Chelsea add rising Premier League star to transfer shortlist with €100m talent

Chelsea have reportedly added a Bournemouth star to their list of defensive targets, alongside Benfica’s Tomas Araujo.

Reports suggest Chelsea have made contact with the Portuguese giants about signing the 22-year-old ace, who is understood to have a €100m (£83m/$106m) release clause.

The Blues tried to sign the Portugal Under-21 international in 2023 but were unable to secure his signature, but now they are considering a 2025 for Araujo.

But that is not the only defender the Stamford Bridge outfit are monitoring. According to reports, they are also keeping tabs on Bournemouth’s Ilya Zabarnyi.

FootballTransfers claims Zabarnyi is on Chelsea’s transfer shortlist but he too may be a difficult player to sign as he signed a five-year contract with the Cherries this summer.

The report adds Blues head coach Enzo Maresca is an admirer of the Ukraine international. Whether he can get either of these players is very much up in the air.

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Chelsea’s defensive situation

Following the summer departure of Chelsea talisman and leader Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana appear to be their first-choice centre-back pairing.

But behind them, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, and Axel Disasi are doing their utmost to try and dislodge them from the starting lineup.

TEAMtalk previously revealed that the Blues were open to letting Badiashile and Disasi leave the club over the summer but for now they remain fringe players.

Chelsea’s defence is, arguably, the weakest part of the team so it is understandable they have been linked with players in that area of the pitch.

But it would likely take huge fees to sign Zabarnyi or Araujo. A player exit would almost certainly need to happen to facilitate such a move.

Chelsea in race to sign rising star

Chelsea are said to be in a race with West Ham, Tottenham, and Brentford, among others, for Gent left-back Archie Brown.

The Derby County academy product is attracting interest from Premier League teams regarding a January transfer bid for the 22-year-old.

The Blues are also reportedly willing to sell Carney Chukwuemeka in early 2025 and Ipswich Town are understood to be interested in the midfielder.

Maresca admitted the 21-year-old should have gone out to get regular minutes elsewhere earlier this season and he could yet get that from January.

Aston Villa are reportedly exploring the signing of Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, mere months after he left Leicester City for the west London outfit.