The 2018 winter transfer window brought an interesting turn of events in the penultimate days of the window. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made headlines when he completed a club record £56 million move to Arsenal in a deal that would hence see fan favourite Olivier Giroud complete a controversial transfer to rivals Chelsea for £18 million. The circle was complete when out-of-favour Michy Batshuayi moved to Borussia Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the season. The same is expected to happen this summer in a surprising turn of events which has been sparked by comments made by Sky Sports correspondent Guillem Balague.
Balague's comments
In a Q&A with Sky Sports, Balague responded to current speculation surrounding the future of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. Revealing that a transfer merry-go-round, similar to the one at the end of the 2018 winter transfer window lies on the future of the Bayern Munchen striker:
"I do believe Lewandowski has a new strategy with his agency with the idea of getting a move to a big club, which is either one of two in England or PSG or Real Madrid. I think the priority for Lewandowski's representatives is to get him to PSG, that would have a domino effect that would see Edinson Cavani go to perhaps Chelsea and Alvaro Morata perhaps going to Bayern. But this is an idea that comes from the players' representatives and not the clubs."
This proposed three-way deal would certainly eclipse the one previously mentioned not just financially but the landscape of European Football, given the pedigree of the strikers in question.
The possibility
However, it cannot be ignored that Balague has pointed out this idea is not from the clubs themselves but the agents of said players. Lewandowski is a striker that would be on the radar of every top club in Europe should he become available but given the current dynamic of the front three at PSG, it is unclear whether Emery would want to jeopardise the current relationship.
Despite the supposed unsettling rumours about the relationship between world-record signing and club record all-time goalscorer Cavani during the early weeks of the season, those rumours have now been put to rest to see PSG once again walk Ligue 1 and challenge in the Champions League. So it remains to be seen whether or not they would risk upsetting Neymar by bringing in Lewandowski, a player capable of replacing him as the club's most important talisman.
It is normal for rumours to circulate when a player undergoes the same underwhelming form as Alvaro Morata at this current time. The well-travelled striker has already strutted his stuff with Juventus and had two spells at Real Madrid before plying his trade in the Premier League. It would prove to be quite the career should he then find himself the new number 9 at Bayern Munchen, a move which guarantees domestic trophies. Then there's Cavani, he's been linked with clubs across Europe throughout his time in Paris but a move for him to a top-side at this stage of his career seems unlikely. There is no doubting his credentials as a world-class forward but trading a player with 6/7 years at top level left in his career with a player with 2 maybe 3 years left doesn't sound like a smart move for Chelsea at all.
Nevertheless, should they move Morata on, given the shortage of available world class forwards currently it would be hard for Conte to find another suitable replacement. All of this hinges on Lewandowski's future and all eyes will be on him once the summer transfer window opens.