Chelsea are in talks with La Liga side Leganes over the sale of 25-year-old Kenneth Omeruo, who hasn’t made a single first-team appearance for the Blues.
As per a report from The Sun, Premier League giants Chelsea in talks with La Liga minnows Leganes, negotiating a deal for the sale of Nigerian defender Kenneth Omeruo, who isn’t part of the plans at Stamford Bridge.
Omeruo signed for Chelsea in his teens, joining from Belgian outfit Standard Liege in January 2012. However, despite being for more than seven years at the club, the 25-year-old has not made a single first-team appearance for the West London outfit till date.
Omeruo has had as many as six loan spells away from Chelsea. The centre-back has had temporary spells at ADO Den Haag, Middlesbrough (twice), Turkish outfits Kasimpasa and Alanyaspor, while he spent the 2018-19 campaign on loan at Leganes.
The 25-year-old featured 31 times for the La Liga side across all competitions and made enough of an impression for them to consider signing him permanently. Omeruo himself is keen on securing a permanent move away from Chelsea, knowing that he is unlikely to get a look-in into Frank Lampard’s side in the upcoming campaign.
In a recent interview, Omeruo said: “I thought that I would play at Chelsea and make my name. But going there and seeing the types of players arrive plus the club have so much money to spend, you have to accept that it might not happen. I could have said I would stay and be on the bench but I am a player that wants to play. I want to earn my money.
“I think now’s the time for me to leave, to find a place, to be my own man. When I went to Turkey I had a great time but being in Spain was my best season as it is a league that everyone watches. It has been a wonderful journey. But the journey with Chelsea is going to end now.”
Chelsea are negotiating with Leganes over a transfer fee for the 25-year-old, who is a regular for the Nigerian national team. The report mentions a figure of £4.5 million, but Leganes face competition from a few other clubs from La Liga for his signing.
Omeruo is in the final year of his contract with the Blues and a transfer away seems the best course of action for all parties involved. It remains to be seen if he returns to Leganes or joins some other La Liga outfit.
