Chelsea are looking for an alternative left-winger to Jadon Sancho, after the on-loan Englishman has struggled for form in recent months at Stamford Bridge.
Set to join Chelsea from Manchester United on a permanent £25m deal in the summer, Sancho has managed just two goals and six assists in 26 appearances in all competitions this season, with his inconsistent performances failing to cement his spot in Enzo Maresca’s starting XI.
“Step by step. I know I can do better, especially in front of goal. It’s annoying not to score, but I know it’ll come,” Sancho told Chelsea’s official website.
Chelsea keen to provide more competition to Jadon Sancho
With Chelsea seeking Champions League football for next term, Sancho will certainly have to pick up his performances if he is to establish himself in the side.
That’s because Chelsea, not adverse to making new signings, have already started looking ahead to the summer transfer window, with one left-winger from a second division side having caught the club’s eye.
According to Spanish outlet AS, Chelsea are set to return in the summer – along with Italian sides Napoli and Como – in an attempt to sign Yeremay Hernandez from Deportivo La Coruna, after having their pursuit ended in the window just gone.
Chelsea were close to matching his £17m release clause in the winter window, but Deportivo showed strength in the transfer market and kept hold of their star talent, agreeing a new contract that now sees Hernandez’s release clause rise to £30m.
The report suggests that, with Deportivo unlikely to achieve their goal of returning to La Liga, due to their position of 11th in Spain’s Segunda Division and failure to keep pace with the promotion-chasing pack, the club are now resigned to losing Hernandez in the summer.
With nine goals and four assists in 27 games for Deportivo, the 22-year-old has impressed the Chelsea hierarchy with his close control and eye for a pass, much like Sancho right now.
In FourFourTwo’s view, £30m is an awful lot of money for a player in the second tier of Spanish football who hasn’t exactly set the league alight and who is valued at just £1.7m by Transfermarkt. It seems more likely that the Blues would return in the summer and attempt to prise him away in a cut-price deal, despite his contract running until 2030.
Chelsea are back in European action on Thursday night as they play Copenhagen in the second leg of their Conference League tie.
