Chelsea have reportedly failed with a bid of €40m (£33.8m) offer for a talented La Liga striker in the latest blow to their search for attacking reinforcements.
While the Blues have been splashing the cash freely under the Todd Boehly regime, the absence of a prolific number nine has stood out like a sore thumb for a couple of years.
Romelu Lukaku's return to Stamford Bridge from Inter Milan did not work out as intended for either party, while Kai Havertz also struggled to star as a central striker for the Blues.
The West London giants subsequently turned their attention to Nicolas Jackson, who struck a respectable 17 goals in his first season at the club, including 14 in the Premier League, albeit while also missing several gilt-edged chances.
As a result, a new striker remains a priority for Chelsea, especially with Lukaku and the out-of-favour Armando Broja expected to leave, which has apparently led them to consider Atletico Madrid's Samu Omorodion.
Atletico 'determined' to keep Omorodion after rejecting Chelsea bid
The 20-year-old came through the youth system at Granada before joining Atletico in the 2023 summer window, although he was immediately loaned out to fellow La Liga outfit Alaves.
While there, the 6ft 4in striker came up with nine top-flight goals and one assist from 35 matches, while he also has two goals to show from seven appearances for Spain's Under-21s.
Omorodion's Atletico contract still has another four years left to run, but both Chelsea and London rivals West Ham United have apparently shown an interest in prising him away from Atletico, whom he is yet to make an appearance for.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Enzo Maresca's side have now tested the water with a bid of €30m (£25.4m), which could rise to €40m (£33.8m) with performance-related add-ons.
However, Atletico swiftly turned down the Blues' proposal and have no intention of selling the Spanish youth international, although Chelsea are still keeping tabs on the situation.
Which other strikers are on Chelsea's radar?
As a move for Omoridion is seemingly a non-starter right now, Chelsea can surely forget about poaching the youngster from Atletico, but a deal might be in the works for another 20-year-old.
The Blues are believed to be discussing a move for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, who played second fiddle to Ollie Watkins last season but was impressive when called upon.
Chelsea may have received a boost in their efforts to sign Duran, as Aston Villa have supposedly identified an ideal replacement, but no agreement has been struck between the two clubs yet.
A swoop for Victor Osimhen was strongly mooted in the past, but his £110m price tag would prove problematic, and Maresca is thought to be after a different centre-forward profile. body check tags ::
