Chelsea
Premier League • England
Chelsea striker targets: EVERY centre-forward linked with the Blues this summer
Chelsea have their eyes on some elite no.9s as they look for an upgrade up front
Chelsea are chasing the signing of a new striker who can finally bring them the guarantee of regular goals they’ve been craving, so here are all the targets they’ve been linked with.
Chelsea have spent over £1 billion since Todd Boehly and co. took the reins at Stamford Bridge in 2022. And despite concerns over whether the Blues can comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, their spending is set to continue apace this summer.
They have already brought in centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham on a free transfer, while deals have been struck for youngsters Omari Kellyman and Estevao Willian for a combined £58 million.
And they are yet to address arguably their biggest area of need. After Nicolas Jackson’s struggles in front of goal last season following his £32 million move from Villarreal, the Stamford Bridge side are said to be in the market for another top centre-forward.
They have already signed Marc Guiu from Barcelona, but he will be more of a long-term prospect and there will still be room in the squad for a more senior and proven centre-forward.
Here is every striker linked with a move to Chelsea this summer.
Victor Osimhen
Chelsea are credited with a long-standing interest in Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian striker has scored 76 goals in 133 games since joining the Italian club from Lille for €80 million in 2020 and was key to their first Serie A title in 30 years under Luciano Spalletti in the 2022-23 campaign.
His price tag is believed to be prohibitive to a potential Premier League move, though, with TEAMtalk recently learning that Napoli are classing his €130m release clause as their asking price.
However, Calciomercato recently reported that Napoli’s asking price for Osimhen could drop to £85 million.
Jonathan David
A cheaper alternative would be the man who replaced Osimhen at Lille, Jonathan David.
The 24-year-old Canadian striker is coming off a second successive 26-goal seasons and could be available for as little as £30 million this simmer due to the fact his contract with the Ligue 1 club is entering its final 12 months.
Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United have all also been linked with interest in David, who is currently on show at the Copa America, where he extended his stretched his outstanding international strike rate to 27 goals from 47 caps with a match-winning strike against Peru in Canada’s second group-stage game.
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Alexander Isak
With 21 goals from 30 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United, Alexander Isak was one of the hottest goal-scorers in the English top flight last season.
The Magpies’ pressing need to comply with PSR has reportedly led to Chelsea and Arsenal testing their resolve to hang on to the 24-year-old Swede. Chelsea are particularly keen and have been in talks with Newcastle.
But Eddie Howe’s side are believed to be determined to keep their £100 million-rated star striker at all costs – managing to cash in on other players before June 30 – and are unlikely to sanction a sale this summer.
Ivan Toney
One Premier League hot shot who is likely to be on the move this off-season, however, is Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
Currently with England at the European Championship in Germany, the former Newcastle striker has scored 36 Premier League goals over the last three seasons, although last term he managed just four top-flight strikes after returning from a ban for breaching betting rules.
But his patchy post-suspension form has not deterred his suitors, with Arsenal and Chelsea said to be Toney’s biggest admirers. Brentford reportedly value the 28-year-old at £60 million.
Evan Ferguson
Republic of Ireland international Evan Ferguson produced only a modest return of six goals from 15 top-flight starts for Brighton last season, but the 19-year-old remains one of the Premier League’s most promising strikers.
Strong in the air and a confident finisher with either foot, Ferguson has demonstrated an ability to score a wide variety of goals already in his young career.
Chelsea have a strong recent history of business with Brighton, after signing Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo from the Seagulls for extravagant fees in recent transfer windows. According to 90min, Ferguson is a striker ‘under consideration’ by the Blues this summer.
Jhon Duran
After agreeing a £19 million deal to sign promising youngster Kellyman from Aston Villa and sending left-back Ian Maatsen the other way for £35 million, it has long been speculated that the two clubs will do business again this summer, with Colombian striker Jhon Duran a reported Chelsea target.
The 20-year-old centre-forward, who is currently playing for Colombia at the Copa America, would be something of a developmental project for the Blues, with the youngster’s skillset impressive yet raw – as evidenced by a record of just five Premier League goals in 35 games for Villa.
However, the latest reports suggest Chelsea have cooled their interest in Duran, who is valued at £40 million.
Samu Omorodion
Viewed as an alternative to Duran, Chelsea have held talks with Atletico Madrid over a move for Samu Omorodion, according to The Guardian.
The 20-year-old Spain under-21 international is yet to make a senior appearance for Diego Simeone’s side, although he impressed last season on loan with Alaves, scoring eight goals in 34 La Liga games.
Also a target for West Ham, Atletico are believed to be looking for at least £30 million for the 6ft 4ins striker.
Dominic Solanke
According to talkSPORT, Chelsea are interested in re-signing Dominic Solanke after the 27-year-old’s impressive 19-goal return for Bournemouth in the Premier League last season.
The one-cap England international came through Chelsea’s academy before signing for Liverpool in 2017. He moved on to the Cherries 18 months later and enjoyed the best top-flight campaign of his career last term.
Solanke is said to have a £65 million release clause in his Bournemouth contract.
Julian Alvarez
In a move that would see the Blues steal a valued forward from a major Premier League rival, the Evening Standard claim Chelsea are preparing a swoop for Manchester City star Julian Alvarez.
The versatile attacker was a key cog in Pep Guardiola’s Treble-winning side in 2022-23 and he logged an impressive return of 20 goals and 13 assists for the Premier League champions last season.
Also a target for Real Madrid, the 22-year-old Argentinian’s City contract reportedly contains a £56 million release clause that Chelsea are ready to trigger.
Mason Greenwood
After spending last season on loan in La Liga with Getafe, Mason Greenwood is almost certain to make a permanent exit from Manchester United this summer, with Juventus and Marseille among the continental clubs linked with the 22-year-old.
Chelsea are also reportedly interested in Greenwood, who scored 10 goals in 36 games in Spain last term.
However, United are likely to prefer a sale abroad for the Carrington academy graduate who is said to be valued at around £40 million.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
After a tumultuous few years of injuries and poor form, Dominic Calvert-Lewin produced a strong finish to the 2023-24 season with Everton, scoring four goals and setting up another in his last seven appearances of the campaign. Now, with the Toffees in a PSR bind, the former Sheffield United star is being linked with a move away from the club he joined for just £1.5 million in 2016.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea were recently considering a move for the 27-year-old England international, but they are now prioritising younger targets.
Artem Dovbyk
One of the breakout stars of the 2023-24 La Liga season, Artem Dovbyk scored 24 goals to win the Pichichi trophy as the league’s highest scorer and fired Girona to an unlikely top-three finish.
The 27-year-old Ukrainian is something of a late bloomer, having eclipsed the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career just a year earlier with Dnipro-1 in his homeland, earning a €7 million switch to Girona.
Now, according to GIVEMESPORT, Dovbyk is being monitored by Chelsea this summer ahead of a potential move.