Chelsea have submitted a £30m offer for an “extraordinary” midfielder, who is keen on a move to the Premier League this summer, according to a report.
Blues planning to strengthen several positions
The Blues haven’t been shy to splash the cash during the Todd Boehly era, and it appears as though they could be gearing up for another summer of heavy spending, having identified targets in a number of key positions.
A new striker is of particular interest, and talks have now been opened over a deal for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, who would ideally arrive at Stamford Bridge prior to the beginning of the Club World Cup in June.
In terms of centre-back targets, AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen appears to be among the main candidates, with the west Londoners entering discussions for the 19-year-old, while AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez could be brought in at left-back.
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Another position in which Enzo Maresca clearly feels he needs to strengthen is central midfield, despite both Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez putting in some impressive performances this season.
According to a report from Spain, Chelsea have now submitted a €35m (£30m) offer for Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso, but they are not alone in their pursuit, with Premier League rivals Bournemouth making a bid of the same value.
The Blues have been interested in Cardoso for quite some time, and they have now presented a concrete offer for his services, which could be tempting for the Spanish side.
The midfielder wants to move to the Premier League this summer, which indicates he could be keen on heading to Stamford Bridge, but he may have a number of options on the table, with several foreign teams thought to be keen.
"Extraordinary" Cardoso impressing in Spain
It is little wonder the American is starting to attract attention from across Europe, given that he has been impressing for Betis for quite some time, particularly catching the eye from a defensive point of view.
The 23-year-old ranks extremely highly across some key metrics for midfielders over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
Statistic
Average per 90
Tackles
2.66 (75th percentile)
Interceptions
2.07 (98th percentile)
Clearances
2.47 (91st percentile)
Aerials won
1.59 (85th percentile)
Not only that, but the Betis star has received very high praise from sporting director Manu Fajardo, who lauded the central midfielder as “extraordinary”, while he has also caught the eye of freelance scout Ben Mattinson.
Cardoso could be an excellent signing for Chelsea, although bringing in a new defensive midfielder shouldn’t be a priority this summer, given that Caicedo and Fernandez have both impressed this season.