Transfer News: Chelsea have missed out on Eder Militao after the defender signed a new contract. (Photo: Reuters)
According to Spanish outlet AS Sport (h/t Daily Mail), Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has requested the club to sign defender Eder Militao from Real Madrid during the summer transfer window, with key defenders at Stamford Bridge in danger of running down their contracts at the end of the season.
The Blues face quite a defensive headache in the summer, with Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and Cesar Azpilicueta seeing their contracts expire at the end of the campaign. So far, none of the three senior defenders has shown any inclination to sign a new deal to keep them at the club for a few more years.
As things stand, Chelsea are sure to be short of defensive options come next season. To avoid such a situation, Tuchel wants the Blues to sign the 24-year-old Militao, who has proven to be a consistent and reliable figure at the back for the Spanish giants.
The Brazilian centre-back has a deal at the Santiago Bernabeu that keeps him in Spain until 2025. Chelsea may look to tempt the player with an offer, taking advantage of the fact that he is one of their lowest earners earning €3m a year.
In the space of one transfer window, Chelsea could lose three senior centre-backs if the club does not make any progress with their contract negotiations before the end of the season. In a worst-case scenario with all three departing the club in the summer, the Blues will have to deal with losing club captain Azpilicueta, who has been a faithful servant at the club all these years and enjoyed a successful career in west London.
Although Tuchel has eyed Militao as a possible replacement for his outgoing defenders, he may find it difficult to persuade Read Madrid to sell Militao. The defender is said to be happy with life at the team, becoming a mainstay in their defence and looking to lead his club to a La Liga title this season.
Rudiger, Christensen, and Azpilicueta are arguably some of Tuchel’s first-choice defenders in his preferred three-man system, and it would prove catastrophic if he loses all three players in the summer. It would leave us with Malang Sarr, Trevoh Chalobah, and Thiago Silva as the only remaining centre-backs in the side. While Sarr and Chalobah are inexperienced in the league, Thiago is not getting any younger, turning 38 this year.
In Militao, Tuchel would be signing a talented centre-back who could lead the side by example. He has taken over the mantle from the outgoing Raphael Varane this summer and does not look out of his depth in the Spanish capital. The least we require in the event our senior defenders leave is a solid replacement, and the Real Madrid man is certainly one of those.
With Tuchel’s Chelsea fighting for trophies on every front, we could use the added depth. Tuchel plays three centre-backs which itself requires his team to have ample quality on the bench in that area. Moreover, the Real Madrid man can also play as a right-back and provide us with a defensive option out on the right flank when needed.
We attempted to bring in Sevilla’s Jules Kounde last summer to add to our defensive ranks, but the La Liga club refused to part ways with him. Hopefully, this time around, our attempts to land a defender from Spain prove successful as we chase Militao.
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