Chelsea fans claim ‘Todd Boehly masterclass’ as former target piles pressure on Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag
Chelsea fans were filled with excitement over the club’s scouting success as Samu Omorodion scored two crucial goals in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Manchester United. Many supporters had hoped to see Omorodion in Chelsea blue, as the club was strongly linked with the striker during the summer transfer window. However, a potential move from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea fell through. The deal, reportedly worth £36 million, was negotiated at the same time as Atletico’s pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
Despite Chelsea’s interest, some skepticism surrounded the potential signing, largely because Omorodion lacked extensive experience at the top level. In the end, the deal never materialized, and Omorodion made the switch to Portuguese giants FC Porto instead. Since then, the young striker has thrived, with his recent performance against Manchester United in the Europa League standing as a prime example of his growing talent. Porto had initially fallen 2-0 behind, thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, but mounted a spirited comeback to take a 3-2 lead. It was only Harry Maguire’s last-minute equalizer that prevented Porto from securing victory, but Omorodion still stole the show with his two goals.
The Spaniard has now scored an impressive seven goals in just six appearances across all competitions this season, and Chelsea fans have taken to social media to comment on his rise. On X (formerly Twitter), one fan remarked, “Chelsea sent Samu Omorodion to Porto to torment United. Another Todd Boehly masterclass.” Another fan humorously speculated that Chelsea had let the deal slip just so Omorodion could “be the weapon fashioned against Manchester United.” Meanwhile, other supporters are now clamoring for the club to revisit the transfer and bring the striker to Stamford Bridge. One fan exclaimed, “Chelsea go back and bring Samu Omorodion to the Bridge,” while another added, “Chelsea has to go back into the market for Omorodion. I’ve seen enough.”
Omorodion’s standout display did not go unnoticed by pundits either. Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves, speaking on TNT Sports, was full of praise for the young striker. “Matthijs de Ligt lost Samu, who was absolutely brilliant in terms of running the channels and being efficient in front of goal,” Hargreaves said, referring to Omorodion’s second goal. “That kid’s a player, and he caused De Ligt absolute nightmares today.”
The result of the match only adds to the growing pressure on Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. After a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur the previous weekend, United’s performance in the Europa League leaves them with just two points in the competition. Under Ten Hag’s leadership, United has struggled defensively, having conceded three or more goals in a match 24 times across all competitions since his arrival in 2022, more than any other Premier League club.
Chelsea, on the other hand, seem to be on more stable ground. Despite missing out on Omorodion, as well as Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran—who made headlines with a stunning goal in Villa’s Champions League win over Bayern Munich—the Blues are managing well without them. Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s new manager, has overseen another impressive win, this time in the UEFA Conference League. Chelsea secured a 4-2 victory at home against Belgian side Gent. Renato Veiga and Pedro Neto were on target for the Blues, before Gent’s Tsuyoshi Watanabe pulled one back. However, Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added two more goals to ensure all three points for Chelsea, with only a late consolation goal from Omri Gandelman for the visitors.
Although Chelsea missed out on signing Omorodion, the team is showing they can cope without him for now, as they continue to progress both domestically and in European competitions. Still, the sight of Omorodion thriving at Porto leaves many Chelsea fans wondering what could have been.
