CHELSEA will need to smash their wage structure to sign Erling Haaland this summer, according to reports.
The Blues are very keen on the Borussia Dortmund striker as they look to bring in a new striker.
And according to The Athletic, if a deal did get over the line in the current transfer window, Haaland would likely become the top earner at Stamford Bridge.
N’Golo Kante currently holds that title with his reported £290,000-a-week deal.
But Haaland’s representatives – agent Mino Raiola and dad Alf-Inge – will be doing all they can to secure the striker the best deal possible.
Raiola has already suggested he wants the Norwegian to be the first £1million-a-week footballer – and would earn a hefty fee in commission.
Haaland returned to Dortmund pre-season training this week and it is expected he will stay with the club for the 2021-22 campaign.
Chelsea would need to stump up at least £150m to tempt Dortmund to sell Haaland.
The German giants have already landed £73m for Jadon Sancho and their qualification into the Champions League will earn them extra cash next season.
A £150m purchase would not only obliterate their own record transfer – the £71.6m spent on Kepa Arrizabalaga – but be the biggest fee spent by a British club and third-highest of all time.
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Haaland’s £64m release clause kicks into effect next summer which would open the door for plenty of Europe’s top clubs to make moves to sign him.
The sale of Olivier Giroud to AC Milan means Thomas Tuchel has lost another of his No9 options – leaving Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham at his disposal.
Kai Havertz was deployed in a false No9 position at times last season, too.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
