Over the last few years, Chelsea have beaten Liverpool to a number of priority targets. Wingers Willian and Mohamed Salah both directly rejected Merseyside in favour of West London during the summer 2013 and January 2014 transfer windows respectively, whilst Premier League top-scorer Diego Costa was unsuccessfully courted by Brendan Rodgers a year before he joined the Blues for £32million.
And according to reports from The Times yesterday evening, the Premier League leaders are set to muscle in on yet another Liverpool deal – this time for Arsenal man Theo Walcott.
The England international’s Emirates future remains open to speculation, having struggled with injuries continuously over the last two campaigns and now on the verge of entering his contract’s final twelve months.
A swap deal involving fellow contract rebel Raheem Sterling was mooted by some tabloids last month – such as The Metro – but Chelsea’s apparent interest would likely scupper that deal.
Improving the volume of their home-grown core has emerged as a key priority in Chelsea’s recruitment policy over the last few years, especially with former Three Lions skipper John Terry edging towards retirement, and Walcott is more than proven at the top level of the game, with 55 Champions League appearances and 38 England caps under his belt,
Whether room can be made for the 26 year-old winger in a squad including Willian, Juan Cuadrado and Eden Hazard already, however, remains to be seen.