Enzo Maresca and Thomas Frank shake hands ahead of a Premier League match.placeholder image
Enzo Maresca and Thomas Frank shake hands ahead of a Premier League match. | AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are both seeking defensive reinforcements this summer
We have reached the very week where it will all begin once again, which means it is time for clubs up and down the country to worry about whether they are actually ready for the new Premier League season.
Most clubs in the top flight will feel there are still gaps to be filled with work yet to be done. This no doubt applies to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, both of whom have spent big in this window but have seen a spanner thrown in their summer plans by an unfortunate ACL injury apiece, to Levi Colwill and James Maddison respectively.
Spurs are no strangers to injury issues in recent years, having seen Ange Postecoglou’s two years at the club blighted by extended lay-offs to key players. The Blues, on the other hand, will feel they are close to creating something special and will be determined not to allow a defensive injury set-back to jeopardise this.
Chelsea and Tottenham target set for move to Marseille
London rivals Chelsea and Spurs could miss out on a potential target as reports by TBR Football state that Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez nears a move to Ligue 1 giants Marseille. The 21-year-old has reportedly been tracked by several Premier League clubs, who are aware of the vast potential possessed by the Ecuador international.
In addition to Chelsea and Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa are also being ‘kept informed’ on Ordonez, though it appears that a move will need to be made soon if a Premier League outfit is to hijack his prospective transfer to France.
Reports from last season claimed that Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo encouraged Ordonez to move to Stamford Bridge. Caicedo has seen first-hand the qualities of the young centre-back, who has been compared to Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger in the past.
Could Ordonez help solve Chelsea and Spurs’ defensive issues?
Following Colwill’s recent ACL injury, Chelsea are in the market for a new centre-back before the end of the window. A young player with high potential such as Ordonez fits in well with the Blues’ business model and Enzo Maresca will aim to help the Ecuadorian grow into a role of responsibility at Stamford Bridge.
Spurs were hit with their own central defensive injury crisis last season and there is no guarantee both of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero stay fit for the entirety of the upcoming campaign under Thomas Frank. With Kevin Danso and Ben Davies the club’s only other fit senior centre-backs at present, the Dane could do with another option to ensure his side can compete in the Champions League in addition to domestically.
Speaking last season, Ordonez admitted that he would be open to a Premier League move. He said: “The Premier League? I would like that. About the interest from abroad? Honestly, I don’t know anything about that at the moment. I’m just trying to focus on Club Brugge and my team. My concentration remains 100 per cent here.”
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