CHELSEA are trying to negotiate down Arsenal’s £20million valuation of Olivier Giroud – which leaves Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s move to the Gunners in limbo.
Arsenal are believed to have agreed a £57m fee with Borussia Dortmund for Aubameyang, with a medical planned for tomorrow morning.
The German club have highlighted Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi as a replacement for Aubameyang, with the Blues then preparing a move for Giroud.
But as ever with these transfer merry-go-rounds, it doesn’t look like plain sailing.
The BBC are reporting that Chelsea’s transfer negotiator Maria Granovskaia is trying to lower Arsenal’s valuation of the French striker.
According to other reports tonight, Arsenal may well be prepared to accept around £18m for the French international.
Chelsea’s baulking at Arsenal original valuation led to fears that the Gunners could well consider pulling the deal between the two London clubs and instead trying to use Giroud as a makeweight in the Aubameyang deal.
But there is one problem with that.
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There is no indication that Giroud is ready to end his time in the Premier League and test himself in the Bundesliga.
In fact, once Chelsea entered the frame, the Frenchman and his wife indicated a desire to stay in London and not move out to Germany.
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The other scenario that could play out is that Giroud, who still has 18 months left on his Arsenal deal, chooses to stay at the Emirates.
That would leave Dortmund with 24 hours to bring a replacement – but if Chelsea don’t manage to bring in Giroud they would be unlikely to allow Batshuayi to move to Germany.
It now appears the London rivals are waiting to see who blinks first in a game of cat and mouse over getting a deal done before the transfer deadline passes.
Arsenal feel they do not want to give up their man on the cheap, while Chelsea know Dortmund won’t play ball unless they get Batshuayi.
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