Chelsea have left themselves quite some work to do on Deadline Day. It remains to be seen if the Fermin Lopez saga leads anywhere or was just another rumour that led nowhere, just like Xavi Simons. There is still no clarity on the Nicolas Jackson situation as well. He was on his way to Bayern Munich on loan before the Blues decided to pull out of the deal following Liam Delap's injury.
Jackson seems to be trying everything possible to engineer the move to Bayern Munich before the deadline though. And Chelsea are believed to be open to the idea of him leaving, but only on a permanent basis or on a loan with an obligation to buy, not an option.
In case Jackson leaves, Chelsea would need to sign another striker on short notice. Conrad Harder of Sporting CP is someone they have been linked with lately.
But as reported by Record, Chelsea made inquiries about Harder but he has rejected the London club. His future likely lies at RB Leipzig.
Transfer target rejects Chelsea move ahead of deadline day
Harder is believed to be looking for a move that will help his development. And it is understandable why he might want to join RB Leipzig ahead of Chelsea with that aim in mind.
At RB Leipzig, there is a decent chance that he will be the starting striker. On the other hand, at Chelsea, he would be the backup option at best. And very possibly the third choice when Liam Delap returns from injury.
Now, it remains to be seen what Chelsea decide to do regarding their striker situation, with Harder seemingly not interested in a move to Stamford Bridge. To be honest, the most likely, and arguably best-case scenario, is Jackson continuing at the club for at least another half-a-season.