‘Doesn’t make any sense’. This is a statement that has been used countless times in conjunction with Chelsea’s transfer market activity during the Clearlake era.
The signing of Pedro Neto in a £54 million deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers stirred up questions over both his fitness record – an average of just 15 Premier League starts per season – and over the handful of wide options already available at Stamford Bridge.
There was considerable confusion over in Belgium, too, when it emerged that Chelsea were stumping up £17 million to bring in Mike Penders from Genk.
A ‘shocking’ bit of business – to quote former Rote Duivel midfielder Franky van der Elst – given that the London giants had already brought in Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal.
Spanish football expert Terry Gibson was left with a similar feeling of bemusement when it emerged that Chelsea were prepared to pay £38 million to bring Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid as part of a deal that would have seen Conor Gallagher move in the other direction.
Chelsea nearly signed Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid
“How do you have the leading scorer in Spain going for £30 million and Omorodion going for £38 million?,” Gibson tells El Tel and Jon’s La Liga Weekly podcast. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Artem Dovbyk swapped Girona for Roma earlier this month after plundering a division-high 24 goals. Samu, meanwhile, notched just eight on loan at Deportivo Alaves.
And while there is some context required – Samu is seven years younger than Dovbyk and playing for a team battling in mid-table rather than one fighting for the Champions League – Gibson feels that the 6ft 4ins, Spain Under 23 international showed very little to suggest he was worthy of such a fee.
“This is the issue. Chelsea were going to spend £38 million, the same as Connor Gallagher. Gallagher has 18 caps. Omorodion cost six million euros thus time last year, (and scored) eight goals for Alvares,” ex-Manchester United and Tottenham forward Gibson adds.
“Promising. (He has) potential. But there’s no way his value went from six million euros to £38 million on what he did at Alaves last season. No way.”
Conor Gallagher still likely to join Atletico Madrid
While HITC understands that there was some interest from West Ham, Wolves and Brighton, those Chelsea discussions came like a bolt from the blue. Discussions that collapsed a few days ago despite Samu arriving in West London and undergoing his medical.
“Talking about getting a big money move to the Premier League… The question was whether he would go back to Alaves or would Atleti keep him!” Gibson adds, feeling that Samu is likely to be farmed out to another mid-ranking La Liga club in the final fortnight of the window.
“That was it. No more expectation. He could have gone to Chelsea for the best part of £40 million and is probably going to Getafe (now)!”
HITC understands that Gallagher is still likely to end up as an Atletico Madrid player, despite the breakdown of those Samu talks.
Atletico, meanwhile, are likely to push the former Granada youngster even further down Diego Simeone’s pecking order after signing Julian Alvarez from Manchester City.
Former Crystal Palace misfit Alexander Sorloth – who narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot to Dovbyk – also arrives from Villarreal.
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