Report: Chelsea to sign £180,000-a-week star who Joe Cole compared to Bellingham
Chelsea will now “try to sign” one club’s “very important” star with a move expected, and it’s believed manager Mauricio Pochettino really wants him.
Chelsea’s transfer plans for 2024
The west Londoners have a few key transfer targets up their sleeves as we approach the January window. Led by chairman Todd Boehly and his fellow directors, Chelsea could sign a new striker and centre-back as top priorities, with Thiago Silva set to leave when his contract expires next year.
Defender Trevoh Chalobah is likely to leave Chelsea soon as well, so Pochettino is allegedly keen to shore up that area of the squad. In his most recent press conference, the Argentine made no secret of his desire for the club to bring in fresh faces, suggesting his side look vulnerable in both boxes.
“Maybe we need to do something,” said Pochettino on Chelsea transfers a few days ago.
“Some movement that is a thing to analyse with the sporting director, the owner and to change the dynamic and to improve in the second part of the season because we need to be more aggressive. It is not only to dominate and play well, it is to compete better but we cannot show this lack of concentration and concede the goal we conceded. We were punished too much today, too many positive things, I know it is difficult to talk about positive things in this position.”
Pochettino is reportedly keen to sign proven winners for Chelsea, as he believes his side lack figures of authority and genuine leadership (The Mail). It’s said the former Spurs boss also wants to address an issue with height, leading to Chelsea’s interest in signing Max Kilman from Wolves.
For players with experience at the highest level, he could look no further than Real Madrid superstar Federico Valverde. The 25-year-old, who’s won a Champions League title, two La Liga and a UEFA Super Cup during his time in Spain, would come as a highly decorated figure of real quality. According to WhoScored, he’s also among Real’s most in-form stars as a real key figure for Carlo Ancelotti.
Chelsea “will try to sign” Valverde with move “expected”
Valverde, like all other Real Madrid players, is protected by a seismic release clause – but that doesn’t club president Florentino Perez would stand in his way if he wanted to go.
That is according to Spanish news outlet Defensa Central, who also claim Chelsea “will try to sign” Valverde and Real are expecting a move from them in the near future.
The £180,00-per-week midfielder (Salary Sport) is apparently one of Pochettino’s “most desired targets”. Interestingly, ex-Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole once compared Valverde’s quality to that of another Real Madrid superstar in Jude Bellingham.
“He’s standing right at the top of the tree with Bellingham in the young players, and he’s on the verge of becoming the best,” said Cole on BT Sport last year (via The Mail).
“He’s box-to-box, he scores goals, he’s a technician he was the unsung hero in the final, I thought he was outstanding against Liverpool.”