Chelsea played out a disappointing 1-1 draw against Burnley, who are fighting relegation. Despite being in a winning position until the 93rd minute following Joao Pedro’s goal in the fourth minute of the match, the Blues failed to see the match through the finish line.
Chelsea’s overall performance this season hasn’t lived up to the expectations fans had after the Club World Cup win. This is despite a busy summer transfer window in which the club added reinforcements in multiple positions.
There has been a complete overhaul of the Blues’ attack, with Joao Pedro and Liam Delap joining. Additionally, Nicolas Jackson, who served as the primary striker of the club the last two seasons, was sent on loan to Bayern Munich with an option to make the deal permanent.
However, these changes in personnel haven’t been reflected in the results. The Chelsea board should already be looking to add a proven number nine to their squad in the next window. In fact, Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez is one of the high-profile names reportedly on their radar.
That said, reports have emerged regarding the transfer fee required for any such move to materialise. And it’s not good news for Chelsea.
Chelsea learn astronomical fee they need to pay for Julian Alvarez
According to El Larguero, Alvarez’s entourage have informed Barcelona that the price set by Atletico Madrid for the operation is around €200 million.
Honestly speaking, the price tag set is a bit too steep, even for a player of Alvarez’s quality. Moreover, the Argentine international has suffered a recent dip in form. He has not been able to find the back of the net in the last 13 La Liga matches.
The former Manchester City forward joined Atletico Madrid for a fee of around €75 million in 2024. Since then, he has established himself as a regular at the Spanish club and accumulated 42 goals to his name.
So, needless to say, Alvarez would have been a brilliant addition for Chelsea. But now the Blues might have to revisit other alternatives given the high price tag, which makes a move unfeasible.
Meanwhile, earlier reports had also suggested that Paris Saint-Germain superstar Ousmane Dembele is keen to join Chelsea after a fallout with Luis Enrique. So that’s another thing to keep an eye on.
All things considered, it’s too early to come to any conclusions at the moment. So it’s better to wait and watch how this unfolds.
