Chelsea have requested Premier League opponents Aston Villa for signing one of their players in the January transfer window, with a manager Enzo Maresca he said what is required to potentially reach a deal in midseason.
Chelsea could sign a new striker this month if Christopher Nkunku leaves
After missing out on Napoli star Victor Osimhen, who eventually sealed a season-long loan move to Galatasaray, it is believed that the West Londoners’ potential move for a new striker would likely have to wait until the summer rather than January.
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This according to a reliable journalist Simon Phillipsbut in a new twist this week, the same source says that could change if Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku chooses to seriously pursue an exit before February 3.
The Frenchman is one of Maresca’s top scorers in all competitions, making a serious impact off the bench in the Europa Conference League as well, but he isn’t exactly a mainstay in Chelsea’s ‘A team’ – having started just three Premier League games from his 15 top-flight appearances this term.
|
Chelsea’s next matches in the Premier League |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Bournemouth (home) |
January 14 |
|
Wolverhampton Wanderers (home) |
January 20 |
|
Manchester City (away) |
January 25 |
|
West Ham (away) |
February 3 |
|
Brighton (outside) |
February 14 |
This has apparently “frustrated” Nkunku behind the scenes, and while it doesn’t exactly force a move at this stage, he is open to leaving Stamford Bridge in the winter (Simon Phillips).
Chelsea have been contacted by a number of sides regarding the 26-year-old’s availability, and if a move does go through then fellow managers Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley would be seriously pursuing his replacement (Simon Phillips).
The versatile striker is currently £195,000 a week at Cobham, so Chelsea would cut a seismic sum from the wage bill and save cash on a player used sparingly by Maresca in the Premier League.
As for who Chelsea could replace Nkunku, it is believed that Maresca still very keen to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delapand the club are serious contenders to lure the England U-21 international away from Portman Road.
Chelsea are closing in on Aston Villa for John Duran in January
According to CaughtOffside this week, another potential replacement for Nkunku comes in the form of the Aston Villa starlet John Duran.
The Colombian’s 12 goals in all competitions have established him as a key player for Unai Emery and he appears to have revived his career in the Midlands after reportedly coming very close to leaving last summer.
Awarded a brand new one £75,000 a week contract earlier this season for his excellent 24/25 so far, with Chelsea officials taking the 21-year-old’s exploits seriously.
CO claims that Chelsea approached Villa about signing Duran in Januaryto gauge the conditions of a potential deal. Emery’s side obviously won’t sell for a penny less than £60m, and that could look good value on paper, given the high potential, youth and the return of Duran this term.
However, PSG are apparently considering a big price in the region of Villa’s asking price, so Chelsea may have to make a decision on “specific“aggressive too soon.
2025-01-10 14:42:00
