Chelsea eager to sign 25-year-old South American centre-back
The Blues are reportedly considering a move for Atletico Madrid centre-back Jose Gimenez. The 25-year-old defender was believed to be on Chelsea’s radar earlier this year prior to the signature of Thiago Silva. The Blues stay interested in Uruguay international’s services.
Valued at £63m, Jose has just played five times this campaign for Diego Simeone’s team owing to injury and virus absences. With 60 caps for Uruguay and 133 La Liga games at only 25, Gimenez is already a vastly experienced operator who would likely make the switch to the PL with relative ease.
Strong in the air and with vast UCL experience, Blues would be well advised to consider paying big bucks to recruit a defensive powerhouse like Jose. Frank fixed his team’s defensive woes in the short term with the arrival of Silva, with Chelsea conceding just twice in the seven matches he has played after his PL debut with West Bromwich.
Despite the 36-year-old possibly extending his stay beyond the end of the current campaign, at some point, Lampard will need to source a long-term replacement for Brazil international and Jose could easily be that solution.
The Uruguayan centre-back signed a five-year deal with Atletico Madrid in 2018, meaning he is tied to the club until the summer of 2023, while Diego Simeone’s side also inserted a release clause of £106m into his contract.
A footballer of his quality is also bound to be on the radar of Europe’s other heavyweight clubs, with Romano previously reporting interest from Man United and Juventus, so any move would not be straightforward for Blues.