Chelsea have now made an enquiry over a deal for an “outstanding” midfielder this month, whose own club are enduring financial difficulties, according to a report.
Chelsea eyeing a midfielder
The Blues are on the lookout for a new midfielder, and they have identified 17-year-old Lille sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi as a potential target, with a deal possible if they are willing to stump up a fee of around €30m (£25m).
AC Milan midfielder Youssouf Fofana is also on Enzo Maresca’s radar, and Chelsea are willing to make an offer of £50m to get a deal done this month, displaying just how highly he is thought of at Stamford Bridge.
Another player who Chelsea are hopeful of securing a deal for is Rosenborg midfielder Sverre Nypan, but there is likely to be competition for his signature, with Manchester United also believed to be keen.
Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixtures
Date
Crystal Palace (a)
January 4th
AFC Bournemouth (h)
January 14th
Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)
January 20th
Manchester City (a)
January 25th
West Ham United (h)
February 3rd
Nypan is not the only midfielder the Blues may have to do battle with Man United over, as reports from Spain (via Sport Witness) have now revealed that Barcelona’s Dani Olmo is being targeted by the two Premier League clubs.
It is explained that Barca are unable to register Olmo at the moment, which means he could leave as a free agent at some point this month, with a number of teams from across Europe aware of the situation and ready to take full advantage.
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England’s “big six” are all keen on the midfielder, while there is also interest from Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig in Germany, so he will not be short of options if he departs the Camp Nou this month.
Chelsea are said to have taken the first step towards signing the Spaniard by making an enquiry, but the report states that it is his lifelong dream to play for Barcelona, meaning he is hoping to be re-registered.
Olmo impressing when given the opportunity
It has not been an ideal start to life at Barcelona, but the attacking midfielder is making the most of the opportunities he’s been given, scoring five goals in his first 11 La Liga outings.
Some of the former RB Leipzig’s performances will no doubt have impressed manager Hansi Flick, and he also received high praise from former boss Julian Nagelsmann during his time in Germany.
Nagelsmann dubbed the £150k-per-week Spain international “outstanding”, while also adding: “He has exceptional abilities and is very safe with the ball. When he gets put under pressure, he knows how to provoke a foul.”
As such, Olmo could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, but it may be extremely difficult to win the race for his signature, given that a number of top clubs are interested, and the fact he wants to make things work at Barcelona despite the registration issues.