Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues want Jarrod Bowen; club eyeing Estevao Willian, and more - April 27, 2024
Chelsea travel to Villa Park on Saturday, April 27, to face Aston Villa in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino's team arrive at the game in ninth place in the league table after 32 games.
Meanwhile, the Blues are interested in West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen. Elsewhere, the London giants are planning to move for Palmeiras sensation Estevao Willian this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on April 27, 2024:
Chelsea want Jarrod Bowen
Chelsea are keeping a close eye on Jarrod Bowen, according to club insider Simon Phillips.
The English winger has been in superb form for West Ham United and could take the next step in his career this summer. Bowen has appeared 41 times across competitions for the Hammers, registering 19 goals and nine assists. His efforts have turned heads at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have struggled in the final third this season, with all forwards apart from Cole Palmer failing to impress. Chelsea are expected to seek improvements at the end of thr campaign and have their eyes on Bowen.
However, the 27-year-old only signed a new contract with the Hammers last year, which runs until 2030. As such, prising him away from the London Stadium will be next to impossible.
Blues eyeing Estevao Willian
Chelsea are hoping to bring Estevao Willian to Stamford Bridge this summer, according to journalist Thiago Fernandes.
Arsenal are also hot on the heels of the Brazilian and could complicate matters for their cross-town rivals. The 17-year-old has caught the eye with Palmeiras this season, registering five goals and three assists from 15 games across competitions.
Willian likes to operate in the wings but can also operate in the attacking midfield position. His versatility makes him a good fit for both London clubs, who have invested in talented youngsters.
However, the Brazilian is under contract with the South American club until 2026, so prising him away could be a costly affair.
Football pundit advises Chelsea against sacking Mauricio Pochettino
Football pundit Riath Al-Samarrai reckons Chelsea should stick with Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentinean manager took charge last summer but has endured a difficult debut campaign. His team are a long way away from the top-six of the Premier League and have been inconsistent this season. The situation has sparked talk of a managerial change, with multiple candidates being linked as Pochettino's replacement.
On the Back Pages podcast, Al-Samarrai acknowledged that the team's poor performances but insisted that it would be madness to get rid of the Argentinean.
“I think frankly, it would be insane for them to get rid of him. That’s not to say that in any way it’s been a good or even an encouraging season, it’s been absolutely dire.
"I mean, the past few weeks as Charlie was saying, they had an eight-game unbeaten run in the league, but even within that I’ve struggled to sometimes see an identity in the way that they’re playing," said Al-Samarrai.
He continued:
“I would dispute what Pochettino was saying the other day about sort of ‘Cole Palmer FC’. I think you only had to look at the Arsenal game to see just how reliant they have been on one extremely talented player, and you’d maybe throw in a couple of exceptions to the rest of the squad. But I think it would be absolute madness to change.”
The Blues invested heavily in multiple youngsters last summer and could opt for a few experienced heads this year.