Chelsea have now registered their interest in a surprise move for a “fantastic” Juventus star, who is being targeted by a number of Premier League clubs.
Blues join race for sought-after midfielder
The Blues’ 3-1 home defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion perhaps underlined that they’re not quite ready to mount a Premier League title push, despite their heavy spending, with Jamie Carragher making it clear that Enzo Maresca’s squad lacks experience.
The Sky Sports pundit said: “How long will the rebuild after Abramovich last? At what point will they realize the need to buy ready-made, established stars who can take the team from fourth place to first, combining youth with experience?”
Maresca’s squad has the youngest average age in the Premier League, at just 23.4, with a gap of 0.8 between them and second-placed Sunderland, and Raheem Sterling, who is part of the ‘bomb squad’ is the only player not in his twenties.
As pointed out by Carragher, the west Londoners need to bring in players with experience of winning major honours if they are going to become serious title contenders, and they have now joined the race to sign a new midfielder.
Indeed, according to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have now registered their interest in signing Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli, which would be a surprising move, given that he does not align with their recent transfer policy.
At 27-years-old, the Italian is a lot more experienced than most players who make the move to Stamford Bridge, and there are signs that a deal could be possible, with any bids of €40m (£35m) deemed to be ‘unrejectable’.
With Romeo Lavia struggling on the injury front, a move for Locatelli would make sense, but there is set to be fierce competition for his signature, as Newcastle United, Aston Villa, West Ham United and Bayer Leverkusen have also expressed interest.
"Fantastic" Locatelli has the talent to succeed at Stamford Bridge
Hailed as “fantastic” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Italy international is very impressive in possession of the ball, and has displayed his tackling ability on a regular basis over the past year, suggesting he is a well-rounded midfielder.
Statistic
Average per 90
Passes attempted
74.48 (93rd percentile)
Progressive passes
9.31 (97th percentile)
Tackles
2.78 (84th percentile)
With Maresca keen on a central midfielder capable of progressing the ball up the pitch, the Juventus maestro could be an ideal option, and he also has a keen eye for goal, once scoring with a remarkable shot from distance for Italy.
At 27, Locatelli is by no means old, but his experience could be of great use to Chelsea, given that they have the youngest squad in the Premier League, and they should test the waters with an offer this winter.