Antonio Conte eyes Fernando Llorente to act as back-up to new Chelsea signing Alvaro Morata

Chelsea will turn their attention to a back-up striker once they have signed Alvaro Morata, but have already faced a similarly tricky situation in their initial pursuits of Swansea City’s Fernando Llorente and Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke.

The Spanish striker on Friday passed his medical in London to complete a move from Real Madrid worth around £70m, with the Italian already having looked to bring in the regular back-up option that Chelsea had been missing last season.

Spanish international Llorente has been their main target, having worked with both Conte and Morata before at Juventus, and is seen by the younger forward as something of a mentor given how he talked him through his time at Turin. Swansea would however demand a very high fee for Llorente, which Chelsea are so far unwilling to rise to.

The Welsh club know the rare value of a player who scored 15 Premier League goals this season - and effectively kept Paul Clement’s side up - so would expect a fee of above £30m, especially since they would also have the difficult task of replacing him.

While Benteke has also been a long-term target of Chelsea and is naturally interested in a move, those close to the striker say he’s unwilling to get back into a situation where he is second-choice, and wants to be playing regularly in a World Cup year.

The situation is likely going to require Chelsea getting into tough negotiations with Swansea or looking to another target, especially as Michy Batshuayi is expected to leave the club on loan this summer.

READ MORE: Mourinho’s shocking transfer market claim

READ MORE: Mbappe to replace Neymar at Barca?

READ MORE: Chelsea name their price for Costa

READ MORE: How to get Mayweather v McGregor tickets