Chelsea are locked in talks over the possibility of a January deal to land Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain, who is currently on loan at AC Milan.
According to The Telegraph, Gonzalo Higuain’s AC Milan loan deal could be cut short. The Italian giants are struggling to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations and could have to give up the permanent deal option for the Argentine. Chelsea are interested in a January deal for the Juventus striker.
AC Milan’s struggles with Financial Fair Play regulations are known to everyone. According to reports, the Rossoneri will not be able to put up the fund to activate the permanent deal clause in Higuain’s loan deal. But, Gennaro Gattuso is keen to retain the player for the season at least, if not beyond.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are desperate to add to their striking options. Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud are misfiring and while they did start off well under Maurizio Sarri, the profligacy in attack is starting to cost the Blues, the latest being in a 1-0 defeat to Leicester City.
Gonzalo Higuain was once regarded as one of the most lethal strikers in the world. The Argentine made his name at Real Madrid. But, it is at Napoli where he gained the reputation of being a prolific and consistent hitman. His move to Juventus was a mild success. But, he was shipped off on loan to AC Milan, who reserve an option to make the deal permanent.
The transfer was to make room for Cristiano Ronaldo, with Massimiliano Allegri preferring Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala and sacrifice Higuain, owing more to the two strikers’ flexibility in terms of attacking positions. While he has scored 7 goals so far this season, he seems to have lost his place to Patrick Cutrone, who has been impressing many scouts as well.
Chelsea though, could just be the get-out-of-jail-card Higuain needs. For one, AC Milan are being troubled by FFP rules. Secondly, a move to Chelsea would enable him to be competitive once again. Another mouth-watering prospect would be the reunion between Sarri and Higuain at Stamford Bridge.
Higuain thrived in Sarri-ball and could be the ultimate answer to the attacking jigsaw puzzle at Chelsea. The Blues have held talks with both Juventus and AC Milan over the prospect of cutting the loan deal short and signing Higuain in January. Chelsea also seem prepared to pay AC Milan’s remaining fee of £8 million, thus easing the financial burden.
The on-loan Juventus star also earns more than £140,000 per-week and an early cessation of the loan deal would save AC Milan millions. Chelsea have been linked with other strikers. But, Higuain could be the priority, mainly due to him having played under Sarri and thrived in the manager’s tactical style.
