Transfer that Chelsea need now blocked as perfect Moises Caicedo partner found
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo celebrates against Tottenham
Moises Caicedo needs help in midfield for Chelsea
Chelsea have gone from cruising in second/third place in the Premier League to nervously watching over their shoulders in fourth. No longer comfortable in their spot or a standout team after their late-December blip, questions are being asked of Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea are not expected to be majorly busy, especially not with incoming activity, but there is plenty to be sorted elsewhere in the squad, and the last few weeks could pose as the perfect reason to take action and bring in some more reinforcements. For Maresca, it could be a period that makes or breaks his season.
Here, uxsports.co.uk takes a look at the latest transfer stories and updates from around the club.
Centre-back switch
There’s quite a lot to pack in here, but the main story is that Give Me Sport claims Bournemouth are ready to reject any offers from Chelsea or Tottenham for centre-back Illia Zabarnyi. The Ukraine defender has started to attract immense interest after his impressive performances so far this season.
Zabarnyi, 22, is one of several Cherries players to have now made a massive impact under Andoni Iraola. Milos Kerkez is another who is thriving, and has been linked with Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United among others.
Tottenham are said to be keen on bringing in Zabarnyi as they deal with serious injury issues in their backline, whilst Chelsea are looking for cover for Wesley Fofana. Axel Disasi, it is reported elsewhere, could also leave the club in January with Zabarnyi supposedly deemed a better fit.
Zabarnyi has been scouted by Chelsea in an attempt to fully understand his qualities, and Disasi is struggling under Maresca. Newcastle were one of the few sides entertaining an offer over the summer for him.
Elsewhere, if Disasi does leave, then former Chelsea ace Fikayo Tomori is among the other names who could join in his place. Tomori is said to have been offered to his old team, although Juventus are currently the most likely destination for him. Spurs are also in the mix for Tomori.
Uxsports.co.uk says: Not all of Chelsea’s recent problems have been centre-back related, but losing Fofana and dealing with Levi Colwill outside of his natural spot in the middle of defence has been a serious blow. Disasi just doesn’t cut it – he’s too slow, can’t defend wide spaces, and offers very little support in possession.
Josh Acheampong could certainly do his job and is the free replacement in the squad if Chelsea do want to make changes. As for the names here, Zabarnyi is an interesting one but isn’t likely to move mid-season and would be a risk for what could be a huge price.
Maybe come the summer, but Chelsea would need to sell Disasi and the on-loan Trevoh Chalobah, first. As for Tomori, it would be a nice story and his time at Chelsea came to a premature halt, but in Chalobah they have a right-sided centre-back somewhere else, who doesn’t need the big transfer fee, and is more versatile.
Tomori is definitely quicker and stronger in the air, but whether that warrants paying the money, even as a replacement for outgoing others, is up for debate. Chelsea will need to make some changes to their squad before the window closes, though, as relying on Fofana is not sustainable.
It all adds up to the fact that Maresca appears to be blocked from making the perfect centre-back signing needs now.
It was Milan who took advantage, though. However, the recently sacked Paulo Fonseca was not able to take advantage of his abilities as a defensive midfielder.
Fofana’s qualities have not gone under the radar even with the poor results, and instead the vulnerability to missing out on European football has left them exposed to a bid here. It is claimed that the 25-year-old is a serious target for Chelsea and interest has been fielded.
Milan are also described as being open to selling fellow midfielder Tijani Rejinders. They are eighth in Serie A heading into the halfway stage of the season.
Uxsports.co.uk says: With Romeo Lavia struggling with injury once more and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall failing to make the grade so far, Chelsea could do with some reinforcement in the centre of the park. Fofana fits the bill perfectly.
He could be a great partner for Moises Caicedo as a defensive machine also able to punch passes through from deep, acting as a true No.6 but also a slightly more advanced No.8 at times.
Fofana really would be a great get for Chelsea but it doesn’t feel likely, especially not in January. The real question here is why they didn’t go harder for him over the summer when a deal for much cheaper was on the cards.
