Exclusive: Five centre backs on Chelsea radar as Pochettino prioritises defensive additions
Mauricio Pochettino during a Chelsea match
Chelsea are set to prioritise bringing in defensive reinforcements in the January transfer window and are considering five options at centre back, TEAMtalk understands.
The Blues have suffered a poor start to the Premier League season and find themselves 11 points adrift of the Champions League places in 11th place in the table. The club are, though, sticking by manager Mauricio Pochettino and preparing for a busy winter window.
Chelsea’s recruitment team have been scouring the world to find the most suitable defenders that suit the vision of the club. Sources have stated that despite incredibly busy windows recently the club are set to go again in two months’ time.
As previously revealed by TEAMtalk in September, Ousmane Diomande has been watched by the London side on multiple occasions and ticks a lot of the boxes looked at in the club’s recruitment strategy.
The 19-year-old represents one of the most expensive options on the list with a release clause of £69million and sources state that Sporting CP will be unlikely to let him go for anything less than the full buyout fee.
Crystal Palace stopper Marc Guehi is also admired and has been on the list of potential options for over a year.
His age, 23, and Premier League experience make him a strong option for Chelsea and, despite having three years left on his deal, he would cost less than Diomande at around £50million.
Benfica defender Antonio Silva is a player that Pochettino admires hugely, and the outstanding young defensive talent has drawn interest from the world’s biggest clubs.
However, the 20-year-old holds a £87million release clause in his contract and sources seem unsure the Blues will spend that much on a defender in January.
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Another young prospect who is moving higher up the list of options is 17-year-old Leny Yoro, who plays in Ligue 1 for Lille.
Yoro is having his breakthrough season and has played nine times in France’s top flight, while he has also made three appearances between the Europa League and Europa Conference League.
He is contracted until 2025 and the teenager is a big favourite of Chelsea recruitment chief Joe Shields.
It is unlikely the youngster is seen as an immediate solution to the issues at the club, but he is viewed as a long-term replacement for 39-year-old star Thiago Silva, who is coming to the end of his career in England.
Lastly, another option is Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba, who has been on the radar of multiple Premier League clubs over the past two seasons.
The Burkina Faso international is one to watch as the window draws closer and, despite having no release clause in his deal, sources claim Chelsea have sounded out the possibility of a deal for the 23-year-old.
Tapsoba only signed a new contract in September, committing his future to the Bundesliga club with a deal running until 2028. However, it is not deemed off-putting to Pochettino, and his team and sources are suggesting he is quickly moving to the top of the list.
The West London club are also looking to bring in a striker in January and are desperate for an experienced goalscorer, with summer signing Nicolas scoring just twice in nine league games so far.
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