Chelsea’s opening Premier League match against Crystal Palace is just two weeks away, but there’s still plenty of transfer business to be completed before then.
Before the season kicks off, the Blues still have two pre-season friendlies to play. They’ll face Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, followed by AC Milan on Sunday, with both games taking place at Stamford Bridge.
Any players Chelsea are pursuing now will ideally join the squad ahead of the Premier League opener, giving Enzo Maresca a chance to integrate and test them in his system.
The West London club have already spent the second-highest amount in this summer’s transfer window, behind only Liverpool.
With a host of players still being linked to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea could soon find themselves topping that spending table. Football.london has taken a look at the latest transfer headlines surrounding the club.
Chelsea eye up Emanuel Emegha deal
Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for 22-year-old striker Emanuel Emegha, as doubts emerge over Nicolas Jackson’s future at the club. The Dutch forward scored 14 goals in 29 appearances for Strasbourg last season – his best campaign to date.
Emegha is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most promising young strikers and has drawn significant interest this summer. According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, Chelsea may be targeting an early move to secure a lower fee.
Speaking on the London is Blue podcast, Law said: “I was told by someone who works around the Strasbourg end of things that they believe this guy could one day be a €50m-plus striker. I think Chelsea may be looking to do an early deal to get him in now, at a fair market value.
“Because if you do it now, you can probably get him for around—I’m guessing here—€25m (£22m). If you wait another year, you might be looking at something closer to €40m (£35m).”
Ben Chilwell told to look elsewhere
Ben Chilwell has endured a difficult time at Chelsea since joining from Leicester City in 2020 for £50m. A series of injuries hampered his early progress, and a disappointing loan spell at Crystal Palace last season hasn’t helped his standing at the club.
Chelsea are looking to offload Chilwell this summer, but his £200k-a-week wages are proving to be a major stumbling block in attracting serious interest. Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has told the 28-year-old where he should go.
“I just think he needs to find a club where he’s going to be number one. Crystal Palace was never going to work. [Tyrick] Mitchell is a top left-back,” he told talkSPORT.
“He needs to maybe go down to a lower club in the Premier League. If that’s a Leeds, if it’s a Sunderland, if it’s a Burnley – just play week in, week out. We’ve seen Kyle Walker and all he’s won in the game, and he’s gone to Burnley.
“I just want to see Chilwell enjoy his football. Will his wages be a problem with a loan to a Premier League club? Probably. But he’s got no future at Chelsea. It’s obvious to see.”
