Chelsea are actually frontrunners within the race for an “unimaginable” new defender, with a January transfer on the playing cards, ought to they be keen to shell out not less than €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 in opposition to Nottingham Forest on the weekend, however Micah Richards wasn’t overly impressed with the general efficiency.
Through the second half, the pundit informed BBC Sport: “Chelsea have been horrible on the again, they haven’t had a clear sheet within the Premier League since August. You may 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 possibilities. However I fear for them that lacking these possibilities may come again to chunk them as Chelsea take the lead.”
Finally, the three factors are crucial factor, however Enzo Maresca could also be barely involved about his facet permitting Forest to create so many alternatives, with the hosts squandering 4 large possibilities 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 affix as quickly because the January switch window.
The French facet are planning to cash-in for a charge north of €30m (£26m), given his significance to the facet, which might be inexpensive for the Blues, and the very fact each golf equipment are below BlueCo possession may feasibly make the whole lot simpler to orchestrate.
Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford are additionally eager on Doue, who’s at the moment contracted till 2029, however the west Londoners are actually within the strongest place to get a deal executed.
“Unbelievable” Doue could be versatile choice for Maresca
The 23-year-old, who’s the brother of Paris Saint-Germain star Need Doue, is able to enjoying at each right-back and centre-back, that means he could be a flexible choice for Maresca, and the defender has displayed his skill to contribute on the entrance foot this season.
Certainly, the Angers-born ace has one aim and two assists to his identify in 4 Ligue 1 outings, whereas additionally showcasing his passing skill and defensive expertise frequently over the course of the previous yr, inserting in a excessive percentile on a number of metrics, in comparison with different full-backs.
Statistic | Common per 90 |
Clearances | 4.95 (99th percentile) |
Aerials received | 1.97 (97th percentile) |
Passes tried | 66.67 (ninetieth percentile) |
Progressive passes | 6.32 (93rd percentile) |
Having been lauded for his “unimaginable character” by Strasbourg supervisor Liam Rosenior, Doue may very well be a stable addition for Chelsea, who positively want to enhance their defensive depth, having been left mild on choices following accidents to Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile.
