Three Players Who Could Add Steel To Chelsea’s Midfield In Place Of Departing Matic
Chelsea, the reigning Premier League champions, are currently trimming their squad and Antonio Conte, the Blues boss, is keen to restructure his side in order to retain the league title as well as perform materially in their return to Champions League football. Conte, who enjoyed a league winning campaign in his debut season in English football, has asked star striker Diego Costa to leave during the summer. Also, skipper John Terry’s contract has not been renewed and now their midfield general Nemanja Matic is close to reuniting with his former gaffer Jose Mourinho at Manchester United.
Chelsea are reportedly keen to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Everton who has impressed the ex- Juventus and Azzurri boss with his goal poaching instinct and finishing trait. However, the departure of Matic will seek the Blues to find a replacement who will strengthen their midfield alongside two of Premier League’s superstars N’Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas.
We have chosen three such midfielders capable of filling the void left by the Serbian in the middle of the park. Have a look.
Aleksandr Golovin
The 21-year old Russian international might not be a well-known name in the football circuit, but the CSKA Moscow midfielder is being targeted by several Premier League hotshots. Golovin is versatile and can feature in a number of midfield positions. He made 37 appearances altogether for the Russian giants during the 2016-17 season and has been the most promising Russian in their disappointing FIFA Confederations Cup journey.
He has been explored in a defensive midfield role, as well as an attacking midfielder on the left. Golovin has strong physical presence, high work rate, great passing and dribbling skills, strong tackling traits and holds on to the ball well. The youngster has a bright future ahead of him and would be a shrewd signing for the Premier League champions.
Ruben Neves
The 20-year old Portuguese sensation has been a much discussed name in recent years following his upsurge for the Portuguese heavyweights FC Porto. Neves has represented his country in several youth ranks and has also appeared twice for the senior side. Although he had an injury-riddled campaign, Neves has appeared 92 times for Porto during the last three seasons and also became the youngest ever player (18 years and 221 days) to start as a captain in the Champions League.
He is hailed for his tackling, blocking and intercepting skills as well as shooting and passing range. The youngster has flourished in a deep lying playmaking role and is also capable of playing as a box-to-box midfielder. Despite such high potential, the best is yet to come from the Portuguese prodigy who can thrive under the guidance of Antonio Conte.
Tiemoué Bakayoko
Probably the signing Chelsea are going to conclude next week as they have reportedly agreed terms for Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko who played a pivotal role in their Ligue1 winning campaign. The 22-year old French international has featured in several youth ranks for his country and also made his senior debut earlier this year.
Bakayoko can play as a defensive midfielder and is also comfortable in a central midfield role. He has been a regular for Monaco this season and impressed with his consistency in the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League competition. The Frenchman is a strong tackler, great dribbler and also possesses top intercepting skills. His presence will certainly strengthen Chelsea midfield and is expected to earn a starting place in no time.