Chelsea to miss out on Conrad Harder as he chooses to join Leipzig | OneFootball

RB Leipzig have pipped Chelsea in the race to sign Sporting CP striker Conrad Harder, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Blues are in a pickle after summer signing Liam Delap picked up an injury over the weekend.

Chelsea had already agreed to loan Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich, while youngster Marc Guiu had joined Sunderland.

They were in the market for a new striker and considered a move for Harder, but it appears he is not keen on a move to Stamford Bridge.

Hailed as a player with ‘enormous potential’, Harder has been hell-bent on joining Leipzig to aid his development, snubbing AC Milan, Rennes and Chelsea.

The talented young striker caught the eye playing as a back-up to Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting.

However, they signed Luis Suarez to replace the Swede, forcing Harder to look for a new stomping ground.

Chelsea have now been forced into a dramatic U-turn, recalling both Jackson and Guiu in a matter of hours.

It is an extraordinary reflection of how muddled their planning has become.

Having sanctioned exits for the pair without a clear succession plan in place, the club is suddenly short of options.

Jackson was already in Germany for medicals with Bayern, while Guiu was beginning to find his feet at Sunderland, only to be pulled back abruptly.

For a club of Chelsea’s stature, such indecision is ludicrous even by their own standards of chaotic recruitment.

It raises serious questions about their sporting direction and whether players can truly trust the promises being made at Stamford Bridge.