A £40 million Chelsea star has emerged as a surprise target for Newcastle United this summer, with the Magpies contacting his representatives and the player open to making the move to St. James’ Park.
Chelsea players who could still leave before deadline day
New Blues head coach Enzo Maresca could see a few more departures for big names before deadline day on August 30, including Conor Gallagher, as Chelsea remain locked in talks over a deal for Joao Felix, which could see the England midfielder’s move to La Liga resurrected.
Chelsea originally agreed a deal for striker Samu Omorodion with Gallagher set to head in the opposite direction, but talks for the former collapsed earlier this week due to contractual issues, with the move now off (Sky Sports).
This has resulted in Chelsea turning to Felix as an alternative to Omorodion, as they look to instigate another agreement for an Atletico player which would see Gallagher move in the opposite direction to Spain.
“The Conor Gallagher situation at Chelsea remains one of the biggest sagas of the summer transfer window,” said reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano to CaughtOffside this week.
| Chelsea’s best-performing players in the Premier League last season | Average match rating (WhoScored) |
|---|---|
| Cole Palmer | 7.48 |
| Conor Gallagher | 7.13 |
| Nicolas Jackson | 7.07 |
| Moises Caicedo | 6.85 |
| Noni Madueke | 6.84 |
“The player is back in London and is now back at Cobham to train today, but not with the Chelsea first-team squad as he’s not considered an important player or regular starter under manager Enzo Maresca. So, after everything was done, contracts ready, medical okay with Atletico Madrid, the two clubs have still not signed the contracts because of what happened with Samu Omorodion.
“Now Chelsea and Atletico are negotiating over Joao Felix, trying to find a solution to the situation. Gallagher is waiting and the deal remains on, but the England midfielder is no longer in Madrid, he’s in London waiting to understand if Chelsea and Atletico can find a solution.
It’s a crazy situation as Gallagher starts training at Chelsea.”
As well as the 24-year-old, it is believed a few other players could end up departing Stamford Bridge before deadline day on August 30. Indeed, Romelu Lukaku has already agreed a three-year deal to join Napoli, and his potential move to Serie A is intertwined with Chelsea’s links to Victor Osimhen.
Ben Chilwell, Armando Broja, Cesare Casadei, Trevoh Chalobah are other players who have been linked with Chelsea exits in the last fortnight.
Chelsea winger Noni Madueke emerges as surprise target for Newcastle
According to TEAMtalk, another player now tempted to leave Chelsea this summer is winger Noni Madueke.
The 22-year-old made 23 Premier League appearances under Mauricio Pochettino last season, and it is believed Eddie Howe’s side are eyeing him up as a possible replacement for midfielder Miguel Almiron.
TT state that Chelsea’s Madueke has “emerged as a surprise target for Newcastle”, and they’ve already held talks with the winger’s representatives. The outlet also claims that PSV Eindhoven’s former starlet is open to joining Howe’s men, with Chelsea valuing him at around £40 million.
