Chelsea are still being linked with Bournemouth left back Milos Kerkez, with CaughtOffside today claiming that sources have put the Blues in the mix with Liverpool, Tottenham and others.
The Cherries apparently want £40m to let the Hungary international go in January – although it’s hard to see them not holding on to him until at least the summer, given they’re under no pressure to sell immediately.
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He looks a fantastic player, and Andoni Iraola’s high pressing, attacking style is getting the best out of him. He’s previously been called a dream option for Chelsea on left, and has been linked with us before as our sporting directors continue to seek out the best depth.
Milos Kerkez in action for Bournemouth. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Milos Kerkez in action for Bournemouth. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Major doubts about Chelsea interest in Kerkez after formation change
There is one emerging question about squad balance however, one that may make a deal for a player like Kerkez significantly less likely. And it all stems from the teamsheet we saw for yesterday’s game.
Enzo Maresca picked Marc Cucurella as a left centre back who would move out to the left in possession. On the other side, Moises Caicedo was a central midfielder doing the same thing in reverse: moving to right back out of possession. Effectively, though, we played without full backs.
Cucurella is perfect for this because he can play either role. Kerkez is a much more traditional, up and down left sided attacking full back, and it’s not clear if he would suit being a pseudo-centre back.
If the plan is to permanently move towards a back 3 with hybrid full backs (in a similar way to what we’ve seen Man City do) then Veiga and Cucurella are the ideal pair, and spending big on a player more similar to the frozen-out Ben Chilwell makes no sense.