Chelsea have reportedly suffered a massive setback in their pursuit of Manchester City attacking sensation Nico O’Reilly.
According to an update by the reliable David Ornstein, Nico O’Reilly will remain at Manchester City despite significant interest in his signature from Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s team wanted a buy-back clause in any potential deal something the Blues were not ready to accept.
O’Reilly has been a part of the City youth ranks since his childhood days. He has gone up the ranks at some pace and has already made six first-team appearances. While he hasn’t been promoted to their senior side yet, people at the club are well aware of his massive potential.
His sensational performances at the youth level have put him on the radar of Chelsea who are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to sign young stars with massive potential. They had previously raided City to sign Cole Palmer in the summer of 2023.
The 22-year-old English international has gone on to be one of their best signings in the recent past. He is now one of the mainstays at Stamford Bridge and they were looking to re-create something similar by acquiring the services O’Reilly who has similar potential.
Chelsea are unlikely to win race for O’Reilly
Chelsea are looking to add more quality to their midfield on deadline day and they were going after the English youth international’s services. The London club knocked on the doors of the Premier League defending champions to learn more about a potential transfer.
While they did push hard to sign the 19-year-old, the Blues have suffered a massive setback as City don’t want to lose control of the player. They are ready to part ways with him for now but want a buy-back clause in any potential transfer.
Chelsea are not ready to accept a buy-back cause. As a result, the teenager is all set to continue at City. Guardiola’s team rate him quite highly and they feel they have managed to avoid a repeat of the Palmer situation.