Chelsea close in on Roma striker Edin Dzeko after agreeing to £28m basic fee

Chelsea are closing in on a deal for Roma forward Edin Dzeko which could potentially be worth in excess of £30m ($41.6m).

The Blues have been linked with a number of strikers in recent weeks as Antonio Conte looks to shore up his attacking options.

West Ham's Andy Carroll was touted as a possible addition to the attack, however, with the Englishman requiring surgery for an ankle injury, Chelsea were forced to look elsewhere.

Dzeko has since emerged as an alternative for the reigning Premier League champions with recent reports from Sky Italia claiming that Chelsea were willing to make an offer worth €50m (£44m) and €10m (£9m) in bonuses to complete a deal for both the Bosnian and his teammate Emerson Palmieri.

According to The Sun, however, Chelsea have now agreed to a basic fee of £28m ($38.8m) with the Serie A giants following talks over the weekend.

The two clubs are now hammering out the details over additional payments as Roma want a further £5m ($6.9m) based on how many appearances the 31-year-old will potentially make at Stamford Bridge.

The same report adds that a complete agreement is expected to be reached within the next two or three days which could make Dzeko the club's second signing of the January transfer window following the arrival of Ross Barkley.

However, if a deal collapses, Chelsea will look to Burnley striker Ashley Barnes, who according to Sky Sports News, has become a shock target for Conte after the Italian expressed an interest in the 28-year-old.

Meanwhile, Roma sporting director Monchi heated up rumours of a possible Dzeko exit by revealing that the former Wolfsburg man will be replaced if he leaves.

"Whatever will be will be," Monchi said before Roma's 1-1 draw with Inter on Sunday (21 January). "I work every day to have players suitable to replace our players, my job is always to strengthen my club.

"If [Dzeko] leaves Roma, we'll buy another player."