Chelsea are set for a busy summer, as the club are targeting a new striker, a right-footed winger and a central defender.
There have already been plenty of links, as the club draws up their plans ahead of the summer break.
However, Enzo Maresca will be hoping business can be done quickly, as just weeks after the Premier League season concludes, his side will be competing in the FIFA Club World Cup, which seems to have been placed in high regard by the Chelsea owners.
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Chelsea hold talks to sign new winger
One area that is key for Maresca and his system is his wide men, often isolated in 1v1 scenarios and given the responsibility to create chances for the side.
Whilst Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto have shown some good signs from the right, Jadon Sancho hasn’t been as consistent off the left – scoring just once since 8th December – whilst Mykhailo Mudryk is currently unavailable through suspension.
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So, who could come in? Well, according to reports from Blues insider Simon Phillips, Chelsea have held initial talks with Jorge Mendes this week, regarding a potential transfer for AC Milan forward, Rafael Leao.
Whilst the Portugal international is likely the most high-profile name being touted, the Blues have also been linked with a host of other wide targets such as Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Nico Williams.
Leao, aged 25, has been linked with Chelsea in the past, with the Blues reportedly failing to sign him back in 2023, offering player-swap deals to try and get it over the line.
Any deal could be complicated by his astronomical release clause, which reportedly exceeds £80m.
Why Leao would be such a good signing for Chelsea
The dazzling winger has made 46 appearances so far this season, scoring 11 goals, providing 12 assists and totalling 3,253 minutes played. The Portuguese winger certainly fits the mould of a Maresca winger going forward, with the only real question mark being his willingness to work hard off the ball.
To ascertain how good a signing he would be, we can compare him to another of Chelsea’s transfer targets. It’s been reported this week that they are set to ‘push’ for the arrival of Juventus star, Kenan Yildiz, who isn’t quite the same profile of forward as Leao.
Yildiz is more of a hybrid winger, who likes to drift inside and play in central attacking midfield areas, dropping deep to pick up the ball and aid build-up before attacking the box and looking to create at the top end of the pitch.
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Rafael Leao vs Kenan Yildiz comparison |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Leao |
Yildiz |
|
Goals |
0.29 |
0.24 |
|
Assists |
0.29 |
0.13 |
|
xG |
0.27 |
0.15 |
|
xAG |
0.28 |
0.15 |
|
Progressive Carries |
4.77 |
4.15 |
|
Progressive Passes |
3.62 |
4.25 |
|
Shots Total |
2.29 |
2.39 |
|
Key Passes |
2.01 |
1.66 |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
4.22 |
4.09 |
|
Successful Take-Ons |
2.86 |
2.43 |
|
Stats taken from FBref |
||
When comparing their underlying metrics this season, you can see Leao is more direct with his actions, driving with the ball, looking to beat his man 1v1 and provide output for the team. Such are his exceptional skills in this area that the Athletic’s Alex Barker once proclaimed that he is “one of the best dribblers in the world”.
On the other hand, Yildiz excels with his creative actions, making clever passes, thriving in tight spaces and taking slightly more shots per game.
The Juve attacker has the ability to beat his man 1v1 with precise dribbling, combine with his teammates and break open games through his quality, but he isn’t the same relentless type of winger as Leao, who is better suited to Maresca’s current model.
Ex-AC Milan winger Ronaldinho had high praise for Leao back in 2022, labelling the Portuguese winger as “one of the best” in the world at the time, rubberstamping why he’d be such an exceptional acquisition this summer.
Should Leao get a move to Chelsea, he could thrive in the limitless 1v1 opportunities Maresca’s system would supply him with, but he would have to be willing to work harder off the ball in order to make things work.
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