Chelsea have joined the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona in the race to sign Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, according to reports.
ESPN Argentina claim that the Blues have been holding discussions with the 26-year-old’s representatives.
In fact, it is believed that Alvarez’s agents were in London last week to attend the match between Chelsea and Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.
A fee of around €90m (£78m) is expected to be enough to snap up the Argentinian international, who seems open to leaving Atletico at the end of the season.
Chelsea are seeking a new No.9
Liam Delap has not had the best of campaigns following his £30m move from Ipswich Town last summer. Fitness and form have been an issue for the 23-year-old.
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His goal return of 2 goals in 22 appearances is not what the club were expecting when he was signed, and it looks like he is fighting for his future.
With Nicolas Jackson expected to be offloaded on a permanent basis once he returns from his loan spell at Bayern Munich, it does suggest a new striker will be high up the agenda of co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart.
Alvarez has many good qualities
The forward recently turned 26, so he is arguably just inside the age range that the Blues usually target. On top of that, he has plenty of experience in the Premier League thanks to his time at Manchester City.
Alvarez hasn’t been quite as prolific in front of goal this season, which may be a concern – he hasn’t scored a league goal since the 1st of November.
However, he has averaged a goal or assist every 1.68 games over the last 18 months with Atletico, which is pretty impressive, considering the team he plays for isn’t particularly attack-minded.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here