Chelsea, Liverpool to battle it out for Celta Vigo striker?

Chelsea are prepared to go head-to-head with Premier League rivals Liverpool in the race to sign Celta Vigo's Maxi Gomez at the end of the season.

The 22-year-old joined Celta from Defensor Sporting in the summer of 2017 and he has since contributed 26 goals in 58 appearances in the Spanish La Liga.

According to The Sun, the Reds are said to be considering a summer approach for the Uruguayan, who came close to joining West Ham United in January.

However, they are likely to face added competition from the Blues, who are prepared to pay as much as £35m to tempt Celta into a transfer agreement.

Chelsea recently bought Gonzalo Higuain on a short-term loan from Juventus but reports indicate that he could return to Juventus in the summer unless the Blues are willing to negotiate a permanent deal.

Meanwhile, the Blues are currently under a transfer embargo for the next two transfer windows but there remains hope of delaying the ban with the recent appeal made to the Court of Arbitration of Sport.