Chelsea now 'hold talks with intermediaries' over £50m star at Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Chelsea do have an interest in signing Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, and Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has revealed to GIVEMESPORT what it would take to get a deal done.

Mauricio Pochettino’s summer transfer business doesn’t appear to be over just yet.

Chelsea transfer news - Latest

It’s been a busy window for the west London club so far, securing the signings of Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson, and Axel Disasi, to name a few.

However, the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and Christian Pulisic are among those who have departed, so the Blues are going through a bit of a rebuild at the moment.

Journalist Dean Jones previously told GIVEMESPORT Chelsea are expected to push for another exciting signing before the window slams shut in September.

Jones named the likes of Brennan Johnson, Bradley Barcola, and Rayan Cherki as potential targets.

The Evening Standard have claimed that Chelsea are considering making a move to sign Arsenal striker Balogun, with the American international open to departing to Stamford Bridge

It certainly won’t be easy to convince Arsenal to offload one of their players to a Premier League and London rival, but Chelsea could be looking to try their luck.

Now, Sky Sports reporter Sheth has provided some insight into Chelsea’s potential pursuit of Balogun.

What has Sheth said about Chelsea and Balogun?

Sheth has suggested that Chelsea do have a genuine interest in signing the young Arsenal forward.

However, the west London club would have to pay a premium, whereas the likes of Monaco may be able to sign him for a slightly cheaper price.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT today, he said: "First of all, Chelsea have also shown an interest in Folarin Balogun as well. There's been talks, initial talks, between intermediaries - it hasn't gone further than that - just to find out what the conditions of the deal would be.

“We're told that Arsenal are standing firm on a £50m valuation. But, we're also told by one source that if Chelsea or another Premier League club were to come in, then there would be what I'm calling a Chelsea tax or a Premier League tax on Balogun.

“So, they might charge a Premier League club like Chelsea more money than if Balogun was to go to a club like Monaco.

“So, it will be interesting to see how this one pans out. Monaco are the ones who are really pushing, Inter Milan were earlier in the window, but it looks like they've moved on from him."

What’s next for Chelsea?

Chelsea are now closing in on the signing of a new backup goalkeeper, with New England Revolution’s Djordje Petrovic having a medical at Stamford Bridge this week, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Elsewhere, journalist Rudy Galetti has recently told GIVEMESPORT that Chelsea do still have an interest in signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.