It's been a while since a player was welcomed to Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea last signing Joao Felix in a £46m deal just over one week ago.
There's going to be some more movement before the market slams its shutters, with the Blues trawling through the list to identify a prolific centre-forward.
Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Co are opportunistic fellows, and while Chelsea have an exciting attacking mix, Raheem Sterling is expected to leave, and there's a target who would love to take his place at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea transfer news
Sterling is one of the Premier League's most decorated players, but he doesn't fit into Enzo Maresca's vision. The Italian head coach has been refreshingly candid about that, and so a solution seems probable.
Manchester United have held exploratory talks with the England international, which could pave the way for Jadon Sancho to join Chelsea.
Courted by Juventus, the winger, 24, is reported to be holding out for a move to west London, according to The Guardian, with Sancho available for a reported £40m fee.
What Jadon Sancho would bring to Chelsea
Long-lost prodigious potential, where have you gone? Sancho joined Borussia Dortmund from Manchester City as a teenager and quite quickly got people talking.
Once dubbed a "phenomenon" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 17-year-old rejected a professional deal at the Etihad and sought to make his name in Germany, with an outfit venerated for its youth production and unique fan-club connection.
He made significant headway in the years leading to a £73m transfer to Old Trafford, sending English football into a furore.
The winger, fleet of foot and fast of mind, hasn't been able to bring it all together with Man United, only scoring nine Premier League goals since his arrival three years ago and even being branded a "complete waste of money" by pundit Paul Parker.
But oh there's a player in there. Sancho was ostracised from Erik ten Hag's first team last year before returning to Dortmund for a short-term loan spell in January, but he posted six goals across 21 Premier League starts in 2022/23 and did manage to make something of an impression.
It was enough to suggest that he could have a prosperous future in his homeland, with FBref recording his performances to be similar to those of Bukayo Saka, that term.
Goals scored
0.32
0.40
Assists claimed
0.16
0.31
Shot-creating actions
4.65
4.56
Progressive passes
4.06
3.09
Progressive carries
4.71
5.07
Successful take-ons
1.76
1.73
Ball recoveries
5.83
3.60
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Saka, Arsenal superstar, is one of European football's hottest commodities and has been the attacking nucleus of Mikel Arteta's Emirates reign, with the 23-year-old's stylistic approach working wonders.
But as you can see above, the last time Sancho tried his hand in the Premier League with any meaningful consistency highlighted an underlying tenacity through ball-carrying and -passing metrics, also demonstrating his athleticism through a notable number of recoveries.
Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus once pronounced Sancho to be the "perfect player", such is his level, such is his talent. He's demonstrated on the biggest stage that he has the quality to succeed at the height of the game, and given his Saka-like properties, Chelsea might just find success in bringing him to Stamford Bridge.
It's a risk, sure, but the potential plunder could stretch to high-stacked piles, and with Sterling headed the other way, five years Sancho's senior, this could be a brilliant move for a Chelsea team starting to rise.
The next Madueke: Chelsea could forget Sancho by signing £35m sensation
He would thrive alongside the Englishman at Stamford Bridge.
ByEthan LambAug 29, 2024
