Over the course of a year, Chelsea are linked to a ridiculous number of players. Some are more realistic than others, and some rumours really grow legs.
In the end, any deal that does end up happening is usually preceded by a steady buildup in the volume and intensity of the chatter around that player, until you get the big dogs like Fabrizio Romano getting direct briefs from the club or player.
The rumours about Lois Openda have never really got going. His name gets mentioned a fair bit, but never much beyond the level of “Chelsea are interested.”
But with so many of our attacking targets – from Victor Osimhen to Jhon Duran to Michael Olise – now seemingly out of reach, Openda seems to be coming back into frame.
Simon Phillips’ piece from yesterday claims that Chelsea “continue to eye” the forward, who has “really impressed our scouts.”
What it would take to make rumour reality
Given he’s at RB Leipzig, a club which is always open to a sale at the right price, we can never rule out a late push for the attacker. His ability to play up front or out wide is a huge bonus given those are two positions we want to improve in.
Phillips says a deal to buy the Belgian looks “impossible” this summer due to his long contract. We don’t know exactly what Leipzig would ask, but his TransferMarkt value of €60m is not going to cover it.
So once again, it looks like he will remain in the background just as an option until his price comes down or we sell an attacking player to make room for him. If he has a brilliant season and we are able to find a buyer for an attacker in the next 12 months, we can see a major bid going in for him next summer.
After selling Lukaku, I got Openda in my FC24 team and he is awesome. I know I’m in a FIFA fantasy world but I gotta say, he’s got pace, he can finish, he’s got aerial ability, he would be amazing at Chelsea, it’s now just all about price.