da prosport bet： According to reports in The Independent, Chelsea will have to pay more than £30m if they want to sign Swansea City striker Fernando Llorente this summer.
What’s the word, then?
da betway： Well, despite completing a deal to sign Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata on Friday, The Independent says that Blues boss Antonio Conte is looking to bring in a back-up centre-forward too and that he has been frustrated in his attempts to sign Llorente and Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke.
The former is Conte’s first choice after he worked with the Spaniard during his time managing Juventus, however The Independent says the Swans are ready to demand more than £30m for the 32-year-old despite the fact that he has just one year remaining on his contract.
The report adds that the Welsh outfit are asking for that figure as they believe it would be difficult to replace the 6’5” striker, who made a huge impression in his first season in the Premier League.
How good was Llorente last term?
He was excellent.
The tall centre-forward scored 15 goals in 33 Premier League matches and he played a huge part in the Swans narrowly avoiding relegation to the Championship by netting four goals in the club’s final five top flight games.
Would he be a good signing for Chelsea?
As a back-up, he certainly would be.
While Morata will be the main man for the Blues next season, Llorente would certainly offer them something different from the substitutes’ bench because of his strength and aerial ability.
If Conte was looking for a plan B and wanted to go more direct then the Spaniard is the perfect man for the job.
The fact that he has had a year at this level now means he could also be a starter in the Premier League if needed, with the recent addition from Real Madrid unlikely to be starting every game in the league and the Champions League.
However, the minimum price tag of £30m could prove to be a huge problem for a potential deal.
What’s the verdict, then?
Well, while Llorente would be a great back-up addition for Chelsea there is no way that they would be willing to pay more than £30m for a 32-year-old, and unless a compromise can be found then a deal won’t happen.