Chelsea reportedly had doubts over signing Norwegian striker Erling Braut Haaland from the Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
Manchester City announced on Tuesday that they have triggered the 21-year-old's release clause to allow him to arrive in England at the beginning of July, but the London club were also heavily linked with the striker.
According to the Daily Mail, the Blues pulled out of a deal for Haaland due to worries that his play style would not suit a transition to the Premier League.
Such doubts come after their acquisition of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig in 2020, with the German having netted 10 goals in 56 appearances in the English top flight since his £50m switch.
Thomas Tuchel did add to his attacking ranks at Stamford Bridge last summer, too, bringing Romelu Lukaku back to the club for £100m from Inter Milan, and the Belgian has also struggled to establish himself in the starting XI consistently, leading to ongoing links with an early departure.
Despite battling with a long-term injury, Haaland has managed to find the net 21 times in the German top flight for Borussia Dortmund this season, taking his tally to 85 goals for the club alongside 23 assists in just 88 appearances.
Sam Varley
