Chelsea are in the midst of a Club World Cup campaign; however, this has not had any impact on their transfer activity, as the Blues continue to search for additions to the squad despite already incurring an outlay of over £100 million this summer.
Enzo Maresca’s side have invested heavily in their forward line with deals for Brighton’s Joao Pedro and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap. 18-year-old winger Estevao is set to join following the Club World Cup campaign but he may not be the only right-sided winger arriving at Stamford Bridge this summer.
Chelsea Continue to Target Emerging Talent
The Blues have been consistent with their transfer strategy over the last several transfer windows, and that has continued this summer. The Premier League outfit have invested significant funds in players who have yet to reach their prime with the average age of their recruits in this window just 20 years old.
In addition to Delap, Pedro and Estevao, Chelsea have signed Dario Essugo from Sporting Lisbon, Mamadou Sarr from Strasbourg and Kendry Paez from Independiente.
The lack of experience has not hindered the team on the pitch as they secured qualification for the Champions League next season and have advanced into the semi-finals of the CWC where they will play Brazilian outfit Fluminense.
Chelsea have the lowest average age of all Premier League first-team squads at just over 23. The likes of Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may be moved on this summer, further reducing the average age of their playing squad.
If reports are to be believed, then the Blues are in talks for a promising 19-year-old winger for an eye-watering fee.
Potential £100 Million Fee Reported For Southampton Star
Southampton had a season to forget in the Premier League, winning just two of their 38 matches and narrowly beating the record-low tally by just a single point. There are very few players in the squad who can hold their head high as a result of their performances but one of those who displayed promise was 19-year-old Tyler Dibling.
Dibling played 33 times, 20 of those being starts and scored two Premier League goals for the Saints. He struggled at times playing in a team that was heavily under-performing but he did display impressive ball-carrying ability, ranking second at the club for successful dribbles per game. He also won two penalties for the Saints in Premier League action.
The prospect created three big chances and had an expected assists tally of almost 1.5. There were definite signs of potential, and now the London Evening Standard is reporting that the Blues are in talks for the player, who had a brief spell in the club’s academy.
There are varying reports on the fee, with anything between £55 million-£100 million being quoted. Even the lower end of that scale would seem excessive for a player who highlighted potential but made little impact in his 33 Premier League appearances.
However, it has been a policy at Chelsea to spend big on players with potential, and it does appear to be the type of transfer that the club would pursue. It could be a profitable summer for the Saints.