Soccer

Chelsea agree €50m deal for Roma duo Dzeko and Palmieri

Former Manchester City frontman Dzeko still to agree personal terms with London club

Roma’s Edin Dzeko is set to become a Chelsea player. Photograph: Alberto Lingria/Reuters

Fabrizio Romano
Wed Jan 24 2018 - 18:34

Chelsea have had a €50 million bid for Edin Dzeko and Emerson Palmieri accepted. The players' Italian club, Roma, were holding out for €15 million in add-ons but in the end struck a deal with the Premier League champions for the players to move in January.

Chelsea, however, have yet to agree personal terms with Dzeko and deal could be delayed somewhat with Roma playing Sampdoria in Serie A on Wednesday night.

Chelsea have been looking for a striker to ease the workload for Alvaro Morata. The Premier League champions made an inquiry for West Ham's Andy Carroll earlier this month only for the striker to injure an ankle. Antonio Conte is an admirer of Dzeko, who scored twice against Chelsea this season as Roma drew 3-3 at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League, and is desperate to add to his strikeforce for the second half of the season.

Dzeko, who played for Manchester City between 2011 and 2016 before joining the Serie A side, won the Serie A Golden Boot last season and has nine goals in 19 games this campaign.

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Palmieri is a Brazilian left back who joined Roma in 2015, initially on loan. The Italian champions, Juventus, had also interested in signing the 23-year-old.

Chelsea have offered Michy Batshuayi on loan as part of the deal but Roma are exploring other possibilities to replace Dzeko should he leave in this window.

Borussia Dortmund, however, view Batshuayi as a possible replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if the Gabon international joins Arsenal. - Guardian service

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