Chelsea’s mid-season audit reveals promise for the years ahead, with Enzo Maresca’s tactics placing the club back in contention for Champions League football after two seasons outside the qualifying places.
Maresca’s coaching mettle has been put under duress in recent weeks, with the Italian commenting that managing the Stamford Bridge side is a “disaster” during the winter transfer window, for the constant rumours of in-and-out activity is having an unsettling effect on a host of players.
There’s no question that Chelsea’s form has taken a hit for the worse of late, having failed to win any of the past four Premier League fixtures, but the Blues will restore their place in the top four with a win on Monday evening after Newcastle United were thrashed by Bournemouth.
Maresca will hope that his squad restore some of their defensive resistance, though it has been made known that Chelsea are keen on bolstering at the back this month.
Players such as Marc Guehi have been touted but it is actually someone from overseas who may be at the top of the BlueCo wishlist.
Chelsea transfer news in January
Last week, Chelsea actually recalled Trevoh Chalobah from his loan spell at Crystal Palace so that effectively rules Guehi out of a cross-city switch to west London this month.
However, Caught Offside have revealed that Chelsea are keeping their options open and are actually favourites to sign Sporting Lisbon centre-half Ousmane Diomande despite the vested interest of Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
Diomande has an €80m (£67m) release clause in his contract but Chelsea have paid such money on talented young centre-backs in the past and this one has the signs of something truly special.
What Ousmane Diomande would bring to Chelsea
At 21 years old, Diomande has skyrocketed to success in Portugal, earning 85 senior appearances for Sporting and notably lifting the 2023/24 league title.
The Ivory Coast international has completed an incredible 94% of his passes in the Portuguese top flight this season, winning 72% of his aerial duels and averaging 4.9 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore, which showcases his athleticism on top of a strong base of skills.
As per FBref, Diomande ranks among the top 1% of central defenders in Liga Portugal this season for pass completion, the top 4% for passes attempted and the top 13% for aerial battles won per 90, perfectly illustrating the blend of ball-playing quality and physicality that would set him up for success in Maresca’s system.
When considering that Diomande is still only 21 but has already shaped into one of the most technically sound defenders in Europe, it’s clear that Chelsea should do everything within their power to stop the likes of Arsenal from snapping him up.
As earlier stated, Chelsea are not narrowed to just one area as they prepare to strengthen in the transfer market this year, with recent reports also suggesting that Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho is on the Blues’ shopping list.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has even confirmed that enquires have been made to ascertain whether the Red Devils would be tempted into cashing in, but if a priority is to be placed on one area, securing a talent such as Diomande carries far more importance than any sniffing around for a mercurial winger like Garnacho.
Firstly, Wesley Fofana is sidelined until the later phase of the 2024/25 campaign and is beginning to see the fans’ faith in his maintaining fitness drain away.
24/25
12 (12)
8
23/24
0 (0)
38
22/23
16 (12)
17
There’s also the matter of Chelsea’s bloatedness up top, with Garnacho at his best on the left. Given that the likes of Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho and Mykhaylo Mudryk all jockey for a starting berth already at Chelsea, this feels like it would be a somewhat pointless acquisition, not least because the Blues have been quoted at £80m if they want to land the up-and-coming Argentine.
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Hailed for his “incredibly complete” profile for such a young defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Diomande could shape into one of Europe’s finest. Chelsea need to ensure that that happens at Stamford Bridge.
Garnacho, too, is an exciting talent capable of magical things, but is he really what Maresca’s project needs right now, especially after questions have been raised regarding his temperament?
There is a really talented player in there, suffering slightly from the tempestuous conditions over at Old Trafford, but with eight goals and five assists across all competitions this season, he’s doing enough to prove that he’s got a big future ahead.
Garnacho’s former Man United teammate, Fred, has even said in the past that “he will be one of the best players in the world, for sure.”
However, Chelsea need to make the right call if they are going to invest a significant amount on a rising star. If it boils down to picking out one perfect target, Diomande is the one to go for.
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