Jonathan Rowe to Chelsea: Blues contact winger’s reps
Jonathan Rowe to Chelsea: Chelsea have made direct contact with the representatives of Bologna winger Jonathan Rowe. According to respected Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, via TuttoMercatoWeb and Calciomercato, the west London club are pushing ahead with their summer attacking rebuild under new head coach Xabi Alonso. No formal bid has landed at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara yet. Even so, the Blues have positioned Rowe firmly near the top of their wide-player shortlist, and Bologna know it. (Via Metro)
Born in London, Rowe came through the Norwich City academy before making his professional debut with the Canaries in 2021. He picked up a handful of Premier League appearances before the club dropped down to the Championship. That brief top-flight spell planted a seed. He joined Marseille on loan in 2024, a move that turned permanent, but the spell ended spectacularly after a violent altercation with France international Adrien Rabiot in front of the coaching staff. Both men were sold. Rabiot headed to AC Milan, whilst Rowe crossed into Serie A with Bologna for £16.8 million last summer.
Roberto De Zerbi, then Marseille manager and now in charge at Tottenham Hotspur, described the incident bluntly. What happens if, at your workplace, two people, two employees, two workers, two lawyers, get into a fight? De Zerbi told reporters at the time. It was a bar fight, in front of the sporting director, in front of the coach, with a team-mate on the ground. Ugly. Still, Bologna gambled on Rowe regardless, and the bet paid off in ways the raw numbers don’t fully convey.
What his 2025-26 season actually showed
In Serie A, Rowe scored 3 goals and registered 2 assists across 28 league appearances in the 2025-26 campaign. He clocked 1,611 minutes, averaging a FotMob rating of 6.82. Across all competitions, the numbers climbed to 8 goals and 4 assists in 43 appearances. His Europa League performances caught the eyes across the continent. He earned an 8.2 rating in the first leg against Aston Villa at Dall’Ara. Unai Emery publicly praised him after that. Awkward, given Villa are now among the clubs credited with an interest in signing him.
His dribbling in particular terrified Serie A defences. His pace, directness, and high work rate gave Vincenzo Italiano’s side a weapon they’d struggle to replace cheaply. Chelsea scouts watched him in April. The contact with his camp followed quickly.
Chelsea are reportedly preparing an offer in the region of €38 million, per Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness. That figure would hand Bologna a significant profit on their initial £16.8 million outlay. The Italian club don’t want to sell. Calciomercato reports they’d find a substantial bid hard to refuse anyway. Rowe’s current market value sits at approximately €40 million, and his contract runs until June 2029, meaning Bologna hold the upper hand in any negotiation.
They are not the only ones looking. Aston Villa, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce have all been linked with moves. ESPN reports Rowe is also being compared against West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville and Sporting CP’s Francisco Trincão as the Blues survey the market.
The context here is Alejandro Garnacho. The Argentina international didn’t report for Chelsea’s pre-season under Alonso after a disappointing debut campaign at Stamford Bridge. Right now, the club are demanding around €50 million for his signature. Roma have been touted as a destination, though no deal has been finalised. Rowe has emerged as one possible replacement. It is a controversial choice, given the Marseille episode, but a logical one given his age, profile and the fact he grew up in London and reportedly wants a crack at the Premier League.
Galatasaray remain the front-runners according to some Italian reports. Champions League football is a serious pull. Chelsea don’t have that to offer this summer. It is a genuine obstacle.
Scorzo’s opinion:
This one is tricky. Rowe is a genuinely exciting player. He is quick and direct, with that Euro U21 winner’s medal from Slovakia 2025 adding a bit of pedigree to his story. Chelsea’s attacking department already looked bloated before Garnacho arrived, though. If Garnacho is leaving, Rowe makes more sense. If he is staying, you are adding another winger to a pile that is already causing headaches.
Read: Chelsea are still interested in £116m midfielder
The Marseille saga shouldn’t be a dealbreaker on its own. Players aren’t robots. It is just a flag that a new club needs to manage carefully. As for the fee, €38-40 million for a player with 3 Serie A goals last season is not low risk. Bologna’s reported reluctance to sell actually tells you more than the transfer gossip does. When a Serie A club that missed European football digs in to keep a winger, that player is usually worth the fuss.
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