Chelsea tipped to rival Liverpool for Borussia Dortmund forward Maresca loves; price tag revealed

Chelsea have reportedly joined Liverpool in the race for Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi, with the fee needed to sign the forward now revealed.

Enzo Maresca has enjoyed a fine start to life at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table and looking much better than last season.

Sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that Maresca is in no rush to make any big-money additions to his Chelsea squad, but would bring in new players if he feels they’d immediately improve his starting XI.

According to Tuttojuve, Adeyemi is at the top of Maresca’s shortlist. The report claims that the manager ‘appreciates the 22-year-old’s pace and balance’ and believes he would be a good addition to the Chelsea squad.

However, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the Borussia Dortmund star, so the Blues do face competition for his signature.

PSG are said to be eyeing a move for Adeyemi and Napoli superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in what would be a blockbuster double swoop.

Dortmund view Adeyemi as a top prospect and a key player but surprisingly, the report claims that the Bundesliga giants could sell him for a relatively modest fee of €50m (£41.6m / $53.9m).

READ MORE: Chelsea, Man Utd ready for ‘intense’ battle over striker with 11 goals this season

Adeyemi is a concrete Liverpool target

As we exclusively revealed in September, Liverpool have identified Adeyemi as a player who could replace Mohamed Salah, who’s likely to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires.

Adeyemi can play as a winger on either flank or as a centre-forward and his versatility is an attractive attribute for the Reds.

TEAMtalk understands that Adeyemi features alongside Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo, Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo on their Salah replacement shortlist.

Barcelona have also been linked with a move for Adeyemi in recent days but their financial situation means they’d have to get creative with any approach.

Reports suggest that the Catalans could offer Ferran Torres in a swap deal for the Dortmund star. Torres is valued at around £21m, so Barcelona would have to put another £20m on the table to have a chance at signing Adeyemi.

With that in mind, we could potentially see multiple bids arrive for Adeyemi in Janaury. However, a move next summer is the most likely outcome for him as things stand.

Chelsea round-up: Atletico midfielder eyed / Gyokeres price drop

Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios and their positive relationship with the Spanish club could help them secure a move. Conor Gallagher was sold to Atletico over the summer and Joao Felix came the other way in a permanent deal.

Reports suggest that Chelsea are prepared to listen to offers for fringe midfielders Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei, both 21, in the January transfer window.

The Blues will likely look to sign a new midfielder if the duo leave and Barrios, 21, is reportedly on their radar and ‘there is a feeling he could be signed for around €60m (£50m / $65m).’

In other news, Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly at the front of the queue for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, although Arsenal are also keen.

Gyokeres is one of the most in-demand forwards in the world having scored 66 goals in just 67 games for Sporting. He has a €100m (£83m / $108m) release clause in his contract, but reports suggest that he could be available for just £63m next summer.

The natural fit would appear to be United, given that his current boss Ruben Amorim is on his way to Old Trafford, but the Red Devils already have already invested over £100m in strike duo Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

Chelsea are keeping tabs on Gyokeres’ situation. It’s very unlikely he’ll be leaving Sporting in January, but the race looks set to open up at the end of the season.

DON’T MISS: Amorim learns Man Utd situation around January transfers with summer signing to get pivotal role