Chelsea completed a deal for Morgan Rogers earlier this week, but have now been linked with the signing of Bologna winger Jonathan Rowe.
Like Rogers, Rowe can play on the left, or through the middle, and talkSPORT’s Jeff Stelling was impressed with the way he played for England U21s en route to European Championship glory last summer.
Stelling says: “The reports are that Chelsea and Villa are interested, which could increase his chances of eventually breaking into the England team. We will look at the number 9. He doesn’t score many goals, he hasn’t scored many goals in Italy.
“But I remember him playing for England Under-21s when they won the Euros, and he was very different.”
As mentioned, the 23-year-old is yet to win an England title, failing to make Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad after scoring just three goals and three assists in 28 Serie A games last season, which is not much of a return.
However, his average of 2.7 successful dribbles per 90 was 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 games.
As such, the Bologna star could be on the verge of a major move, and is keen on a move to the Premier League, with his current employers ready to shell out around €40m (£34m).
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have now made a move to sign Rowe, who has been eyed by Everton, with a number of Premier League rivals also interested.
Bologna is not completely sold on the idea of selling the player, and he remains under contract until 2029.
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Do Chelsea need to sign Rowe? |
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He has signed Morgan Rogers |
Chelsea have already made one attacking statement this summer, with Rogers joining from Aston Villa in a £117m deal. The England star can also play in attacking midfield and on the left wing, and unlike Rowe, he already has extensive international and Premier League experience. |
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Shades of Jamie Gittens collab |
The Blues made the mistake of signing a young Englishman with no Premier League experience last summer. Jamie Gittens ultimately failed to make an impact, appearing for just 490 minutes in the Premier League. Therefore, it would make sense to sign a striker who is already proven in England, and Rowe does not tick that box, having made just 13 appearances. |
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Rowe is impressive in Europe |
That said, there are signs the former Norwich City man has started to sign since signing for Bologna. In last season’s Europa League, the left-back scored in a 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa, while also winning seven duels and finishing four of five dribbles he attempted. After doing so at one of the best teams in the Premier League, 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 determined to improve their midfield this summer.
They are now leading the way with the signing of AFC Bournemouth star Alex Scott, but the Cherries have set a huge asking price.
