Chelsea are now reportedly most advanced in the race to land a future star worth £52m alongside London rivals Tottenham Hotspur this summer, as they look to add their seventh incoming of the transfer window.
Chelsea transfer news
After yet another campaign to forget last time out, it's no surprise that Chelsea and Todd Boehly have enjoyed a busy summer transfer window, welcoming six fresh faces so far and a new head coach in Enzo Maresca. The former Leicester City manager most recently welcomed Renato Veiga from Basel with the 20-year-old among those looking to make an instant impression on the new boss.
Giving Chelsea fans a hint of what they can expect, Veiga told the club's official website after putting pen to paper: "I’m a smart, aggressive player.
"I’m comfortable on the ball and I would describe myself as a complete player due to my versatility. I’m comfortable in many positions on the pitch. I wouldn’t say I have a favourite position because it depends on the opponent or tactical elements, but I have played at left-back, centre-back and as a defensive midfielder."
He might not be the only young player that excites those at Stamford Bridge, either. According to L'Equipe, Chelsea are now most advanced in the race to sign Desire Doue alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Stade Rennais reportedly value their 19-year-old winger at €60m (£52m) and have already rejected a €35m (£30m) offer from Bayern Munich.
After missing out on Michael Olise, Doue represents an ideal option for the Blues to turn to this summer. The teenager has attracted interest around Europe for good reason and if Chelsea want to continue their trend of signing the next generation of stars, then the Ligue 1 winger certainly makes sense.
"Fantastic" Doue could be a Mudryk upgrade
Over a year on from his arrival, Mykhailo Mudryk is yet to make an impact in a Chelsea shirt, struggling under both Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino. Now, if Doue arrives, the Ukraine international could find himself out of Maresca's starting side altogether with places up for grabs for those who impress the Italian this summer. Based on his development so far too, Doue certainly has the talent to take Mudryk's spot.
Whilst Doue's output shows room for improvement, his take-on success at just 19 years of age highlights a player who lacks no confidence driving forward in something that Chelsea may need to add to their attacking options.
The young winger has earned plenty of praise, including from Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig who dubbed the teenager "fantastic" on X.
Now, it's Chelsea who could benefit from that "fantastic mix" as they look to beat Tottenham in the race for yet another future star.