Chelsea Rumors: Blues Eyeing Winger Touted 'Better Than Diogo' Jota As Hakimi Replacement

Chelsea has identified a highly-rated winger as a possible alternative for Achraf Hakimi.

Despite winning the Serie A title with Inter Milan, Hakimi’s future with the Nerazzurri has become uncertain.

A host of top European clubs are now tailing the Moroccan striker who could become Inter Milan’s “first big sacrifice” this summer.

Paris Saint-Germain was earlier tagged as a frontrunner in signing Hakimi, but reigning English Premier League champion Chelsea has now joined the race.

Recently speaking on the “Here We Go Podcast,” renowned transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealed that Chelsea and Hakimi are not in an advanced stage yet and the Blues are also considering Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore as another option.

"[Chelsea] They are also looking in this position at Adama Traore as a possibility,” Romano said. “But at the moment, there is still nothing advanced with Chelsea [for Hakimi], it's just talking with the agent."

Prior to being linked to Chelsea, Traore was a target for Liverpool and La Liga side Barcelona.

However, the said link-ups could soon be put to rest as the 25-year-old is said to be all set to sign a new contract with the Wolves.

The Molineux outfit is “keen to tie down” the winger to a “long-term deal,” but it was also noted that whatever type of deal both parties agree on “a gentleman's agreement” that allows Traore to leave if a “bigger club” makes an official bid for a certain fee is likely to be included.

While Traore has apparently captured the attention of an array of clubs, the narrative is that the Wolves could be looking at keeping the athletic forward, whom they have touted as potentially better than Diogo Jota.

“In terms of personnel, the way it’s been explained to me was that they felt [Diogo] Jota had probably hit a ceiling in terms of what he could achieve at the club and that £45 million ($62 million) was a very good price to reinvest back into younger players who could be their next Jota,” The Athletic’s Tim Spiers wrote earlier this year.

Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, has reportedly tabled a bid of around €60 million ($73 million) for Hakimi, an offer Chelsea has matched.

However, the said figure falls short of Inter Milan’s valuation of the striker which is approximately near the region of €75 million ($91 million) at the moment, ESPN reported.

Between the two aforementioned clubs, Inter Milan is said to be favoring Chelsea to sign Hakimi as the Italian side is interested in Blues’ defensive duo Emerson Palmieri and Andreas Christensen, who could both be offered in a potential swap deal, the report added.