With an eye now firmly turned towards youth when it comes to recruitment with Frank Lampard in charge, Chelsea’s approach on the transfer market has changed somewhat.
Exceptions will always be made, especially when players like Thiago Silva are available on a free transfer, but the Blues, for the most part, kept their summer purchases under the age of 25.
Malang Sarr, Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz all fit that criteria, and while Ziyech and Edouard Mendy do not, they still have many years left in them and came to fill in roles where an immediate impact was needed.
Perhaps that’s why, when approached by Pini Zahavi regarding the potential purchase of Morgan Sanson, Chelsea turned down the chance of a €15-20m transfer for the French midfielder, since they were already well equipped in that section of the field.
That’s what L’Equipe are reporting, explaining the Marseille man ‘got closer’ to the Israeli agent to get a move to England, where he ‘dreams’ of playing, but the ‘doors to the big clubs never opened’, despite attempts to coerce Tottenham and the Stamford Bridge side into a deal.
One man Chelsea did want in André Villas-Boas’ side was Boubacar Kamara, for whom the newspaper, in a page wide article about the futures of Sanson, Duje Caleta-Car and the 21-year-old versatile midfielder, explain they came forward.
However, they were met with a firm no from Marseille, who ‘clearly shut the door’ on an exit.
That’s despite ‘certain clubs coming to ask for information, notably Paris Saint-Germain or English clubs, like Chelsea and Arsenal, but there was never an opening’.
Furthermore, the chance to play in the Champions League with his home club was too good to pass up, ‘knowing that suitors would come back’ in the future, as already they have done throughout his career.
Next summer could be the ideal time for him to go, as he’ll be one year away from his contract ending, at which point a decent fee could do the trick.
His current value? Around €35m.
