Chelsea plotting £12m bid for Brazilian forward Taison if Hulk deal fails

Chelsea could make a shock move for Metalist Kharkiv’s Brazilian forward Taison.

The 24-year-old is seen as a £12million alternative to Hulk and Edinson Cavani if they prove to be beyond the Londoners’ reach.
The creative force behind Metalist’s rise in Ukraine can play just behind the main striker or on the flank and had been compared to Shakhtar Donetsk forward Willian by scouts.

Wanted: Taison has emerged as a target for big-spending Chelsea

 

Taison was surprisingly left out of his club’s match at the weekend, with sources claiming he was given leave to return to Brazil to explore visa and passport options ahead of a possible move to Stamford Bridge.  The former Internacional player finds himself caught up in a chain of deals.

Coincidentally, Porto are interested in him in case they lose their Brazil striker Hulk to Chelsea.
And Shakhtar have him top of their list to replace Willian if he completes a move to Tottenham, having seen his own transfer to Chelsea fall through.

Options: Porto striker Hulk (right) remains on Chelsea's radar

Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo is keen to further add to the forward line before the transfer window closes.
Meanwhile, Cesar Azpilicueta is on the verge of clinching his move to Chelsea. The 22-year-old Spain right back has not been included in Marseille’s squad to face Moldova’s Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League on Thursday.