Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, although both clubs are still yet to have agreed on a valuation.
The Blues are on the hunt for a new striker as they aim to bring a more clinical edge to their attack for the remainder of the season.
As things stand, there are only five teams who have netted fewer than the three Premier League goals scored by Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Aubameyang only moved to the Nou Camp at the start of this year after being released by Arsenal, but the Catalans could be willing to cash in. They’re keen to register new signing Jules Kounde and are also desperate to raise additional funds.
It’s been reported the Catalan outfit are aiming to secure around €20million (£17m) for the former Arsenal forward, which could be a sticking point between both sides. Therefore if a deal can’t be achieved, Chelsea are likely to switch their attention to other targets, with AC Milan's Rafael Leao also a player of interest.
It’s easy to see why Chelsea have placed such an emphasis on bringing in a new striker. Their lack of goals early into the campaign would be a concern in isolation, however it becomes that bit more worrying when you throw in the fact that they’ve actually been one of the more creative sides in the division so far - only three sides have registered more shots than their total of 44.
What this means is the Blues so far have a goal conversion rate of just 0.05. Only four sides have a lower one and for comparison, last season the London club posted a conversion rate of 0.11 which ranked as the fifth best.
One of the sides below Chelsea in this department so far this season is Manchester United, shedding some light on why Erik ten Hag is so keen to add further reinforcements to his attack.
According to some reports, United are close to agreeing personal terms with PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo, while Ten Hag is also keen on recruiting former player Antony from Ajax.
Both scored 29 goals between them last season and have the potential to significantly bolster United’s threat in the final third, however, any deal for the latter could hinge on whether Cristiano Ronaldo leaves in this window.
The Portuguese star still has another 12 months left to run on the two-year deal he signed 12 months ago but has made his ambitions to leave the club clear all summer. Despite this though, legitimate offers for his services have been few and far between, meaning it’s looking more and more likely he could stay at the club beyond the transfer window closing next week.
He came on as a late second-half substitute in Monday night’s impressive 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
