Chelsea target Aguero prepared to leave Atletico

Chelsea will be encouraged that transfer target Sergio Aguero has now publicly stated he is prepared to leave Atletico Madrid, although he admitted it is more likely to be in the summer than the January transfer window.

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Sergio Aguero is one of Europe's brightest talents

That gives Chelsea the option of completing a deal in January and then loaning the young striker back to Atletico until the end of the season.

That is the safer option for the Blues, as they do not know if the appeal against their FIFA-imposed transfer ban will be successful, meaning they could still face a freeze on signing players in the summer.

January would be the ideal time to swoop, with Chelsea hopeful of persuading Atletico to let their prized asset move to the Bridge to step in for the African Nations Cup-bound Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou. But Aguero is cup-tied for the Champions League - making a loan move straight back to the Vicente Calderón a more likely solution.

As ESPN Soccernet reported last week, intermediaries are busy working on a £100m package which includes a long term contract for the Argentinean striker and a transfer fee thought to be close to £50 million.

The base fee would be £40 million plus add-ons, and the salary could rise to one of the biggest in the world.

Talks are ongoing to try to break the deadlock for a January transfer, one of the biggest of all time, perhaps only behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka going to Real Madrid.

The Argentina striker is being loyal to Atletico by saying that he would prefer to see the season out with the La Liga strugglers, but is willing to change clubs if the move is financially beneficial for the Spanish club.

Aguero said: "I've always told the club that from now until June I'll stay here. Then we will see what they do. If in June the club still needs money, there are ways to help.

"This is my home, but if the club have to sell me, I must go. I know nothing. Now I need to concentrate on getting us into Europe."

Aguero starred in Atletico's 4-0 victory over Espanyol on Sunday, scoring twice and making the other two. It was only their second League win of the season, leaving them 17th in La Liga.

He has emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe and there are frantic moves behind the scenes to come to an agreement with Atletico now, even if means loaning him back for the rest of the season. That in itself would complicate an already complicated financial scenario.