Chelsea to face competition from Liverpool in race for wonderkid with £42m release clause - Yahoo Sports
Chelsea are set to battle Liverpool this summer in the race for Real Betis winger Jesus Rodriguez according to reports.
The Blues are facing a critical summer window having failed to address key areas of the squad in January, and planning is said to already be underway with Enzo Maresca involved.
Chelsea need to sign a striker, centre back and left winger, whilst there’s a possibility they could also bring another midfielder in.
The Blues have been linked with a number of players and are on the lookout for a winger to replace Mykahilo Mudryk, with it currently unclear when or if the Ukraine international will play for the club again following a positive doping test.
Chelsea were heavily linked with Alejandro Garnacho in January, whilst there’s also said to be interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens.
However, according to Mail Sport it appears there’s another name on the list with Chelsea said to be interested in Betis star Rodriguez.
The report states the Blues have taken a key interest in the 19-year-old who broke into the first team under Manuel Pellegrini in October.
Mail Sport add the teenager was part of the Spain side which won the European under-19 Championship last year, and Rodriguez is said to have a release clause worth up to £42m.
The youngster is also attracting interest from Liverpool, who are believed to be monitoring his progress, and it appears a number of clubs could be after him in the summer.
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Rodriguez is a left winger, who can also play on the right and he’s made 17 first team appearances in all competitions this season, scoring three goals and providing four assists.
The Spaniard is under contract until 2029, and whilst he could be a big talent, Chelsea fans are likely to want someone with more experience who’s ready to come in and make an instant impact.