Chelsea and Arsenal target to MISS World Cup after suffering ACL tear

News

A big-money Premier League target has suffered a season-ending injury.

FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa went down with a torn ACL, according to Fabrizio Romano, and the Spanish international will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a result.

A major transfer target for Chelsea in 2024, Aghehowa has scored 22 goals in 35 matches across all competitions this season, including 13 goals in 20 Liga Portugal appearances. He is the league's joint-fourth top scorer.

The 21-year-old is regarded as one of Europe’s most promising strikers. He has scored more than 20 goals in each of the last two seasons at a rate of 0.74 goals per 90 minutes.

He joined Porto in 2024, signing a five-year deal with a reported €100m release clause.

In an Instagram post, Aghehowa vowed to “come back stronger than ever.”

Injury halts Samu’s momentum

Aghehowa’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has risen exponentially since joining FC Porto in the 2024 summer transfer window.

It sat under €20m at the time of his transfer, and is currently €63.7m. That's more than a threefold increase in less than two years.

He was initially targeted by Chelsea in summer 2024, when he was coming off a nine-goal, one-assist season on loan to Deportivo Alaves from Atletico Madrid. His goal tally and physical attributes were enough to attract interest from the Premier League.

STATS

Samu Aghehowa

F (C)

Porto

Samu Aghehowa

F (C)

Porto

All Tournaments

2025/26

• 32

  Games

• 20

  Goals

• 1

  Assists

View all stats

During a weeks-long saga, his rumoured Chelsea transfer was attached to Conor Gallagher’s Atleti deal, but the move broke down after concerns surfaced during his medical. Instead, Aghehowa went to Porto, and the Southwest London club ended up getting Joao Felix for €52m.

Since his move to Portugal, Aghehowa has scored 47 goals in 77 appearances across all competitions while earning his international debut.

Now, he faces a long spell on the sidelines and will be motivated to get his form back once he is healthy.

Shortly before news of his injury surfaced, TeamTalk reported that Chelsea were set to renew their pursuit of Aghehowa this summer. Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle were also cited as possible destinations for the player, while Arsenal have also been linked to him in the past.

Chelsea transfer breakdown a blessing in disguise

As his goal record with Porto shows, he is much more of a proven player now than he was during Chelsea’s first move for him, which broke down due to concerns about his ankle.

Had he joined the logjam of young players at Chelsea in 2024, Aghehowa likely would not have received the same opportunities to make an impact as he has at his current club.

Aghehowa would have had to compete with Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku, who each joined in summer 2023, and Marc Guiu, who joined the following summer, which was when Aghehowa’s links to Chelsea were strongest.

In 2025, Chelsea added further firepower up top in the form of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, who both arrived with Premier League experience. It is uncertain whether Aghehowa’s presence would have steered Chelsea away from signing the two forwards, as the club has developed a reputation for stockpiling young talent in the Clearlake Capital era.

Rather than fight just to get on the pitch at Stamford Bridge — or heading out on loan to Strasbourg — he elected to join a club with a track record of developing players and earned his status as the club’s talisman.

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