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Chelsea strongly pushing for £25m “freak of nature”, he's the dream Enzo replacement – opinion

The transfer window isn’t even open yet, but Chelsea have already been linked with a whole host of players.

They will be looking to sign a striker this summer, while defender Cristhian Mosquera has been linked heavily of late.

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There has also been talk of certain players potentially leaving the Blues this summer as Enzo Maresca begins to plan ahead for the 2025/26 season.

Chelsea transfer news

Real Madrid are showing plenty of interest in midfielder Enzo Fernandez as they look to raid Maresca’s side this summer.

The Blues are in no mood to sell one of their prized assets, however, especially should they qualify for the Champions League. If an offer too good to turn down is made, Chelsea might need to accept and perhaps bring in a replacement.

enzo-fernandez-chelsea-premier-league Related

[Chelsea already have a bigger talent than Enzo Fernandez in £18m "monster"](https://www.footballfancast.com/chelsea-have-a-bigger-talent-than-enzo-fernandez-in-andrey-santos/ "Chelsea already have a bigger talent than Enzo Fernandez in £18m "monster"")

Reports have suggested that Chelsea might lose Fernandez to Real Madrid this summer

According to BILD, Chelsea are strongly positioned to sign Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham this summer, although Borussia Dortmund are also keen on bringing the Englishman to Germany.

He could cost around £25m should the Blues decide to make their move in the coming weeks, although much will depend on whether the teenager opts to move to Germany or not.

The younger Bellingham brother has everything in his arsenal to follow in Jude’s footsteps and succeed at a major European club.

Jobe Bellingham can be a perfect Enzo Fernandez replacement

Fernandez may have taken time to live up to his extravagant transfer fee, but the Argentinian has shone this season.

Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez in action with Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters

When compared to his peers in the Premier League, the 2022 World Cup winner ranks in the top 11% for progressive passes (6.65) and in the top 10% for shot-creating actions (4.6) per 90 for the Blues this season.

It is evident that his attacking abilities have been on show, and featuring in the Champions League next term will only give him a bigger platform for improvement.

Bellingham may not be at this level, but there is no doubt he has a bright future in the game. For Sunderland this season, he has registered seven goal contributions in 42 matches for the club, helping them reach the playoff final.

The teenager might not be as effective pushing into the final third as Fernandez, creating just four big chances and averaging 1.2 key passes per game, but the midfielder is excellent at winning the ball back and strong in his duels.

Indeed, he has recovered 5.5 balls per game in the Championship while winning 54% of his ground duels, showing the mentality of someone much more experienced.

Jobe Bellingham's Championship stats for Sunderland

Metric

Goals

Key passes per game

Total duels won per game

Big chances created

Balls recovered per game

Via Sofascore

His teammates certainly believe he has the capability to take Sunderland back into the top flight, with teammate Dan Neil stating that the midfielder is a “freak of nature” before saying “technically, he is a top, top, player as well".

While a move to Chelsea would represent a major step up in quality, perhaps this is what he needs to continue his progress?

Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham with teammates celebrate after the match

His older brother faced the same challenge when moving from Dortmund to Madrid in the summer of 2023. He won La Liga and the Champions League in his first season.

As such, if the Blues are to lose Fernandez or not, Jobe could represent a dream replacement at the heart of Maresca's midfield.

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Chelsea are looking to sign a striker or two this summer

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