Edinson Cavani’s wage demands are threatening to be a stumbling block in Chelsea’s pursuit of the Paris Saint-Germain striker.
The Blues are exploring the possibility of signing the Uruguay international after he handed in a transfer request seeking to leave the club this month, despite his existing contract expiring at the end of the season.
PSG want around £15million to allow him to depart but the greater problem for his suitors, who also include Atletico Madrid, is Cavani’s reluctance to take a wage cut from his current salary.
Cavani earns in excess of £360,000-a-week and it is understood he wants a minimum 18-month contract. That works out at approximately £19m per season and added to a hefty signing-on fee, the total outlay could easily surpass £50m for a player who turns 33 next month.
Frank Lampard refused to rule out a move, however, with the Chelsea head coach keen to bolster his attacking options.
Lampard said yesterday: “He is a great player, I played against him and I always loved his mentality and attitude, and obviously his goalscoring record speaks for itself. I'm not absolutely aware of what the situation is, so we'll see. He's an experienced player, but so are many others out there.”
Meanwhile, Victor Moses arrived in Italy this morning to undergo a medical ahead of his proposed move to Inter Milan.
The Italians are close to agreeing a deal with Chelsea to sign the 29-year-old on an initial six-month loan with an option to buy for £8.5million in the summer.
He will link up with former Blues boss Antonio Conte, who is also keen on signing Olivier Giroud if the club sell one of their other forwards.
