Chelsea make £40m transfer last chance decision as possible Marc Cucurella replacement found
It is not really a good sign for the summer's business if, more than one week after the transfer window has closed, a club is still attempting to get deals across the line. That is the situation that Chelsea are in with some player exits.
Ben Chilwell, Cesare Casadei, Deivid Washington, and a host of other academy players remain in limbo. It's more purgatory at this stage with the very imminent, and very likely, prospect that there will be no senior football for at least four months to follow.
That isn't Enzo Maresca's worry right now, though. He will attempting to make best use of the remaining days before domestic football is back in full flow, because once it returns he will be bombarded with tricky ownership questions.
Before the international break he took a firm stance with the media, hitting back at what he deemed to be mistruths. That may not be as easy to do this time.
Here, football.london has a look at the latest stories around the club.
Chukwuemeka last chance
Chelsea will give Carney Chukwuemeka another chance to prove himself worthy of a first-team spot after failing to find a new club for the 20-year-old this summer. Despite being open to a sale in the final weeks of the window, Chukwuemeka remained at Stamford Bridge.
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Now, as he attempts to get himself into the thinking of Maresca having been on the outside of things in pre-season, and yet to get any Premier League action, he has a final go available to him. According to Ben Jacobs, as a player with low wages and a high ceiling, the club want to offer him an opportunity.
Unless he can change their mind and get ahead of his expensively assembled frontline competition, a loan will be considered next year. Chelsea were initially against letting him go temporarily, and reports have suggested that a £40million release clause is still active in his contract.
football.london says: Chelsea have stumbled into a piece of luck. Letting Chukwuemeka go really shouldn't be an option. A well-placed loan could have been ideal in a bid to get him some game time, but selling is a big no-no.
Buying Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made his chances of getting serious minutes doubtful and Maresca's recent ploy to use both Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku in deeper midfield roles doesn't bode well, but Chukwuemeka is good enough to play a big role for Chelsea this season. He has everything to be a brilliant player both now and for years to come.
Dorgu plan
Chelsea attempted to sign Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu over the summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the 19-year-old defender, who is now wanted by Tottenham and Manchester United, was scouted by the Blues before a play to get him to RC Strasbourg was in the works.
Dorgu has been valued at £30million though, which would have shattered Strasbourg's budget. Chelsea eventually signed Caleb Wiley for just £8million, sending him to France on loan instead.
It is now said that Dorgu, born in Nigeria but currently playing for Denmark, is a player to watch after impressing in Serie A last season.
football.london says: Chelsea, signing teenagers for big money? Surely not. Well, after selling Lewis Hall and Ian Maatsen for almost £70million combined, they probably are interested in more left-backs.
Marc Cucurella is in place as the natural first-choice but there is less certainty over his long-term place. For £62million there is still plenty to be done by the Spaniard to repay his transfer value. Entering his third season at the club he is still yet to put together more than six months of stable performances.
As for Renato Veiga, he fits the demanded inverted-winger assignment but is not yet clearly ready to contribute at this level. Is Dorgu the answer? Right now, probably not.
If Chelsea (or, more accurately, BlueCo), were thinking of doing this through Strasbourg then it indicates they do not see Dorgu as a first-team option yet. For £30million it would be a lot to spend on a player this unproven, but it's also Chelsea we are talking about.