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Five players Chelsea FAILED to sign this summer
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 4 Sept 2025 15:45 BST
- 4 min read
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Chelsea were the most active club in world football during the 2025 summer transfer window as they sanctioned a plethora of deals in a bid to strengthen the squad available to Enzo Maresca.
A total of €328.2 million was spent on new signings by the west London giants, although a number of key targets slipped through their fingers during the window.
Below, FootballTransfers runs through five players Chelsea failed to sign this summer.
Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
Chelsea launched several bids for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan during the pre-Club World Cup transfer window and they looked set to land the France international as a replacement for Robert Sanchez.
However, their best offer of €20 million was rejected by Milan and the Blues ultimately decided against returning with an improved bid.
As a result, Maignan remained at San Siro and Sanchez has retained his place as Maresca’s favoured goalkeeper.
Current ETV
Mike Maignan
GK
Milan
Mike Maignan
GK
Milan
ETV Range
€13.9M - €17M
Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig)
Xavi Simons was earmarked as a key target for the summer transfer window and Chelsea verbally agreed personal terms with the RB Leipzig star in early August.
The Netherlands international was expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge to provide depth across attacking areas, but Chelsea prioritised player sales and he grew impatient amid the delay to his proposed transfer.
Tottenham Hotspur then swooped with a successful €65m offer and Thomas Frank’s side hijacked the deal, with Simons arriving in north London on 29 August.
Fermin Lopez (Barcelona)
After missing out on Simons to Tottenham, Chelsea quickly turned their attention to finalising a deal for Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez.
The Spaniard was seen as an attainable target amid the immense competition for places at Camp Nou and Chelsea submitted a €40m offer during the final few days of the summer window.
However, Barcelona demanded at least €80m and the transfer never materialised, with Fermin eager to remain at his boyhood club.
Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Morgan Rogers was also on Chelsea’s radar this summer, however a move for the England international never seemed particularly realistic due to Aston Villa’s transfer stance.
Unai Emery’s side slapped a €90m price tag on the 23-year-old’s head in a bid to ward off suitors and they weren’t interested in negotiating a sale.
Rogers was seen as a viable transfer option for Chelsea, with his versatility a notable quality, but a deal failed to take shape.
Conrad Harder (Sporting CP)
Chelsea purchased Joao Pedro and Liam Delap to strengthen their centre forward options this summer, although a hamstring injury suffered to the latter caused them to pursue a late move for Conrad Harder.
The 20-year-old scored 13 goals for Sporting CP last season and he was seen as a short-term fix, however he decided to reject the Blues in favour of joining RB Leipzig.
Chelsea eventually opted to recall Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland to provide emergency cover for Delap instead, with the club eyeing Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha as a possible future signing.
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