Chelsea to lose their next superstar winger after 'massive' Liverpool bid

19 Jun 2026 18:04 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

Chelsea are facing surprising interest in wonderkid winger Jesse Derry, and Liverpool could be to blame for it.

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The 18-year-old joined the Blues last year after turning down a professional contract at Crystal Palace, and it didn't take long for him to make his mark in West London.

Liam Rosenior integrated Derry into the first team earlier this year, with the teenager making his senior debut against Hull City in the FA Cup in February. He featured in the same competition against Wrexham the following month and made his Premier League bow in May.

Derry was given a surprising start against Nottingham Forest by interim boss Calum McFarlane, but he had to leave the field with a concussion after a nasty collision with fellow youngster Zach Abbott.

That was his last outing for the Blues, but it is expected that Derry will be a more regular part of the first team next season. However, that is contingent on the 18-year-old actually staying, which doesn't seem to be a given.

Derry fielding growing interest

A few weeks ago, it was already rumoured that newly promoted Coventry are interested in loaning Derry, with Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, who is poised to sign a new contract with the Sky Blues, said to be a huge fan of the winger.

Now, reports in Portugal suggest that Sporting CP are showing an interest. A Bola claims that Derry is one of the options being considered by the Lisbon club as they seek to revamp their attack.

He is not a top target, with Sporting mainly targeting Deportivo La Coruna star Yeremay, but he is believed to be a serious option should they fail to sign the Spaniard.

The interest stems from the fact that several attackers, especially wingers, are expected to depart Sporting. Pedro Goncalves and Souleymane Faye are thought to be on the way out, while Francisco Trincao is reportedly being chased by Premier League giants Liverpool.

The Reds have hijacked Newcastle's signing of Osasuna winger Victor Munoz, but they want to add another forward. Yan Diomande is their preferred option, but Leipzig are holding firm on a price tag north of €120m million.

Should Liverpool fail to strike a deal for the Ivorian, they could pivot to Trincao. Earlier this week, reports claimed that superagent Jorge Mendes had "promised" Sporting and Trincao that a "massive" bid would arrive for him this summer.

No club was mentioned, but it is believed that this was a reference to Liverpool's interest. The Reds could inadvertently cause a transfer domino, but it seems doubtful that Chelsea would be willing to cash in on Derry considering his huge potential.

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