On Monday evening, Arsenal fans were horrified at the sight of Chelsea reportedly agreeing a fee of around £15m for Olivier Giroud.

The Frenchman's future has been the subject of much speculation for a while now, with Giroud openly admitting that he was close to a move to Borussia Dortmund in the summer.

Alexandre Lacazette's arrival has restricted his playing time this year, while the impending arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will only further hinder opportunities for minutes.

As such, Chelsea were apparently prepared to swoop, with Antonio Conte desperate for a big striker to help out the misfiring Alvaro Morata.

Andy Carroll, Peter Crouch and Ashley Barnes were some of the odd names linked with the Blues, but it seemed Conte had finally settled for a physical striker with proven quality at the highest level.

Or so we thought...

Late Monday evening, respected German magazine Kicker ran a truly incredible story, one which will surely antagonise Chelsea fans.

CONTE HAS HIS EYES ELSEWHERE

Apparently, Dortmund are now back in the race for Giroud - who would replace Arsenal-bound Aubameyang - with Conte apparently preferring a move for Tottenham's Fernando Llorente.

Yes, you did read that correctly.

Conte has worked with Llorente in the past at Juventus, where he also struggled, which would suggest why he would prefer to sign the Spaniard.

But, the Spaniard is certainly not at the same level as Giroud, with Spurs fans themselves venting their frustration at the out-of-for forward on a regular basis this season.

MORATA'S AFFECTION FOR LLORENTE

One thing that may also be swaying Conte towards the Spurs man is Morata's known fondness for him.

When discussing the players that helped improve his game, Morata said some fairly interesting views.

"If I score every game with my head, no problem," he told the Daily Mail. "I don’t care if it’s a bobble off my knee or it goes in off my arse, a goal is a goal!

"At Real Madrid, I did heading drills with Cristiano Ronaldo. You see him go up for headers, that spring and power, he is a real beast.

"At Juventus, I saw Fernando Llorente, how he finds space and directs his headers. I like the physical challenge."

Could it be a stroke of genius? Probably not.