Chelsea may have to work harder than most in trying to sign Erling Haaland, if recent reports are to be believed, but there is a way for the Blues to put themselves in the best possible position. Borussia Dortmund will be well aware of Haaland's £68million release clause, which is set to be activated in 2022.
And due to the Norwegian forward's breathtaking performances at Dortmund over the past year, that price would be seen as a bargain for someone of Haaland's stature.
Dortmund will be desperate to avoid that situation happening, leading to reports suggesting that they'll be open to offers this summer where they can make demands to prospective suitors.
Haaland's agent Mino Raiola has already begun the media circuit ahead of what is expected to be a busy summer transfer window.
And he's made it clear that only a select few teams will be able to afford to sign Haaland, who is said to be valued at around £100m.
But all might not be lost for Chelsea considering the financial situation at their rival clubs.
Both Real and Barcelona are unlikely to afford such astronomical fees this summer while Liverpool have refused to enter the market for lavish transfers in recent years.
That may give Chelsea the opportunity to jump in and flex their financial muscle, but they may need to blow their rivals out of the water with a mega bid to sign Haaland.
United and City are both in the market to sign a central striker for the long term and Haaland is said to be a top priority.
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Chelsea may need to offload a number of players to fund a move for Erling Haaland (Image: GETTY)
But Chelsea could help their chances this summer by offloading a plethora of players who are out of the picture under Thomas Tuchel.
Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ross Barkley, Michy Batshuayi, Danny Drinkwater and Fikayo Tomori are all currently out on loan and could well be sold to finance transfer targets.
The Blues will also need to make a decision on Tammy Abraham, who's current contract expires in 2023 but is finding regular minutes hard to come by under Thomas Tuchel.
Haaland may not see Chelsea as the best fit for him at the moment, but that could all change in several months should the Blues position themselves financially to give the striker exactly what he wants.