Chelsea have opened talks to sign Radamel Falcao after being offered the chance to acquire the Colombian striker on reduced terms.
Falcao, who has returned home to prepare for the Copa America, was released by Manchester United last week after they decided not take up the option to sign him permanently following an unsuccessful season-long loan.
Predictably, a sticking point has emerged in that although Falcao is prepared to take a significant drop in wages - he earns pounds 265,000 a week under the terms of his Monaco contract - Chelsea want him to take an even bigger cut.
Falcao wants to remain in the Premier League despite scoring just four goals in 29 appearances at United. However, clubs are unlikely to want to pay the pounds 43 million fee that Monaco have been demanding and the French club accept they will have to demand less.
"I have a few offers, but my agent's looking after it," Falcao said on Friday in Bogota.
The 29-year-old has the same agent, Jorge Mendes, as Jose Mourinho and has been offered to Chelsea as a replacement for the departing Didier Drogba.
It is understood that it is Falcao's preference to join the Blues but the club are adamant that they will not pay over the odds to sign him. Negotiations are being conducted by Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia who has remained in London while the first-team squad have flown out for their post-season tour.
Chelsea remain interested in the Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, despite a pounds 43?million buyout clause, although a previous target, Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, is set to join Juventus this week after passing a medical. The signing of the German is regarded as a clear sign that Juventus will sell French midfielder Paul Pogba for a fee as high as euros 100 million.