Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has been quick to play down questions that his side are creeping into rogue Premier League title contention, but the signs of progress are clear.
Admittedly, the draw at Stamford Bridge against Nottingham Forest, right before the October international break, underscored the bridging that must still occur to put the Blues in a position closer to that of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, but this Chelsea squad is far above that of recent years.
The frontline is as good as any across Europe, but reports suggest that the Blues could be set to target one more forward in 2025, completing Maresca’s squad.
Chelsea targeting another forward
As per Spanish sources, Chelsea are interested in signing Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund, with the dynamic forward valued at around €50m (£42m) by his side.
Liverpool have also been listed as admirers, but the report from last week states that the west Londoners have a serious interest in the 22-year-old and could make their move shortly.
Why Karim Adeyemi would be perfect for Chelsea
Adeyemi has gone from strength to strength this season after a testing 2023/24 campaign, posting five goals and five assists apiece across just eight matches – seven starts.
Left winger
4
2
1
Centre-forward
2
0
1
Right winger
2
3
3
A versatile forward, he’d be able to influence different areas of the pitch for Maresca’s outfit, but might find that his prolificness on the right sees him replace Noni Madueke as Chelsea’s star flanker, should he sign, of course.
Madueke has been excellent since the summer, notably scoring a hat-trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. Like Adeyemi, he has five goals from eight appearances this term, however he’s also yet to claim his first assist and has come across selfish in instances, reflected by his paltry playmaking metrics.
Adeyemi is a fleet-footed menace with a myriad of attacking tools to inflict damage on his opponents. His multi-functionality across the frontline aligns with that of Chelsea’s current mix, and should see him dovetail right in.
As per FBref, he actually ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90 (0.52), with the bulk of this new-found potency coming since the departure of Edin Terzic, for the German only scored five goals across all competitions last season, assisting just twice.
The year before, Terziv did funnily acknowledge Adeyemi as the “road runner” of his team after his pace and electricity saw Chelsea off in the Champions League.
Madueke might be earning plaudits for his performances this season, but Adeyemi is playing out of his skin right now; should he continue on his current trajectory, he might just prove to outstrip this English positional peer and prove to Maresca that he deserves a place in this ever-improving Chelsea team.
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