Chelsea have reportedly opened talks with Lille about the possibility of signing forward Jonathan Ikone.
The 22-year-old was enjoying enjoyed a standout season in Ligue 1 before the campaign ended early because of coronavirus. He had notched four goals and added six assists.
Ikone’s impressive form saw him earn a call-up to the France senior squad earlier in the campaign. And he now has four caps to his name.
It is no secret that Blues boss Frank Lampard wants to bring in another forward this summer. That is despite Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham recently signing new contracts.
The club have signed Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech for next season, with the likes of Willian and Pedro set to move on.
Tottenham and Newcastle are also rumoured to be keen on a move for Ikone. But, according to Le 10 Sport (via the Daily Star), Chelsea are now stepping up their interest.
The report claims that Inter Milan may also provide some competition for the Lille star his summer.
The report adds that the French side have not yet received a significant offer for Ikone. But they are taking the interest from Chelsea and Inter ‘very seriously’.
Ikone’s Lille contract has another three years to run. With rumours suggesting he may only leave if a ‘significant offer’ is made for his services.
Chelsea could be eyeing Ikone as a possible alternative to Kai Havertz. With Lampard recently playing down talk of the Germany star heading to London.
“He’s obviously a top player but I’m certainly not going to comment on other teams, and it cannot be our focus,” Lmaprd said.
Ikone is rated at around £32million, but it could take more than that the prize him away from Lille if several clubs are interested.
Lampard provides Jorginho update amid Juventus swap deal claims
Frank Lampard has hailed Jorginho a “big influence” and has suggested he wants the midfielder to stay at Chelsea.
Blues boss Lampard also insisted the Italy star will play a crucial role as they chase a top-four finish.
Jorginho continues to be linked with a summer switch to Juventus, but Lampard still has faith in the midfielder. Reports earlier this week claimed Juventus had offered Chelsea a controversial midfielder in exchange.
However, Lampard is only thinking about the here and now. Billy Gilmour faces up to four months after knee surgery, while N’Golo Kante still nurses a hamstring problem. Read more…
The post Chelsea open talks for £32m-rated Ligue 1 forward also wanted by Tottenham appeared first on teamtalk.com.
