his work and on top of that scoring goals. I trusted him and he is earning that trust.”
But Chelsea have supposedly seen enough to make a €40m [£34m] ‘offer’ for Garcia, who scored 25 goals in 36 games for Real Madrid Castilla last season.
It’s claimed the La Liga giants ‘do not have a final decision about his future’ but ‘a sale is not ruled out’ as Real Madrid need funds to ‘complete the squad, with a left-back, a central defender and a defensive midfielder on Alonso’s wish list.
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Accepting Chelsea’s bid could therefore ‘represent a strategic opportunity’ for Los Blancos this summer.
It could also provide a boost for Arsenal, who reportedly see Nicolas Jackson as a ‘surprise’ alternative to top striker targets Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko having also ‘submitted an offer’ for Noni Madueke, whom Chelsea want £45m+ for this summer.
Regarding Arsenal’s interest in Jackson, journalist Duncan Castles explained: “There’s one more name that I’ve become aware of this week, which may come as a surprise, which is Nicolas Jackson, the striker who’s had an interesting time in his two years at Chelsea.
“Chelsea have always been looking for either adding someone else in that position or replacing him totally.
“Chelsea say they’re not actively looking to sell Jackson in this window, but he’s not one of the untouchable figures within their squad.”
But the Fichajes report is rather more unequivocal in reference to Jackson, insisting he ‘will not continue’ at Chelsea.