Cole Palmer has been struggling with injuries.placeholder image
Cole Palmer has been struggling with injuries. | Getty Images
Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing a Premier League midfielder who used to play for Man City.
Chelsea is heading into the January transfer window expecting to have quite a quiet month. Enzo Maresca seems very happy with his current squad, despite a recent downturn in form, as they are winless in their last two games, including a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa last time out.
The Blues have seen some injury struggles this season, like every team, and Maresca could be pushed to make a couple of moves in order to boost his squad depth as Chelsea aim to secure a top-four spot against the likes of Villa, Liverpool and Man United.
One of the most recent successes in the transfer market for Chelsea was when they signed Cole Palmer from Man City for just £42.5m. Recent reports are suggesting they could do the same again and sign a City outcast for a bargain price.
Chelsea hold January interest in McAtee
James McAtee had a similar story to Palmer at Man City as he was seen as a promising young midfielder, but he never got the regular game time to help his development. Like Palmer, McAtee ended up leaving Man City, as he joined Nottingham Forest in the summer for a fee of £22m, in search of more minutes.
He was linked with Chelsea in the summer, but ended up moving to the Midlands instead. However, he has since made just 10 appearances in all competitions, and reports indicate that the 23-year-old could be on the move again in January.
According to the Daily Mail’s Chelsea reporter Kieran Gill, the Blues have been linked with McAtee again, as they have been tracking him ever since he was a youngster at Man City, much like they did with Palmer before snapping him up in September 2023. It could be a transfer story to keep an eye on in January, especially if the Blues suffer injuries in the midfield.
Chelsea could repeat Andrey Santos’ success story
Amid the recent links between Chelsea and McAtee, it seems that the most likely move would be for the Blues to sign him from Forest, and then loan him out to partner club Strasbourg, to help get him regular game time to aid his development.
Chelsea has done this move with several players over the past few years. The most recent success story has been Andrey Santos, who played for Strasbourg on loan last year and has now integrated fully with the Blues’ first team.
Santos made 45 appearances for the French side last season, scoring 12 goals and providing five assists. He was a star player for Liam Rosenior’s side, and so it was no surprise that Chelsea decided against loaning him out again this season.
Maresca has utilised the 21-year-old more this year; He’s made 19 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring one goal and providing four assists. It seems that Chelsea could do the same with McAtee, which would be a shrewd piece of transfer business.
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