Club tell Chelsea they won’t accept players as part of deal for 22-year-old forward – Cash only

As things currently stand, Chelsea are set to lose both Willian and Pedro this summer to free agency, as the pair run down their Stamford Bridge contracts.

To counter this, Frank Lampard decided to preemptively sign Hakim Ziyech from Ajax in February, therefore allowing himself some breathing room, knowing he will have a quality player coming in to replace one of the two.

Whether or not they need a second winger remains to be seen with the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic already at the club, but there are rumours in Italy players such as Federico Chiesa could be on the Blues’ radar.

Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday bring Chelsea back into the mix for the Fiorentina winger, listing them as one of the many interested sides in the 22-year-old’s services.

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However, getting him won’t be cheap or easy, as the Serie A side are refusing to accept counterparts in any potential deal and have told parties queuing up outside as much (including the Stamford Bridge side), meaning it’s cash only for their star.

That being said, they know the market isn’t quite the same as it was prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, which is why they are reportedly prepared to make a ‘small discount’ on the €70m price tag going forward.

How generous.

So, if Lampard does want Chiesa to bolster his attacking force even more, it will come at a cost, and quite a big one at that.