Chelsea are reportedly unable to play the 'prohibitive' asking price of a 26-year-old Premier League striker who came through the club's academy.
Chelsea are reportedly unable to play the 'prohibitive' asking price of Bournemouth talisman Dominic Solanke. The Englishman began his career at Stamford Bridge and spent 10 years in their academy before making his senior debut in 2014.
Solanke ultimately struggled for regular first-team football at Chelsea and joined Liverpool in 2017, before making a permanent move to Bournemouth for around PS19m in January 2019.
The 26-year-old has since thrived as a star striker for the Cherries, scoring 77 goals and providing 31 assists in 216 appearances across all competitions.
Solanke elevated his game to new heights in the 2023-24 campaign, scoring 19 goals in 38 Premier League matches - the most of any Bournemouth player in a single season in the division's history.
Chelsea cool interest in Solanke? Since firing Bournemouth to a 12th-placed finish in the top flight last season, Solanke has been linked with a number of top Premier League clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham United.
A possible return to Chelsea has also been mooted for Solanke, but Football Insider reports that the Blues feel Solanke's PS65m release clause is 'prohibitive' to a potential deal.
The report adds that Chelsea are monitoring Solanke's situation at Bournemouth, but the striker's current valuation is putting them off from making a summer move.
Solanke still has three years left on his Cherries contract and the club's owner Bill Foley expects their star man to stay at the Vitality Stadium for the 2024-25 campaign.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Foley said: "I believe Dom is going to be with us this coming year. He has a release clause, which is very expensive.
"We shouldn't reveal anything about the contract but that area [reported PS65m] sounds roughly correct. I guess if someone comes for him, we are going to have to replace him.
"We have two or three candidates that we have lined up. But I believe Dom will be here next year and I believe he is going to score 21 or 22 goals."
Who are Chelsea's striker alternatives? With Napoli-linked Romelu Lukaku set to depart, Chelsea are expected to delve into the transfer market for a new centre-forward to provide competition for Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku.
A big-money move for long-term target Victor Osimhen now appears to be all but dead and buried, with Paris Saint-Germain allegedly leading the race for his signature as Chelsea turn their attention to cheaper alternatives.
One of those could be Lens striker Elye Wahi, with one report claiming that Enzo Maresca's side have reignited their interest in the 21-year-old Frenchman, while Lille's Jonathan David has also been linked with the Premier League club.
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