Chelsea undertaking ‘intense’ work to reach transfer deal with Erling Haaland, says ex-Norway striker Jan Aage Fjortoft

CHELSEA are hard at work formulating a deal to sign Erling Haaland, according to reports.

Thomas Tuchel has delivered the Champions League to Stamford Bridge and is being given a huge transfer fund to plot a Premier League title bid.

A new striker is among their targets with Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane joining Haaland in being linked with the Blues.

According to former Norway striker turned pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft, the Borussia Dortmund star is the number one priority.

Chelsea are working ‘intensely’ to beat Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City to the 20-year-old, it is said.

However, Haaland’s wage demands are reportedly the biggest stumbling block in the deal.

It had already been noted that Borussia may demand as much as £172million for their star forward – yet Fjortoft insists the Prem giants are confident of working around that.

Instead, the Chelsea wage structure may end up being blown apart if the club is not careful in personal terms negotiations with the Norwegian’s agent, Mino Raiola.

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SunSport revealed earlier this year that Haaland may cost £600,000-a-week in wages, on a five-year contract which would surpass £150m on its own.

Any prospective buyer may have to wait until next summer to complete a deal, when his release clause is rumoured to drop to £63m.

And the marksman appears to be in no rush to leave Germany having smashed 41 goals in 2020-21.

Haaland recently told NENT: “I have a contract for a couple of fine years, so I am respectful towards my contract.”

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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk