Chelsea are thought to be leading the race to sign FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, and a January transfer is now a possibility.
The Blues bounced back from the home defeat to Sunderland with an impressive victory on the road on Saturday, defeating London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the Premier League, with Joao Pedro scoring what proved to be the winning goal in the first half.
Enzo Maresca will no doubt be happy with the result, while the manager will also be pleased that Pedro managed to break his duck, having failed to score since the 2-0 victory against Fulham at the end of August.
BlueCo invested heavily in the frontline in the summer, with Liam Delap also arriving from Ipswich Town, but the Englishman struggled with injuries at the start of the campaign, and Maresca wasn't impressed with his red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Chelsea's Liam Delap reacts after sustaining an injury
Chelsea's Liam Delap reacts after sustaining an injury
Maresca said: "We had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary and was absolutely deserved,
"After the first yellow card I told him [Delap] four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player who, when he's on the pitch, is probably playing the game for himself and struggles to realise and listen to those around him."
Chelsea in pole position to sign Aghehowa
It has now emerged that Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker, having moved into pole position in the race for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, alongside London rivals Spurs.
That is according to a report from Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness), which states the Blues are in the lead in the race for Aghehowa, with Porto now willing to sanction a departure as early as January.
FC Porto's Samu Aghehowa celebrates scoring their first goal
Club president André Villas-Boas is prepared to cash-in for a fee of €80m (£70m), so the west Londoners will need to spend big in order to get a deal over the line.
That said, there are signs the Spaniard could be worth splashing the cash on, having maintained a fantastic record in front of goal across his opening two seasons in Portugal.
Season Appearances (all competitions) Goals
2024-25 45 27
2025-26 11 9
At 21-years-old, the youngster could be capable of leading the line at a top club for over a decade, with scout Ben Mattinson of the belief he is too good to be playing in Portugal.
There are question marks over whether Aghehowa would be a necessary signing, given that Maresca already has Delap and Pedro at his disposal, but he would undoubtedly be an exciting addition to the squad.
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