Plenty to shout about: Atletico Madrid striker
Sergio Aguero could be on his way to Chelsea in a record £50m
deal
Chelsea are closing in on a deal for Sergio Aguero from
Atletico Madrid which could be worth £50million - and make the
Argentina striker the highest-paid player in the Barclays Premier
League.
Aguero’s pay demands mean he is likely to earn more than
Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor, who is believed to be on a
£170,000-a-week deal at Eastlands.
Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti is set to launch a spending
spree in the January transfer window after the Court of Arbitration
for Sport suspended the club’s controversial transfer ban imposed
by FIFA.
Chelsea were suspended from signing players for two transfer
windows in September after being found guilty of inducing Gael
Kakuta - then a 15-year-old with Lens - to break his contract with
the French club two years ago.
Ancelotti has been tracking Aguero for some time but was
understood to be put off initially by Atletico’s astronomical price
tag.
The Italian coach was also concerned by the player’s lack of
maturity at just 21, while at one stage Chelsea were also not
prepared to meet his excessive wage demands.
However, after seeing Aguero score two stunning goals against
Chelsea in the 2-2 draw away at Atletico in the Champions League
earlier this month - and with the transfer ban lifted, if only
temporarily - Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has changed his
stance.
The club have already had a £31m bid for Aguero turned down last
summer but are now prepared to increase their offer.
Aguero volleys home a stunning goal against Chelsea
in the Champions League recently
The Argentina forward has a £53m buy-out clause in his
contract but Chelsea believe they can land Aguero for less as he
would be ineligible to play for them in the Champions
League.
Ancelotti is convinced Aguero can form a potent partnership
alongside Didier Drogba, which would mean Nicolas Anelka being
relegated to third-striker status.
Aguero is just the type of player who fits the bill for
Ancelloti as he mounts a challenge for Premier League honours.
Averaging a goal every three games, Aguero appears to have
welcomed Chelsea’s interest and said recently: ‘It’s nice people
say I could play in a team like Chelsea. They are one of the best
in the world. I like it (Chelsea’s interest) and it makes me
happy.’
When Ancelotti was asked about Aguero after the draw in Spain,
the Chelsea boss said: ‘I like him. I think Aguero can play with
Drogba for sure.’
