CHELSEA hope to sign CSKA Moscow hitman Aleksandr Golvin in the early days of Maurizio Sarri’s reign, a report has claimed.
Chelsea look set to ditch Antonio Conte despite the Italian steering the club to Premier League and FA Cups wins during his time in charge.
Express Sport understands former Napoli boss Sarri is primed to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have been unable to appoint Sarri so far but, with a compensation package with Napoli close to being agreed, it is only a matter of time before he takes over.
And the Daily Mail say that, in order to make up for lost time, Chelsea are aiming to sign Golovin once Sarri is announced.
Chelsea know they face a fight to get their transfer deals done.
The English transfer window closes on August 9, just days before the new Premier League campaign begins.
That means the west London side have just over a month to get their business done.
And the Daily Mail say that, as a result, Chelsea are keen to complete a deal for Golovin as soon as possible.
They reportedly plan to unveil Sarri as Conte’s successor this week.
And, when Sarri touches down at Chelsea, the Blues can then focus on luring Golovin to England.
Their efforts to do so, however, could be complicated by Russia’s storming World Cup run.
The host nation surprisingly beat Spain on penalties yesterday and will now face Croatia on Saturday (7pm).
Chelsea, meanwhile, are understood to have two other deals in the works.
The Blues are eyeing Roma shotstopper Alisson Becker to replace Thibaut Courtois, who may join Real Madrid.
And Juventus centre-back Daniele Rugani is also on their radar.