RB Leipzig star Lois Openda on Chelsea's radar.
According to journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea are still weighing up a move for RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda.
The Pensioners have completed nine summer signings thus far and have once again created waves in the transfer market. Among those nine new faces, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Filip Jorgensen look the most likely to make an instant impact in Enzo Maresca’s first-team, while the rest appear to be more futuristic investments on the club’s part, due to their age and potential.
Marc Guiu, signed from Barcelona, has been promising over the pre-season tour of the United States. The Spaniard has been brought in to improve Chelsea’s productivity in front of goal in the upcoming season. However, he is very young and inexperienced, so it would be very unfair to expect Guiu to hit the ground running in the Premier League and score goals consistently.
What head coach Enzo Maresca exactly requires is a potent striker who can give him 20 goals at least. Well, perhaps, that is why the Blues have been linked with a move for Lois Openda. Amidst the club’s interest in strikers such as Victor Osimhen and Samu Omorodion, Simon Phillips says RB Leipzig star Lois Openda features on the radar of Chelsea.
“SPTC sources have said again this week that Lois Openda of RB Leipzig remains on the Chelsea radar as a potential target for this summer or in the near future,” Phillips wrote on his Substack website.
“Sources mention him as a flexible target due to the fact that he can also play as a winger as well as a striker and naturally; he tends to drift wide when playing as a striker anyway. This season he has been playing as a second striker with Benjamin Sesko alongside him, and it is his wide play that has really seen him shine.”
Going by Phillips’ latest update, it appears as if Maresca is in the hunt for a more versatile forward rather than an out-and-out No.9 to complete his attack for the upcoming campaign. The Chelsea boss has supposedly set his sights on Openda, who could provide the squad with versatility, creativity, pace, flair and most importantly, goals.
The 24-year-old scored 28 goals and supplied seven assists in 45 games across all competitions for Leipzig last season. He has a proven track record in the Bundesliga, and that combined with his flexible nature and ability to drop into spaces, could make Openda a valuable addition to the Blues’ offensive ranks.
The Belgium international’s ability to read the game and anticipate opportunities has helped him score plenty of goals in the Bundesliga, and his pace and agility have helped to destroy the opponent’s defence.
After a season in German football, the forward could be tempted to test himself in the Premier League. It’d be difficult for Openda to turn down an opportunity if Chelsea come calling, given the fresh direction we are heading under Maresca. With Romelu Lukaku not part of Maresca’s plans and Nicolas Jackson cannot be relied upon for a consistent source of goals, the Blues must table an offer for Openda.
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