Chelsea transfer news: Blues to submit £135 bid for Erling Haaland - report

Chelsea are mulling a £135 offer for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, according to reports.

The Norway international has emerged as the club's top transfer target this summer, as Thomas Tuchel seeks to revamp his squad ahead of his first full season at the helm.

Tuchel led Chelsea to Champions League glory in May, just four months after he replaced Frank Lampard in the Stamford Bridge hot seat.

The former Dortmund and PSG boss deployed Kai Havertz as a false nine for much of last term, with Timo Werner used as a left-sided forward.

Olivier Giroud has since left west London for AC Milan, while Tammy Abraham also looks set to depart.

There is a vacancy at centre-forward, then, and Chelsea want to fill it with Haaland.

According to 90min, the European champions are considering submitting an official offer for the 21-year-old worth £135m.

That would shatter Chelsea's record transfer fee: the £72m they paid for Havertz last summer.

Dortmund continue to insist that Haaland is going nowhere and is a key part of their plans for the 2021/22 campaign.

But Chelsea are ready to test the German side's resolve by tabling a huge offer for their prized asset.

A release clause in Haaland's contract will make him available for around £66m in 2022.

And the Blues will hope that the chance to pocket a significantly higher fee this summer will prove too good for BVB to turn down.

Roman Abramovich showed a willingness to back Lampard in the transfer market ahead of last season, and he is now doing the same for Tuchel.

That makes sense. The German exceeded all expectations in winning the Champions League and securing a top-four finish in the Premier League in 2020/21.

Winning the title will be next on Tuchel's to-do list, but that will be difficult unless Chelsea sign a new striker.

The competition for Haaland's signature will be fierce next summer, and Tuchel clearly wants to steal a march on rival suitors by agreeing a deal in the coming weeks.

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