Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola believes Torino striker Andrea Belotti is the “perfect fit” to replace Diego Costa at Chelsea.
The Blues have been linked with a move for the 23 year old Italian but a bid for Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata has also been widely anticipated. Comparing the two on TalkSport radio (quotes via the Daily Star), Zola explained that Belotti’s qualities would offer manager Antonio Conte a like for like replacement for Costa:
“To be honest, I was thinking Chelsea should go for Andrea Belotti in Italy. I thought that considering the type of qualities Costa has, that Belotti was the perfect fit. Morata is a little bit different, he’s more of a finesse player. He hasn’t got the presence of a player like Costa in the box.
Torino president Urbano Cairo has told Sky in Italy that the Serie A club have not received any bids for Belotti so far this summer. He did however confirm that the forward does have a €100m buyout clause in his contract.
The striker had a breakthrough season in Italy last campaign, scoring 28 goals in 38 appearances. He signed a new deal back in December keeping him at Torino until 2021 with the release clause designed to ward off potential suitors. Whether the Italians will accept a bid lower than that sizeable fee remains to be seen.
