Chelsea end pursuit of TWO targets as striker plan becomes clear

Tom Weber

Updated: 24 Jun 2024 15:21 BST
4 min read

Chelsea have ended their pursuit of Serhou Guirassy and Jhon Duran as they close in on two striker signings.

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The Blues' frontline for next season is beginning to take shape. In recent weeks, it has become increasingly clear that Chelsea are not as desperate to add a proven, big-name number nine as initially thought.

Chelsea are generally happy with Nicolas Jackson and the impact he had in his first season and they also believe that Christopher Nkunku will hit double figures next term following an injury-hit first year at Stamford Bridge.

This has seen them drop out of the race to sign Napoli sharpshooter Victor Osimhen, while the Blues were eventually also snubbed by Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig. Still, they want to bolster their frontline and this has seen them linked with a host of players.

Now, it is becoming clear which strikers the London giants will bring in this summer.

Chelsea to sign Kellyman, Guiu

On Saturday, it was revealed that Chelsea had made contact with prolific Lille frontman Jonathan David, but talk of a potential transfer has since been played down.

Additionally, the BBC reports that the Blues' interest in Jhon Duran has gone cold, while Germany's biggest media outlets, Sky and BILD, are stating that they have also dropped out of the race for Stuttgart hotshot Serhou Guirassy.

This, then, makes it clear that they are focusing on Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu. The deal to sign the former from Aston Villa appears all but wrapped up, with the 18-year-old set to join the Blues' academy setup, while Ian Maatsen heads the other way. Chelsea are willing to pay more than €20 million for the teenager, but they will receive twice as much for the Dutch left-back.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Stamford Bridge side have made very good progress in their talks with Barcelona starlet Marc Guiu. Seen as a potentially brilliant piece of business due to a €6m release clause, the 18-year-old now has the choice of joining Chelsea or extending his Barcelona contract.