Samu Omorodion: Chelsea Reportedly Identify Atletico Madrid Star As Their Next Target

• Chelsea are seeking to strengthen their striking department with Atletico Madrid youngster, Samu Omorodion
• The 20-year-old had some sterling performances in La Liga last season on loan at Alaves, catching the eye of top clubs
• The Blues will have to pay a premium price after Atletico rejected a bid for the centre-forward who has Nigerian roots

Chelsea's bid for Atletico Madrid striker, Samu Omorodion, has reportedly been declined.

The 20-year-old is one of the strikers the Blues are targeting this summer to bolster their squad depth ahead of the 2024/25 season.

The young striker spent last on loan at Deportivo Alaves and produced eye-catching performances, attracting interest from top clubs.

According to The Athletic, the English giants made a £32.5 million bid for the youngster, which the Spanish side promptly rejected.

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Omorodion made 25 La Liga appearances for Alaves last season and scored nine goals, two of them against Barcelona, per Transfermarkt.

The club are looking to give Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku more support following an indifferent season in front of goal.

Chelsea have also been linked with Napoli ace Victor Osimhen, Aston Villa's Jhon Durán, and Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke.

According to The Guardian, the new Blues boss, Enzo Maresca, wants to enter the new season with a backup for Jackson up front.

Who is Samu Omorodion?

Omorodion was born to Nigerian parents in Spain and has been called up to the country's under-19 and under-21 teams. He began playing for Sevilla's youth side before joining Granada in 2021.

"Spain has given me the opportunity, and I am very grateful for it. I don’t think about Nigeria. My goal is to debut with the senior side and build my career here in Spain," he said, as quoted by Soccernet.

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It appears Atletico will force Chelsea to pay a premium price for their exciting striker.

Omorodion goal against Barcelona

Sports Brief earlier reported on Omorodion scoring one of the fastest goals in La Liga history when Alaves played Barcelona.

The striker scored after only 18 seconds to give his side a surprise lead, but Robert Lewandowski's brace gave Barca the victory.