Chelsea are reportedly fighting with Liverpool over a deal to sign Atletico Madrid star Pablo Barrios Caught offside.
The Blues currently have Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo as midfield options. However, Essugo has been out injured since the start of the season, while Lavia’s recurring injury problems have cast doubt on his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
As a result, Enzo Maresca has been forced to use Caicedo and Fernandez in almost every match. The Italy boss started Santos last weekend to give the Ecuadorian a breather, and he put in a solid performance to help his side beat Burnley in the Premier League.
Now, Caught offside claim that Chelsea are planning to make a major investment in the midfield and are showing a strong interest in Barrios. Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson is also on their wish list, but Maresca’s side have stepped up efforts to sign Barrios.
Atletico Madrid have no plans to sell their star player anytime soon as they recently gave him a new term until 2030. However, the midfielder could be tempted to move to the Premier League if Chelsea were to take a concrete approach.
Liverpool have also shown an interest in the Spaniard as they were impressed by his recent standout performances in La Liga. The Reds have begun exploring the market to upgrade the midfield department following the average performances of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister so far this season.
Conflict
The report states that if Chelsea fail to sign Barrios and Anderson, they could make a move to sign Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo. The Englishman’s future at Old Trafford is currently uncertain as he has struggled to find regular playing time under Ruben Amorim this season.
Barrios started his youth career at Real Madrid before moving to Los Rojiblancos in 2017. The 22-year-old made his first-team debut for Diego Simeone’s side in 2022 before establishing himself as a key player.
After showing glimpses of his qualities in La Liga, Barrios, valued at around £48 million, was valued Transfer markethas secured his place in Luis De La Fuente’s Spanish national team.
The youngster likes to be deployed in the double pivot role in midfield, but is also comfortable in the box-to-box position. He is technically good, can play threading passes between the lines, has an eye for long-distance passing and is also efficient in defensive contributions.
The Atletico Madrid star is a very talented player and has the potential to become a top-class midfielder in the future. So he would be a big step forward for Chelsea or Liverpool if either club could end up buying him next year.
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