Chelsea expected to beat Atletico Madrid to the signing of Lautaro Rivero
Chelsea have been looking to bring in a stack of high-profile young players at Stamford Bridge for quite a while now. And this has seen the Blues dipping into a lot of markets beyond the continent.
And it looks like the West Londoners are going to continue their pursuit of high-profile prospects as they accelerate their push for Lautaro Rivero.
According to a recent report by Fichajes, Chelsea are confident that they can beat Atletico Madrid to the River Plate centre-back in the picking winter transfer window, with the 22-year-old being seen as a key target despite his €100 million release clause.
River Plate have been looking to tighten their stance after his impressive performances. This is what prompted them to hand him a new contract with that big clause.
Chelsea face elite competition for Lautaro Rivero
Can Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid to Lautaro Rivero?
But despite his mammoth clause, he could be available for a cheap fee. Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are said to be confident about landing the Argentine centre-back and are preparing a bid for a fee around €20m for his signature. Alongside Atletico, the duo of Manchester City and Real Madrid have also expressed interest in his signature. Chelsea’ Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur also held aggressive early interest in the 22-year-old’s signature.
But as the Blues generally do with these types of high-potential players, they remain confident in signing Rivero. And the Blues are ready to move quickly and are looking to structure a proposal which is strong enough to test River Plate’s resolve without touching that release clause.
While Atletico Madrid are looking to build their bid on bonuses and sell-on clauses, Chelsea can easily outmuscle them with a higher upside fee.
Author Opinion
Bringing in Rivero not only makes sense over the long term but also hands Chelsea that much-needed immediate quality and depth at the heart of the defence.
Given that the Blues have been short of centre backs this season, Rivero can have an out-and-out opportunity to make an impact for the Premier League heavyweights if he were to be signed in the upcoming winter transfer window.
Now it is to be seen if the chiefs at Chelsea can convince the player to move to West London despite interest from other clubs. And if they do, whether Chelsea can come to common terms with the Argentine giants on the pricing point.
Would you take Lautaro Rivero at Stamford Bridge? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.