Donnarumma tops list for Chelsea, as Dortmund plan for life after Erling Haaland - Transfer Notebook

Chelsea are continuing to monitor Gianluigi Donnarumma’s situation at AC Milan in case he does not sign a new contract.

The goalkeeper has long been expected to extend his stay at the Italian club but there have been hold ups over the terms of an agreement so there remains a small element of doubt about what will happen next.

As one of Milan's star players, it seems impossible they will let him leave. Yet his contract expires at the end of the season and there has been no breakthrough over a new deal.

Chelsea are contemplating whether to sign another goalkeeper in the summer and, while a defender and striker will be the priority when it comes to big-name signings, Donnarumma, 22, is one of the few stoppers in world football they would jump at signing if he became available.

The current match schedule is making it tricky to negotiate terms at the moment, with Milan still in the Europa League and also fighting for the title in Serie A. It is understood Donnarumma is looking for around €10.5 million (£9.1m) a year on his next contract and if Milan are not willing to pay that, Chelsea almost certainly will be.

The Blues will still be looking to offload Kepa Arrizabalaga in the summer and if he leaves there is still no guarantee Edouard Mendy gets to be the full-time No.1. Chelsea are pondering various options to add competition for next season but Donnarumma on a free transfer tops the list.

Tammy Abraham is prepared to weigh up his future in the summer but must consider the financial impact of a move away from Chelsea. He was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad against Manchester United at the weekend and there are reports that his striker role at the club now looks uncertain.

Abraham is contracted to Chelsea until 2023 and earns just over £80,000-a-week - but feels he should be earning closer to £120,000-a-week, which is the deal Callum Hudson-Odoi landed in 2019. Chelsea have been unwilling to elevate him to that level and it seems unlikely he would get that money at any other club either. In fact, he may struggle to get the same terms he is already on.

There has been no concrete interest in Abraham over the past year but Southampton and West Ham have both tentatively enquired about his availability. If Saints were to turn to him in the case of needing a Danny Ings replacement, if he goes, then it is likely they would need to break their wage structure as Abraham would be looking to become the highest paid player at the club. It is understood Saints' highest paid player Fraser Forster currently earns around £75,000-a-week.

West Ham do have scope to pay more than that but if Abraham is genuinely looking for similar money to Hudson-Odoi on his next contract, that would also make him West Ham’s highest earner too.

Abraham might be frustrated right now, but staying at Chelsea on his current deal might not be such a bad option if there is scope to work his way back in to the team. Let’s see how their pursuit of Erling Haaland goes in the coming months.

Borussia Dortmund are beginning to make plans for a Haaland replacement in case their star striker leaves in the summer. They hope he does not go but are fully aware there are top clubs across England, Spain and Italy that would love to sign him.

Consideration is now being given to who could fill the void if they do need to sign a new goalscorer - and Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri is one of the players to have caught the eye, according to sources.

He has scored 13 goals in La Liga this season after joining the club from Leganes in January 2020. Dortmund are understood to have begun looking into his situation in terms of valuation and contract detail as there is a feeling Sevilla may be about to reward him with improved terms.

Whoever they turn to, stepping into the boots of Haaland will be no easy task when the time comes.

Silas Wamangituka has caught the eye of Premier League clubs with his dazzling displays for Stuttgart in Bundesliga this season.

The 21-year-old wide forward has been one of the most exciting talents in Germany this season and his style of play and impact is not dissimilar to the way Nicolas Pepe popped onto the radar of elite clubs two years ago when he was at Lille.

Wamangituka’s pace and finishing ability - he is averaging a goal every other game - has sparked interest in scouts from Everton and Fulham this term, but unsurprisingly there is also some interest from the bigger clubs in Germany too.

Wamangituka is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Gareth Bale's weekend wonder show served as a reminder that we should not write off the chances of him staying at Tottenham next season.

The expectation has been that Bale will have to find a new club at the end of this season because of his slow start back at Spurs - but that has not quite been the case, as we first reported at the beginning of January.

The club have always expected it would take until the second half of the season for him to hit the form he is truly capable of, due to the fact he would need time to build full match-fitness and sharpness without a pre-season.

It's taken slightly longer than everyone hoped but a good run from now to the end of the campaign could convince Daniel Levy to extend his stay for another year to hand fans the chance to see him back in the shirt, given the stadium has been closed for pretty much the entirety of his time back at White Hart Lane.