Chelsea have reportedly stepped up their efforts to beat Manchester United and Arsenal in the race to sign Olympique de Marseille midfielder Darryl Bakola. Caught offside.
On paper, the Blues have a deep midfield department as they currently have Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Andrey Santos.
However, Lavia has failed to stay fit since joining from Southampton, while Essugo has been out injured since the start of the season. Plus, Santos is still young and Enzo Maresca hasn’t given him many starts so far this season.
As a result, Caicedo and Fernandez have played almost every match, while Maresca has deployed Recce James in the engine room to support the duo.
So it appears that Chelsea are planning to sign a new midfielder in January and are prepared to continue their strategy of signing talented young players rather than pursuing an experienced name.
Now, Caught offside claim that after monitoring Bakola’s performances in recent months, Chelsea have identified him as a serious option to strengthen the midfield. They have already increased their efforts to complete the operation.
However, the purchase of the 18-year-old will not be easy for the west London club as Arsenal are also interested in him and could make a formal move.
Conflict
Furthermore, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Manchester City participate in this race. Outside the Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are considering a move.
Although Bakola’s existing contract expires in 2027, Marseille have no intention of letting him leave and plan to give him a new term until 2030. However, if both sides fail to agree on a new term in the coming weeks, Roberto De Zerbi’s side may be forced to cash in on him next year.
With Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes injured, Man Utd appear keen on signing a new midfielder. On the other hand, Casemiro’s existing contract expires at the end of this season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have a strong midfield department and it would be difficult for Bakola to find regular playing time if he were to move to the Emirates Stadium.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea, Arsenal or Man Utd will ultimately take a concrete approach to securing his service.
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