Huge late twist in Chelsea’s striker search

Chelsea travel to Switzerland in pole position to qualify for the UEFA Conference League group stage after a 2-0 win over Servette in the first leg of their play-off tie. 

Goals from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke earned the Blues a win over their Swiss counterparts in the first leg at Stamford Bridge last week, and manager Enzo Maresca may now make changes to his side for the trip to Switzerland.

On Sunday, Madueke netted a second-half hat-trick to help his side to a 6-2 win over Wolves at Molineux, but the Englishman may be rested for the second leg ahead of a London derby against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Off the pitch, it has emerged that Chelsea could make a shock late move for a Premier League striker before the transfer window closes.

As per Football Insider, the Blues could still move for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran if they fail to land their other striker targets.

The West London side have been extremely busy in the window so far this summer – making no fewer than ten signings – but those in charge of the club’s recruitment are still keen to add a striker to Maresca’s squad.

Duran has been linked with a move to Chelsea for much of the summer

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has been a target for the Blues for some time now but, with time running out to finalise a deal, the report claims that Chelsea could instead revert their attention to Villans striker Duran.

The Colombian had been a target for Chelsea earlier this summer and, after a proposed move to West Ham United collapsed, it appears that the London side could once again move for him before the window shuts.

Duran, 20, joined Villa from MLS side Chicago Fire in January last year and has since made 51 appearances across all competitions for the Midland club, scoring nine times.