Chelsea target Christian Pulisic but won't pay £62m transfer fee unless Willian is sold

Simon Johnson30 July 2018

Chelsea are admirers of Christian Pulisic amid reports that Real Madrid have offered £64.5m for Willian on top of the £35.5m fee agreed for keeper Thibaut Courtois.

The 19-year-old already has 21 caps for the USA and has yet to agree a contract extension at Borussia Dortmund.

The Bundesliga club don't want to sell their prize asset this summer though and Standard Sport has learned that only a 'crazy offer' in excess of £62m will potentially change their minds.

Chelsea are not expected to pay that sum unless they raise funds from the sale of Willian, who is also wanted by Manchester United.

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They are confident that Real Madrid have given up on their pursuit of Eden Hazard, who the FA Cup holders are determined to keep. Chelsea are prepared to listen to offers for Willian but value him at £70m.

Courtois will only be allowed to join Real Madrid if they find another first choice keeper first. Kasper Schmeichel, Petr Cech and Gianluigi Donnarumma are among the contenders. They like Jordan Pickford but Everton don't want to sell one of England's World Cup stars.

All three of Chelsea's senior forwards, Alvaro Morata, Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi, have doubts over their position at the club.

Morata wants to return to Serie A at Juventus or AC Milan, and Batshuayi is wanted by Valencia on loan.

Giroud only agreed an 18 month deal when he joined from Arsenal for £18m in January and he is subject of interest from Marseille and Atletico Madrid.

In Pictures | Chelsea vs Inter Milan | 28/07/2018

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Brazil defender David Luiz, who had a strained relationship with previous coach Antonio Conte, isn't going anywhere though.

The 31-year-old has fully recovered from a serious knee injury that restricted his game-time last term. He said: "I came back to Chelsea (in 2016) to stay here.

"When I took my decision to come back here from Paris Saint Germain it was to win the Premier League and to do something again with Chelsea, so I am very happy here."

Conte is still in the middle of a legal battle with Chelsea over compensation having been fired three weeks ago.

AC Milan are under new ownership and are ready to give him a three-year deal worth £5.5m-a-year to take over from current boss Gennaro Gattuso.

Moving on? Giroud only has 12 months left on his Chelsea deal
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But Conte won't take up the post until his dispute with Chelsea is resolved. The Italian wants the £9.5m salary he would have earned in the final year of his deal paid up in full.

Chelsea have a policy where they pay dismissed coaches weekly until they find employment elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are assessing an ankle injury sustained by defender Andreas Christensen during the Inter Milan game.

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