Transfer News: Chelsea to battle Manchester United for Kelechi Iheanacho

According to transfer news from Shoot, Chelsea have been linked with a surprise move for Kelechi Iheanacho. However, the Blues are not the only side after him as Manchester United have also registered an interest in the Leicester City forward.

An academy prospect of Manchester City, Iheanacho spent a season in the U-18 side for them. Within a year, he was promoted to the first team. However, in the presence of a talismanic striker like Sergio Aguero, it was always going to be difficult to get games. In came Gabriel Jesus and that was Iheanacho’s cue to exit the club.

Even at Leicester, Iheanacho had to wait for his chances due to the evergreen Jamie Vardy. In the limited chances he had gotten, he showed the occasional glimpse of talent. All that has changed this season with the Nigerian striker being one of the most in-form players in the country.

Since February, he has scored 12 goals in the league and FA Cup. During that time, he scored a hat-trick against Sheffield United, his brace knocked Man United out of the FA Cup and scored the only goal to sent Leicester into the finals. He has partnered Jamie Vardy well and has covered for his rare off form.

Chelsea have had their problems with forwards in recent seasons, with no striker seemingly being able to nail down a starting berth. Timo Werner looks like an expensive mistake. Olivier Giroud is on the wrong side of 30 and Tammy Abraham is being overlooked.

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While Chelsea have prioritised the signing of Erling Haaland, they could switch their attention to Iheanacho who is on a fiery run of scoring. He is very likely to not cost as much as Haaland but will provide them with a quality option. With United and Arsenal also after the striker, Chelsea will need to move fast.

Transfer News: Chelsea interested in Alex Sandro

According to transfer news from JuveFC, Chelsea have shown interest in Juventus fullback Alex Sandro. Juventus are willing to sanction a sale for the Brazilian to the highest bidder which in this case are the Blues.

Sandro has blown hot and cold during his Juventus career. Since making the move from Porto, he was a bright spark in Juve’s defence and attack. Capable of contributing to both ends, he quickly became a regular in the side under Max Allegri.

However, he hasn’t shown much improvement in the last few seasons but is a regular part of the squad under Andrea Pirlo this season. He has hardly shown his attacking skills this season, something which he was known for.

Chelsea already spent a fortune to sign Ben Chilwell this season. On Tuchel’s arrival though, the formation was switched and Marcos Alonso was installed as the wing-back. Despite that, the Blues are willing to spend around €20 million on him.

Juve don’t have a lot of depth in that position and it is still unclear as to who they will sign as a replacement. It had earlier been reported that the Italian side could ask for Emerson Palmieri in a swap deal.

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This deal hardly makes sense from Chelsea’s perspective. They already have two first-choice left wing-backs in Alonso and Chilwell, who is adjusting well to the new role. Swapping a third-choice for Sandro makes things even more complicated unless they let go of someone like Alonso. By all means, Chelsea should avoid this deal and look to strengthen other required areas.

Transfer News: Lucas Gourna-Douath on the radar of Chelsea

According to transfer news from Goal, Lucas Gourna-Douath is on the radar of Chelsea and PSG. The St. Etienne starlet has managed to attract the attention of top clubs with his performances and has been dubbed as the ‘new Pogba’.

As one of the rising stars in Ligue 1, Gourna-Douath has become a vital part of St. Etienne. He has already played for the senior side 23 times this season. A deep-lying central midfielder, manager Claude Puel wants him to stay at the club for a long time. Even the player is interested in the same.

However, due to the economic impact of the pandemic, the French side are willing to let him as well as a few more players, go. The club sold the likes of Wesley Fofana and William Saliba in previous transfer windows and it could continue with Gourna-Douath.

Ligue 1 has been hit hard due to the pandemic and their TV deal. St. Etienne are also among the clubs to be feeling the financial crunch as they have confirmed the club is up for sale. Gourna-Douath is one of their most valuable assets given his performances at just 17 years of age.

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Chelsea will face competition for the ‘new Pogba’ though, with the likes of RB Leipzig, PSG and AC Milan also after him. While Chelsea don’t really need any more central midfielders for the first-team, Lucas Gourna-Douath can be a good addition to their flourishing academy. Chelsea have promoted players from the academy in recent times and the same could be followed for him in case Chelsea can strike a deal.

Transfer News: Chelsea receive huge blow in their pursuit of Eduardo Camavinga

According to transfer news from The Chelsea Chronicle, the Blues have been given a huge blow in their pursuit of Eduardo Camavinga. Bayern Munich have reportedly stepped up their interest in the Rennes starlet and that means he could just slip out of reach for Chelsea.

The 18-year-old defensive midfielder burst onto the scenes in 2019 and enjoyed a spectacular season with Rennes, helping them qualify for the UEFA Champions League. However, the Ligue 1 outfit has struggled to perform at the same level this term. Following the sacking of manager Julian Stephan, who played a crucial role in Camavinga’s rise at the club, the midfielder is now considering his future at the club.

The Blues have a packed midfield department as things stand, with N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic vying for the starting spots while Billy Gilmour provides an option from the bench. Nonetheless, looking at fresh options isn’t entirely a bad idea and Camavinga was one such option.

However, Bayern are set on a summer of rebuilding their midfield. They already have Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka as the two linchpins but want a replacement for Thiago who left for Liverpool this season. Camavinga is seen as the future of their midfield and hence they are willing to go after him.

The 18-year-old midfielder is undoubtedly one of the hottest young prospects in the world. He has appeared 77 times for Rennes since making his debut for the club two years back. Camavinga has been touted to be the ‘next Patrick Vieira’ due to the similarity in their playing styles.

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It will be a difficult task to get Camavinga now, especially when Bayern are also after the player. The Blues may yet have to shell out decent money for a player who wants to leave the club amidst fears that they could miss out on European football next season.