Chelsea set the Premier League ablaze on Sunday with a statement-making 6-2 win over Wolves, outperforming their xG for a change as Enzo Maresca’s masterplan is seemingly coming together after a preseason full of forceful criticism of his tactics.
Noni Madueke made the strongest statement of them all, responding to transfer rumors with a hat trick and an assist, while 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season candidate Cole Palmer continued his brilliance with a goal and a hat-trick of assists.
Nicolas Jackson scored a brace to hint at a bigger sophomore season at Stamford Bridge, while new acquisitions Pedro Neto and Joao Felix even got into the act, combining for a sweet goal in the final minutes.
Despite the new attacking acquisitions, including phenom Estevao Willian next summer, Chelsea are still being linked to more superstar forwards in the final week of the summer 2024 window.
Sky Sports’s Dharmesh Sheth reports that Chelsea are joining Juventus with interest in Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, who shined on loan back at Borussia Dortmund last season, leading BVB back to the Champions League Final.
Sancho couldn’t stay with Dortmund, and Erik ten Hag and Sancho don’t have a tenable working relationship. Therefore, the world-class winger is ripe for the taking, and, so far, only Juve have been strongly interested in the 24-year-old superstar.
Sheth says that Chelsea could even offer a swap deal to Manchester United in order to acquire Sancho. Despite Juve’s strong interest, they only want a loan, and a impasse has occurred in negotiations with Man United because the Red Devils want a permanent transfer.
Chelsea have a few forwards they want to part ways with in order to clear space, and, interestingly enough, they have a talented winger on the outskirts of the squad in Mykhaylo Mudryk, who was poor in the win over Wolves despite his teammates combining for six.
Mudryk was subbed at the half and received more strong criticism from Maresca, though Man United may not be interested with a high-priced, struggling winger of their own in Antony.
Madueke is probably off the table now after a big game against Wolves, while Armando Broja is unlikely to meet the quality standard that Manchester United are looking for.
Man United are still after defenders, and in Benoit Badiashile, Ben Chilwell, and potentially others, there are candidates for Chelsea to send to Man United in a swap for Sancho, who is legitimately one of the best wingers in world football today.
