Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino will be keen to strengthen his side further in the January window and is reportedly on the trail of an impressive defender at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea plot January transfer business
Chelsea are usually busy in the transfer market and this month looks to be no different as the Premier League giants aim to improve on a frustrating start to their English top-flight campaign. Rumours are flying regarding who could potentially pitch up in west London this window and Girona striker Artem Dovbyk is said to be high on the Blues’ radar as they look to bring in a new forward to rival Nicolas Jackson for starting opportunities in the offensive areas, as per The Sun.
The report states that Pochettino has sent scouts to watch the Ukraine international in action over the last few weeks and indicate that his physical attributes have won favour with the Argentinian coach, who wants to add more muscle to his frontline. Senegal international Jackson will head to the African Cup of Nations with Senegal, making the arrival of another striker a priority this window.
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Mauricio Pochettino wants to add a true finisher to his side this January.
Nonetheless, Bournemouth star Dominic Solanke is not believed to be a target for a sensational return to Chelsea in January, with journalist Si Phillips claiming that rumours suggesting the 26-year-old could move back to his old club are unfounded.
January is notoriously a difficult window to navigate as clubs try to maximise the value of their players mid-season; however, a defender now looks to be on the agenda in SW6 and Chelsea could be prepared to spend big money to land his services despite rival competition, according to a report.
Chelsea keen on Jean-Clair Todibo
According to Foot Mercato, Chelsea are ready to get their transfer chequebook out to sign OGC Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, who has also drawn interest from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in recent times.
Jean-Clair Todibo key statistics in 2023/24 – Ligue 1 (Sofascore) | |
Clean sheets | 8 |
Tackle per game | 1.9 |
Interceptions per game | 1.3 |
Balls recovered per game | 7.9 |
Errors leading to goals | 0 |
Average match rating | 7.21/10 |
The report states that Pochettino is not satisfied with his current defensive options and could now look to swoop for the France international, who has previously been labelled “superb” by talent scout Jacek Kulig. They could be boosted by the fact Manchester United haven’t yet made a move, though they continue to scout the centre-back at close quarters.
Chelsea could also be handed a leg-up in their pursuit of the 24-year-old due to the fact that a potential move to join Spurs is set to collapse, leading them to target Genoa defender Radu Dragusin instead, which could pave the way for Todibo, who has notched one assist in 14 appearances this campaign, to move to the other side of London (Todibo statistics – Transfermarkt).
This story is unlikely to go away any time soon and we could well see Todibo move to the Premier League this month; however, it remains to be seen where exactly he will end up.