Chelsea eye late move for Premier League striker ahead of Deadline Day - Reports

Chelsea are reportedly eyeing a late move to sign highly-rated Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson ahead of the transfer deadline day. The winter transfer window slams shut on Monday, February 3 and the race for Ferguson is heating up.

As reported by The Guardian, Brighton are open to selling or loaning Ferguson who has struggled for both form and fitness this season. The Republic of Ireland international was once regarded as one of the biggest talents in world football but has seen his progress stalled by a series of injuries.

The 20-year-old has played just 390 minutes of football across competitions this season scoring only once. Despite his poor showings on the pitch as well as injury problems, he is very much a player in demand.

As per The Guardian, the youngster has attracted suitors like Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Bournemouth, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. German champions Bayer Leverkusen were reportedly the frontrunners for his signature but are no longer keen after Al-Nassr pulled out of a deal to sign Victor Boniface.

West Ham United emerged as another strong suitor but Chelsea are now looking to step up their chase for the Irishman. Enzo Maresca is reportedly keen on bringing in a new striker to compete with Nicolas Jackson who has not scored in seven successive league games.

Chelsea’s co-sporting director Paul Winstanley worked previously at the Amex Stadium and is a huge admirer of Ferguson. It is however unclear whether the Blues want him on loan or in a permanent deal.

Ferguson, who was previously valued at around £100 million by Brighton, is now reportedly available for just £40 million. The young striker has missed 25 games with various injuries since last season but has plenty of time on his hands to turn his career around.

---

Chelsea hold internal talks on recalling in-form midfielder - Reports

Chelsea have reportedly held internal talks on whether to recall young midfielder Andrey Santos from his loan spell at Strasbourg. As claimed by TBR Football, the Blues are looking to bolster their midfield ranks before the transfer window slams shut due to Romeo Lavia's injury problems.

Andrey Santos joined the west London giants in January 2023 from Vasco da Gama but spent the second half of the 2022-23 season at the Brazilian club. Following a forgettable six-month loan spell at Nottingham Forest in the first half of the 2023-24 season, he was shipped out on loan to the Blues' sister club Strasbourg.

Santos has been excellent for Strasbourg since joining the French outfit on loan on February 1, 2024. He has eight goals and two assists in 19 appearances for the Ligue 1 side this season.

Chelsea are reportedly considering Santos as the internal solution to add depth to their midfield ranks. However, a section of the club's hierarchy are believed to be unsure whether recalling him amid such a rich vein of form would be the right decision.