Chelsea meet with agent of "horrible" Fulham star Rodrigo Muniz as Blues prepare for summer shake up
- Barnaby Lane
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Chelsea have reportedly met with the agent of Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz as the club intensifies its search for a new forward ahead of a major summer rebuild.
It’s widely understood that signing a striker tops Chelsea’s priority list, following a difficult campaign for their current attacking options.
Nicolas Jackson started brightly, netting nine goals in his first 15 Premier League appearances, but has since struggled with form and fitness.
Christopher Nkunku, meanwhile, has failed to make a meaningful impact, scoring just three league goals. Marc Guiu showed promise in the Europa Conference League but was sidelined for the season in February and had limited opportunities beforehand.
Among the targets discussed internally are Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyökeres and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, with new head coach Enzo Maresca having publicly praised Delap – whom he previously coached at Manchester City.
Now, Muniz has emerged as a surprise candidate. Journalist Simon Phillips reports that Chelsea's hierarchy recently "entertained" the Brazilian’s agent at Stamford Bridge. According to Phillips, the agent of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike has also been welcomed to the club.
Muniz has spent much of the season behind Raúl Jiménez in Fulham’s pecking order, starting just eight Premier League matches and appearing off the bench 23 times. Still, the 23-year-old has managed to score eight goals – just two fewer than Jiménez and one shy of his own tally from last season.
Premier League all-time top scorer Alan Shearer once described Muniz as “horrible” to play against following his two-goal display in Fulham’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth at Dean Court.
“He was strong, he ran the channels, he brought players into the game and he really upset the Bournemouth defenders in every way, in everything he was doing,” Shearer said.
“He was willing to run in behind and on one of the occasions he does it, they get their first goal because of it. They got balls into the box for him and he was first to react. He understood the situation and got there first. He was barging defenders out of the way and I really enjoyed his performance.”
Muniz not the man Chelsea should be chasing
Everything Chelsea says...
While Shearer’s praise highlights what Muniz can offer on his day, there are two key reasons Chelsea should steer clear.
First, those days are few and far between. Limited minutes aside, Muniz struggled for form early this season and at the back end of last. He holds the ball up well, is strong in the air, and can bully defenders – but he lacks the pace and finesse to stretch defences or score in a variety of ways.
Second, he doesn’t represent an upgrade on Chelsea’s current strikers.
Even in poor form, Jackson is superior in nearly every department: he combines strength with speed, ball control, and the ability to take on defenders one-on-one. His main weaknesses are composure in front of goal and decision-making – both of which can be improved.
Guiu has also shown flashes of real potential in European competition, while Nkunku, despite being out of sync under Maresca’s system, remains a high-calibre talent.
A move for Muniz simply doesn't make sense. It wouldn’t move the needle at Stamford Bridge—it would only add another body to an already crowded attack, without solving the club’s biggest problem: putting the ball in the back of the net.