By Toibat Ogunyanju
Atletico Madrid has turned down a £42 million offer from Chelsea for Spanish forward Samu Omorodion, as per reports.
Chelsea has set their sights on Omorodion, 20, as a key target this summer following their miss on RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.
The new Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, aims to strengthen the team’s attacking options in the upcoming transfer window after Nicolas Jackson had a mixed first season at Stamford Bridge. Jackson scored 17 goals across all competitions but could have scored more, receiving criticism for his missed opportunities in the final third.
Atletico Madrid acquired Omorodion from Granada last summer and loaned him to Alaves for the 2023-24 season. Despite only scoring eight goals in 34 La Liga matches, he made an impression that prompted Atletico to consider recalling him mid-season.
Atletico is not in a rush to sell Omorodion, who was named La Liga’s Player of the Month in February and has rejected Chelsea’s £42 million bid, according to The Sun. Chelsea will likely have to significantly improve their offer to bring the Spain U21 star to Stamford Bridge and possibly meet his release clause of nearly £70 million.
Diego Simeone, Atletico’s head coach, previously stated in October that Omorodion would become a crucial player for the La Liga giants.
‘You can see him evolving in the games we’ve followed involving Alaves,’ the Atleti head coach said.
‘He’s a young guy, strong, with a lot of speed in long spaces and very good play in the box with his body.