Revealed: Chelsea considered transfer for Pochettino’s ‘mini Messi’
Cameron Smith
- 29 Aug 2023 07:15 BST
- 5 min read
Chelsea sounded out Sporting CP winger Marcus Edwards as a potential transfer target earlier this summer, but decided against pursuing the Englishman.
Mauricio Pochettino is keen on signing another attack-minded player to bolster his squad, but it has been reported that interest in Edwards did not lead to a formal approach.
The Telegraph have reported that Chelsea ‘made checks’ on Edwards a few weeks ago, but ‘nothing transpired’ despite their desire to add a player who can play on the right wing or as an attacking midfielder.
READ MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals
Their hopes of landing Michael Olise ended when he signed a new contract at Crystal Palace, while Chelsea’s pursuit of Mohammed Kudus and Rayan Cherki fell flat. The former has now joined West Ham in a deal that could reach €44.5 million.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have identified Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe and Barcelona duo Raphinha and Ferran Torres as potential new acquisitions, according to The Daily Mail, as they line up a late push for a new forward.
The Blues currently have Mykhailo Mudryk, Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku out injured, while Armando Broja has not yet been fully integrated back into the training set-up at Cobham following his ACL injury.
READ MORE: Deadline Day: Every confirmed transfer around Europe
Marcus Edwards to Chelsea?
Edwards, 24, has shone since he left Tottenham Hotspur for Portuguese shores in 2019, first for Vitoria Guimaraes and more recently for Sporting CP.
During his time as a youngster at Spurs, he was compared to Barcelona and Argentina legend Lionel Messi by Pochettino, who was Tottenham manager at the time.
Back in September 2016, Pochettino said: “The qualities - it's only looks, his body and the way that he plays - remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi.
“He's small, he's left-footed, I remember a little bit [Erik] Lamela when he was at River Plate, remember he had long hair, when he was 14, 15 years old, there is a lot of videos on YouTube that you can see, that he took the ball, didn't give a pass and shot straight away.
“He [Edwards] is a very good prospect and potentially he can be a top player, but we need to be patient and tell him that he has a lot of talent, enough talent to be a top player, a great player. But now it's how he builds his future, that's very important. And it's our responsibility to tell him.”
Edwards scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions for Sporting last year, and he netted the opener in the 1-1 away draw against his former club Spurs in the Champions League group stages.
