“He’s a monster, He will make Chelsea title contenders” – Enzo Maresca told to sign £30m monster star who could make Chelsea title contenders
Two major trophies and a top-four finish is not a bad return for Enzo Maresca in his first-ever season managing in the top flight. An understatement of course, as it is far beyond what Chelsea fans could have demanded back in August.
Boasting the youngest squad in the Premier League, without a single player over the age of 27 last season, Chelsea were rampant in the autumn and provoked tentative shouts of a title challenge by Christmas. Though it would prove too soon for the youthful Blues, they finished strongly to secure fourth spot in a crunch match at the City Ground on the final day.
Now, the newly-crowned ‘World Champions’ – a title somewhat given credibility by the fact that they beat European champions PSG in the Club World Cup final – will look at how they can improve next season. At a club with as fierce an ambition as any, simply challenging for the top four again may not be enough. One player could be what they need to strive for a step further.
Gianluigi Donnarumma signing would be huge move by Chelsea
Chelsea may rub salt into Parisian wounds by going in for one of their very best, in goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian is dumbfoundingly an option for sale this summer, amidst rumours that PSG would prefer to invest their stocks in Lille’s Lucas Chevalier as their long-term No.1.
Donnarumma may not have been able to deny Cole Palmer a stunning double in the Club World Cup final, but he did keep out both Liverpool and Arsenal in spectacular style as PSG beat all of England’s Champions League representatives on the way to the famous trophy.
Chelsea have been linked with Donnarumma over recent days and whether these links intensify or die down following a heated incident in the aftermath of the final – where both Donnarumma and manager Luis Enrique appeared to strike Joao Pedro around the face and neck area – remains to be seen. But if off-field matters are looked past, there is no doubt Donnarumma is Chelsea’s dream signing this summer. Sometimes the greatest of foes become the closest of friends, as new Tottenham Hotspur teammates Micky van de Ven and Mohammed Kudus will hope proves true.
Donnarumma could make Chelsea title contenders
On the pitch, Donnarumma’s pedigree needs little introduction. Still just 26, the Italian really has been around just as long as you think, as he first became AC Milan’s No.1 as a 16-year-old in 2015/16. He has not looked back since, making 486 career appearances for Milan, PSG and Italy and winning the Champions League and the Euros.
Not only is he a great goalkeeper and a commanding presence, it is the impact he could have on Chelsea which is the most striking. In an era where high-potential signings have become a normality for the Blues, the future of their goalkeeping position remains up in the air. Error-prone Robert Sanchez is still not trusted by Maresca or by fans, nor is 23-year-old Filip Jorgensen, while Djordje Petrovic is set to sign for Bournemouth. The goalkeeping department sticks out like a sore thumb when compared with Chelsea’s attacking riches.
If Chelsea could secure the signing of £30m Donnarumma, who has just a year left on his contract, that may be their biggest statement buy under Maresca yet. Nobody has doubted Chelsea’s wealth of options in attacking areas, but if they can become more solid and imposing at the back, they might find themselves as genuine contenders.