Manchester United couldn’t do it again, could they?
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With Chelsea looking set to sign AS Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko and Nemanja Matic heading to Manchester United from Stamford Bridge to make way, it appears Jose Mourinho could be about to swoop to nab another Chelsea target.
A Daily Star report states that Bakayoko, 22, could head to United for $45 million instead of Chelsea, with the French midfielder set to follow Romelu Lukaku’s lead after he preferred a switch to United rather than the reigning Premier League champs.
A powerful defensive midfielder, Bakayoko, would provide extra steel to United’s midfield, something Mourinho is notorious for wanting. Ander Herrera can connect passes and snap into tackles, but United’s midfield was overpowered at times last season with Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all failing to track back when needed.
If Bakayoko was to pick United over Chelsea then it would be another huge boost for Mourinho in the transfer market and another damaging blow for Conte.
You don’t think Mourinho is pipping Chelsea to new players on purpose, do you...
A striker both Chelsea and Man United have admired for some time appears to be heading to west London, according to Sky Italia.
Chelsea are said to have opened talks with Real Madrid for Alvaro Morata as they seek to replace outgoing striker Diego Costa after he was kept away from preseason training.
Morata, 24, failed to play regularly for Zinedine Zidane’s side last season (although he did score 20 goals in 43 appearances, most from the bench) but with the reigning two-time European champions asking for a transfer fee of $95 million, United decided to buy Lukaku instead.
Despite signing Antonio Rudiger from AS Roma, Conte and Chelsea badly need a boost in the transfer window.
Morata would slot into their three-man forward line superbly. Given chances he’s arguably a better finisher than Costa and the Spanish international could deal with the physicality of the PL while also providing an aerial threat and is able to hold up the ball.
Costa scored 20 goals last season, their top scorer in the PL as they won the title, but you could make an argument that he missed plenty of big chances. Morata has proven clinical at Juventus and Real Madrid, and Chelsea will have to shell out close to $90 million to sign him. That’s plenty of cash but Conte is a big admirer or Morata and given Costa is on his way out and Lukaku has arrived at United, signing Morata is a must.