Chelsea Transfer News: Iago Aspas Is Low-Risk, High-Reward Acquisition for Blues

Already boasting the second-best scoring attack in England, and already having acquired Demba Ba from Newcastle, Chelsea appears poised to ever improve its explosive roster.

Per The Daily Star, the team has extended a bid for Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas, a goal-scoring machine enjoying his best season to date. The deal hasn't yet been accepted by Celta Vigo brass, but per The Star, a source close to Aspas said "The money from Chelsea is impossible to turn down."

After scoring just 11 goals in his previous 73 appearances, the diminutive Spaniard scored a career-high 25 goals in 37 games last year. His emergence helped Celta Vigo engineer a promotion from Segunda División to La Liga—the club's first advancement since being relegated in 2007.

Aspas has backed up his breakout campaign with eight goals in 19 games this season, proving that his success was far from an outlier. And accordingly, the world's top-flight sides have taken notice.

The reported offer of £8.5m seems a tad pricy at first, but if Aspas realizes his potential, it will prove to be a relative pittance. Despite his size—Aspas stands 5'9''—the young forward has drawn comparisons to David Villa, a player lauded for his ability to finish with consistency.

La Liga, at least at its lower strata, has become a veritable flea market for teams in the Premiership. You might have to wade through some junk here and there, but if you ferret about with diligence, there's a chance you walk away with the T206. 

Just this past July, Swansea signed Michu—another late-bloomer from Celta—for the absurdly-low-in-hindsight price of £2 million. Like Aspas, he enjoyed a career year in 2011-12 that led to the signing. And all he's gone on to do since moving to England is score 16 goals in 24 appearances—including two against QPR in his very first game.

If Aspas provides even half of that at Chelsea (something he appears capable of doing, and then some) he'll be worth the price of procurement.

Fernando Torres' future with the club is as murky as ever, and Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard and Demba Ba could always use another teammate with an eye for the net. Especially if Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham—the three teams immediately surrounding Chelsea on the table—continue to score at their current blistering pace.

Additionally, as The Star reports, Chelsea views Aspas as a bargain because of his low buy-out clause. He's young, in good form and wouldn't even necessitate much of a financial commitment.

Why wouldn't Chelsea take a flier?