Gonzalo Higuain will not have completed his move to Chelsea in time to face Tottenham in the EFL Cup on Thursday, Maurizio Sarri has said.
The Argentina striker is expected to join the Blues on loan from AC Milan, having reportedly travelled to England for a medical on Wednesday, with Sarri confirming the player is “a few hours” from finalising terms.
However, when asked if the deal was ratified before the 12:00 GMT deadline, which would allow him to make his debut against Spurs in the semi-final second leg, the Chelsea head coach was unconvinced.
“It’s impossible, I think,” he told a news conference.
Higuain signed for Milan on loan from Juventus during the previous transfer window after the Serie A champions brought in Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid in a €112million deal.
The 31-year-old has managed six goals in 15 league appearances this term but has failed to show the sort of form he produced under Sarri at Napoli in 2015-16, when he scored 36 times in 35 matches, breaking the record for Italy’s top flight set by Gunnar Nordahl in 1950.