Chelsea walk away from £50m Prem star talks as insider confirms Blues have other ideas

Ciaran McCarthy
Aston Villa target Johnson
Nottm Forest pair Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Chelsea have walked away from the table for the signing of Brennan Johnson, and they are ‘looking at different options’.

The Blues have had yet another eventful transfer window. Since Todd Boehly took over the club, Chelsea have spent north of £800million over three transfer windows.

More than £300million of that has been spent this summer, with Moises Caicedo the most expensive signing. If the Blues get their way, the spending might not yet be done.

They had identified Nottingham Forest forward Johnson as a potential quality addition. That was after Michael Olise snubbed them in favour of penning a new Crystal Palace deal.

Chelsea had reportedly triggered Olise’s release clause, but the Eagles were unhappy with how they approached him, and in the end he decided to stay put, with that complaint playing a part.

Johnson was directly involved in just two fewer Premier League goals than the Palace man last season, and the latest reports on his potential move to Chelsea stated the Blues were attempting to bring him in on a loan-plus-cash deal.

Despite the fact the Blues have spoken to Forest about a deal for Johnson, transfer insider Romano has revealed they have walked away.

He states that while Chelsea ‘appreciate’ the forward, they have not submitted a bid, and are ‘not negotiating as of today’.

However, they do have a route to a potential transfer. Indeed, Romano adds that the London club are ‘looking at different options in that position as things stand’.

It’s not mentioned who the other options are, or if they’ll move for them in the summer window.

However, that they were going to sign Olise this summer suggests they were keen on adding a new forward into the mix, and still having an active interest in some points to the fact they’d probably like to get a deal over the line before the window closes.

Had Christopher Nkunku – who can play in any attacking position – been fit now, that may be different. However, the star signing got injured before the first game of the season, so that Chelsea are still courting forward talent makes sense.

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