Chelsea wrapped up a deal for Morgan Rogers earlier this week, but they have now made contact to sign Bologna winger Jonathan Rowe.
Much like Rogers, Rowe is capable of playing on the left flank, or through the middle, and talkSPORT’s Jeff Stelling was left very impressed by his performances for England U21s en-route to European Championships glory last summer.
Stelling said: “Reports are that Chelsea and Villa are interested, which could boost his chances of eventually getting in the England squad. We’re going to be looking for a number nine. He doesn’t score a lot of goals, hasn’t scored a lot of goals in Italy.
“But I remember his performances for the England under-21s when he won the Euros, and he was absolutely exceptional.”
As pointed out, the 23-year-old is yet to receive a senior England cap, failing to make Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad after chipping in with just three goals and three assists in 28 Serie A matches last season, which is a fairly modest return.
However, an average of 2.7 successful dribbles per 90 was the joint-second highest in the entire league, and the Englishman caught the eye in the Europa League, picking up four goals and two assists in 12 matches.
As such, the Bologna star could be due a big move, and he is keen on a move to the Premier League, with his current employers prepared to cash-in for around €40m (£34m).
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have now made an approach to sign Rowe, who has emerged as a serious target for Everton, with a plethora of rival Premier League clubs also keen.
Bologna aren’t fully sold on the idea of selling the forward though, and he remains under contract until 2029.
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Do Chelsea need to sign Rowe? |
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Already signed Morgan Rogers |
Chelsea have already made one statement signing in attack this summer, with Rogers joining from Aston Villa in a £117m deal. The England star is also capable of playing in attacking midfield and on the left-wing, and unlike Rowe, he is already very experienced internationally and in the Premier League. |
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Shades of Jamie Gittens deal |
The Blues made the mistake of signing a young English winger with no Premier League experience last summer. Jamie Gittens was ultimately unable to make an impact, appearing for just 490 minutes in the Premier League. As such, it would make more sense to sign a forward who is already proven in England, and Rowe doesn’t tick that box, having made just 13 top flight appearances. |
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Rowe impressing in Europe |
That said, there are signs the former Norwich City man has kicked on since signing for Bologna. In last season’s Europa League, the left-winger scored in a 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa, while also winning seven duels and completing four of the five dribbles he attempted. Having performed like that against one of the Premier League’s better sides, Rowe could be ready for another chance to prove himself in England. |
With Enzo Fernandez’s future at Stamford Bridge up in the air, Xabi Alonso‘s side are also keen on improving their midfield this summer.
They are now frontrunners to sign AFC Bournemouth star Alex Scott, but the Cherries have set a huge asking price.
