Transfer news: PSG prepare £40m for Chelsea’s Diego Costa

Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly ready to shell out £40 million (AU$76.3 million) to sign Chelsea striker Diego Costa this summer. PSG could be looking for a Plan B in case Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani leave Parc des Princes this summer, with the French giants ready to pounce on a deal that would acquire them the services of Costa.

According to the Express, Costa is “almost certain” to leave Chelsea for a return to La Liga side Atletico Madrid if the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League. However, PSG have been preparing a cash to outbid Atletico for the Spanish international this summer.

PSG and Chelsea are set to clash on Wednesday in Game 2 of the Champions League Round of 16, where the Premier League side hopes to bounce back from last month’s 2-1 loss against the French giants. However, their matchup is not the only interesting note this week, with PSG reportedly requesting to swap Cavani for Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, reports the Metro.

Cavani has been reported as one of the main targets of incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, who is set to finalise his deal with the Blues this week to assume his managerial role, according to Matt Barlow of the Mail. The report added that Conte has known Cavani well during the former’s stint in Italy and would like to build around the Uruguayan striker.

“Conte has long admired Cavani, the Paris St Germain striker who came off the bench to score a late winner against Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie,” Barlow wrote.

With the 29-year-old Uruguayan widely rumoured to bolt out of PSG at the end of the season after being eclipsed by Ibrahimovic, Hazard seems fit as a replacement for Cavani. But if Chelsea fails to capitalise on a swap using Hazard, the Blues may be forced to let the 25-year-old Belgian go.