It had looked like Fermin Lopez was the only player remaining on Chelsea's transfer radar with less than a couple of days left in the summer window. But now, it appears that the club are putting plans in place in case they need to sign another striker, with Nicolas Jackson's future up in the air. And a Danish international is on their radar.
It had looked like a solution had been found for Jackson. A €15 million loan fee was agreed with Bayern Munich alongside an €80 buyout option for next summer. But Liam Delap's injury against Fulham have now put that move in doubt.
It is believed that Chelsea have called Jackson back to London. And while the player is said to be unhappy and still pushing for the move to Bayern Munich, he does have a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge.
As reported by The Athletic, Chelsea now do not intend to let Jackson make a loan switch under any circumstances. However, they are considering signing a new striker and studying contingency plans before the transfer window closes in case the Senegalese international leaves permanently. The Blues have already made multiple enquiries, including for Conrad Harder.
Chelsea make contact about signing Danish international striker
Harder was believed to be closing in on a move to RB Leipzig. It remains to be seen if Chelsea's enquiry does end up changing the situation.
Harder currently plays for Sporting CP, who have already seen Viktor Gyokeres. Of course, he does not have his former teammate's goalscoring record, but he has pretty decent output himself.
In 1669 minutes of football for Sporting CP, Harder has 12 goals and 7 assists to his name. That is a goal contribution every 88 minutes. Before that, he had 9 goals and 4 assists in 1525 minutes for FC Nordsjaelland, which translates to a goal contribution per 117 minutes.
Those are some impressive numbers for a 20-year-old who is also a full Danish international. So, it is not hard to understand why Chelsea might be interested in the idea of signing someone like Harder in case Jackson leaves. He is someone already used to playing the cover role and has tremendous potential for the future at the same time.