Chelsea’s Deadline Day Bid for Man City’s Nico O’Reilly Rejected

Chelsea’s Last-Minute Midfield Hunt Ends in Rejection

Chelsea made a late attempt to strengthen their midfield before the winter transfer window closed, targeting Manchester City’s young talent Nico O’Reilly. However, their bid was swiftly rejected by City, who were unwilling to part ways with the 19-year-old without a buy-back clause in place.

Why Chelsea Wanted O’Reilly

With Romeo Lavia sidelined due to injury, Chelsea were on the lookout for midfield reinforcements. Despite having Andrey Santos and Lesley Ugochukwu out on loan at Strasbourg and Southampton, respectively, the Blues preferred bringing in a new player rather than recalling one of their existing loanees.

O’Reilly, a rising star in City’s ranks, was identified as a potential addition. However, City’s insistence on a buy-back clause led Chelsea to pull out of negotiations.

Chelsea’s Alternative Move for Mathis Amougou

Instead of O’Reilly, Chelsea are now set to finalize the signing of 19-year-old Mathis Amougou from Saint-Etienne for a reported fee of £12.5m. There are conflicting reports regarding whether the French midfielder will join Chelsea directly or be loaned to Strasbourg.

City’s Midfield Reinforcement: Nico Gonzalez

While turning down Chelsea’s approach for O’Reilly, Manchester City bolstered their own midfield by signing Nico Gonzalez from Porto in a £50m deal, aiming to fill the gap left by Rodri’s early-season injury.

Chelsea’s Deadline Day Departures

Chelsea were more focused on offloading players rather than making big signings on deadline day. The club arranged loan moves for Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, and Joao Felix. Manager Enzo Maresca expressed satisfaction with the club’s transfer business, stating:

“Everything that happened was planned from me, from the club – all together. Probably we can find some different solutions. The ones that are here are the ones that are going to be with us until the end. The ones that left, we all agreed they could go.”

What Do You Think?

Was Chelsea right to walk away from the O’Reilly deal? Will Mathis Amougou be a good addition to their squad? Share your thoughts in the comments!