Chelsea to crush Andrea Berta ‘generational’ signing hopes for Arsenal as hijack of ‘stone-cold’ talent accelerates | OneFootball

Chelsea have reportedly had an offer turned down for an exceptional Saint-Etienne forward who has firmly been on the radar of Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta, with a second bid on the way for the top talent.

Djylian N’Guessan is the player in question, with the 17-year-old having turned professional in November 2024 and gone from strength to strength in the Saint-Etienne first team.

Despite his age, N’Guessan was called up to represent France at the Under-20 World Cup earlier this year, where Les Bleus reached the semi-finals, and is considered as one of the brightest young talents in France.

Top teams in the Premier League have been showing firm interest in the attacker and, according French newspaper L’Equipe, Todd Boehly’s BlueCo consortium are determined to add N’Guessan to their large pool of talent despite already seeing an opening €8million bid for the winger rebuffed.

Chelsea signed Mathis Amougou from Saint-Etienne last winter before sending the midfielder to Strasbourg, and it’s rumoured that BlueCo may have similar plans for N’Guessan.

What’s more, the player himself has no intention of extending his current contract with his current club, leading to Strasbourg ‘deciding to sell one of the most promising players of his generation’.

The report adds that while there is a strong chance N’Guessan will complete a move to Stamford Bridge next month, Saint-Etienne are holding out for a fee of €12.5m (£11m) from Chelsea, although that is not expected to be an issue.

N’Guessan, whose father Dany spent the majority of his playing career in English football with the likes of Lincoln City, Leicester and Millwall, is also thought to be a major target for Arsenal and Brentford.

Indeed, it’s rumoured that Berta has been keeping a close eye on the development of the winger as part of his brief to identify generational talents, with N’Guessan very much regarded in that category.

Saint-Etienne head coach Eirik Horneland is clearly a big fan, stating: “He is a fantastic player and football appears to be in his blood.

“He is a quiet boy, but in the box, stone cold, with excellent ball control and an amazing finish.

“To see him play gave me confidence in our youth academy. He is a young player with potential, and I value him highly.”

Chelsea also tracking Serie A sensation

N’Guessan is not the only impressive young talent on Chelsea’s radar, as TEAMtalk can reveal that the Blues are also rivalling Manchester City for Atalanta starlet Honest Ahanor.

The 17-year-old only joined Atalanta in the summer, joining from Genoa in a €20m (£17.5m / $23.6m) deal, but his stay at Bergamo could be fleeting.

Left-sided Ahanor, who is comfortable at centre-half, full-back and in midfield, has started half a dozen games for Atalanta, and scouts are flocking to see him in action.

Well-placed sources have confirmed that Chelsea are paying close attention to Ahanor. He is a player they have been keen for a number of years, after first spotting him in Genoa’s youth academy.

BlueCo are not alone in their admiration, as we can confirm that the City Group and Man City are following him closely too.

A source close to Atalanta told us: “Every top club Europe is watching Honest, but in recent weeks Chelsea and City have been virtually ever-present.

“He is a huge talent.”

Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana has put together a list of managerial options to replace Pep Guardiola, and we can confirm that Blues boss Enzo Maresca is on it.

Elsewhere, Maresca is keen on a 2026 deal for Alessandro Bastoni, and so is Tottenham Hotspur co-sporting director Fabio Paratici, according to an Italian report, which has also revealed the Inter Milan defender’s stance on leaving for the Blues or Spurs.