Levi Colwill suffering an ACL injury in pre-season might have decided Chelsea’s season. We might not have known the extent back then, but it was clear that the club needed to bring in a replacement. Even Enzo Maresca made that clear openly in the media. But his requests were overlooked. The briefings suggested that the management trusted the centre-backs already at Stamford Bridge.
If there is one thing we have learned over the course of the season, it is that the club’s centre-backs are not good enough. Trevoh Chalobah, someone who was on the transfer list not too long ago, has been their most consistent central defender. Wesley Fofana has been decent at best. Josh Acheampong has not been given chances. And the rest have failed to convince.
Chelsea need a proven, top-quality centre-back. And it looks like they have set their sights on some of their Premier League rivals in search of one.
That has been the message coming out in the media over the last few days. Chelsea are expected to sign experienced, Premier League-proven names this summer. But will those be good enough to take the club to the next level? That is the question.
Journalist names three Premier League-proven centre-backs Chelsea are eyeing
According to Simon Phillips (via Goodison News), Jarrad Branthwaite is one of the defenders that Chelsea are currently tracking ahead of the summer transfer window. But he is not the only one.
Nottingham Forest’s Murillo and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jan Paul van Hecke are also on the Blues’ radar, as they look to sign a centre-back this summer.
All three of those players have been linked with big moves in the past. But so far, they have stayed put. Could that change this summer? And could one of them end up at Chelsea?
Chelsea need to bring in a world-class centre-back
What Chelsea need right now is a world-class centre-back. Someone who will come in and immediately raise the bar at Stamford Bridge. Is one of Murillo, Branthwaite and Van Hecke capable of doing that?
They have been excellent players for their respective clubs. That being said, the level of expectations will be very different when it comes to Chelsea. Are they capable of making that leap?
To be honest, we won’t know unless we see one of them in that situation. Whether it be at Chelsea or another top club in the Premier League. Virgil van Dijk did come in from Southampton and became one of the all-time greats at Liverpool.
