There is no lack of talent in Chelsea's midfield. They have arguably the best in the world in his position in the form of Moises Caicedo. On the other hand, despite having his fair share of critics, Enzo Fernandez's output under the management of Enzo Maresca cannot be questioned. Andrey Santos is a very good talent as well and should be playing more often as the season progresses.
Romeo Lavia has been a problem for Chelsea though. Since his arrival in the summer of 2023, he has constantly struggled with fitness issues and has yet to make a single appearance so far this season, as he continues to recover from his most recent injury.
Chelsea have been very patient with Lavia. That being said, at some point, one would imagine that they would look to bring in someone else in his position. In professional sports, availability is the best quality. The Belgian is not providing that.
As reported by TEAMtalk, Chelsea are intensifying their pursuit of Adam Wharton as the Blues look to strengthen their midfield in the January transfer window. The Club World Champions are looking to address ongoing injury concerns surrounding Lavia, and add depth to their engine room.
Chelsea pushing to sign £60m England international in January
21 years of age, Wharton has been a key figure in Crystal Palace's midfield in recent times, already making 49 appearances for them. Before that, he appeared 51 times for Blackburn Rovers, whose youth setup he came through. And he has a solitary England cap to his name as well.
It is believed that it would take a transfer fee in the region of £60 million to convince Crystal Palace to part ways with Wharton. That does suggest that Chelsea might be looking to say goodbye to Lavia. Otherwise, they would not be willing to spend that kind of money on a backup option.
Lavia has recently been linked with Manchester United. And while there is zero question about the Belgian's quality, at some point, his injury problems will start to overshadow that.