BLUES CLUB: Chelsea To Refresh Midfield Department In 2023
With the futures of some Chelsea midfielders up in the air, it is believed that the Blues will look to upgrade that area of the team in the new year.
Jorginho and N’Golo Kante have both entered the final years of their respective contracts with Chelsea and are more than likely going to leave the club at the end of the season.
Kante, now 31, has struggled for the best part of a couple of seasons now with frequent injury problems and is currently out with a hamstring injury, while Jorginho’s agent hasn’t been afraid to flirt with a possible move back to Serie A for his client for some time now.
Jorginho and Kante
Jorginho and Kante have spent a combined 12 seasons at Chelsea
Fabrizio Romano understands that these midfielders’ situations mean Chelsea will look for new names in 2023 as new manager Graham Potter is set to be given free rein to mould his squad.
This news also comes at a time when it looks as if Chelsea will hire RB Salzburg’s Christoph Freund as their new sporting director, with Todd Boehly filling in that position since the departure of Marina Granovskaia.
Christoph Freund
Freund has been credited with scouting some big players at Salzburg, including Erling Haaland, Dayot Upamecano and Sadio Mane
It is thought that Freund will be a key figure alongside Potter in finding new names to rebuild Chelsea across the pitch and the midfield department is where they will likely start.
The Blues’ rejected bid for Ajax’s Edson Alvarez on deadline day hasn’t scared them off and they are expected to go back in for the 24-year old Mexican in the lead up to January, while fans wait to see if Declan Rice is still a desired target for the club, with the now departed Thomas Tuchel a known admirer of the Englishman.
With Chelsea already in possession of Conor Gallagher, Mateo Kovacic and Carney Chukwuemeka, it will be interesting to see how the Stamford Bridge side approach their hunt for new names for the centre of the park.
Carney Chukwuemeka
Chukwuemwka is yet to make a first team appearance for Chelsea
Nevertheless, following their impressive spending spree in the summer, there is certainly cause for optimism with the January transfer window just over three months away.
