It has been suggested for a little while that Chelsea could look to shake things up a bit in midfield. With Xabi Alonso coming in, the squad will need to be adapted to his system. In the past, we have seen him play with two number 6s in the middle of the park. The Blues might not have the options to make that happen right now.
Moises Caicedo could fill one of those roles. But who would be the other hand? Enzo Fernandez’s future is in doubt. And even if he stays, there are question marks over the defensive side of his game.
Romeo Lavia has spent the majority of his time as a Chelsea player out injured. Dario Essugo has faced his injury problems as well. And Andrey Santos does not seem to have met the expectations he set for himself on loan at Strasbourg.
The Blues might very well be looking for a different profile as well. A physical defensive midfielder. And it looks like a former Real Madrid player is on their radar. According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea have made enquiries over Chema Andres over the past 12 months.
Why Chelsea hve been impressed with Chema Andres
Like so many before him, Andres was not able to make the grade at Real Madrid. He chose to leave early in his career and found himself at VfB Stuttgart. And there, he has established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in the Bundesliga.
Andres has played fewer than 2000 minutes of football this season. He has made 14 starts in the Bundesliga. So, he cannot really be called a nailed-on starter. But his numbers do paint an impressive picture.
Few have won more aerial duels per 90 minutes than Andres with 3.58, which puts him in the 98th percentile. He is also in the 96th percentile or higher for defensive contributions, interceptions and blocked shots. He also gets dribbled past rarely.
Chema Andres is a super solid defensive midfielder
That sounds like a very solid midfielder when you consider the defensive side of Andres’ game. At the same time, he has scored four goals, which is not bad for the role that he plays.
Also, let’s not forget that he is 6’4″, which would add some much-needed height to this Chelsea midfield. So, he ticks a lot of boxes that the club are looking for.
Of course, there would be an element of risk as well. He is just 21 years of age. And once again, Chelsea would be banking on potential, not proven quality.
Then there are Real Madrid. They are believed to hold a buyback clause as well as a sell-on clause, which is more often than not the case when it comes to youngsters who have come through their ranks.
So, a lot might depend on what Real Madrid decides to do with Andres and his future. Let’s see how this all plays out and whether Chelsea do make a concrete move in this summer window.