Chelsea has delayed their major summer deal for a striker till this happens.

Jhon Duran is one of several strikers who have been widely linked with Chelsea this summer but have yet to complete a move.

Everything appeared to be in place, both with Aston Villa and the player, but suddenly fell silent. A move to sign Marc Guiu is underway, although the 18-year-old is seen as a prospect for the future and will most likely spend the season on loan even if signed.

So, what’s going on with the never-ending quest for Nicolas Jackson’s backup? The sporting directors have had an entire year to think about it; why haven’t they chosen their man and made it happen?

According to Simon Phillips, who writes exclusively for Substack, this is because they prefer to ensure that their sales are in order before bringing in fresh faces. There are two strikers on the books who they absolutely want to clear off, and once that’s done, they’ll bring deals like the Duran move back to life.

Armando Broja and Romelu Lukaku are rumored to be on their way out, but no deal has been finalized yet. AC Milan “want Lukaku, but only on loan,” while Broja “has a lot of interest from all over Europe, including the Premier League.”

Lukaku’s salary have always made it difficult to move him on; last year, we tried to sell him before finally giving in and loaning him.

Broja is an interesting case; according to Phillips, Chelsea wants to use him as a “sweetener” in trade agreements, which are becoming increasingly fashionable in this world of PSR tricks. It sounds like there are plenty of clubs who want him, so even if we can’t package him off.