With all the interest in Kai Havertz, Chelsea have made it clear what kind of player they are looking for.
However, every team, whether it be the Blues or even smaller teams, will have a list of backup plans in case they cannot get their top pick.
In Chelsea’s case, it appears Frank Lampard and his staff have highlighted Lille’s Jonathan Ikoné as one of those, since Le10 Sport in France claim the Stamford Bridge club, accompanied by Inter, have ‘clearly positioned themselves’ alongside the player and the French side.
Furthermore, ‘first discussions’ have ‘just started’ regarding a potential move, although they make it very clear ‘it’s too soon to talk of offer or an exit’.
That being said, when clubs such as Chelsea and Inter come knocking, it’s ‘enough to take it very seriously’.
While Ikoné might not have had his best season this year, with a mere three goals and six assists in 36 appearances, scouts of both teams will know how impactful the player can be on the pitch, equally capable of scoring or assisting.
That’s what Chelsea will be looking for, and while he may present a slightly different technical profile to what Kai Havertz can offer, we’d find it hard to believe the Blues will be going for both the German and the Frenchman.
It’s either or, and it’s fair to say the Lille man will likely be cheaper than his Bayer Leverkusen counterpart.
