Chelsea add alternative to Cole Palmer’s best friend to Maresca transfer shortlist

Robin Bairner

13 Sept 2025 14:00 BST
3 min read

Chelsea were left dissatisfied at having missed out on Xavi Simons in the summer, and the Stamford Bridge club are assessing their options to find a new attacking midfielder – including Cole Palmer’s best friend.

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The Blues pursued Simons for much of August but ultimately missed out on the Netherlands international as they were unable to come to an agreement over a transfer fee with RB Leipzig. In part, this was because they were unable to make sales quickly.

Manager Enzo Maresca still sees that area of his squad as one that needs strengthening, despite adding Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton.

Palmer’s best friend, Morgan Rogers has been linked with a possible move to Stamford Bridge for several weeks, but with Aston Villa demanding a transfer fee of €100 million for the former Manchester City academy star, a deal promises to be complicated.

Another player being studied by Chelsea is Lyon winger Malick Fofana. The Belgium international has caught the eye of several Premier League sides in recent months and has been linked with a move to Liverpool as their long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah.

Compared

Morgan Rogers

M (CRL)

Aston Villa

Morgan Rogers

M (CRL)

Aston Villa

VS

Malick Fofana

F, M (L)

Lyon

Malick Fofana

F, M (L)

Lyon

€66.9M	ETV	€38.3M
€60.2M - €73.6M	ETV Range	€34.5M - €42.2M
23 years old (01 Jan, 2002)	Age	20 years old (31 Mar, 2005)
England	Nationality	Belgium

Chelsea add Kenan Yildiz to transfer shortlist

The West London side, meanwhile, have added a new name to Maresca’s transfer shortlist, which now stands at three. According to CaughtOffside, they are interested in Juventus youngster Kenan Yildiz.

Under contract at Juve until June 2029, the 20-year-old has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €60m – making him the middle ground between Rogers and Fofana in terms of his price point.

Already this season, he has two assists in two Serie A games, while last season he had seven goals and four decisive passes across 35 appearances in Italy’s top-flight.

Rogers remains top of Chelsea’s shortlist, with a reunion with Palmer the aim, but the other two will be targeted if a deal with Aston Villa proves impossible.

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