Chelsea ahead in race for Belotti

Chelsea have received a boost in their race to sign Torino striker Andrea Belotti as Serie A champions Juventus have pulled out of the race.

The latest Juventus news revealed the Bianconeri will not go after the striker and this will leave Chelsea and Manchester United, among others, to battle it out for the player. Belotti is likely to cost in excess of £80 million as he extended his contract with Torino to 2021 last year.

Torino president Urbano Cairo claimed earlier that the club had rejected a £56m bid from Arsenal earlier in the season which as the Gunners refused to follow up with a higher bid.

The 23-year-old signed for Torino from Palermo for €7.5m in the summer of 2015. Although he failed to score in his first 10 games, his performance against Bologna sparked a turnaround in his form leading to 42 goals in 64 appearances for the club since.

As well as scoring goals, Belotti is also proficient at creating chances, having created 49 this season. Some have even compared him to the Italian Jamie Vardy due to his speed, strength and determination.

He even echoes this himself as he stated in a recent interview: “I am a person who always thinks about getting better,” he says. “I never set myself limits.”

Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and and Manchester City have also shown interest in the centre forward. 

Picture: Whoscored.com