Chelsea now frontrunners for “unimaginable” £26m defender, January transfer doable

Chelsea at the moment are frontrunners within the race for an “unimaginable” new defender, with a January transfer on the playing cards, ought to they be prepared to shell out a minimum of €30m (£26m).

Blues trying to strengthen defence amid Richards criticism

The Blues rose to fifth within the Premier League desk courtesy of a 3-0 victory towards Nottingham Forest on the weekend, however Micah Richards wasn’t overly impressed with the general efficiency.

Throughout the second half, the pundit instructed BBC Sport: “Chelsea have been horrible on the again, they haven’t had a clear sheet within the Premier League since August. You possibly can inform one thing isn’t proper there, they’ve been making too many errors.

“Forest look higher than they’ve been they usually’ve had the clearest probabilities. However I fear for them that lacking these probabilities may come again to chew them as Chelsea take the lead.”

Finally, the three factors are an important factor, however Enzo Maresca could also be barely involved about his aspect permitting Forest to create so many alternatives, with the hosts squandering 4 large probabilities and hitting the woodwork.

In response to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have now joined the race for a brand new defender, with it being revealed they’re frontrunners to signal Strasbourg’s Guela Doue, who may very well be in line to hitch as quickly because the January switch window.

The French aspect are planning to cash-in for a charge north of €30m (£26m), given his significance to the aspect, which might be reasonably priced for the Blues, and the actual fact each golf equipment are below BlueCo possession may feasibly make every part simpler to orchestrate.

Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford are additionally eager on Doue, who’s presently contracted till 2029, however the west Londoners at the moment are within the strongest place to get a deal achieved.

“Unimaginable” Doue can be versatile choice for Maresca

The 23-year-old, who’s the brother of Paris Saint-Germain star Want Doue, is able to enjoying at each right-back and centre-back, that means he can be a flexible choice for Maresca, and the defender has displayed his potential to contribute on the entrance foot this season.

Certainly, the Angers-born ace has one purpose and two assists to his title in 4 Ligue 1 outings, whereas additionally showcasing his passing potential and defensive expertise frequently over the course of the previous 12 months, inserting in a excessive percentile on a number of metrics, in comparison with different full-backs.

Having been lauded for his “unimaginable character” by Strasbourg supervisor Liam Rosenior, Doue may very well be a strong addition for Chelsea, who undoubtedly want to enhance their defensive depth, having been left mild on choices following accidents to Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile.