Chelsea have been told that they will have to "smash their wage bill" if they want to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund this summer.
The Blues are one of the many clubs known to be interested in the Norway international, who came to global attention following a fantastic run in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg before continuing his fine goalscoring form after completing a move to the Bundesliga with Dortmund.
Along with the likes of Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe, Haaland is one of the most sought-after players in world football, with Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and others all linked with a move for the 20-year-old at some point over the last couple of years.
However, German football expert Raphael Honigstein says that a move to Chelsea looks unlikely this summer because of the exorbitant price it would cost to bring the striker to Stamford Bridge - both in terms of transfer fee and potential wage.
"There is a possibility but it’s unlikely at this point because the price tag is so big," Honigstein told Sky Sports Transfer Centre.
"There is also a huge wage bill implication for whoever gets Haaland. They’d have to smash their wage bill and I think a lot of clubs are wary [of that].
"Haaland is available next season for a fairly reasonable €75million (£64.4million) - that’s not official but it’s a pretty open secret.
"Whatever happens this season, it would really have to force Dortmund’s hand in a way that they can’t say no.
"I think that could be even beyond the wealthiest clubs in Europe this summer."
