Agonising Leeds transfer blow as Chelsea prepare swoop for vital star with Farke powerless

Chelsea have become interested in activating the relegation release clause in the contract of Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams, according to a report.

Leeds have already lost a number of players since their relegation to the Championship, but Adams is one of the more high-profile names who remains on their books. That said, the USMNT star has generated interest from several top-flight suitors.

TEAMtalk understands he wants to play in the Premier League again after only joining Leeds last summer from RB Leipzig. And recently, The Athletic revealed that Adams has a release clause in his contract tied to relegation, which is therefore now active.

It has been claimed that the clause could be worth a similar fee to what Leeds originally spent on him, in the £20m region. Leeds would be powerless to prevent him leaving if it was activated and he wanted to accept the destination.

So far, Adams has been linked with clubs like Aston Villa. But according to an update from The Times, he is now on the radar of Chelsea.

After the departures of players like N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount – on paper, arguably their strongest midfield trio – Chelsea need to replenish their engine room.

The report maintains that their main target is Moises Caicedo from Brighton, despite their series of failed bids. But they have most recently added Adams to their shortlist.

After the sale of winger Christian Pulisic to AC Milan and plans for Gabriel Slonina to leave on loan, Chelsea’s American co-owner Todd Boehly could ensure he still has a compatriot in Mauricio Pochettino’s playing squad by buying Adams.

Chelsea keep adding to midfield shortlist

Other alternatives to Caicedo on Chelsea’s radar include Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, Ajax’s Edson Alvarez and Celta de Vigo’s Gabri Veiga.

Lavia, like Adams, suffered relegation with his current club by the end of the 2023-24 season. Liverpool have been putting plenty of effort into signing him to account for their sales of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi sides Al Ettifaq and Al Ittihad respectively.

Neither Alvarez nor Veiga, meanwhile, have any Premier League experience. It could make someone like Adams a preferable candidate, considering he could be cheaper too.

In turn, the 24-year-old could become the latest player to leave Leeds this summer. His compatriot Brenden Aaronson has also left, along with other players who lasted a season or less at Elland Road such as Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca and Maximilian Wober.

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