Chelsea are now believed to be “working” on the potential signing of a La Liga star behind-the-scenes, with Stamford Bridge officials apparently very impressed by him.
Chelsea looking to strengthen at centre-back and going forward
Enzo Maresca has guided the west Londoner to five wins from their last five Premier League games, as the Italian is forced to constantly refute suggestions that Chelsea are now contending for this season’s title with Arsenal and Liverpool.
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Chelsea hold initial talks with £83m ace this week ahead of potential move
The west Londoners have approached his camp “in recent days”.
Chelsea have scored more goals than any other top flight side, with only Arsenal and Liverpool conceding fewer, leaving little surprise that many are starting to believe Maresca could beat both Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta to the Premier League crown in his debut campaign as manager.
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Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Everton (away) |
December 22 |
|
Fulham (home) |
December 26 |
|
Ipswich Town (away) |
December 30 |
|
Crystal Palace (away) |
January 4 |
|
Bournemouth (home) |
January 14 |
However, despite their excellent form, those within Chelsea are still looking to bolster some key areas of the squad – whether that be in the looming January transfer window or next summer.
BlueCo are said to be prioritising the addition of a new centre-back at Chelsea, potentially meaning one of Axel Disasi or Benoit Badiashile could depart (Simon Phillips), with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, Benfica’s Tomas Araujo and Antonio Silva all being looked at.
Meanwhile, there is also the very real possibility that Chelsea could bring in a prolific new number nine, despite Nicolas Jackson’s excellent performances leading the line this season and Christopher Nkunku being just as prolific off the bench.
According to some reports, Chelsea have made contact with Ipswich Town over Liam Delap, and talks over a potential deal have already been held.
The Englishman has impressed under Kieran McKenna, but Delap is by no means there only striker target, with Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Sesko, Victor Boniface and Dušan Vlahović sporadically linked in the past few months as well.
Chelsea “working” on deal for Getafe sensation Christantus Uche
Another player who can feature as a centre-forward, but is more traditionally an attacking midfielder, is Getafe starlet Christantus Uche.
The breakout Nigerian played amateur football in his home country just two years ago, but since then, Uche has risen to the top of European football and is now plying his trade in Spain’s top flight.
The 21-year-old is a mainstay for Getafe after signing for just €500,000 in the summer, and his performances have attracted attention from west London.
According to reports out of Spain, Chelsea are “working” on a deal for Uche, and the club’s board are particularly impressed by his versatility. They’re apparently the “most determined” club to secure his services, but Getafe won’t be letting him go for a penny less than his £21 million release clause.