Chelsea keep, sell, buy ahead of the 2021/22 campaign: Midfielders
3. Buy
Whether the Blues buy another central midfielder is contingent upon their ability to offload players first. In Kovacic, Jorginho, Kante and Gilmour, Tuchel has four very good options which he can switch around as per his needs. However, the reality is that the club operates under strict financial regulations. It is required to sell players before buying big. This means offers that match or exceed Chelsea’s valuation of certain players are often entertained.
Jorginho and Kante both continue to be linked with moves away from the club. With both nearing their 30s, Chelsea has a small window to make a profit on them. To that effect, Marina Granovskaia might not hesitate before selling them for a bumper fee.
If a midfield spot opens up next season, Chelsea should consider signing Olympique Lyon’s Bruno Guimaraes. The 23-year-old is enjoying a fine full first season with the French outfit as it makes an unlikely push for the Ligue 1 title. The Brazilian midfielder has played just under 1,300 minutes, sharing duties with countryman Thiago Mendes. He has been deployed both in a double-pivot and as part of a midfield three by manager Rudi Garcia.
A glance at his numbers reveals a pretty comprehensive picture. Guimaraes is an all-action midfielder with excellent passing, ball-carrying and defensive numbers—a mix of Jorginho, Kovacic, and Kante. He compares most favourably to Kovacic, as per FBref’s scouting report, which places him in elite company when it comes to carrying the ball up field.
Not only is he an excellent dribbler, but he is also defensively quite sound. He ranks in the 99th percentile in terms of tackling opposition players in the middle and attacking third when compared to positional peers in the top five European Leagues. He is also a good passer over short, medium and long distances with a completion rate of over 80 percent in all three categories (over 90 in the first two).
The only drawback is that Guimaraes won’t come cheap. Lyon paid Athletico Paranaense £17 million for his services only a year and a half ago. They also included a massive 20 percent sell-on clause in the agreement. Chelsea will have to go big to sign him, however, it will be worth the money spent.
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