Chelsea have made a number of additions throughout the summer transfer season, making them one of the busiest clubs in the Premier League. Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Mamadou Sarr, Dario Essugo, and Kendry Paez have all moved to Stamford Bridge. Estevao is set to arrive after a Man of the Match performance against Enzo Maresca's side at the Club World Cup. Furthermore, the signing of Jamie Gittens is almost finalised.
Looking at all of these recent additions, it can be said that the Blues have really added some quality players to their ranks, and they have at least partially met their objective of fielding a stronger, more competitive, and superior squad than the previous season. Now it needs to be seen how these fresh talents integrate into the team and how they perform under the management of Maresca.
Although Chelsea have been successful in getting a deal done for Gittens after a lot of effort, the Blues had previously tried to sign another winger. The player in question here is Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo.
Semenyo joined Bournemouth from Bristol City in January 2023, and since then, his career trajectory has only gone up. The winger has impressed immensely over the previous two and a half years, establishing himself as a key figure for the Cherries. The 25-year-old had an exceptional 24-25 season, registering 13 goals and 7 assists in 42 appearances.
Chelsea held talks to sign £70m Premier League winger
His performance has caught the interest of multiple high-profile Premier League clubs. In fact, as reported by TBR Football, Chelsea held talks about signing Semenyo recently.
There is no doubt that the Bournemouth winger is a top talent but the £70 million asking price was too high. And after securing an agreement to sign Gittens from Borussia Dortmund during the summer transfer window, there is very little chance of the Blues returning for him anytime soon.
On the other hand, Semenyo has signed an extension with Bournemouth running until the summer of 2030. That should secure his future with the Cherries for the time being.