Three Nigerians play for the Reds, but one of them might have been en route to Stamford Bridge on the day of the transfer deadline.

Just 48 hours before the summer transfer window closed, Chelsea made a last-ditch effort to sign Nigerian attacker Taiwo Awoniyi, according to Soccernet.ng.

The Blues had already spent a sizeable sum on up-and-coming players throughout the summer, including Christopher Nkunku, Moisés Caicedo, and Nicolas Jackson.

However, their preparations were derailed when Nkunku sustained a serious injury in the first week of August, necessitating knee surgery and a significant four-month absence from play.

Chelsea’s management made the decision to look for a new offensive asset after realizing their attacking options were limited and focused their attention on Nottingham Forest.

According to The Athletic, Chelsea contacted Nottingham Forest and expressed interest in signing the talented Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi.

With an incredible ten goals, Awoniyi was Forest’s leading scorer the previous season. In his first three league games in August, he scored goals against teams like Arsenal, Sheffield United, and Manchester United, kicking off the new season in dramatic way.

The timing of Chelsea’s approach, however, turned out to be a crucial one. Awoniyi was kept at the City Ground by Nottingham Forest in defiance of Chelsea’s advances despite the fact that there was only a 48-hour window left before the transfer deadline.

Chelsea eventually changed their focus and acquired 21-year-old attacker Cole Palmer from Manchester City for a huge €47 million cost.

Then, on September 2nd, Awoniyi would play a significant role, albeit in a different setting. In an unexpected turn of events, he assisted Anthony Elanga in scoring the game-winning goal as Nottingham Forest stunned Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Emmanuel Dennis, Ola Aina, and Awoniyi are the three Nigerian national team players presently playing for Nottingham Forest.