Chelsea have plenty of work to get on with as the window kicks off in earnest and have now put a bid in for a talented defender despite preparing for the Club World Cup, according to a report.
Chelsea prepare for Club World Cup opener
Despite the Premier League campaign only ending a matter of weeks ago, Chelsea are in action on Monday against Los Angeles FC as they look to claim the Club World Cup title this summer.
Making a swift start on the market, the Blues have brought in Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Estevao, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez, and they are unlikely to stop there in another few months of upheaval at Stamford Bridge.
Assessing Enzo Maresca's sizeable rebuild in West London, Claude Makelele believes Chelsea are on the right track as they aim to close the gap between themselves and some of their Premier League rivals.
claude-makelele-chelsea
"In the beginning, they changed a lot of players and managers. The new manager made sure Chelsea finished the season in a good way. They qualified for the Champions League and won a trophy. I think this new Chelsea can be successful now."
Hugo Ekitike has been tipped to follow Liam Delap to Chelsea by Florian Plettenberg, albeit Liverpool also have designs on the forward amid his progress at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Bynoe-Gittens in action with Lille's Bafode Diakite Related
BlueCo have struck gold on Chelsea star who's worth way more than Gittens
Chelsea have hit the jackpot on a player they signed in 2023.
Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade is also in the frame to add competition through the middle, signifying that Maresca would have some pretty exciting competition to pick from between either of the pair, Delap, and Nicolas Jackson.
On the contrary, reports suggest that Chelsea have now turned their attention to a defender who they have reportedly put a bid in for and received a reply, per recent developments.
Chelsea receive reply to Mario Gila bid
According to Il Messaggero, Chelsea have seen a £29.8m bid turned down for Lazio defender Mario Gila, with Bournemouth seeing an offer of their own turfed out for the ex-Spain Under-21 international.
Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur are also in the race for his signature, though the Serie A giants are said to be holding out for £42.5 million before considering a sale.
Five similar players to Mario Gil (FBRef)
Levi Colwill
Jan Paul van Hecke
Benjamin Pavard
Strahinja Pavlovic
Anthony Rouault
He has won over the likes of Maurizio Sarri in the past, and it is easy to see why given the Barcelona-born defender scored twice in 43 appearances for Lazio across the campaign gone.
Maintaining an element of dominance, Gila won 37 tackles and 67 aerial duels on Serie A duty, lending credence to why Chelsea have identified him as the man to shore up their backline.
With two years left on his contract, it remains to be seen whether Lazio retain their star man or risk losing him for less money as his market value begins to dwindle.