Chelsea looking to sign “one of South America’s biggest jewels”

Chelsea now not appear like a daunting Premier League title challenger.

Certainly, after beating Barcelona with ease 3-0 within the Champions League on the finish of November, after which battling nicely with league leaders Arsenal 1-1 to shut out the month, Enzo Maresca’s Blues got here throughout as credible rivals to the Gunners.

Nevertheless, quick ahead just some weeks, and the West Londoners have now misplaced on the street at Leeds United and have been made to accept an unsatisfactory stalemate away at AFC Bournemouth.

If Antoine Semenyo hadn’t fallen sufferer to a VAR verify early on, too, it’d nicely have been back-to-back defeats.

There’s nowhere to cover, both, for Maresca and Co. because the fixtures come thick and quick in December. Fortunately, the January switch window can also be simply across the nook, as Chelsea start to eye up some reinforcements…

Chelsea trying to signal one other South American expertise

After solely scoring one meagre objective towards the Whites and the Cherries, Chelsea will certainly look to January to repair their striker woes.

As per experiences from Germany, the goal-shy Blues are eager on a deal for Borussia Dortmund ahead Serhou Guirassy, with present choices at Maresca’s disposal in Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, not “of the extent” to steer the faltering Premier League facet to a title, as per the tough phrases of Sky Sports activities’ Gary Neville.

That mentioned, the Blues may additionally look to bolster their facet in defensive areas.

Certainly, in keeping with Caught Offside, Chelsea may put their connections with RC Strasbourg, one other membership owned by BlueCo, to good use as soon as extra by going after Valentin Barco in January, with it being acknowledged that the Blues are nonetheless intently monitoring the versatile 21-year-old, who can fill in at left-back, after holding curiosity in his companies in the summertime.

But, it is his various skill to have the ability to line up as a central midfield expertise, away from his energetic defensive duties, that has additionally attracted the likes of Bayern Munich to his companies.

Chelsea will hope they’ll come out on prime in any battle that pops up, because the Stamford Bridge titans doubtlessly win their subsequent Estevao by touchdown one other South American treasure who can immediately burst into life within the Premier League.

How Barco could possibly be Chelsea’s subsequent Estevao

Like Barco, Estevao was on the radar of many an elite membership earlier than Chelsea swooped in, with each Actual Madrid and Paris St Germain as soon as eyeing up the exhilarating Brazilian.

Maresca and Co shall be over the moon that they snapped up the teenage winger once they did, with the “completely good” ahead – as pundit Pat Nevin labelled him after his outrageous solo effort versus Barcelona – already as much as 5 objectives and one help from simply 20 Chelsea appearances.

The expectation shall be that Barco would arrive on English soil and be as impactful as immediately, contemplating the 21-year-old already has loads of European expertise beneath his belt with Strasbourg, away from additionally present process his early soccer schooling in South America.

Famous as being considered one of “South America’s greatest jewels” when on the books of River Plate by scout Jacek Kulig, with Estevao, after all, additionally heralded as “world-class” when simply 17 years of age in Brazil by the aforementioned Kulig, Barco has come into his personal much more in Ligue 1 with Liam Rosenior’s males, as proven within the desk above.

With one objective and 4 assists for the season within the French top-flight, Barco seems to be greater than able to leap into the Premier League shortly, with the likes of Marc Cucurella little doubt scared for his beginning spot at left-back, because the much-talked-about 21-year-old has created seven huge possibilities and received 6.8 duels per recreation this marketing campaign as a full-throttle pressure.

On the flip facet, Chelsea’s quantity three solely has solely created three huge possibilities and received 4.1 duels par match from his assortment of league appearances thus far, with Barco eager to shake up the Stamford Bridge first group ranks, very similar to Estevao did immediately on his arrival from Palmeiras.

Able to additionally providing Maresca one other physique centrally, this does actually really feel as if it has all of the makings of being a top-drawer acquisition from South America, very similar to Estevao was.