Chelsea’s summer signing Joao Pedro has scored in two consecutive Premier League games ahead of the international break and the club will be hoping his form can continue after his good start for them at the Club World Cup.
Liam Delap, meanwhile, was faced with a stop-start situation with an injury that forced him to spend two months on the sidelines. That said, Enzo Maresca will be hoping that sooner or later he too can find his feet from his Ipswich Town days last season.
Despite having two brilliant strikers in their squad, Chelsea are keeping Atletico Madrid ace Julian Alvarez ‘closely on their toes’. according to Graeme Bailey (h/t Chelsea News) with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain also keen on him.
Alvarez has been in commanding form for Atletico this season with nine goals and four assists in all competitions, but was widely touted to leave after standing head and shoulders above the rest of his teammates for yet another season.
Chelsea will have competition for Alvarez
Julian Alvarez would be a fantastic signing for Chelsea. His ability to play as a secondary striker as well as on either flank would give Enzo Maresca a lot of tactical flexibility, along with the guarantee that goals can flow more freely than has been the case recently.
Transfer market values the World Cup winner for £87m, but with a contract running until June 2030 at Atletico Madrid, the La Liga team are likely to demand a nine-figure sum soon to part ways with the Argentina international.
Even if Chelsea have the finances to get a deal over the line, they face competition from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, who would also be willing to break the bank for Alvarez given his incredible qualities.
Barca may not be in pole position for the player’s signing as Atletico do not want to strengthen a domestic rival, while it is also questionable whether or not the Catalans have the necessary finances to secure a deal for him.
However, PSG can easily surpass Chelsea’s financial strength and having built a competitive sporting project with Luis Enrique at the helm, they will fancy their chances of beating the Blues with the signing of the 25-year-old.
If Atletico Madrid continues to fall short domestically to Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as underperform in Europe, it could only be a matter of time before Julian Alvarez asks to leave and it will be interesting to see where he ends up next.
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