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Chelsea are looking ahead to their upcoming Premier League game with Bournemouth on September 14. Enzo Maresca's team arrive at the game with two wins in five games across competitions this season.
Meanwhile, the Blues have been unable to offload full-back Ben Chilwell so far. Elsewhere, the London giants' wage structure could be the reason for their failure to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on September 6, 2024:
Chelsea struggling to offload Ben Chilwell
Chelsea have been unable to move Ben Chilwell on this summer despite their best efforts, according to The Mirror. The English full-back is no longer a part of Maresca's plans, and the Italian has already sanctioned his departure.
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However, there was very little interest in the 27-year-old over the summer. Manchester United were briefly linked with Chilwell, but a move didn't materialise.
It now appears that the Blues have contacted clubs in Turkey - where the transfer window is still open - to offer the Englishman's services.
The London giants were initially looking for a permanent exit but are now ready to accept a loan deal as well. Recent reports have named Fenerbahce as an option, but the Turkish side are yet to submit an offer for Chilwell.
Fabrizio Romano says Blues' structure reason for failure to land Victor Osimhen
The new salary structure implemented at Stamford Bridge could be the reason behind the failure to sign Victor Osimhen this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. The Nigerian was a priority target for Maresca in the recent transfer window, but a deal failed to materialise.
The manager was eager to rope in a new No. 9 to lead his line this summer. Osimhen is among the finest in the position in Europe and was apparently identified as the right candidate for the job.
It's believed that the Blues were unable to offer the Napoli striker a salary of his choice, prompting the player to turn them down. The 25-year-old has since moved to Galatasaray on loan for the rest of the season.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano confirmed that Osimhen's wages were the main reason for the deal failing to materialise.
“There might be some understandable disappointment that Chelsea couldn’t sign Victor Osimhen, but I’m not one to tell Chelsea what should they pay for players, including Osimhen,” wrote Romano.
He continued:
“It was always going to be difficult to sign Osimhen as he had an expensive salary and Chelsea have new structure in place now. In general, I think it was a very good window also for Chelsea and my favourite signing for the long term is absolutely Estevao Willian, a super talent.”
Osimhen reportedly has a break option in his loan deal that could be activated in January.
Conor Gallagher opens up on Stamford Bridge exit
Conor Gallagher has refused to accept that he would have struggled under Maresca at Stamford Bridge. The English midfielder left the Blues this summer to move to Atletico Madrid.
Gallagher had entered the final year of his contract but failed to agree an extension. The 24-year-old rose through the ranks at the club and was a first-team regular last season. However, the London giants opted to cash in on him this summer.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, Gallagher said that he has no regrets over the events of the summer.
“I don’t think that’s true personally (that he is not suited to Enzo Maresca's tactics). I think last season I had a good season with Chelsea as you could see by Mauricio Pochettino playing me every game and showing his trust in me. And the fans appreciated what I did on the pitch too,” said Gallagher.
He added:
“I’m very grateful for all of that and very thankful to the fans. And very thankful to Pochettino for giving me that platform to go and express myself and show the best version of myself at Chelsea."
Gallagher concluded:
“Chelsea make their own decisions and they’ve brought in some top players on long contracts. That wasn’t the situation with me but, in the end, what happened is good for everyone, so everyone is happy.”
He was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, but Los Rojiblancos eventually won the race for his services.
