Chelsea have reportedly made an opening offer of cash plus a player in exchange for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland as boss Thomas Tuchel’s early transfer plans take shape.
Tuchel has prioritised a striker this summer after seeing his side misfire in the early months of his reign.
The German replaced Frank Lampard in January and oversaw a remarkable turnaround in form.
Chelsea were ninth when he took over on January 26 but lost just three more Premier League matches as they rose into the top four.
A 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa on the final day did not prevent the Blues finishing fourth.
Their dramatic end to the Premier League season also coincided with runs to both the FA Cup and Champions League finals.
Youri Tielemans’ long-range strike was enough to help Leicester City defeat the west Londoners to win their first-ever FA Cup.
However, an all-Premier League Champions League showdown ended in a Chelsea victory to mark an impressive start for Tuchel.
Kai Havertz scored the only goal just before half-time against a surprisingly lacklustre City side.
Tuchel is now plotting a return to the top of the Premier League and has prioritised a striker.
Midfielder Jorginho was Chelsea’s top scorer in the league last season, despite scoring each of his seven goals from the penalty spot.
Timo Werner, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham each scored six in the top-flight.
And the latter has been included in Chelsea’s opening bid for top transfer target Haaland, according to Italian journalist Ekrem Konur.
The report says that the Blues have tabled a £60million (€70m) offer and included Abraham in exchange.
Dortmund have not responded to the offer and are believed to value the 20-year-old at a much higher price.
Abraham struggled to earn a place in Tuchel’s plans and scored all six of his league goals under Lampard during the first half of the campaign.
He did not make the matchday squad for the FA Cup final.
Meanwhile Erling Haaland scored 27 goals in 28 Bundesliga matches for Dortmund.