Chelsea eye Adeyemi in £56.2m move as Nwaneri deal ruled out
Chelsea’s summer shake-up shows no signs of slowing. As the Blues gear up for a scorching FIFA Club World Cup final clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, the focus remains split between on-pitch glory and the relentless transfer market.
While Enzo Maresca and his squad prepare for a showdown in the American heat, club officials are working just as hard behind the scenes. The agenda? Finalising exits. And lining up big-money replacements.
Top of the list? Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi. The 22-year-old has now emerged as Chelsea’s priority option to fill the void left by Noni Madueke, who is edging closer to a £52million exit. Adeyemi, versatile and explosive, has impressed across all attacking roles for Dortmund—and the Blues believe he’s got the flair to fit straight into their system.
Reports from Germany’s Bild suggest Chelsea are seriously weighing up a deal. But it won’t come cheap. The asking price? At least £56.2million. With a contract at Dortmund running until 2027, the Bundesliga side are in no rush to sell.
Newcastle are also said to be circling, while clubs in Italy are keeping tabs. But Chelsea remain confident they can beat the competition, especially with fresh funds from Madueke’s imminent departure.
Elsewhere, talk of a swoop for Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri has now cooled. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, that door is firmly shut—for now.
“But sources in the industry suggest the relationship between Arsenal and Chelsea is excellent, and this is why at some point the two clubs also discussed another possibility during Madueke talks.
“The Blues understood around 10 days ago that the agreement for Ethan Nwaneri’s new deal at the Emirates Stadium was not done yet, due to the player’s camp requesting more guarantees over game time, leading to some explanations being wanted by agents and family ahead of summer signings for Arteta.
In that moment, sources revealed that Chelsea asked to be informed on Nwaneri’s situation and also suggested a potential discussion in a separate story from Madueke.
The gap in valuation between the two players was immediately a stumbling block, as Arsenal didn’t want to entertain talks at Chelsea’s valuation. Still, the Blues suggested they were ready to enter club-to-club conversations for Nwaneri at any moment this summer, in case negotiations with Arsenal were going to collapse.
“Sources reveal that Arsenal informed Chelsea, who have been led to the Club World Cup final by head coach Enzo Maresca, right after about their intention not to proceed with any negotiations.
Proceeding quickly with Madueke was a separate story and they would not be advancing on numbers and details on a deal for Nwaneri as they absolutely want to get a new contract agreed as soon as possible.”
So for now, Chelsea’s pursuit of Nwaneri is off the table. Arsenal are determined to tie him down, and Chelsea have stepped back. Though, knowing how quickly things change in football, that door may not stay closed for long.
As for Maresca’s men, all eyes turn to the final. A test of tactics, stamina, and summer squad depth. One foot in the transfer market, the other on the world stage. Classic Chelsea.
