Chelsea still trying to tie up Edin Dzeko deal but will move on if agreement not reached by MondayChelsea have held new talks to try to sign striker Edin Dzeko from Roma, but are prepared to move on to other targets if a deal is not reached by the end of the weekend.
Having already negotiated the transfer of left-back Emerson Palmieri from Roma, Chelsea have been attempting to make it a double deal that includes Dzeko.
Emerson has agreed to join Chelsea on a four-a-and-a-half-year contract worth £80,000-a-week, but talks over Dzeko have been complicated by the demands of both Roma and the 31-year-old.Further talks have taken place in the last 24 hours and there is hope in Italy that a double deal for both Emerson and Dzeko can be agreed since Roma are keen to cash in on the pair.
But Chelsea will not wait until the final days of the transfer window, which shuts next Wednesday night, for Roma to find a replacement for Dzeko.
If a deal is not done over the weekend, then Chelsea will focus their efforts on other striker options such as Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud, Stoke City’s Peter Crouch and Burnley’s Ashley Barnes.Head coach Antonio Conte will hope that does not prove to be the case, as Dzeko is a player he put forward to Chelsea and their willingness to pursue him indicates that they are listening to his opinion.
Conte has suggested he has no input into Chelsea’s transfer plans and yet signing Dzeko would represent a break of club policy.
Chelsea stopped paying fees for players aged 30 and over some years ago and do not hand out contracts of more than one year to players in that age category.
That has caused an issue over Dzeko because Roma are holding out for more money than Chelsea have so far offered and the former Manchester City man keen to sign a contract past 2019.
It appears Chelsea are prepared to compromise to some degree in the case of Dzeko but whether or not they will bend their rules enough should be clear by the end of the weekend.
If a move for Dzeko falls through, then Emerson is still expected to join Chelsea to compete with Marcos Alonso for the left wing-back position.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/01/26/chelsea-still-trying-tie-edin-dzeko-deal-will-move-agreement/
