Chelsea’s chase for a winger has gone through various stages, most notable the very serious attempt to sign Michael Olise.
In the end that didn’t work out – he chose Bayern Munich, pretty publicly leaving Chelsea scrambling for a second choice. So far, nothing appears to have got close. There’s simply nobody on the market as good as the former Crystal Palace winger for a similar price.
What made him special was that he was already top quality and Premier League proven. Looking elsewhere, we’re probably going to have to gamble on some more raw talent from the continent.
Chelsea regroup after Olise failure
One of the most raw – and most talented – players out there is Desire Doue. The Rennes winger had a truly impressive breakout year in Ligue 1, and top clubs are starting to circle.
He would cost €50m, similar to what Olise cost, albeit with likely a far more modest salary demand.
One major issue, as pointed out by Caughtoffside, who are exclusively reporting on our interest, is Tottenham. They’re keen, can offer just as much money as us, as well as Champions League football.
Frustratingly, given they’ve already poached Olise and have some of the best wingers in the world on their books, Bayern are apparently keen on Doue too. Caughtoffside say they’ve already had a €35m bid rejected.
Whatever happens, he looks very likely to leave Rennes this summer. Still just 19, he would fit perfectly into Chelsea’s current model of trying to accumulate all the world’s best young players. In his career so far he’s picked up 7 goals and 6 assists in Ligue 1 in the equivalent of full 30 games. That’s a superb record for a player so young, and we’d love to see Chelsea push this interest all the way.
