Chelsea continue to scour the transfer market for a new central defender and have been linked with Manchester City’s Ruben Dias.
There is no doubt that Dias would be a fantastic signing for Chelsea. He ticks plenty of boxes for the Blues, though they may struggle to convince him to join after missing out on Champions League qualification.
However, that is not the only potential barrier that could prevent the 29-year-old from moving to Stamford Bridge.
Who would you start in a five-man defence for Chelsea?
Chelsea's potential back five under Xabi Alonso
Chelsea need to look at other experienced centre-backs after Ruben Dias rebuff
One report from TEAMtalk claims that Chelsea have explored the possibility of signing Dias this summer but have been informed that he is not for sale by City.
It is a setback for Xabi Alonso, as again, Dias would have been perfect for Chelsea. He has the sort of experience and pedigree the club said they were looking for in briefs to the media.
With that in mind, with Dias seemingly no longer an option, the Club World Cup winners need to consider alternative names.
Of course, finding someone as seasoned and talented as Dias is easier said than done. But without a figure like that, there will be more games next season where Chelsea’s backline gets dominated.
Joao Pedro of Chelsea under pressure from Ruben Dias
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Maxence Lacroix still an appropriate option
Chelsea do appear to be strongly considering another experienced centre-half: Maxence Lacroix.
At one point, it was even being reported that Chelsea had agreed a deal with Crystal Palace to sign Lacroix.
That may have been a bit premature, but he is definitely worth pursuing in this transfer window. The Frenchman ticks the experience box like Dias and is a strong and aggressive defender.
Last season, Lacroix won 3.4 aerial duels per game in the Premier League, which was the highest average in Palace’s squad, according to WhoScored. Imagine if Chelsea had a centre-back who was that dominant! They would have finished much higher than 10th in the table.
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