Chelsea Reported to Lead Pursuit of Trabzonspor Prospect Christ Inao Oulaï

Overview

• Yahoo Sports reports, citing Turkish-Football, that Manchester United now plan to compete with Chelsea for the 19-year-old midfielder and that Tottenham are also interested.
• Earlier reports from Sports Boom, relayed by Football Talk and CaughtOffside, say Chelsea lead the race after extensive scouting and have made the player a high-priority target.
• Football Talk adds that Chelsea have lodged a reported £34 million package after holding initial talks with the player’s representatives in London, though no club has confirmed this.
• CaughtOffside and Yahoo Sports both cite guidance that Trabzonspor want a premium fee near €50 million, while Football Talk reports the Turkish side may keep him longer to push the value toward £43 million.
• Oulaï has broken through at Trabzonspor with 23 appearances, six goals and two assists, plus minutes for Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations, which helps explain the Premier League interest.