Chelsea usually are not wanting high quality choices of their midfield. Enzo Maresca has some wonderful gamers at his disposal within the centre of the park, together with the £100m plus duo of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. The pair have been integral to the Chelsea facet this time period.
Former Blues winger Joe Cole just lately claimed that Caicedo is an “excellent” participant and picked him for probably the most improved participant in the whole Premier League.
With 38 video games, he has performed extra instances within the high flight this season than some other Chelsea participant. As for Fernandez, he’s featured 36 instances, additionally highlighting his significance to the Blues.
Remarkably, Chelsea look like seeking to bolster their midfield depth by including a title-winning midfielder to their squad this summer time.
Chelsea’s midfield goal
Including a brand new midfielder to this squad would definitely be an announcement for Chelsea, given the star energy they’ve. Let’s not overlook that Romeo Lavia can also be an possibility for Maresca. Nevertheless, as all sides with high aspirations ought to, they wish to enhance their choices in midfield.
In keeping with a report from Italian information outlet Gazzetta, the West London facet have made ‘an vital supply’ for Napoli midfielder Frank Zambo Anguissa. There are query marks about whether or not the newly-crowned Scudetto winners can persuade him to stay in Naples.
Certainly, it’s thought that ‘a clause in his contract permits him to judge this selection independently’. This might depart the door open for Chelsea to carry him again to West London; the midfielder was previously on the books at Fulham.
If he does depart, a value has not but been clarified, however Napoli paid the Cottagers a reported £15m again in 2022, in response to The Athletic.
Why Anguissa could be signing
For Chelsea’s mission below Maresca, it looks as if they’re about to enter section two. With Champions League qualification secured, the Blues will certainly need to develop into a everlasting fixture within the high 4 as soon as once more, and, finally, push for a Premier League title.
Effectively, who higher to assist with that than a two-time Italian champion like Anguissa? He has performed a pivotal position in Napoli’s success below a former title-winning supervisor at Stamford Bridge, Antonio Conte.
He performed 35 Serie A video games this season, notching up 2858 minutes in complete, the equal of 31 full 90-minute video games. One purpose why he was pivotal in the course of the park is his tendency to pop up with a key aim or help. Anguissa discovered the again of the online six instances and supplied 5 objectives for his teammates.
If the Blues agree a deal for Anguissa, maybe he’ll carry a few of the qualities Declan Rice possesses within the midfield for Arsenal. After all, the England worldwide was as soon as a Chelsea academy participant, years earlier than he broke by into first-team soccer with West Ham United.
Similar to Anguissa, the 26-year-old is an all-action midfielder, identified for his onerous work off the ball and his high quality in possession. In actual fact, he has related aim involvement numbers to the Cameroon worldwide, with 4 objectives and 7 assists within the Premier League in 2024/25.
The pair are additionally famous as related gamers amongst these of their place in Europe’s high 5 leagues, as per FBref, when taking a look at their underlying statistics.
For instance, the pair are each onerous employees off the ball, with the Napoli midfielder averaging 5.4 duels received per 90 minutes in comparison with 3.9 duels received every sport for Rice.
|
Anguissa and Rice key stats in contrast |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Anguissa |
Rice |
|
Open play passes accomplished |
39.2 |
39.9 |
|
Ahead passes |
12 |
11.6 |
|
Take-ons accomplished |
0.8 |
0.5 |
|
Duels received |
5.4 |
3.9 |
|
Ball recoveries |
4.8 |
5 |
|
Stats from FBref |
||
As author Zach Lowy has said, Anguissa is “one of the underrated midfielders in Europe”, which the stats actually again up. There isn’t a doubt that the Blues would desire a Rice-type participant of their midfield, and he actually methods the containers, given his spectacular carrying expertise, numbers out of possession and quantity of aim contributions.
While a charge will not be clear, Chelsea have seemingly made contact with Anguissa already, so this may very well be a deal that strikes swiftly. In the event that they do handle to carry him to the Blue facet of West London, he may very well be a superb addition to an already star-studded midfield.
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