Rayan Cherki, Mohammed Kudus and Michael Olise, who are worth a combined £110million, have all been heavily linked with moves to Chelsea this summer.
Mauricio Pochettino is said to be in the market for a new attacking midfielder this summer, and there’s three players on his shortlist – Rayan Cherki, Mohammed Kudus and Michael Olise. But, with Chelsea also eager to secure the signature of Moises Caicedo, the Blues may be left no choice but to settle for just one of three young playmakers.
football.london understands that Chelsea are considering a move for Cherki, who sees his contract with Olympique Lyonnais expire in two-years. It’s believed that the west Londoners sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old on several occasions last season, where they also monitored the progress of Malo Gusto.
With Chelsea looking to replace the likes of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic, Cherki has emerged as one of the most exciting options on Pochettino’s shortlist. He featured 34 times for Laurent Blanc’s side in Ligue 1 last season, directly contributing towards ten goalsDespite his age, the teenage sensation has quickly established himself in the Lyon starting lineup. He was fast-tracked into the first-team a couple of years ago and made his senior debut in the Champions League at the age of just 16.
According to French publication RMC Sport, as quoted by the Daily Mail, the Blues have already submitted a £39million bid to sign the 21-year-old from Crystal Palace. The report states that Olise is ‘seduced by the project’ at Stamford Bridge.
The Daily Mail add that the France Under-21 international has a £35m release clause in his contract at Selhurst Park, but Chelsea have offered in excess of the fee to try and structure a more favourable payment plan. He featured 37 times for the Eagles in the English top-flight last season, directly contributing towards 13 goals.
While Olise would add valuable experience and Kudus would provide tactical flexibility, both of which are currently injured – the former has recently undergone an operation on a hamstring issue and the latter is just nursing a minor knock.
Therefore, with both of which essentially out of action at the moment, the obvious decision is to pursue a move for Cherki instead. The Frenchman is no downgrade and he’d be able to jump in at the deep end, immediately joining pre-season preparations.
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