Chelsea are looking to sign a top Premier League youngster this winter transfer window as they scramble for new players before the deadline.
In uncharacterstic fashion for Chelsea, this transfer window has been extremely quiet in terms of incomings. Indeed, a couple of players - like Trevoh Chalobah - have returned from loan spells elsewhere, but Enzo Maresca's side are yet to add any brand new faces to the team.
Instead, outgoings look like the most work the club's hierarchy have to contend with at the moment, with Joao Felix, Axel Disasi and Carney Chukwuemeka seemingly all heading for the Stamford Bridge exit door in temporary moves.
Chelsea looking to repeat Cole Palmer transfer
Chelsea might still have time for one major signing to join the club, in a similar circumstance to how they landed key player Cole Palmer from Manchester City in the summer of 2023.
Unhappy with his lack of game time at City, Palmer agreed to the Chelsea move when the Blues offered £42.5m for the relatively unproven youngster. History could be set to repeat itself, as Maresca's side test the waters for another Mancunian wonderkid.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are looking to sign Nico O'Reilly from Manchester City, having identified the 19-year-old as a player with great potential for the future.
But while Pep Guardiola's side are reluctant to lose another top talent from their academy, Chelsea are willing to pay "an important fee" for O'Reilly. The Blues have proven in the past their willingness to spend big on young players with bright futures, with O'Reilly seemingly no exception. The report adds that Manchester City would require a buy-back clause inserted into the deal, however, for fear of making the same mistake as they did with Palmer.
O'Reilly would go straight into the Chelsea first team squad if he does switch the Etihad Stadium for Stamford Bridge this transfer deadline day, though, as the Blues look to bolster their midfield options. Considering the youngster has made just six appearances this term - including just one in the Premier League - the move could prove enticing for a player wanting more game time.
His versatility would certainly improve his chances of minutes, too. O'Reilly has played largely as a No.10 in City's Premier League 2 side, but Guardiola has also used him slightly deeper in midfield, and even as a centre-back, in the first team this term.
In FourFourTwo's view, it's no surprise that Chelsea want to hoover up as much young talent as possible, but it's intriguing that they would settle on O'Reilly. This feels like a move that could only happen if the player expresses his desire to leave Manchester City, though, with the club set to demand a large transfer fee otherwise.
Chelsea take on West Ham in the Premier League on Monday night, directly before the transfer window closes.
