Chelsea fans are stuck in a strange place just now, as there’s a huge contrast between displays on the pitch and expectations for next campaign. Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech are already on the way, so they could be a decent shot-stopper and left-back away from being viewed as title challengers.
Their battle for a new defender and it sounds like a move for Foxes’ Ben Chilwell won’t happen. It’s suggested that he could cost more than £80m, so they’ve started to look for alternatives instead. They report that Toffees defender Lucas Digne has been identified as a target, and he could be an interesting signing if they do get him.
Lucas’ got international experience with the Les Bleus and he’s played in the UCL for Barcelona. On top of that, he’s also had some solid showings in the PL, so it’s easy to see why Digne would be an attractive target.
The main issues for Blues could be that Toffees will want a high fee because he’s on a long term deal, while Man City were showing an interest. Of course, this could also be a ploy to show Foxes that they will need to lower their asking price for Ben, so it will be very interesting to see how this plays out.
Everton defender Lucas is said to be on the shortlist of both sides this summer as Frank searches for a new first-choice left-back amid concerns over Marcos Alonso. Pep Guardiola is also keen on a Digne, with Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko both failing to nail down a starting spot because of form and fitness.