Chelsea have been known to spend big since the takeover by Todd Boehly back in 2022, with the Blues forking out upwards of £1bn in the two years at the helm at Stamford Bridge.
Winger Raheem Sterling is one of a number of big-money signings in the last couple of years, joining the club for £47.5m back in the summer of 2022 from Premier League rivals Manchester City.
High expectations were placed on the attacker’s shoulders to mount a push for their first league title since the 2016/17 season – even offering the 29-year-old a monster contract worth an astonishing £325k-per-week, as per Capology, making him the Blues’ top-earner.
The move hasn’t gone as either party would’ve expected, with the forward only managing to find the net on 19 occasions in his 81 appearances for Chelsea – an average of one goal every 4.3 games.
His lack of form, coupled with his high wage could spell the end of his time at Stamford Bridge this summer, with the club also looking to sign an upgrade on the former City attacker, in the form of a player who has excelled in 2023/24.
Chelsea interested in £40m talent
Having welcomed new manager Enzo Maresca, according to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are now battling Liverpool in the race to sign Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville, following the Whites’ failure to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
The 22-year-old has been exceptional this season and has become a vital player for Leeds in the Championship scoring 19 goals and registering nine assists in the competition, in which they fell just short of promotion after a 1-0 defeat to Southampton at Wembley.
His tally of 28 goals and assists this campaign ranks him third in the division for most combined goal contributions – a figure that has certainly caught the attention of Blues ahead of the summer.
🎨 Poetry in motion!#EFL | @LUFC pic.twitter.com/JMgKXRmYpK
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) April 22, 2024
Football Insider has more recently reported this week that Daniel Farke’s side will desperately need to raise funds following their play-off final defeat, with the Dutch winger potentially available for a fee around the £40m mark this summer.
Why Summerville would transform Chelsea’s attack
Whilst Chelsea themselves need to be cautious with their spending this summer, Summerville would be an excellent addition and one that could call time on Sterling’s two-year stint at Stamford Bridge.
Despite playing in a lower-quality division last season, the Dutch winger has produced some excellent stats, many of which would be hugely beneficial to Maresca’s side should they win the race for his services this summer.
Summerville has averaged 2.5 successful take-ons per 90 in the Championship for Farke’s men, a figure that ranks him within the top 9% of all attackers in England’s second tier.
When comparing Sterling to Summerville for goals scored in the league this campaign, the Dutchman blows the Englishman out of the water, bagging 11 more than the current Chelsea forward.
| Sterling vs Summerville in 2023/24 – all competitions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | Sterling | Summerville |
| Games | 43 | 49 |
| Goals | 10 | 21 |
| Assists | 8 | 10 |
| G+A per 90 | 0.42 | 0.63 |
| Expected xG | 6.48 | 16.41 |
| Stats via FotMob | ||
The Dutchman, who’s been described as a “1v1 monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has more goals and assists, subsequently producing more contributions per 90, with the club needing to pursue a move for the Leeds talent.
Whilst Cole Palmer has nailed down the right-wing position, the left-hand side needs huge improvement if the Blues are to push for a Champions League spot once again next season.
All of Summerville’s stats show how threatening he is in the final third, with the club desperately needing to invest in new attacking players once more to close the gap produced by the top four this season.
