Chelsea have opened negotiations with Italian giants Juventus regarding the possibility of signing Gonzalo Higuain with Alvaro Morata going the other way, according to reports.
Maurizio Sarri was finally unveiled as the new Chelsea boss on Friday after the club has confirmed the sacking of fellow Italian Antonio Conte. Sarri, who signed a three-year contract, is set to be joined by Blues legend Gianfranco Zola as his number two, and the Chelsea hierarchy have worked quickly to support the new manager’s squad overhaul, with Higuain emerging as one of the top targets for the former Napoli boss. Sarri had previously worked with Higuain in Naples for a year before the forward joined Juventus and the former Partenopei boss is now keen on a reunion with the Argentine forward at West London.
According to the Daily Mail, the Blues are plotting a deal that involves Morata moving the other way in a cash-plus-player offer for Higuain. The forward underwhelmed in his first season at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are willing to let the 25-year-old Spaniard rejoin the Turin outfit. However, the Old Lady would favour just the cash in order to recoup some of the money they paid for Cristiano Ronaldo’s £100m signing from Real Madrid, according to the Daily Mail. It also remains to be seen whether Higuain, who earns a reported £240,000 a week in Juve, would prefer to make the move to England.
On the other hand, Morata arrived at Chelsea over a year ago as the club’s record signing but performed inconsistently, with fitness problems hounding 25-year-old. Conte did not see the striker as a good fit for his preferred system as well, prompting the Blues to secure the services of Olivier Giroud at the turn of the year. Morata scored 15 goals in all competitions for the Blues but ultimately was not selected for the Spain World Cup squad.
