Chelsea ‘doing whatever it takes’ to beat trio of Prem rivals to 71-goal striker signing

Benjamin Sesko is no longer the main Bundesliga striker Chelsea are pursuing, as they are reportedly ready to go all out for Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface this summer.

Chelsea need to sign a top centre-forward who can compete with the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu. Both of those players are young and still learning their trade.

Plus, injuries to both Jackson and Guiu have forced manager Enzo Maresca to use Pedro Neto as a false nine in recent weeks.

It is amazing that Chelsea have spent so much money since Todd Boehly led a takeover of the club yet they still do not have an elite goalscorer. That issue will be rectified in the summer, though.

CaughtOffside now claim that Chelsea are ‘pulling out all the stops’ for Boniface and are ‘doing whatever it takes’ to win the chase for his signature.

There is ‘growing competition’ for the Leverkusen hitman, but Chelsea are determined to ensure he moves to Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United and Arsenal are both monitoring Boniface’s situation, while Newcastle United have shortlisted him in case they lose Alexander Isak.

Chelsea are well aware of this rival interest and are ‘increasing’ their efforts to sign Boniface first. This suggests they are planning talks with both the 24-year-old and Leverkusen in the near future.

The report does not mention how much Chelsea will need to spend to sign Boniface. The fact they are willing to do ‘whatever it takes’, though, hints that Blues chiefs are happy to put a huge bid on the table.

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Chelsea tracking Boniface, Delap

Previous reports detailing Chelsea’s interest in the Nigerian have suggested he will cost around €70million (£58.8m / $75.9m).

Boniface could be a great signing for Maresca as he is a deadly finisher who likes to bully opposition defenders. He has scored 10 goals in 20 appearances this season, as well as registering 71 goals in 171 career games to date.

As mentioned previously, Chelsea are admirers of RB Leipzig star Sesko, too. But Arsenal are leading the race for Sesko as he wants to move to the Emirates.

Chelsea moving for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap cannot be ruled out, either. The 22-year-old has shown this season that he has all the attributes required to shine in the top flight.

Plus, Chelsea could save money by swooping for Delap, as he will cost a reasonable price of £40m this summer. Such a deal would allow Chelsea to spend money on other positions such as central defence and central midfield.

Chelsea transfers: Hancko exclusive; Barcelona link

TEAMtalk can reveal that Chelsea are rivalling Tottenham Hotspur for Feyenoord centre-back David Hancko.

Chelsea have made new contact for Hancko, who has been given a £42m price tag ahead of the summer.

Reports in the Catalan press claim that Chelsea are also in the mix for Barcelona ace Gavi.

Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are both on alert as the midfielder is supposedly weighing up his future at Barca.

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