Chelsea need to trigger the €120 million release clause in Jan Oblak’s Atletico Madrid contract to secure his services, as per reports.
According to a report by Goal, Chelsea must trigger the release clause in Jan Oblak’s contract with Atletico Madrid in order to sign him in the summer transfer window. The Slovenian international will, therefore, have a €120 million price tag.
Oblak has become one of the very best in his trade since joining Atletico Madrid from Benfica in the summer of 2014. Over the last six seasons, the 27-year-old has been one of the first names on the team sheet at La Liga club and has been one of the reasons for their exceptional defensive record.
Since joining Los Rojiblancos, the Slovenian goalkeeper has made 256 appearances, while keeping a staggering 139 clean sheets and conceding a mere 174 goals. His progress over the past half a decade or so means Oblak would improve just about every team he joins. One such club are Chelsea, who are keen on signing him.
The Premier League heavyweights signed Kepa Arrizabalaga in the summer of 2018 for a world record sum. But, the Spaniard has not managed to perform to expectations, notably struggling so much that he was axed from the side by Frank Lampard a little after the turn of the year. While Kepa has since shown signed of improvement, Chelsea still seem to be ready to offload him.
With the thought of getting a top class replacement, a number of goalkeepers have been linked with the Blues, with Oblak the latest target. However, if Chelsea are to sign the 27-year-old, they will have to splash the big bucks.
The former Benfica star, who Chelsea have been advised to sign by Graeme Souness previously, has a €120 million release clause. If Chelsea wish to secure his services, they will need to trigger this buyout clause, and the situation should complicate their pursuit of the player.
On top of that, Chelsea also need to convince Oblak to leave Atletico Madrid and join them in the summer transfer window. Securing Champions League football could, therefore, be critical if the west Londoners are to sign him.
What should boost Chelsea’s cause is the fact that they share a good relationship with Atletico Madrid, with the two clubs previously doing business for quite a few players. What now remains to be seen is if Oblak joins Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech in arriving at Stamford Bridge ahead of next season and if Chelsea are ready to trigger his €120 million release clause.
