Sky Sports reporter gives latest Chelsea FC transfer update on Gonzalo Higuain

Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth has revealed that it remains unclear whether Gonzalo Higuain will be at Chelsea FC at the start of next season.

The Argentina international moved to the west London side on loan from Juventus in the January transfer window to reunite with his former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge.

Higuain’s loan deal was thought to include an option that would allow the west London side to purchase the 31-year-old in the summer transfer window if they were impressed with the South American.

The former Real Madrid striker struggled to hit the ground running at Chelsea FC and Higuain finished his Premier League season with five goals in 14 games.

Although the January signing managed a decent return, there was a sense that the Argentinian forward struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League.

Chelsea FC have been hit with a transfer ban by Fifa which, if upheld, will prevent the west London side from signing players in the next two transfer windows.

However, it isn’t clear whether Chelsea FC would be able to activate the clause in Higuain’s deal that would allow them to add the South American to their squad on a permanent basis.

Sky Sports News reporter Sheth provided details on what could prove to be a complex situation involving the on-loan Juventus star.

“This one hasn’t been properly clarified, because the actual status of Gonzalo Higuain’s deal was a loan with an option or an obligation to buy him at the end of that loan,” Sheth told Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk podcast.

“Now by rights, you shouldn’t be allowed to buy someone if you’re on a transfer ban. But I don’t know whether Chelsea have got a loophole within that whereby if he’s still registered like [Mateo] Kovacic is, whether he can then say ‘we’ve got him registered, so we’re just extending that registration.’

“Whether that means it can be outside that transfer ban, we’ll have to wait and see what Chelsea say.

“But Chelsea are already making moves perhaps if Higuain isn’t there next season. Olivier Giroud’s extended his contract for another season, so they’re still stocked up in the attacking areas, it’s just whether Higuain will be able to complement that or not.”

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