Chelsea has lost up hope of acquiring Atletico Madrid prodigy Samu Omorodion and will instead focus on other prospects.
Omorodion had been listed as Chelsea’s key offensive target for the summer transfer window, with the Stamford Bridge club keen to bolster up front to kick off the Enzo Maresca era.
Nicolas Jackson had a mediocre debut season last season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions, and while Chelsea is willing to be patient with the Senegalese’s growth, club officials want to bring in competition before the transfer deadline.
Benjamin Sesko was said to have piqued the interest of the Blues, but the west London team was forced to go elsewhere after the Slovenian international signed a contract extension with RB Leipzig.
Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres, Jhon Duran, and others have all been connected to the player, and last week, claims surfaced that Chelsea had made a £42 million attempt to wrest Omorodion from Atletico Madrid.
However, this offer was rejected out of hand by the La Liga club and Chelsea have ‘had enough of hitting a wall’, according to Marca, forcing them to drop their pursuit of the 21-year-old centre-forward.
It’s claimed Chelsea viewed Omorodion as a possible reference point for the attack for the future and were attracted by the striker’s physical presence which they felt stood him in good stead for the rigours of Premier League football.
However, Atleti’s stance has consistently been the same: Omorodion is not for sale. The striker is seen as a valuable asset by the Spanish powerhouses, who think he may become a key member of the team under Diego Simeone.
The only way Atleti would let the Spain Under-21 international to depart would be if his tantalizing €80 million (£67.5 million) release clause was fulfilled in full.
According to the source, Chelsea will focus their efforts on signing Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund and Jonathan David of Lille before the 2024–2025 season.
Speaking last October, while Omorodion was on loan at Alaves, Simeone said he was confident the Spaniard would develop into an ‘important player’ for Atletico Madrid.
‘You can see him evolving in the games we’ve followed involving Alaves,’ the Atleti manager told reporters.
‘He’s a young guy, strong, with a lot of speed in long spaces and very good play in the box with his body.
‘Let’s hope he does well at Alaves, because he has a future with Atletico. He spent only a few days with us but he looks humble and hardworking. He will be an important player.’