Chelsea have initiated moves to sign Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum in an urgent effort to bolster their midfield following Enzo Fernández’s departure and the club’s failure to secure a replacement during the final hours of the transfer window.
The move comes after Chelsea sold Fernández to Manchester City for £125 million—a fee equaling the British transfer record—and the subsequent collapse of a deal for Monaco’s Senegalese midfielder Lamine Camara, who was slated to succeed him.
According to journalist Santi Aouna, Blues management made contact with Wijnaldum in recent hours, capitalizing on the ability to sign him despite the transfer window being closed, as the 35-year-old is a free agent following the expiration of his contract with Saudi side Al-Ettifaq.
Chelsea had previously reached a written agreement to sign Camara for £47 million on a six-year contract with an option for an additional season. However, Monaco pulled out of the deal after re-entering negotiations with Everton regarding the sale of Folarin Balogun.
In a dramatic twist, Balogun subsequently pulled out of his proposed move to Everton, causing both deals to collapse simultaneously, while Monaco declined to sign the deal sheet necessary for an extension to complete Camara’s transfer. Despite having the option to halt Fernández’s move to Manchester City, Chelsea chose to honor their agreement with both the club and the Argentine player.
Wijnaldum possesses extensive Premier League experience, having made 217 appearances and scored 27 goals across spells with Newcastle United and Liverpool. He featured in 237 matches in all competitions for Liverpool, winning the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.
The Dutchman’s most recent spell was with Al-Ettifaq, where he scored 38 goals and provided 17 assists in 101 matches, including a impressive campaign last season with 17 goals and 7 assists in 34 appearances.
