Poch could sign Chelsea’s own Modric in £50m “monster”, just imagine him & Enzo – opinion
Chelsea’s frustrating search for a new holding midfielder to replace N’Golo Kante may see them go down a different route entirely.
Kante is set to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, while midfield partner Mateo Kovacic has long been linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City.
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo is widely considered to be top of Mauricio Pochettino’s wishlist, but the Seagulls are reportedly seeking a fee in the region of £100m.
For that reason, 90min reports that the Blues are now looking elsewhere for potential back-ups, with Inter Milan‘s Nicolo Barella one possible option.
Where would Nicolo Barella fit in at Chelsea?
If Chelsea move for Barella, they are not bringing in a like-for-like replacement for Kante as such. After all, the Inter midfielder ranks in the bottom 4% for interceptions and bottom 36% for tackles, as per FBref, among his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues.
Instead, they would be signing a player who is very similar in profile to Real Madrid’s long-serving midfield superstar Luka Modric. The pair each averaged 0.21 goals per 90 minutes last season, while Barella slightly edged things in terms of assists (0.21 v 0.15).
Barella completed 81.6% of his passes, compared to 87.8% for Modric, and he also just about came out on top in terms of tackles won per 90 minutes (0.86 v 0.46) and blocks (1 v 0.77).
It is in terms of goal-creating actions, which takes factors such as passes and take-ons prior to a goal being scored, that the pair’s similar playing styles can be highlighted, averaging as they do 0.45 and 0.46 per 90 minutes.
Italy international Barella was named Serie A Midfielder of the Year in 2022-23 and also showcased his talents in Inter’s run to the Champions League final. Indeed, among other impressive stats, he covered 135.1km of ground in the competition, second only to AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali (139.4km).
As Italian football expert James Horncastle put it during Inter’s quarter-final tie with Benfica, Barella really was “everywhere” on the field.
Fellow writer Carlo Garganese went further by describing the 26-year-old – who is also wanted in a £50m swoop by Newcastle United, according to The Telegraph – as a “monster” because of his energetic displays.
If Enzo Fernandez is in the team to bring some calm in the midfield engine room, then Barella could be the perfect choice to sit alongside him, carry the ball forward and make something happen in the final third while te Argentine sits back and dictates proceedings.