“Olise on the right” – Personal terms agreed: Chelsea close in to sign £45m Olise partner
Over the previous few years, Chelsea has been deceptive, but with Enzo Maresca in the dugout, there is increasing optimism that Stamford Bridge can see a comeback.
To be fair, Mauricio Pochettino pulled off an incredible comeback to save Europa Conference League football, but the Argentine’s exit was mutually agreed upon at the end of the contract, with Maresca’s deliberate, ball-centric style of play thought to be the perfect fit for the endeavor.
Gaining an advantage over competitors will require successful summertime reinforcement. Tosin Adarabioyo has already been welcomed into the defense, but Chelsea is focused on bolstering up forward, with a deal reportedly close to completion.
Chelsea agree exciting deal
According to Football Insider, Chelsea are now in advanced discussions with Aston Villa for the transfer of forward Jhon Duran, with the move possibly completed in the next week after having reached an ‘agreement in principle’ regarding personal terms.
Fabrizio Romano has since corroborated the claim, and while the 20-year-old is desperate to complete the switch, the Blues are yet to make their final decision.
Duran has enjoyed an impressive breakout campaign at Villa Park, and though a £40m deal has been agreed, it is stressed there are still several obstacles to overcome.
Why Maresca wants Jhon Duran
The tumult and upheaval that have buffeted Stamford Bridge in recent years were never going to be conducive to a successful period on the pitch, but this forgettable epoch is now expected to have been placed in the past, with Maresca crafting a young and aspiring team capable of rising to a position of power among the heaviest hitters in the Premier League.
Duran is not the finished article by any stretch but he proved himself to be a formidable force at a young and unrefined stage of his career, scoring eight goals in all competitions last season, including five in the Premier League despite starting only three matches.
Given that Duran only averaged 22 minutes of match action per top-flight fixture, not even taking a shot per game (0.9), it’s evident that he’s got the mark of a natural-born goalscorer, though, in truth, his skill set offers so much more.
As per FBref, the Colombia international ranks among the top 14% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for aerial duels won and tackles, the top 7% for blocks and the top 1% for clearances per 90. He is not, indeed, merely a goalscorer.
Duran has actually been described as a “nightmare for defenders” by his Villa captain John McGinn and he would bring a cauldron of chaos to west London’s finest frontline.
But that frontline is going to be chopped and changed over the next few months. Duran is at the top of the shopping list at centre-forward, but he’s certainly not the only Premier League star coveted by Todd Boehly and Co.
How Chelsea’s attack could look in 24/25
Chelsea are pushing to land a new striker but so too are they eyeing up one of English football’s most destructive wide forwards. As per Romano, Chelsea are pushing to sign Michael Olise from Crystal Palace.
The 22-year-old, born in England but aspiring for the French national team, endured an injury-hit season but still managed to score ten goals and supply a further six assists from just 19 Premier League matches – including only 14 starts.
He won 5.7 duels and averaged 2.1 dribbles per game to boot and clearly possesses one of the most combative, creative and, in summary, complete styles of any talent forward in Europe, and Chelsea would only rise to another level with him in the team.
Let’s just, for one moment, imagine Olise on the right. Shuttling forward with panache and purpose and whipping in those balls that leave commentators with a kind of giddied wonder. Or, alternatively, he could cut inside, stepping across like a cheetah changing pace, before finding space and rifling a shot into the corner.
Ah, but how could we forget Cole Palmer? Chelsea’s star man enjoyed quite the campaign after freeing himself from the shackles of bloated sparkle at Manchester City and cementing himself as London’s finest during an almighty emergence season, scoring 25 goals and adding 15 assists from 45 matches for Chelsea.
The England international has all the tools in his locker. Olise and Palmer would form a deadly and dynamic partnership that could be perfect for Duran’s chances of success, the young striker using his pace and power to skim through the lines and latch onto the creative wizardry of his peers.
It is, no doubt, a tentatively exciting time to be a Chelsea fan. The seeds of success have been placed within firm soil, and while there is much to do to ensure Maresca’s arrival is not a false dawn, with such players dotted across the frontline it is hard to imagine that the Blues will not rise above the malaise of recent times.
And all that’s without even considering Nicolas Jackson, who has faced his detractors since signing for Chelsea from Villarreal for a fee in excess of £30m last season but scored 17 goals in total and has the all-round game to forge a prosperous career under Maresca.
But Duran would offer assistance, both as a foil and a rival to push and promote growth for both. Chelsea need to get it right this summer to ensure that the canyon dividing them from the top three is narrowed. Duran has demonstrated his talent at Villa Park and now he could take the next step in his promising career by moving to the capital.