In what came as a shock turn in the summer transfer market, Chelsea appear to be moving to secure a deal for out-of-favour Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun.
While the USMNT international has proven his goalscoring track record during his Ligue 1 loan spell with Reims last season, he’s failed to make a breakthrough under Mikel Arteta during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
That being said, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino hinted at a possible deal for a striker with less than two weeks remaining until deadline day.
We are working, of course,” Pochettino admitted at his pre-match press conference. “We are looking at all of the options that we can manage on the market. We can see the potential. But I think at the same time, we are keeping one or two eyes on Armando Broja.
“I think it’s a big disappointment with the situation of Christoph, because he should be a really important player for us and to help Nico Jackson score goals.
“That is football and we need to accept that situation. Sometimes we cannot go for some player that maybe we already have. We need to be patient and adapt our squad and get positive results while waiting for Armando to be fully fit.”
Elsewhere, Blues striker Romelu Lukaku is still yet to find himself a new home after effectively being exiled from Mauricio Pochettino’s squad. After spending last season out on loan at Inter Milan, he declined to go back out there, essentially destroying any hope Chelsea had of shipping him out of the club in the summer.
Despite that, Simone Inzaghi has opened up on his disappointment over Lukaku’s decision, claiming that he thought he’d come back for another year after his warm reception.
“I thank Lukaku for what he gave us last season. I wanted him here and would have liked that to continue, but he made a different decision,” Inzaghi told reporters as quoted by Metro.
“It’s disappointing how it ended because he had been given a warm welcome by the Inter family. The transfer window is complicated for almost everyone. We have lost some of the best players in their roles in Italy, but brought in those with bright prospects who can help us out.
