Chelsea buckle to breathe new life into Arsenal, West Ham pursuits

Chelsea have softened their stance over an exit-linked star that could give Arsenal, West Ham and Aston Villa the encouragement they need to strike, per a report.

The Blues have been heavily linked with acquiring an elite level striker to complete Thomas Tuchel’s jigsaw. The German already guided Chelsea to Champions League glory last season, though hopes of overhauling Man City in the Premier League may rest on sharpening their forward line.

Strikers Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner joint-top scored across all competitions last season. However, the total they managed was just 12 strikes.

Superstars ranging from Erling Haaland to Romelu Lukaku and Robert Lewandowski have all been touted, though each potential deal is fraught with difficulties.

Nevertheless, Chelsea rarely stand idly by in the market. And the latest news suggests they will double down in their desire to land a major name.

That’s because the Sun report that Chelsea are prepared to ‘slash’ their transfer demands over Tammy Abraham.

The 23-year-old has been linked with Arsenal, Villa and West Ham, but his £40m valuation has put the trio off.

As such, Chelsea are so ‘keen’ to shift Abraham that they are now willing to chop ‘at least £5m’ off his valuation.

David Moyes is understood to be in desperate need of a striker with a tricky Europa League campaign to juggle. Michail Antonio will be difficult to dislodge, though his struggles with persistent hamstring injuries are well documented.

Arsenal and Villa have both been touted as potential suitors, and only time will tell whether Chelsea’s softened stance prompts a suitor to act.

Olivier Giroud has already left for AC Milan. And should Abraham follow the Frenchman out of the door, signing a new Blues striker could become a necessity.