Chelsea interested in £100 million striker

Chelsea will be looking to put their Carabao Cup defeat against Middlesbrough behind them when they face West London rivals Fulham on Saturday.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side were beaten 1-0 by their Championship opponents in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday evening, and must overturn the deficit in the second leg at Stamford Bridge if they are to progress to the final.

The Argentine could make changes to his side for the visit of the Cottagers, with Chelsea able to move as high as seventh in the Premier League table with victory.

In the build up to the game, the Blues are reportedly chasing a highly rated striker.

According to The Standard, the West London outfit are interested in Brighton and Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson.

The Irishman joined the Seagulls from Bohemians back in 2021 and has since scored 16 goals in 53 games across all competitions.

Ferguson has attracted interest from Chelsea

Ferguson, 19, has scored six goals in 24 games this season, and his performances have attracted interest from Chelsea who are said to be long-term admirers of the player.

Despite the Blues’ interest, the report claims that Brighton will resist any interest in the Ireland international, and would demand more than £100 million to consider selling the player.

Chelsea have signed a number of players from Brighton in recent seasons, including Robert Sanchez, Marc Cucurella, and Moises Caicedo, as well as luring manager Graham Potter away from The Amex in 2022.

Last summer, both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were said to be interested in the Ireland forward, but he signed a new long-term contract with his current employers which is set to run until 2029.

Chelsea have also shown interest in Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Napoli star Victor Osimhen as they search for a new striker, but Ferguson could prove a useful alternative as he is likely to demand a far lower salary.