Chelsea close in on striker Hulk as Porto rethink their stance over £85m release clause
Chelsea have held talks to sign the Brazilian striker Hulk for a reduced fee of €40million (£34million).
According to sources in Portugal, Porto are now prepared to re-negotiate Hulk’s contract and sell the 25-year-old international this summer for significantly less than the €100 million (£85million) release fee.
Up until recently Porto have insisted that the release clause had to be met in full — even if an offer of €99m euros was submitted, according to club president Pinto da Costa — and will publically continue to maintain that stance.
But it’s now thought, privately, the view has changed after Hulk asked if he could leave and Chelsea followed up an initial inquiry which was met with some encouragement.
Chelsea representatives have also been actively chasing the Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao, who left Porto last summer, and are considering a bid for the Colombian international.
Hulk, who can play out wide, and Falcao would form a new-look strike-force if they are signed by Chelsea although the prospects of the deals being completed have been naturally confused by the sacking of manager Andre Villas-Boas.