'God didn't want it' - Samu Omorodion thanks divine intervention for blocking Chelsea transfer and allowing Porto switch instead

The 20-year-old looked set to swap Atletico Madrid for Chelsea in August, with Conor Gallagher going the other way, only for the former's transfer to collapse. The 6ft 4in striker eventually joined Porto permanently and since then he has been on fire for the Portuguese outfit. Now, the Spain under-21 international has expressed his relief at not heading to Stamford Bridge.

He told RTVE: “I went through a very difficult period, because, after all, everyone knows that I was about to sign [for Chelsea], but the truth is that it didn’t happen. It was for one reason: God didn’t want it. I’m very happy, very content to be there. The truth is that things are going very well for me and, above all, I want to continue to show what I’m capable of.”

Omorodion, who spent last season on loan at Alaves in La Liga and scored eight goals in 35 matches, has hit the ground running at Porto. The big forward has scored seven goals in just six matches in all competitions, including a brace against Manchester United in the Champions League. With so many players struggling to get game time at Chelsea, due to the sheer size of their expensively assembled squad, joining Porto may have been the best thing for his career.

The former Atletico man, who didn't play a single game for the La Liga team following his move from Granada in 2023, is likely to feature for Porto in their Taca de Portugal third round clash away at Sintrense on October 20.