Sarri may swap Morata for Higuain
GONZALO HIGUAIN’S brother and agent Nicolas had talks with Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri last night in London.
Sarri wants to bring the 31-year-old Argentina striker – currently on loan at AC Milan from Juventus – to Stamford Bridge to solve his striker crisis. And there is the possibility that unhappy Spain forward Alvaro Morata could go the other way in an exchange deal.
Last night though, the move looked in major doubt, with Higuain’s parent club Juventus intent on doing business only on an immediate £32million permanent switch – and not a loan deal.
Higuain is unhappy at Milan, where his loan has gone sour, and wants the move to Stamford Bridge after falling out with sporting director Leonardo.
The striker previously worked with Sarri at Napoli, where he enjoyed the best season of his career in 2015-16 and scored 35 goals in 36 games.
Chelsea are wary of spending such a sizeable amount on a player of Higuain’s age, considering the fee could rise as high as £43m if they had to assume the remaining six months of his current loan deal.
Milan want a replacement for Higuain if he leaves and Morata would fit that bill, but the Italians would face competition to sign him.
While a potential move to Sevilla looks to have broken down, fellow Spanish side Atletico Madrid are interested in former Real Madrid star Morata.
Chelsea are also in discussions with Russian club Zenit St Petersburg over a £31m deal for midfielder Leandro Paredes. The club want the Argentinian to replace Cesc Fabregas, who is set to join Monaco.
And Chelsea full-back Davide Zappacosta is in talks with Serie A side Lazio over a loan deal with a view to a £13m permanent move in the summer.