Chelsea are weighing up a move for Tottenham Hotspur striker Fernando Llorente, less than five months after the striker had rejected a move to Stamford Bridge.
Head coach Antonio Conte is desperate to sign a back-up for Alvaro Morata but a proper candidate has been hard to come by. The Blues have already failed in their attempt to lure Edin Dzeko after the former Man City star asked for a lucrative three-year contract while their £15million bid for Olivier Giroud also falls short of Arsenal’s £30m valuation.
However, Tottenham’s Fernando Llorente has emerged as a shock target for the Blues in last few days, with Antonio Conte seemingly growing frustrated at not being able to sign a backup striker.
The former Juventus striker initially moved to Tottenham in the summer as a backup for Harry Kane. The English superstar, unfortunately, has been the reason behind Llorente’s demise at the club as the Spaniard has struggled with lack of game time, thanks to the blistering performances of Harry Kane.
Therefore, the 32-year-old could be looking for a way-out, with Chelsea being an obvious option.
Fernando Llorente could actually be the perfect buy for the Premier League defending champions. His previous stint at Swansea has already shown what he is capable of. The striker scored 15 goals with the Swans in the 2016/17 season, which eventually earned him a move to Tottenham, the following summer.
Llorente is an experienced forward who is perfectly fit for Antonio Conte’s plan B of playing route 1 football, should they ever fail to pick locks of the opposing defence. His superior aerial abilities make himself a perfect target man for his team and with the dangerous offensive firepower, that Chelsea possess in the shape of Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, Willian and Pedro, Fernando Llorente is destined to thrive as a target-man.
Furthermore, the Spaniard also has the experience of previously working with Antonio Conte, during his stint at Juventus. Llorente was one of the best strikers of the Juve team managed by Conte in the 2013/14 season, where he notched up 16 goals as well as providing five assists.
All things considered, Fernando Llorente is the striker Antonio Conte has been looking for a long time and Chelsea should definitely make sure that they get their hands on the Spanish international before the January transfer window shuts down tomorrow.
