Chelsea are reportedly seeking £10 million in compensation fee for Dominic Solanke, who is set to join Liverpool this summer.
According to a report in London Evening Standard, Chelsea and Liverpool are set to reach an impasse over the compensation fee for the summer transfer of Dominic Solanke, with the Blues demanding £10 million for the 19-year-old striker.
Solanke joined Chelsea as a seven-year-old, progressing through the ranks at the West London club while also making a name for himself as a prolific goalscorer. The player made the grade with the senior squad in 2014, making his first-team debut for the Blues at the nascent age of 17.
However, the graduation into Chelsea’s first-team setup has seen Solanke’s growth stuttering as, bar a season-long loan spell for Vitesse Arnhem, the teenager struggled for minutes in the senior setup at Stamford Bridge.
Thus, the 19-year-old is now set to leave his boyhood club once his contract with the West London outfit expires this month. His next destination is Liverpool, with the Reds striking a deal with the player over a Bosman transfer in the summer transfer window.
While Solanke is unlikely to join Jurgen Klopp’s first-team squad at Anfield initially, the Liverpool boss will keep a watchful eye on the striker as he plies his trade for the Reds’ under-23 side in Premier League 2.
However, with Klopp facing an issue with regards to depth in his squad, there’s every chance for the youngster to get his chances for the first team as well. The compensation fee, though, has become a sticking point for Liverpool and Chelsea in the deal for Solanke.
The Blues are entitled to receive the fee for the 19-year-old even though he is out of contract at Stamford Bridge, as he comes under the bracket of home-grown players aged under 24. But, the two Premier League heavyweights differ in their valuation for Solanke, with Liverpool only willing to offer £3 million for him.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are set to demand £10 million for the player after his exploits in the recently concluded Under-20 World Cup. Solanke played a starring role for tournament winners England as he finished the second top scorer with four goals while also winning the Golden Ball – award handed to the best player at the championships.
Should the impasse between the two clubs continue, the matter will be referred to a tribunal next month to determine an appropriate fee. With the potential of the player, as well as the club’s role in the player’s development taken into account, Chelsea are confident that they can recoup the aforementioned figure.
It now remains to be seen if Liverpool are forced to pay the record fee for a tribunal for a second time, after they paid £6.5 million to Burnely for Danny Ings.
