Chelsea have now held talks in London to sign a "seriously impressive" Bayern Munich player, who is also being targeted by Manchester City.
Blues eyeing new signings after Maresca rant
Enzo Maresca appeared to hit out at the board after the 3-0 victory against Everton at the weekend, with the manager saying: "The last 48 hours have been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn't support us."
It is unclear exactly what the Italian was alluding to, given that he refused to expand on his comments any further, but Danny Murphy has suggested the 45-year-old needs to be cautious, saying: "He’s got to be careful. I think you have to realise with the owners and club you are working for, he's been given an amazing opportunity to manage a massive football club after only managing Leicester."
One thing that's for certain is Maresca has been backed in the transfer market, with BlueCo spending heavily to improve the squad in the summer, and with the January transfer window edging closer, more targets are being identified.
Under BlueCo ownership, there has been a heavy focus on bringing in younger players, and the west Londoners are now leading the race to sign Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo, while they are also keen on a Bayern Munich starlet.
Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo
That is according to a report from Football London, which states Chelsea recently held talks with the father of Cassiano Kiala in London, despite Brexit regulations forbidding them from signing the 16-year-old until he turns 18.
Manchester City are also interested in signing Kiala, who is regarded as one of the best young defenders in the world, with both clubs looking to form a relationship with the Bayern Munich ace, before potentially making a move when he's older.
The teenager has been training with the first team since the tail end of the 2024-25 campaign, and he has certainly impressed teammate Jonathan Tah, who said: "He's fast, good with the ball, and brave. He's a top-class centre-back."
"Seriously impressive" Kiala could be destined for the top level
Tah is not the only person who has taken a liking to the defender, with scout Antonio Mango providing an overview of his key strengths on X last month.
Despite his age, the youngster has already started to make it into some of Bayern's match-day squads, appearing on the bench in five Bundesliga matches this season, which is no mean feat at just 16.
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It remains to be seen whether Kiala is able to make the step-up to first-team level, but he is certainly exhibiting promising signs, and it is promising news that Chelsea have now opened talks.