Enzo Maresca, head coach of Chelsea, celebrates following the Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium.placeholder image
Enzo Maresca, head coach of Chelsea, celebrates following the Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium. | Getty Images
Club World Cup winners Chelsea may still have business to do in the transfer market
The present and the future are looking extremely bright for Chelsea. Enzo Maresca’s side got their hands on the Club World Cup trophy to become the new-look competition’s first winners and they did it in style, brushing aside European champions PSG 3-0 in the final at the MetLife Stadium.
The Blues have already done some strong transfer business to level up their squad this summer, bringing in Liam Delap before the Club World Cup while Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens arrived during the competition.
But their Club World Cup glory and the prize money attached will only make the club even more ambitious in the window which remains, as out-of-favour players may be sold and could be replaced with shiny new signings in true Todd Boehly fashion. One such player who is set for the exit door is Noni Madueke, London rivals Arsenal set to complete the £52m signing of the 23-year-old winger.
Chelsea in for Alejandro Garnacho as Madueke replacement
TBR Football report that Chelsea hold an ‘active interest’ in Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, who wants out of Old Trafford and may be available for just £40m. The report reveals that talks have reignited having initially taken place back in January.
Garnacho’s Old Trafford situation has intensified since then and his desire to move to a fellow Premier League side may make a Stamford Bridge switch all the more likely. Aston Villa are also touted as a potential suitor, while German champions Bayern Munich hold an interest but Tottenham Hotspur are less likely to make a move after the recent signing of Mohammed Kudus.
With Madueke on the way out and hope at Chelsea for the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix to move on too, a spot within the Blues’ attacking unit could open up for Garnacho in what could be a bargain deal. The Argentina international has bags of potential and United’s asking price has likely been lowered by the strong desire from both club and player to cut ties and move on.
Alejandro Garnacho could compete in strong Chelsea squad
With Champions League football on the horizon and having just beaten the seemingly unstoppable champions of Europe, Maresca will have high hopes for his squad competing on all fronts next season. They won’t be able to bring out a whole second-string squad in Europe like they could in the Conference League and so it is paramount that there are top-quality players across the squad who are all getting sufficient playing time.
If fringe players depart and a signing of the calibre of Garnacho is brought in, that could spell danger for the rest of the Premier League. Garnacho may not have been his best flying self for much of last season but his talent is undeniable and recent seasons have proven that players can suddenly transform once away from scrutiny at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils likely came to terms with losing one of their brightest young stars some time ago now, but if their stand-off with Garnacho ends up benefitting rivals Chelsea then alarm bells need to be rung. Garnacho may not necessarily start at Stamford Bridge straight away in competition with Pedro Neto, Gittens and others, but if he can reach half his potential then his next club will have a huge asset on their hands.