Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Just because the transfer window is shut does not mean Chelsea’s sporting directors are not scouring the market for a new signing. The latest player to be linked is an England international.
Xabi Alonso has problems in defence and needs a fix. After just seven matches, the Blues have conceded a whopping 14 goals in that time. Chelsea need to shore up that defence quickly before it is too late.
The season’s successes depend upon it, and sorting out who starts on the left is as important as getting Moises Caicedo back. Jorrel Hato has endured a poor start, and now Chelsea are eyeing a replacement.
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Chelsea now battling to sign Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell
Two-time England defender Tyrick Mitchell is out of contract at Crystal Palace at the end of the season, and while the Eagles are attempting to rectify that situation, England’s biggest clubs have come calling.
According to TeamTalk, a three-way race is heating up. Manchester United have long required a left-back and Mitchell has emerged as a priority for Michael Carrick’s club. Liverpool also want to sign Mitchell.
Pep Chavarria's stats vs Crystal Palace
Photo by Kevin Voigt/GettyImages
Then there is Chelsea, who are said to be interested in signing Mitchell in January because he would be available on the cheap. That is, if the London-born defender’s contract situation remains the same.
Paul Merson branded Hato’s defending against Hull as “terrible”, and it may have had a lasting effect on Xabi Alonso, too. Ask Robert Sanchez, Alonso is ruthless if he can no longer trust one of his players.
This is not the first time Chelsea have considered Mitchell
Back in 2022, Chelsea were one of a few clubs linked with Mitchell. At the time, Mitchell was an up-and-coming Premier League left-back, but now he is the proven, experienced kind of player Alonso wants.
Alonso has shown that he values experience, and with Hato another case of a young player failing to meet his requirements, Mitchell offers a low-risk, cheap improvement on Chelsea’s leaky back line.
It is unclear how much Chelsea would need to pay. But Behdad Eghbali and Steve Parish have a good working relationship; Maxence Lacroix, Axel Disasi, and Honest Ahanor all brought the two to the table.
If Chelsea can sign Mitchell and see off competition from their northern rivals for below £30m in the winter window, it would be serious business. Palace would surely sell in January, rather than a free exit.