Chelsea eye €100m Greek star to kick-start another summer spending spree: report

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 13: Chelsea owner Todd Boehly during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge on August 13, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly (Image credit: Getty Images)

Since Todd Boehly took over Chelsea they have outspent everyone in world football.

The Blues have spent close to €1.5 billion on 47 players according to Transfermarkt, and currently have nothing to show for it.

The 2024 Carabao Cup final is the closest they have come to silverware, but there is a strong chance they will win the Europa Conference League this season, marking a step in the right direction for the current ownership.

Chelsea want striker with €100 million release clause

Enzo Maresca could be preparing to say goodbye to one forward this month

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea's manager (Image credit: Getty Images)

Now the Premier League is guaranteed five Champions League places next season, a return to Europe's elite competition looks closer for Chelsea, however everyone around the club will still feel there is room for improvement.

Last season, Cole Palmer was a revelation, scoring goals for fun, but since Christmas the goals have dried up for the Englishman, and injury issues have left the looking rather devoid of ideas up front.

Chelsea's Cole Palmer crouches while waiting for play to restart in the Premier League match against Southampton at Stamford Bridge on 25 February, 2025

Cole Palmer has scored just three times since Christmas (Image credit: Alamy)

A report in Portuguese outlet Record, suggest Chelsea are one of several European clubs monitoring Benfica's Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis.

Pavlidis has scored 24 goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick in a crazy game in the Champions League against Barcelona, one of the clubs rumoured at being interested in his services.

However, the striker has a €100 million release clause in his contract which doesn't expire until 2029, and as Chelsea are reportedly looking for competition for Nicolas Jackson, it doesn't seem likely they'll splash this cash on Pavlidis.

Newcastle and Atletico Madrid, alongside the two clubs already mentioned, are all suggested to have interest in Benfica's frontman, but again, it seems unlikely they will spend such a large sum when they all have top level strikers currently leading their attacks.

Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea and Wout Faes of Leicester City in action during the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Chelsea FC at The King Power Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Leicester, England.

Nicolas Jackson has netted nine times this season, but not since the turn of the year (Image credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo's opinion, while Pavlidis clearly has an eye for goal, Chelsea should look closer to home before throwing around stupid sums of money again. Paying his release clause would represent dreadful business from Chelsea, with Transfermarket valuing him at jsut €28 million, €72 million below his release clause.

Last summer they brought in highly rated youngster Marc Guiu who is yet to be given a chance in the Premier League, and the arrival of Estevao and Kendrey Paez may help ease some of the burden on Palmer.

Focus should remain on the current season, with the Europa Conference League representing a great opportunity to turn a mediocre season into a good one.

Ewan Gennery
Freelance writer

Ewan is a freelance writer and social media manager who has worked for The Athletic, GOAL, 90min and OneFootball. From Gelsenkirchen to Riyadh, he has covered some of the biggest games in football in his three years in the industry.