Chelsea set to spend over £80million on Mauro Icardi in January

Premier League Champions Chelsea are reportedly prepared to spend big in January to save their title defence this season.

As per a report from El Gol Digital, Chelsea are planning to activate Inter Milan star Mauro Icardi’s whopping €100m (£88m) buyout clause this January.

Italian tactician Antonio Conte is hell bent to strengthen his squad soonest and is likely to raid the Italian Serie A, where Mario Icardi has performed pretty brilliantly.

The Argentina international striker has scored 11 goals in the Italian Serie A this campaign, including a brilliant hat-trick against local rivals A.C. Milan.

Mario Icardi was heavily linked with a transfer away from Inter Milan last term when the Serie A side failed to qualify for any UEFA club competition in the 2016/17 season, but the Inter Captain refused to leave the San Siro.

Antonio Conte and Chelsea could go all-out for the forward once the winter transfer window reopens in the New Year. The transfer would make sense even in mid-season for Chelsea, as Mario Icardi would be eligible to play for the team in the UEFA Champions League.

Spain international striker Alvaro Morata is Chelsea’s first-choice striker at Stamford Bridge at the moment, but with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte keen to play the 3-5-2 set up with two complete strikers upfront, the Argentine forward could be the right player to partner Morata in Chelsea’s offense.