Like all Premier League sides, Chelsea Football Club found out their fate last Tuesday ahead of the 2024/25 season getting underway in August.
The Blues will have a tough start to life under Enzo Maresca, their new boss. He replaced Mauricio Pochettino who was sacked from his role at the end of last season.
It is a real baptism of fire for Maresca, who will face the side he once coached at academy level, Manchester City, at Stamford Bridge. Last season, this fixture was one of the best in recent years in the Premier League, ending 4-4, with Cole Palmer scoring a last-minute equalising penalty.
The Blues round off August with a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers, a game they lost last season, before hosting high-flying Crystal Palace at home. Oliver Glasner’s side ended the season very strong, and have been tipped to have an impressive campaign in 2024/25.
There is little doubt that, despite spending £1bn since Todd Boehly took the reigns at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea still need to improve their squad drastically. Maresca will certainly want recruits to help fit his style of play. In recent days, the Blues have been linked to one man who would do just that.
Chelsea target Serie A left-back
The player in question here is AC Milan and France international left-back Theo Hernandez. The Frenchman, who is currently at Euro 2024 with his nation, has been linked with a move away from the San Siro on several occasions in recent years, and the rumours have returned once again this summer.
Now, according to Graeme Bailey, a journalist for HITC, Chelsea are thought to be interested in signing him this summer. Bailey explains that Hernandez is a player that the club 'hugely admire' and there is a belief at Stamford Bridge that 'he would be an ideal fit' as an inverted left-back under Maresca.
The Blues are not the only side thought to be interested in signing Hernandez this summer. European giants Bayern Munich, who recently won the race to sign Chelsea target Michael Olise, are also in the running. They are braced for current left-back Alphonso Davies to join Real Madrid, so could line up Hernandez as his replacement.
In terms of the price tag on Hernandez, Bailey reports that Milan value the player at £60m. That figure is more than what Chelsea paid to sign Ben Chilwell from Leicester City in 2020, splashing £40m on the England international.
Why Hernandez would be a good signing
As aforementioned, Chelsea believe that Hernandez would be the perfect inverted left-back under Maresca. He was imperative for Milan last season, playing 46 times in all competitions, scoring five goals, all of which came in Serie A, and registering 11 assists, of which six came in the top flight of Italy.
His heatmap on Sofascore shows that he took a lot of touches infield from a left-back position for the Italian giants, which speaks to his suitability to play an inverted full-back role for the Blues.
This is a key element of Maresca’s system. It was one thing that made his Championship-winning Leicester side of last season so successful. Hernandez has the technical quality on the ball to make him good enough at sitting in midfield and dictating play.
The 26-year-old’s on-the-ball statistics make for impressive reading, often being better than Chilwell, as per FBRef. His progressive passing stats are something that stands out.
The Frenchman averages an impressive 5.35 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to Chilwell who averages just 2.98 per 90. Not only that, Hernandez averages 1.29 passes into the penalty box, compared to just 0.24 for Chilwell, again showing his more attacking nature.
When it comes to ball carrying, Hernandez is once again superior in many areas. He averages more progressive carries per 90 than Chilwell, with 3.71 to the Englishman’s 2.62.
Furthermore, the Frenchman averages far more carries into the final third, completing 3.00 compared to the Chelsea vice-captain’s 1.67 per 90. Hernandez is also more successful in one-vs-one situations, with his 1.19 successful take-ons beating Chilwell’s 0.83.
Stat (per 90)
Hernandez
Chilwell
Progressive passes
5.35
2.98
Passes into penalty box
1.29
0.24
Progressive carries
3.71
2.62
Carries into final third
3
1.67
Take-ons completed
1.19
0.83
However, it is not just on the ball where Hernandez excels over Chilwell. The Frenchman is notoriously quick, and this stands out when looking at his ball recovery stats. His 5.55 ball recoveries per 90 are no doubt aided by his pace, and it also beats Chiwell’s 3.93 per 90.
One area where Chilwell does beat Hernandez is in his tackles and interceptions per 90. The Milan left-back averages 1.71, compared to the Englishman’s 2.26. However, it is not too much of a concern for Chelsea, given Hernandez’s defensive proficiency and intelligence to read the game.
Football analyst Ben Mattinson described Hernandez as an “electric” player, who is “probably the best attacking” left-back in world football. Given his stats, it is clear to see why. He could be the perfect addition to Chelsea, for Maresca to play his brand of football. It might not be long before we see the 26-year-old in blue at Stamford Bridge.