Could Chelsea move for Swansea’s Fernando Llorente as a Romelu Lukaku alternative?

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Having missed out on Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, The Times say that Chelsea could turn their attentions towards Swansea centre-forward Fernando Llorente.

The Spanish striker arrived in the Premier League last summer from Juventus after a disappointing loan spell at Sevilla, but went on to score 15 goals in a struggling Swansea side.

What would Llorente bring to Stamford Bridge?

The kind of physical presence that will be missing when Diego Costa leaves the club. Llorente’s aerial power and strength would give a different dimension to the Chelsea attack. It would also allow Conte to implement the kind of system that he used at Juventus, with Llorente laying on chances for a quicker striker alongside him.

By bringing in Llorente, Conte would also know exactly what he is getting. Gambles on the likes of Michy Batshuayi have clearly not been good enough and Conte isn’t yet prepared to gamble on young Tammy Abraham, so a reliable presence could be welcomed by the Italian as he rebuilds his front line.

With 15 Premier League goals in his debut season, there’s no reason to think that Llorente can’t compete either. A smart and efficient finisher, Chelsea could do far worse than look to Llorente.

Is a move likely?

The 32-year-old has just one year left on his existing deal and so Swansea face a choice whether to cling on to their talisman for another year and lose him on a free, or to cash in this summer.

It is unlikely that he would command a substantial fee given the circumstances, with only a few years left in his career and only 12 months left on his contract. For that reason, Swansea may seek to replicate their stance from January when they refused to allow the striker to leave.

However, if Romelu Lukaku is out of the frame and with Diego Costa on his way out, Chelsea may be prepared to pay over the odds for a striker on this occasion and give the Swans the kind of money they need to bring in an established striker.