Chelsea have been warned that trying to sign Erling Haaland this summer is "mission impossible".
The Borussia Dortmund striker is among the most in-demand players in the planet following his sensational 18-month spell at Signal Iduna Park.
Haaland has scored 57 goals in 59 appearances for Dortmund since joining the club in January 2020.
A top-four finish in the Bundesliga last season increased BVB's chances of keeping hold of their prized asset.
And despite the fact that a release clause will make Haaland available for around £68m in 2022, Dortmund do not want to sell him for a larger sum this summer.
Chelsea look set to test the German club's resolve, as Thomas Tuchel eyes reinforcements at centre-forward.
However, the Blues would probably need to pay around £150m to sign the Norway international ahead of next season.
And a source close to Dortmund has told Sky Sports how difficult it would be for the European champions to pull a deal off.
"Chelsea are trying but it is going to be very difficult," he said. "At the moment it looks like mission impossible. It is unlikely but that doesn't mean it can't happen."
The Blues were linked with a move for Romelu Lukaku ahead of Euro 2020, but the Belgium international confirmed last month that he intends to stay at Inter.
And Tuchel might need to move on to another target as he looks to add a centre-forward to his squad.
In some ways a striker looks like the missing piece in the Chelsea jigsaw. Tuchel did a magnificent job of guiding the club to Champions League glory last term, but he would no doubt prefer not to rely on Kai Havertz as a false nine for an entire season.
Timo Werner may yet come good after a difficult debut campaign, but he tended to be used by Tuchel as an inside forward.
With Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham linked with moves away, Chelsea will not give up on Haaland easily.
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