Chelsea face having to pay £27m release clause for target as they eye Plan B option to Sancho

Chelsea will reportedly have to pay as much as £27m if they wish to prise Jesus Corona away from Porto as they consider an alternative to Jadon Sancho.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed an impressive campaign so far this year, registering two goals and 17 assists in 41 appearances as he has been a key figure for the Portuguese giants for a number of years.

Further, he has seven goals in 42 caps for Mexico, and so with experience at a high level for club and country, he could be a smart acquisition as he also offers versatility to play on either side of midfield or at right back.

According to The Mirror, Chelsea have identified him as a possible alternative target to Sancho due to the Borussia Dortmund starlet’s £100m+ valuation and rival interest from Man Utd.

However, it could be a tricky deal to do in itself as his agent has confirmed that he has a £27m release clause in his current contract with Porto, and has suggested that it will have to be paid while confirming that he has held talks with Chelsea although there is widespread uncertainty in the transfer market currently due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With Pedro and Willian set to see their respective contracts expire this summer, and although Chelsea already have a deal in place which will see Hakim Ziyech arrive from Ajax at the end of the season, there is still arguably a void to be filled in the wide positions in the final third.

Corona could emerge as a solution if Sancho is out of Chelsea’s reach, but ultimately the Blues will perhaps have to weigh up whether or not it’s worth spending the touted £27m on him as that isn’t an insignificant figure in itself.

After their transfer ban prevented them from making signings last summer and following a quiet January window, despite the financial impact of the pandemic, it could be argued that Chelsea may still be in a decent position to have some flexibility in the transfer market due to their lack of spending over the past 12 months.

—

“I saw some comments in regards to my son, people saying: ‘I hope your son gets corona’.” – Troy Deeney is getting abuse for refusing to play. He has since decided to resume training, following medical advice. READ MORE…

—