Chelsea were really busy during the 2023 summer transfer window and made some big signings.
Chelsea broke the bank to bring in Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion, while Cole Palmer was bought on deadline day.
The Blues also signed Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu, but Lavia, Ugochukwu and Caicedo were not the only midfielders the club wanted.
Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino played a key role in Lavia’s arrival, though the 21-year-old only managed to play one game under him in the end.
Tyler Adams almost joined Chelsea
Chelsea made strengthening their midfield a priority in the summer of 2023, hence the arrivals of Caicedo, Lavia and Ugochukwu.
They also wanted Tyler Adams when he was still at Leeds United, but a deal collapsed and the 26-year-old has now shared just how close he actually was to joining Pochettino’s side.
In an interview with FIFA’s official website, Adams said: “I was very close. I was in London ready for the move to happen but some things fell through one way (or the other).
“A lot of people have to sign off on certain things for a transfer to happen and one thing fell through so they went with other options. So I ended up at Bournemouth which I couldn’t be more happy about now.”
Pochettino has also discussed Adams’ failed transfer, revealing that he even had a conversation with the player before Chelsea pulled out of a deal.
In the same transfer window, the American eventually went on to join Bournemouth and he is now helping them fight for a European spot this season.
Chelsea have moved on from Adams, but there are other players at Bournemouth that they like. For example, Chelsea are interested in signing Antoine Semenyo from their Premier League rivals.
Why Tyler Adams’ move to Chelsea fell through
Chelsea’s interest in Adams came when he was injured and it was feared that the USA international would be out for months. Ultimately, that is the reason why the Blues did not go through with signing him in the end.
Adams is a strong midfielder with leadership qualities; he could have been a very useful player to have in the Chelsea squad.
But possessing the likes of Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea fans will not be losing too much sleep over not signing the former Leeds man.
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