Chelsea get worst-case transfer scenario and £51m deal imminent

Chelsea are just two weeks away from their first pre-season match of 2024 as Enzo Maresca continues work with his new team. The boss has been in place at Cobham officially for a little over 10 days now but was first with his players on Monday.

There have already been new arrivals in that group as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tosin Adarabioyo got down to work but more are expected to come. The sheer size of the senior squad also suggests that many will have to leave in some form or another.

As the European Championship comes to a close, the opportunity to do more towards trimming the size of his group is coming. It all leaves a busy end to the summer window at Stamford Bridge.

Here, football.london takes a look at the latest stories around the club.

Ngumoha set to sign

Chelsea academy starlet Rio Ngumoha is set to join Liverpool after signing with the club. It comes after a deal was agreed for the 15-year-old earlier this week.

Fabrizio Romano now reports that the transfer is close to completion and that although Chelsea were determined to keep Ngumoha, he will be moving to Merseyside. Bayern Munich and Manchester City are just two of the other sides looking to get him.

READ MORE: Chelsea transfer news LIVE

READ MORE: Chelsea complete scandalous transfer for Enzo Maresca as Conor Gallagher reality finally clear

The pathway at Anfield and recent track record with bringing through young players has been described as a big factor in why he chose to leave Cobham. The Blues will get some form of compensation for Ngumoha, but a price is yet to be decided.

football.london says: At 15 it is hard to properly analyse any deal, and actually doing so feels very wrong. But even so, it is worrying when a top prospect leaves this early.

Ngumoha effectively sees Liverpool as being the place in which he is more likely to progress as a player, and for a club that has prided itself on developing some of the best young talent in the world, this will hit hard. It’s no surprise that Chelsea are devastated, frustrated, and angry at losing him.

Whilst Ngumoha leaves, the youth recruitment drive towards signing alternatives from other academies and teams in Brazil and South America continues. It’s no surprise that Ngumoha fancies his chances elsewhere. Chelsea are currently appearing to prioritise the progress of outsiders rather than their own. Until that changes, expect more of these to happen.

Olmo confusion

Just hours after Dani Olmo helped Spain into the final of Euro 2024 with a standout performance against France, reports emerged suggesting that clubs across Europe are still expected to trigger his £51million release clause. Named among them, Chelsea.

However, not long later it was clarified that Chelsea, whilst admirers of Olmo, had no intention of paying the money or, indeed, of signing Olmo. However, those who do want to go for the RB Leipzig man will have to act fast. His release clause expires on Monday, July 15.

Sign up to our latest Chelsea WhatsApp service and get all the latest breaking news and in-depth stories from football.london’s dedicated Chelsea writers direct to your phone by clicking this link.

English and Spanish sides have been named in conjunction with Olmo, although Liverpool are not said to be planning a move. Arsenal have been long-term lovers of the player.

football.london says: It’s only sensible that Chelsea aren’t really looking at Olmo as a serious target. It just doesn’t make much sense.

He is a fine player, and his form with Spain he generated the attention that his quality has deserved for a while now, but another versatile attacker able to play as a No.10 is hardly top of the list for Maresca. Perhaps as a left-winger it would be a more logical target, but even then Chelsea probably need to sell before they buy.

Anyone who does get Olmo is in for a treat but it’s not a deal Chelsea are calling out for or really missing the trick with. Not every top player needs to be signed.