Chelsea Targets Signing Sporting Lisbon Striker

Sky Sports revealed that Chelsea has entered into formal negotiations with Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon to sign young striker Conrad Harder, amid the club's efforts to secure an attacking replacement in anticipation of Nicolas Jackson's departure.

The network explained that Jackson is still in Munich this morning and is insisting on completing his transfer to Bayern Munich before the transfer window closes.

The report confirmed that the deal could go through if Bayern Munich agrees to buy the player or to sign him on loan with an obligation to buy, rather than just an option to buy, which Chelsea might accept if they manage to secure a replacement striker, despite the tight timeframe and limited options available.

The network added that German club Leipzig and Italian club Milan attempted to sign Conrad Harder this summer, but Chelsea is now in a leading position in negotiations with Sporting.

At the same time, Chelsea has withdrawn the permission it previously granted to Jackson to undergo a medical examination with Bayern Munich and has requested the player to return to the club.