Kudus, Vlahovic and Other Chelsea Transfer Targets and How They Are Faring Elsewhere

• Chelsea are Europe's biggest spender since Todd Boehly took over last year
• The Blues have spent over £1 billion on transfers in that time
• Despite the huge funds available, they have missed out on some targets

Chelsea were everywhere in the last summer transfer window for players sold and signed, getting rid of many first-team stars, including two-time player of the year Mason Mount.

The Blues broke the European single-season transfer spending with over £400 million spent in the summer to sign players, including a British record £115 million transfer fee for Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Sports Brief looks at eight players linked to the club but eventually did not arrive, as first analysed by Planet Football.

1. Mohammed Kudus

The Ghanaian attacker rejected Brighton and had a personal term agreement with Chelsea but eventually joined West Ham for £38 million, per BBC Sports. He has made a solid start to life in East London and has four goals in all competitions for the Hammers.

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2. Dusan Vlahovic

Chelsea had a chaotic summer window, one of which was how to get rid of Romelu Lukaku. A swap deal for Dusan Vlahovic was proposed with Juventus but never materialised, and Lukaku went to Roma. The Serbian striker has contributed to five Serie A goals in 10 games for the Old Lady.

3. Rayan Cherki

The Blues’ quest for an attacker who can play across the front three had many fans suggesting the France U21 star Rayan Cherki was the perfect fit, but the club signed Cole Palmer instead. Cherki and Lyon are bottom of the French Ligue 1, with the 19-year-old registering just one assist.

4. Tyler Adams

Per Football London, the Blues activated the release clause of Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams, but the deal collapsed after the player failed medicals. The American joined Bournemouth instead and is yet to feature due to a hamstring injury.

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5. Michael Olise

Per Goal, Chelsea withdrew from the race for Michael Olise after Crystal Palace threatened legal action. The £35mil release clause was supposed to be activated by the player and not the buying club. The France U21 star returned from injury last weekend in the 3-1 loss to Everton.

6. Elye Wahi

Elye Wahi reportedly rejected Chelsea due to the club's desire to loan him to the second club of the BlueCo project, RC Strasbourg. He joined RC Lens and has been in fine form, scoring against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League.

7. Folarin Balogun

It was surprising to see Chelsea linked to the USMNT forward who impressed on loan at Reims last season. He instead returned to France with Monaco and is having a quiet season with just three league goals.

8. Bradley Barcola

The Blues were linked to another Lyon star and even prioritised him over Cherki. They failed in his pursuit, and he joined Paris Saint-Germain instead. He has just two assists in 13 appearances in all competitions for the Parisians.

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Why Kudus' move to Chelsea failed

Sports Brief previously reported on why Kudus' move to Chelsea failed despite the player agreeing on personal terms with the London club.

His agent revealed that the Blues sent a ridiculously low offer to Ajax after the agreement, which was rejected, and they never went back as they were occupied with Moises Caicedo's deal.