Offer made: Boehly eyes Chelsea move for £85m “monster” who’d be perfect for Incoming manager
This week’s departure of Mauricio Pochettino marked the beginning of Todd Boehly’s dream Chelsea.
As he attempts to mold the team for the incoming boss, there will be many more changes, both in and out of the team.
The Blues’ offense flourished under the Argentine, scoring 77 goals, but they also conceded 63 goals, the most in the top eight, showing weakness in the defense.
In light of this, let’s examine a transfer target who, should Kieran McKenna be hired, might both assist solidify the backline and be the ideal player for the position.
Chelsea eye up their first signing of the summer
According to reports from Spain via TEAMtalk, Chelsea are interested in signing Ronald Arajuo.
Barcelona are said to be open to offers for their star centre-back, with Boehly and co reportedly lodging a bid already.
The Spanish giant is said to demand around £85m for the Uruguayan, which shouldn’t be a problem for Chelsea.
However, they won’t be alone in their quest to sign Araujo, with Manchester United also keen to employ him this summer.
Another figure that the Red Devils will compete against Chelsea for is Ipswich Town boss McKenna, who’s been listed as a candidate for the Blues job – as well as reportedly holding talks with those at Old Trafford.
Why Araujo would be perfect for McKenna
Barcelona’s number four has been absolutely sensational since breaking into the first team during the 2020/21 campaign.
That said, the dynamic defender’s season this time around hasn’t exactly been ideal, with him missing eight games through injury.
This means that the 25-year-old has only started 21 La Liga games, keeping a clean sheet in a third of those outings.
Nevertheless, when he has been on the field, Araujo has been immense, with the table below proving that he’s a complete defender.
As you can see from the above, Araujo has the perfect blend of technical quality and defensive dominance, which makes him a top defender,
On top of that, the Uruguay international can comfortably operate as both a centre half and a right back, which makes him the perfect profile for McKenna’s 4-2-3-1 system – with former United man Axel Tuanzebe currently taking on that role at Ipswich.
In possession, the right back is instructed to drop into a back three, with the left-back pushing up as a winger. In order for this approach to work, the wide centre back’s have to be both comfortable on the ball, and most importantly, athletic, which is exactly what the Barca ace offers.
Despite standing at 6 foot 2, Araujo is known for his impressive speed and power, which is why football analyst Raj Choham called him a “monster,” referring to his ability to dominate in 1v1 scenarios, and his frequent battle with Vinicius Junior in El Classico proves that he’s more than capable of shutting down the very best.
Overall, signing Araujo is a clear statement of intent by Chelsea, and if they can get him over the line, they’d have one of the best defenders in Europe on their books.