Chelsea’s hopes of signing Edinson Cavani on loan until the end of the season have been dealt a blow after the striker’s father said his son will join Atlético Madrid if the La Liga club can agree a deal with Paris Saint-Germain.

Frank Lampard wants Chelsea to sign Cavani on a short-term basis and PSG have rejected their first offer of a six-month loan. However it is understood the Uruguayan has already agreed an 18-month deal worth €10m euros a year with Atlético, who have had three bids for the 32-year-old turned down by PSG. Cavani, whose contract runs out at the end of the season, has made it clear he wants to secure a permanent move to Diego Simeone’s side this month.

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Chelsea, who are concerned about Tammy Abraham’s fitness after the striker injured his ankle during the 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Tuesday, are desperate for attacking reinforcements before the transfer window shuts and Lampard is an admirer of Cavani. Yet arranging a temporary deal for the former Napoli striker, who earns a reported £360,000 a week after tax, will not be easy. While Chelsea do not want to pay a large loan fee for a player on such high wages, PSG are not minded to let Cavani go on cheap.

Another complication is that Cavani favours a move to Spain. Atlético are confident of signing him, even though Chelsea are desperate to find quality competition for Abraham, and the player’s father has urged PSG to let him leave now rather than make him wait until he is able to depart on a free transfer in the summer. Reports have claimed that the French club want their Spanish counterparts to pay at least £15m for the former Napoli player.

“He wants to join another club in Europe,” Luis Cavani said. “That would please me that he plays here [at Atlético]. Simeone wants him now. The head coach of Paris Saint-Germain has also said he needs him to help compete in the Champions League.

“But PSG do not want him to go to Atlético if he finds an agreement. I think there is a strong chance that he will go to Atlético. The option to join the club Atlético always remains in June.

“There are lots of other clubs but when you give your word to a team, you respect it. If tomorrow, if he is available and Atletico still want him, I think he will sign. He is a player who needs time to play and today, he only plays four or six minutes per game. PSG are treating him unfairly.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tammy Abraham after crashing into the hoardings during the draw with Arsenal. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images

Cavani’s mother has also weighed in on her son’s future. “It’s complicated but he wants to play at Atlético and if it’s not now, in the summer,” Berta Goméz said. “We have been eager for some time but it doesn’t depend on my son but on PSG and Atlético Madrid. We understand their position but what we don’t understand is that they want him to stay and then they only bring him out for six minutes. They are not treating him well considering what he has given to PSG in the almost seven years he has been there.”

Cavani has also been offered to Tottenham, who are without the hamstrung Harry Kane until mid-April, and he could be of interest to Manchester United, who are without Marcus Rashford for at least two months with a double stress fracture in his back.

Chelsea are struggling to land their main attacking targets. Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and Red Bull Leipzig’s Timo Werner are unlikely to be available until the summer, Lyon are determined not to sell Moussa Dembélé and Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha is regarded as too expensive at £80m.

Chelsea could step up their attempts to sign Cavani if Abraham is out for an extended period. The England striker hobbled off after a collision with the advertising hoardings and Lampard will hope his leading goalscorer makes a swift recovery.