“Fekir missed Lyon’s International Champions Cup clash at Stamford Bridge on August 7 as officials from the two clubs met, but Chelsea decided instead to complete their business with the signings of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Mateo Kovacic later in the week.”
Maurizio Sarri is keen to bolster his attacking options in future transfer windows but chose not to sign a forward during his first summer in charge
Chelsea held talks with Lyon over a prospective move for forward Nabil Fekir but Goal understands they opted against signing the France international over the summer after keeping hold of a number of players in the same position.
Fekir, who earlier in the transfer window saw a move to Liverpool fall apart after failing a medical, was linked with a number of clubs during pre-season after an impressive 2017-18 campaign in Ligue 1.
The Lyon skipper scored 23 goals and laid on a further eight assists in 40 appearances across all competitions last term, and the Blues did attempt to negotiate with the player’s club regarding a move late in the window.
Fekir missed Lyon’s International Champions Cup clash at Stamford Bridge on August 7 as officials from the two clubs met, but Chelsea decided instead to complete their business with the signings of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Mateo Kovacic later in the week.
Maurizio Sarri is keen to bolster his attacking options in the coming months, with the west London outfit also continuing to hold an interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic.
Chelsea weighed up a £65 million ($85m) bid for the USA international after they were alerted to his potential availability but again decided to keep their money in their pocket on this occasion.
Sarri heads into his debut Premier League campaign with plenty of options in wide attacking areas after Eden Hazard chose to stay with the club despite their lack of Champions League football.
Hazard suggested after Belgium’s third-place finish at the World Cup that he was ready to move on as reports suggested he was a target for Real Madrid, but unlike team-mate Thibaut Courtois he never pushed for a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
He does, however, now have less than two years left on his current contract and there are fears that Madrid’s interest is unlikely to end as they try to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.
As such, Chelsea has offered Hazard a new deal worth around £300,000-a-week while reports persist he will be made the club’s permanent captain.
Willian, meanwhile, was the closest of Sarri’s attackers to leaving the club after a £55m ($62.7m) bid from Barcelona was rejected, with the Blaugrana then deciding to move on to Willian’s Brazilian compatriot Malcom in their pursuit of more firepower.
Pedro, meanwhile, started the new season with a goal against Huddersfield Town and is set for a more prominent role under Sarri having signed an extension on his contract to keep him in the capital until 2020.
Sarri and assistant Gianfranco Zola are also keen to offer 17-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi as much game time as possible following an impressive pre-season from the teenager.
Clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona have previously shown an interest in the youngster, and Chelsea remains hopeful he will agree to their offer of a new five-year contract if it becomes clear he is part of their first-team plans.
