Revealed: How Chelsea's salary structure is hampering striker search as one transfer target baulks at wage on offer

The Blues are in the market to sign a new striker this summer, but competition for the top targets is intense as the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham are all looking to strengthen in attack, too.

The London club are at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiating with targets, though, due to the low salaries they are putting on the table in comparison to their rivals, instead offering to compensate players by including big incentives in their contracts. According to the Daily Mail, one striker has already knocked Chelsea back as other clubs offered higher wages, including one from the bottom half of the Premier League.

Chelsea have been linked with a number of forwards as the summer transfer window approaches, with Ipswich striker Liam Delap, Strasbourg's Dilane Bakwa and Vangelis Pavlidis of Benfica among those on their shortlist.

After facing Legia Warsaw in the Conference League on Thursday, Enzo Maresca and Chelsea will get another close look at one of those targets on Sunday when they host Delap and Ipswich at Stamford Bridge.