Chelsea have officially withdrawn from the race to sign Antoine Semenyo after it became increasingly clear that the Bournemouth striker was closing in on a move to Manchester City.
Once Semenyo’s preference for City was established and negotiations accelerated in that direction, Chelsea chose not to pursue a deal that no longer aligned with its internal priorities, sources close to the agent industry have informed. Caught Offside.
Rather than seeing the move as a setback, the Chelsea hierarchy are projecting confidence in their current attacking depth and long-term planning.
The club believe they have good stock in wide and attacking positions and want to prioritize development rather than reactive spending.
Chelsea are confident in their current attacking options
There is strong internal pressure to double down on the progress of summer signings Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens, both seen as key pillars of Chelsea’s attacking future.
Additionally, Chelsea have been encouraged by the return to form of Estevão Willian, whose injury absence disrupted earlier plans.
While Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer are already providing high-level outings, particularly on the right flank, the recruitment team no longer sees the urgency of replacing Semenyo profile by profile in the short term.
Although Chelsea have not publicly identified a direct ‘Plan B’ for Semenyo, that does not mean the club has remained silent in the market.
Several elite young forwards remain firmly on their radar as part of a broader, patient recruiting strategy.
The Blues have identified their main targets
One such name is Jeremy Monga, the highly-rated Leicester City teenager. Chelsea are reportedly locked in a three-way scouting battle with Manchester City and Real Madrid for the youngster.
Chelsea are also keeping a close eye on Juventus’ Kenan Yıldız, with club sources suggesting they are ready to move quickly if a market opportunity arises.
Meanwhile, Yan Diomandé remains a long-time target. Chelsea scouts had been tracking Diomandé even before his move to Leipzig, but the German club’s valuation, estimated at more than €100 million, reinforced Chelsea’s decision to avoid excessive spending in the near future.
The plan is to target a true elite right-handed forward who can fill out the front line rather than adding another expensive forward in January.
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