Chelsea are reportedly in discussions over signing a “very mature” England international before 2026, which interestingly comes amid Romeo Lavia’s injury nightmare.
Lavia was taken off after just eight minutes in Chelsea’s 2-2 midweek draw with Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag in the Champions League, which could slap the Belgian with another lengthy absence.
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Karabakh 2-2 Chelsea – best players |
Correspondence note |
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Estevao |
8.2 |
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Alexandre Garnacho |
7.5 |
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Leandro Andrade |
7.4 |
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Matheus Silva |
7.0 |
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Marko Jankovic |
7.0 |
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via Which side scored |
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Enzo Maresca did not provide a definitive update on the former Man City gem’s condition in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wolves, but admitted the situation was “painful”.
“Yes, we have no news at the moment, so we have to wait a few more hours to do all the checks he needs, but at the moment it is sure that he is injured,” Maresca said.
“It’s painful, so we have to do all the checks and then we’ll see.”
Lavia threw a water bottle in frustration after being pulled against Qarabağ, and it’s hard to blame her.
Since joining Chelsea in a deal worth almost £60 million more than two years ago, Lavia has failed to complete a single 90 minutes – missing a total of 87 matches and being out for 568 days.
Chelsea have been tipped to sign a new midfielder since Lavia were once again sidelined, but journalist Graeme Bailey says it is something they have been considering for a long time as Maresca’s side look to bring in more competition for Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo.
Dario Essugo is also out for a “long time” after undergoing thigh surgery, with Maresca suggesting he could stay out until January.
In light of this, Chelsea are believed to be weighing up their options and appear to have serious interest in Crystal Palace sensation Adam Wharton.
The 21-year-old’s excellent 23/24 campaign earned him a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros, but injuries have somewhat stifled his development since then, although he is still regarded as one of the country’s brightest emerging talents in the engine room.
Chelsea ‘actively in talks’ with Crystal Palace over Adam Wharton
The Blues should be in the running for Wharton next year, and reporter Aaron Ramiro now says they’re already one step closer.
According to reports, Chelsea are “actively in talks” with Palace over a deal for the ex-Blackburn Rovers starlet, and the Eagles are raising the possibility of Trevoh Chalobah returning to Selhurst Park to play a leading role in the negotiations.
The England international is highly rated by his peers, and Palace have apparently slapped a £100million price tag on him to ward off suitors.
How Wharton plays this season will go a long way to determining whether Chelsea would be willing to move closer to that valuation, but former Palace teammate Eberechi Eze is confident he is set for a bright future and already “very mature” for his age.
“He’s an incredible player to play with,” Eze said last year.
“Playing with him at Palace, I got used to seeing the way he plays and understanding him. He is very calm, collected and it’s a pleasure to play with him.
“For someone so young, he’s very mature and very wise. When you talk to him, you feel like you’re talking to someone older than you, that’s the kind of person he is. He’s an incredible player.”
