Chelsea tracking Nice youngster Bouanani

Chelsea's relentless signing of Europe's most promising young players will apparently continue, after the Stamford Bridge outfit were today linked with a move for Nice forward Badredine Bouanani. The 19-year-old, who has already appeared for Algeria five teams, has caught the eye at Nice after an impressive spell last year at Ligue 1 duo Lorient on loan and seven further games for Nice's first team.

The 5 foot 8 forward came through the ranks at Lille before transferring to Nice in 2022, and he was widely considered the best youth prospect at the club since Eden Hazard. Nice signed Bouanani on a free transfer, and could sell him to Chelsea for a fee of £20 million, which would represent an enormous profit for the Ligue 1 team.

It is understood that Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly has promised a further £65 million of funds to spend on new players before the transfer window's closure on August 30th, and after receiving a glowing reference from Chelsea's scouting network, Boehly wants to sign Bouanani as soon as possible.