Chelsea backed to repeat Mudryk hijack with £30m bid for Mitoma

Chelsea v Fulham: Pictures

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Stan Collymore has told Chelsea that they should target Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma this summer, with Arsenal also said to be keeping tabs on the winger. The in-form forward has made an impressive start to life in the Premier League, scoring five times and assisting once in 15 appearances this season.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are struggling. The Blues are currently ninth in the table and 10 points outside of the top four, with fears growing that they will not finish in the Champions League and thus hinder their future transfer business.

Todd Boehly has splashed the cash since his arrival at Stamford Bridge last year, spending a jaw-dropping £323million in January alone. That included a move for Mykhaylo Mudryk, who appeared primed to join Arsenal for £88m before the Blues jumped the queue to sign the Ukrainian.

It is felt that further investment may be required if Chelsea are to recapture their status as regular title contenders. Former Liverpool star Collymore believes Chelsea should hijack Arsenal’s interest in Mitoma, believing that a bid of just £30m would be enough to secure his signature.

He told CaughtOffside: “The reason Brighton paid such a low fee for Kaoru Mitoma, around £3m, is because, in Japanese football, most agents demand their clients are only given short-term deals.

“They do it for the players who they believe have a decent resale value so they earn a nice commission and can move them on if they come to the Premier League and do well. As for the 25-year-old, he is highlighting how good Brighton’s setup is. He’s settled in really well and appears to have replaced Leandro Trossard seamlessly.

“Obviously, his ability is there for all to see so I’d be amazed if, come the end of the season, some of the bigger teams weren’t making offers for him. He isn’t going to command a huge fee.

“He’ll have two years left on his deal and he was bought for virtually nothing, so from a commercial point of view, even a £30m offer, which would be over a 500 per cent return on investment in just 12 months, would be too good for Brighton to turn down.

“And, as we all know, that kind of deal is something Chelsea’s new owner would lick his lips at.” Arsenal are keeping tabs on Mitoma and have the cash to splash after failing to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk last month – with their move for the winger being hijacked by Chelsea.

It remains to be seen what fee Brighton demand for their Japan international, though Collymore’s price tag certainly overlooks that the Seagulls are on course for a European finish and are one of the best negotiators in the league. They are unwilling to part ways with key stars if their internal valuations are not met by suitors.

Source: Read Full Article