Chelsea now 'open to offers' for signing who hasn't played a single minute for the club
One of Chelsea's summer signings has already been made available for transfer before playing a competitive match for the club, it has been reported.
The Blues are continuing to be active in the transfer market, having completed a British-record deal worth £117 million to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.
According to The Athletic, they are exploring a move for veteran Brighton striker Danny Welbeck, with new manager Xabi Alonso keen to add experience to what is a squad filled with younger players.
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Since Blueco took over as majority owners of the club in 2022, Chelsea have only signed two players - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kalidou Koulibaly - over the age of 30. Both spent just a single season at the club, with Aubameyang scoring only one league goal.
If Welbeck does join the club, it will only further Chelsea's efforts to trim down in terms of their striking department.
The Blues have Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and new signing Emmanuel Emegha on their books alongside main striking option Joao Pedro, and The Athletic reported earlier this month that the club were still considering whether to keep, loan or sell the trio.
It is now being claimed that Welbeck's arrival would 'surely mean it would be even more likely that more than one will be going elsewhere'.
Emegha officially joined Chelsea at the beginning of July, with the club having agreed a £22 million deal to sign him from Strasbourg back in September.
Enzo Maresca was in charge when the deal was completed, before being replaced by Emegha's former Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior in January.
It is now up to Alonso, who took charge this summer following Rosenior's sacking and Calum McFarlane's interim spell, to decide what to do with Emegha, Delap and Jackson.
For Jackson's part, Aston Villa have been linked with a club-record bid for the Senegal striker after completing a loan and option to buy deal for Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea are 'open' to selling Delap should an acceptable bid be made, but that the English striker wants to stay at the club and fight for his place.
He says there is also a 'possibility' for Emegha to leave the club 'in case of a good proposal'.
Emegha is now set to miss the rest of Chelsea's pre-season tour due to a hamstring injury.
He made only 18 appearances across last season due to a series of injuries, and that record is something which may count against him at Chelsea if Welbeck does arrive at the club to challenge Joao Pedro.
But his numbers from the previous 2023/24 season - 14 Ligue 1 goals in 29 games for Strasbourg - will no doubt stand him in some good stead among the Blues coaching staff as he looks to get back to full fitness in time for the start of the Premier League season.
Topics: Xabi Alonso, Chelsea, Premier League, Transfers
Ryan Smart