According to a recent report by the Daily Star, Chelsea were locked in negotiations with Juventus over a potential 18-month loan deal for Gonzalo Higuain which could lead to a permanent move upon the completion of his loan spell. However, the same report has also stated that the Turin outfit were eager to sell the Argentine forward outright for a fee around £36m.
Now, The Evening Standard is reporting that Juventus have outright rejected Chelsea’s loan bid. According to the reports, Juve wants £32m for a permanent transfer as they want the Blues to accept AC Milan’s loan terms which includes an option for the Milan club to buy the striker for £32m in the summer.
The Pensioners could undoubtedly benefit from signing a striker of Higuain’s calibre during this January transfer window in order to give themselves a boost in the race for the top 4 spots in the second half of this Premier League campaign.
The 31-year-old has been a proven goal-scorer at the highest level for the past few years and is currently playing on loan at AC Milan. The Serie A centre-forward has made 21 appearances for Gennaro Gattuso’s team this term, registering eight goals while creating three assists across all competitions. He has also managed to secure 75 international caps for the Argentine national side and has 31 goals to his name for his nation.
At 31, the South American goal machine still has a few good years left in him to play at the top level which Maurizio Sarri’s team could look to capitalise on in the near future. Higuain is still quite pacey and is a proven goalscorer inside the opposition box which is exactly what the Pensioners are crying out for right now.
There is no doubt that the Argentine talent will bolster Sarri’s attacking options significantly at the West London club. He will be an upgrade over Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud who have both failed to prove their worth at Stamford Bridge so far. Both forwards have been far too inconsistent in front of goal which has seen their club fall from being legitimate title contenders to a team looking to clinch a top 4 place at the end of this campaign.
Chelsea needs to add more firepower up top if they are to continue making progress under Sarri’s stewardship and Higuain fits the bill perfectly. Having said that, they should only explore the possibility of a loan move for the Argentine forward and not sign him permanently just in case things don’t work out for the striker at West London. Now with the loan bid being rejected, we honestly think Sarri should turn his attentions elsewhere.
