Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall Chelsea transfer latest – Player swaps, Brighton ‘kidnap’ deal, Maresca’s stance

Chelsea are fast closing in on a deal for Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as new manager Enzo Maresca looks to be reuniting with the 25-year-old ahead of his first season at Stamford Bridge.

football.london understands the Blues have already made a formal offer to the Foxes for the star who won the Foxes’ Player of the Season award under Maresca in last season’s Championship-winning campaign. With Leicester under pressure to comply with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) this summer, it’s no surprise they are ready to sell one of their top academy products in the summer after securing promotion.

Dewsbury-Hall’s contract is set to expire in June 2027, meaning the Blues will have to pay a hefty sum given the three years remaining on his current deal with Leicester. So, with that said, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the midfielder and his ever-evolving transfer saga…

Chelsea submits formal offer

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Chelsea have submitted a formal bid for Dewsbury-Hall, with the star said to have declined the option to join Brighton after Chelsea entered the race. Should a deal be struck between the two sides, personal terms are unlikely to be an issue and the star would be ready to sign a long-term deal at Stamford Bridge – something that has been consistent under Todd Boehly’s ownership in the two years the American has been in charge of Chelsea.

Collapse of the Brighton Agreement

In order to secure Dewsbury-Hall’s services, Chelsea had to hijack Brighton’s proposed swap deal with Leicester at the eleventh hour – forcing the collapse of a near-complete move. The Seagulls were set to send Jakub Moder to the Foxes in exchange for Dewsbury-Hall, but Chelsea’s arrival on the scene meant that move was scuppered.

Now, it is said that Brighton have dropped negotiations for the starlet and that the 25-year-old’s only destination this summer will be Chelsea if he ends up leaving. According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Dewsbury-Hall is interested in a move away from the King Power Stadium and personal terms are not an issue between the two sides.

Player exchanges

Multiple sources claim that Chelsea could include a player swap in their deal to avoid spending too much money in the summer transfer window. David Datro Fofana, who has been essentially exiled from the Blues since his arrival in January last year, is one name that has been linked as a potential swap, although it seems unlikely, with Armando Broja in the same boat, according to Nizaar Kinsella.

Cesare Casadei, who spent the first half of last season under Maresca at Leicester, is another name that could be included in the deal and will no doubt be discussed by both sides following his impressive performances for the Foxes.

It is worth noting that the 21-year-old joined Chelsea just two years ago and has made just 11 first-team appearances after spells in the academy and a half-season loan at Reading in 2023, and is a promising talent.

Maresca gives position

Speaking in November last year while Leicester manager, Maresca said: “Kiernan is probably the player that since we started I can see he has improved more than the rest. Now, at this moment, he has the calmness that this type of player needs.

“At the beginning he was full of responsibility because he is from the academy and after the relegation, these things. After the first international break he calmed down, and now if you are watching the game as a fan, it is a pleasure to watch Kiernan and see how calm he is.

“He’s fantastic on the ball, he knows when to attack and what to give to the team. He’s so dangerous around the box, and he has the quality to score or provide an assist from anywhere. He’s always making the pass, providing assists. Unfortunately for him, his teammates, they miss a lot of goals, but apart from that they already provide 10 or 15 assists.”

In the January transfer window, Maresca repeatedly highlighted his concern that Dewsbury-Hall would be signed by a Premier League club during the winter due to his excellent performances in the Championship, and admitted that the midfielder was not distracted by any transfer speculation that was going on at the time.

“Tonight he showed how he takes care of his club,” Maresca said. “He has already scored 10 goals, probably for the first time in his life. This kind of thing, people don’t give it the importance it deserves and it’s not a good thing.

“No (I didn’t need to speak to Kiernan), he’s a Leicester player, he played tonight, and I hope he can play next night. He showed tonight how passionate he is about the club, how passionate he is about Leicester.

“Now, if something happens, I don’t know. I don’t want Kiernan to go. Ask the club if we need to sell or not. The only way we can do something is to sell players. I don’t think Kiernan’s future was about this game. Kiernan is a Leicester player, I hope he can play in the next game. Here, he showed once again that he is passionate about the club, whether something will happen now, I don’t know.”