Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues eyeing Conor Gallagher exit, Bayern Munich not in talks for Ian Maatsen, and more - March 26, 2024
Chelsea will lock horns with Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, March 30, in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino's team are 11th in the league after 28 games and their European ambitions are hanging by a thread.
Meanwhile, the Blues are ready to consider Conor Gallagher's exit this summer. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich are not planning a move for Ian Maatsen this year.
On that note, let's take a look at the major Chelsea transfer news from March 26, 2024.
Chelsea eyeing Conor Gallagher exit
Chelsea are preparing to cash in on Conor Gallagher this summer, according to The Daily Mail. The English midfielder is a first-team regular under Mauricio Pochettino this season, registering 38 appearances across all competitions, including 34 starts. However, his contract with the club expires in 2025 and he hasn't extended his stay yet.
There's interest in the player's services, most notably from Tottenham Hotspur, who reportedly attempted to sign him in January. Despite the player's importance to the current team, the Blues are ready to consider his departure, as any transfer fee can be shown as pure profit in FFP terms.
Bayern Munich not in talks for Ian Maatsen, says Romano
Bayern Munich are not planning a move for Ian Maatsen, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano. The Dutch left-back joined Borussia Dortmund on loan in January and has done quite well so far. However, Chelsea are likely to let him go at the end of the season.
Recent reports have suggested that the Bavarians want Maatsen as a replacement for Alphonso Davies, who is apparently being eyed by Real Madrid. However, Romano has refuted those claims.
In his column for Caught Offside, the transfer guru also stated that any club can trigger the 22-year-old's £35m release clause.
"I’m aware there have been rumours about Bayern Munich eyeing Ian Maatsen as a possible replacement for Alphonso Davies at left-back. As things stand, I’m not aware of contacts for Maatsen at this stage. Bayern are looking at full-backs for sure, but there are many names every day linked with Bayern… nothing is concrete in terms of contacts for Maatsen," wrote Romano.
He continued:
"Of course, they are monitoring the market as they prepare for the possibility of life without Davies. For sure there’s a chance for many clubs if they want to sign Maatsen as he’s on a straight loan to Dortmund and his deal includes a £35m release clause, rather than a purchase clause specific to Dortmund. Anyone can trigger that clause, so let’s see what happens, but there’s nothing concrete happening now.”
Maatsen has appeared 12 times for Dortmund so far, registering one goal and two assists.
Fabrizio Romano backs Blues to move for Victor Osimhen this summer
Chelsea will attempt to sign Victor Osimhen this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Blues are in the market for a new No. 9 this year and have set their sights on the Nigerian. Osimhen signed a new contract with Napoli at the end of last year, and has a massive release clause in his deal.
Speaking on The Debrief podcast, Romano insisted that the London giants will seek a value for money deal for the 25-year-old.
“I think Chelsea will be there. The interest is still there. It is really important to understand what is happening; first of all with the FFP situation because Chelsea do not want to overpay, so it is important to know how much the package is going to be for Victor Osimhen," said Romano.
He continued:
"We already know about the release clause between €120m-€130m with Napoli so Chelsea and other clubs are waiting to see if Napoli can be flexible but usually with their president, De Laurentiis, it is usually very tough to go there and negotiate, especially for a fantastic player like Victor Osimhen."
He concluded:
“It will then be important to see how much Osimhen wants in terms of salary and his contract. So there are some crucial financial points to sort out before Chelsea can say ‘ok’ and go for Osimhen.”
Osimhen has appeared 24 times across all competitions this season, registering 13 goals and four assists.