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Chelsea are preparing for their upcoming FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City on Saturday, April 20, at Wembley. The London giants will be desperate for a win as they look to end the season on a high.
Meanwhile, the Blues are interested in Jonathan David. Elsewhere, the club are yet to make a decision on Mauricio Pochettino’s future.
On that note, let’s take a look at the major Chelsea transfer news from April 19, 2024.
Chelsea eyeing Jonathan David
Chelsea are interested in Jonathan David, according to Corriere dello Sport. The Canadian striker has been in red-hot form this season for Lille, scoring 23 goals and setting up seven more from 41 games. His efforts have turned heads at multiple clubs across the continent, including the Blues.
Mauricio Pochettino brought in Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal last summer, but the Senegalese hasn’t lived up to his billing so far. The Argentine manager remains keen to rope in an established No. 9 to lead the line next season as a possible replacement for Romelu Lukaku.
Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen is also on their wish list, but David could be a cost-effective alternative. Interestingly, the Serie A side also have their eyes on the 24-year-old as an option to replace the Nigerian. The Canadian’s contract with the Ligue 1 club expires in 2025.
Blues yet to make Mauricio Pochettino decision, says David Ornstein
Chelsea are yet to make a decision on Mauricio Pochettino’s future, according to acclaimed journalist David Ornstein. The Argentine manager is feeling the heat at Stamford Bridge after an underwhelming season so far. The Blues are out of the title race and in danger of missing out on European football next season. Unless results improve, the club hierarchy could be forced to make some tough decisions in the coming weeks.
However, speaking in a Q&A with The Athletic, Ornstein insisted that the London giants have more pressing matters to focus on at the moment.
“Obviously the hierarchy will be forming their views - good, bad, indifferent - on a daily basis but I don't expect any firm conclusions to be reached until the season is over. So much can still happen before then and Chelsea have so many massive fixtures ahead that I don't think their focus can or should be on anything other than those games, starting against Man City on Saturday and moving on to huge tests against Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham subsequently,” said Ornstein.
He continued:
“None of this is unique to Pochettino or Chelsea, rather a natural thing for any club to do when their head coach is a year into a two-year contract (plus an option to extend by 12 months). It goes without saying that the run ahead is critical because Chelsea's season has so far fallen below the expectations of everyone involved, so it's time to step up.”
He concluded:
“Everything you hear from around Stamford Bridge suggests the owners will not accept excuses; everyone (themselves included) needs to deliver. By Saturday night, Pochettino may have led Chelsea to their second cup final of his maiden season and there's still a good chance for them to qualify for Europe through the Premier League.”
Pochettino will be hoping to inspire a turnaround by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinals this weekend.
Conor Gallagher backed to join Tottenham Hotspur by former player
Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin believes Conor Gallagher could join Tottenham Hotspur this summer. The English midfielder will enter the final year of his contract at the end of this season and hasn’t signed a new deal yet. Recent reports have suggested that the Blues could cash in on him to help adhere to FFP norms.
Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, Nevin admitted that the 24-year-old would be a fine addition to the Spurs team.
“You wouldn’t be surprised if Spurs signed Conor Gallagher, obviously that would be particularly painful for Chelsea fans. But what a player he would be for them, I’d probably say he’s better suited to Spurs, the way he plays. The transfer situation is really quite delicate with Chelsea because we don’t know who is making the decisions and that’s what it comes down to,” said Nevin.
He continued:
“If it comes down to the manager then he will make changes and will want to get rid of a number of players and bring in more experience in certain areas. But I have no doubt that he may not be the one making any decision which is quite common in the modern game, so that’s a kind of slight delicacy of it.”
Gallagher has been a first-team regular under Mauricio Pochettino this season, registering five goals and eight assists from 42 outings across competitions.
