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Chelsea have made an unbeaten start to the Premier League season with two wins and a draw, but with the Champions League getting underway next week, it will be interesting to see how much longer they can sustain a good run of form.
While Enzo Maresca has enough quality in his offensive department, the same cannot be said about his defensive department, which has several inexperienced faces and was also hampered by Levi Colwill’s ACL rupture in pre-season.
And though the manager insisted on a centre back’s signing before the summer transfer window slammed shut, it wasn’t to be but that could potentially change in the winter with the Blues evaluation a surprise transfer.
Empire of the Kop has exclusively reported that Chelsea are prepared to battle with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid for Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate’s purchase in January, six months before he becomes a free agent.
Konate a fantastic signing but likely to go abroad
Ibrahima Konate’s valuation on Transfermarkt stands at £52 million, although he could be available for significantly cheaper in a few months before his contract with Liverpool expires at the end of the season.
Thanks to his experience in England, which has included winning the Premier League last season, Konate would fit in perfectly at Chelsea with his aerial ability, physical prowess and excellent reading of the game vital characteristics.
However, it is likely that he prefers a challenge overseas with Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid as Liverpool are building a sporting project that would not really convince anybody from the existing setup to depart.
Moreover, Konate has also spent enough years with Liverpool to pursue a career elsewhere in Europe, so while Chelsea have the finances to afford him very easily, they might not be the player’s choice.
Barring Konate, it will be interesting to see if they are keeping tabs on any potential defensive signings in January, and their performances over the next few months could go a long way in determining their transfer activity in the winter.