Chelsea finalized a deal for Morgan Rodgers earlier this week, but have also made contact to sign Bologna winger Jonathan Rowe.
Like Rodgers, Lowe can play on the left or in midfield, and talkSPORT’s Geoff Stelling was very impressed with his performances for the England Under-21s on their way to European Championship glory last summer.
Mr Stelling said: “According to reports, Chelsea and Villa are interested, which could increase the chances of him eventually joining the England squad. We will be looking for a number nine. He hasn’t scored many goals, and he hasn’t scored many goals in Italy either.”
“But I remember his performance for England Under-21s when they won the Euros, and he was really exceptional.”
As noted, the 23-year-old is yet to earn an England cap and was not included in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad last season after scoring just three goals and providing three assists in 28 Serie A games, but this is a fairly modest return.
However, his average of 2.7 successful dribbles per 90 was the second highest in the entire league, and the Englishman turned heads in the Europa League, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 12 games.
The Bologna star could therefore be in for a big move, with his current employers reportedly offering him around 40 million euros (approximately 3.4 billion yen) in cash, with him keen on a move to the Premier League.
TEAMtalk reports that Chelsea are currently making approaches for Lowe, who has emerged as a serious target for Everton, with a number of rival Premier League clubs also expressing interest.
However, Bologna are not completely sold on the idea of selling the forward, who remains under contract until 2029.
Should Chelsea sign Lowe? | |
|---|---|
Already signed Morgan Rogers | Chelsea have already announced that they will sign Rodgers from Aston Villa in a £117m deal this summer to join their attacking force. The England star can also play in attacking midfield or on the left wing and, unlike Lowe, already has extensive international and Premier League experience. |
Shades of Jamie Gittens’ contract | The Blues made the mistake of signing a young English winger with no Premier League experience last summer. Jamie Gittens ended up playing just 490 minutes in the Premier League, failing to make an impact. It would therefore make more sense to sign a forward who already has a proven track record in England, but Lowe, who has only made 13 appearances in the top flight, does not tick that box. |
An impressive row in Europe | However, there are signs that the former Norwich City man has been on a roll since signing for Bologna. In last season’s Europa League, the left-winger scored in the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa, while also winning seven duels and completing four of the five dribbles he attempted. After performances like this against the top teams in the Premier League, Lowe may be ready for another chance to prove himself in England. |
Xabi Alonso’s side are also keen to strengthen their midfield this summer, with Enzo Fernandes’ future at Stamford Bridge up in the air.
They are currently the favorites to sign AFC Bournemouth star Alex Scott, but the Cherries have set a huge asking price.
