Better than Omorodion: Chelsea could sign "incredible" Felix alternative

Chelsea concluded their pre-season preparations with a last-gasp 1-1 draw with Inter Milan on Sunday afternoon, a game that will be more remembered for the arrival of Pedro Neto.

News surprisingly broke on Friday afternoon that the Londoners were closing in on a move and in just over 48 hours all of the paperwork was finalised and he was announced as a Blue at half-time.

The news will come as sweet relief for Enzo Maresca and Todd Boehly whose plans to improve the squad in the final month of the window are now rather unravelling.

Then again, when did a transfer window ever go by in the Boehly era without a bit of drama?

With a move for Samu Omorodion falling apart, Chelsea are now scrambling to sort out a replacement. Fortunately, they’ve got a couple of irons in the fire.

The latest on Omorodion to Chelsea

In the last few days, it looked like the Atletico Madrid forward was heading to Stamford Bridge this summer.

A fee of around £34m was agreed and the player was set to pen terms on a seven-year contract in England.

However, David Ornstein revealed late on Sunday that a move has now ‘collapsed’ with a ‘major problem’ when finalising the contract hindering the deal.

As a result, the club are now targeting Joao Felix as an alternative. The Portuguese talent spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan with Chelsea where he played 20 times and scored four goals.

Are there any other alternatives? Well, Victor Osimhen has been talked about all summer long. There could be another up their sleeve too.

Chelsea’s best Samu Omorodion alternative

Osimhem, the scorer of 31 goals during Napoli’s Scudetto win in the 2022/23 season would be a mighty fine addition.

However, despite approaching his prime years at the age of 25, does he truly fit the transfer philosophy at Chelsea right now?

Boehly and Co have been intent on signing the best young talent in the world and as such, perhaps another target would be a wise addition.

Indeed, instead of Felix and Osimhen, they could target Brighton striker Evan Ferguson. The Irishman – who is just 19 – was a topic over the weekend when The Daily Star revealed that there is interest there from both Manchester United and Chelsea.

The forward has been valued as high as £100m previously but this fresh claim suggests United are looking at a £50m package if they were to move.

So, why would Ferguson be a better option than Omorodion? Well, first and foremost, he’s already done it at senior level on a more regular basis and vitally, he’s already done it in the Premier League.

To date, the Republic of Ireland international – who Roberto De Zerbi thought was “incredible” – has scored 16 times in 65 senior appearances, 12 of which have come in England’s top flight.

Omorodion? Well, he’s only found the net on nine occasions 35 LaLiga outings. It’s not a bad record but aged 20, he’s not played as much football at a high level as Ferguson has.

With that in mind, this move would surely be less of a gamble. Here’s a further comparison of the two.

So, it’s evident that the two are different profiles of forward. Omorodion is a bigger box presence, winning far more aerial duels. He’s also capable of beating a man on a more regular basis, completing more take-ons and progressive carries.

That said, Ferguson is certainly the more consistent of the two. He links up with opponents with greater accuracy and his shots are more accurate, a stat that’s obviously particularly important for a striker.

It likely comes down to what you think Chelsea need more of. However, with Premier League experience we’re backing Ferguson in this one. He’d be a fabulous alternative to the Atletico youngster.

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