Croatia international to join Chelsea in £7m transfer

Andrej Kramaric is on the verge of a £7million transfer to Chelsea, who will then immediately loan the player to Vitesse Arnhem.

The 23-year-old is regarded as one of the best young talents in European football, and is a product of the Dinamo Zagreb academy. Having failed to force his way into becoming a first team regular starter for the club, in August 2013 he left for HNK Rijeka where he has been a huge success. Last season he scored 27 goals in 34 matches, and this term he has 28 in just 31.

This prompted strong interest in his signature from Leicester City, who are thought to have been working hard to lure Kramaric to England on a permanent basis. However, the Foxes, who would have given him an instant chance to prove himself in the Premier League, have been beaten to the punch by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea who will pay £7million for the striker.

The Croatian international, who made his senior debut for his country in August of this year and now has four caps and two goals to his name, is set to fly to the capital and undergo a medical before penning terms on a four-and-a-half year contract. However, he will have to wait to make his bow for the Blues, who will instead send him on loan to Vitesse for the rest of the season.

The Stamford Bridge club have a sporting agreement with the Dutch outfit, who have already taken Josh McEachran, Bertrand Traore and Wallace from the Londoners. Should Kramaric impress whilst plying his trade in Eredivisie, he could well earn a place in Mourinho’s plans for next season, by which time he will be 24-years-old and likely considered to be ready to challenge.

Will Kramaric have a future at Chelsea, or do you expect him to simply move on for a profit in a couple of years? Let us know what you think in the discussion below.

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