Chelsea’s planned move to sign Atletico Madrid’s young striker, Samu Omorodion, has fallen through due to difficulties in finalizing his contract. The London club had reportedly agreed to pay £34.5 million (€40 million) for the 20-year-old forward, who was set to sign a long-term deal at Stamford Bridge. However, the transfer has now been called off, as the two parties could not come to an agreement on the contract details.

Omorodion, a promising talent who played for Deportivo Alaves on loan last season, was expected to bolster Chelsea’s attacking options. During his time at Alaves, he scored nine goals and provided one assist, helping the team secure a respectable 10th-place finish in La Liga. Despite his Nigerian heritage, Omorodion chose to represent Spain at the international level and has been involved with their U19 and U21 squads.

This transfer collapse has led Chelsea to make an inquiry about Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix as a potential alternative. Earlier in the summer, Chelsea had an initial offer of €32.5 million (£27.4 million) plus add-ons for Omorodion rejected by Atletico.

Chelsea has been actively seeking new striker options this summer, with their interest in Omorodion being separate from ongoing negotiations with Napoli regarding Romelu Lukaku and Victor Osimhen. As the search for a new forward continues, the club’s focus may now shift to other targets.