Chelsea made a late move to sign Taiwo Awoniyi from Nottingham Forest during the final 48 hours of the summer window but their enquiry was knocked back, according to The Athletic (h/t Express).
The Blues were looking to bolster their attack with the addition of a number nine in the closing stages of the summer transfer window. However, Forest had no interest in listening to the West London club’s proposal.
Chelsea wanted to add support for Nicolas Jackson up front. The Senegalese has not had the best of starts to life in the English top flight as he’s struggled to find the back of the net on a consistent basis.
The Blues were on the lookout for a Premier League-proven striker before the 1 September deadline. Subsequently, Awoniyi was identified as an ideal target by Mauricio Pochettino but Chelsea couldn’t get a deal agreed.
Forest signed the Nigerian in the summer of 2022 from German outfit Union Berlin. The 26-year-old was previously at Liverpool but failed to make the breakthrough at Anfield.
Therefore, Awoniyi got his first taste of English top-flight action in the previous campaign. The striker was a regular for Steve Cooper’s team. He made 27 appearances for the Nottingham-based club last season, scoring 10 goals.
Chelsea need a number nine
Awoniyi has been electric in the 2023/24 term. He scored in Forest’s first three games of the season. The African superstar was also influential in their previous match against Chelsea as he assisted for Anthony Elanga’s goal during the 1-0 win.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, Christopher Nkunku picked up a serious injury during pre-season. It remains to be seen when Armando Brojo will return to full fitness. They also sanctioned the loan of Romelu Lukaku to Roma this summer.
Therefore, it would have made sense for Chelsea to reinforce the number nine position and Awoniyi would have been an exciting addition. However, it is understandable that Forest did not want to lose him after selling Brennan Johnson to Tottenham on deadline day.
