It`s been a relentless summer for Chelsea supporters. One minute, Enzo Maresca`s squad is achieving another milestone in the Club World Cup, and the next, they`re welcoming yet another fresh face.
The latest recruit expected to join the Blues is João Pedro, reportedly having completed his medical today.
However, the West London club isn`t finished yet. According to reports, they are linked with another Premier League star who could be an ideal partner for the former Brighton & Hove Albion player.
Chelsea Target Premier League Stars
While Chelsea have already made several significant additions this summer, the Europa Conference League champions appear determined to strengthen further. They`ve been linked with several Premier League players, including Mohammed Kudus and Emiliano Martínez.
Chelsea reportedly made a £50m offer for Kudus, despite a relatively quiet season for him at West Ham (nine goal involvements in 35 games). No formal offer has been made for Martínez, but the World Cup-winning goalkeeper could be available for around £45m, a fee potentially hard to pass up.
However, another Premier League talent seems to have attracted the attention of the Blues this summer, someone who could potentially join Maresca`s promising project: Alejandro Garnacho.
This is according to a recent report from The Athletic, which revealed Chelsea`s ongoing interest in the Manchester United player.
The report stated that discussions regarding the Argentine player took place between the two clubs.
While the report didn`t mention a specific price for the 20-year-old, earlier reports from last month suggested he could be available for approximately £60m.
While it might not be a universally popular transfer, Garnacho has demonstrated significant ability and potential at United in recent seasons. Therefore, it`s a move Chelsea should pursue, especially considering he could be an ideal partner for Pedro.
Why Garnacho would be a dream for Pedro
There are two primary reasons why Garnacho could be an excellent teammate for Pedro at Chelsea, starting with his performance metrics.
Although the young winger sometimes makes questionable decisions on the pitch, it`s crucial to remember he`s only 20. Considering his age, his performance this past season is quite remarkable.
For instance, in 58 appearances for the Red Devils, totaling 3,568 minutes, the young `superstar` – a title given by football content creator Liam Canning – scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists.
| Garnacho`s 24/25 | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 58 |
| Minutes | 3568` |
| Goals | 11 |
| Assists | 10 |
| Goal Involvements per Match | 0.36 |
| Minutes per Goal Involvements | 169.90` |
This means the promising talent averaged a goal involvement roughly every 2.76 games, or every 169.90 minutes, playing for a United team widely regarded as among the weakest of the Premier League era.
Put simply, if he can achieve 21 goal involvements in such a team at his age, imagine what he could accomplish with the West London club in the coming years, especially playing alongside a striker like Pedro.
The second reason he could be an ideal fit for the former Brighton player is his playing style.
According to FBref, he ranks in the top 5% among attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe`s top five leagues for progressive carries and touches in the opponent`s penalty area, and in the top 7% for carries into the penalty area, all per 90 minutes.
