Chelsea join race to land £104m PL star

Chelsea fans will be optimistic heading into the new Premier League season after watching their side lift the Club World Cup during an eventful summer.

Already, new signing Joao Pedro has stuck out by hammering home three goals from three games in the summer tournament, with the same excitement levels in the air regarding what Jamie Gittens could be capable of in the English game moving forward after his bumper £48.5m switch from Borussia Dortmund.

With the might of Arne Slot’s Liverpool in the way, it will be viewed as a tall order to expect Enzo Maresca’s men to be title-challengers.

However, Maresca and Co. could send ripples through the Premier League still by landing this in-demand talent who is touted to be available for an eye-watering £104m.

Chelsea in race to sign £104m star

Only the aforementioned title-winning Reds have splashed the cash more this off-season, with Liverpool spending a whopping £295.5m, which is £45m less than Chelsea’s own high amount of £250m.

Expect that spending to increase before September’s cut-off point, too, with £35m potentially forked out to snap up rising Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman amid Levi Colwill’s horrific ACL injury.

That is nothing when contrasted with Chelsea’s chase for coveted Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, however, with that weighty £104m expected to be enough to tempt the 21-year-old to Stamford Bridge.

It won’t be that straightforward, though, with Caught Offside now reporting that the intense race for Baleba’s services also involves not just Chelsea, but Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Whilst it is further stated that a move for Baleba to join Chelsea this summer is unlikely, it would be quite the statement move to make if it were to suddenly accelerate into motion.

Why Baleba is a better signing than Simons

Snapping up the £104m-rated midfielder would surely be seen as a better signing than Xavi Simons joining the building, with Baleba already well-versed in what it takes to be a success in the Premier League, among other standout reasons.

That isn’t to say Simons wouldn’t make an instant impact if he were to swap RB Leipzig for the Premier League imminently.

After all, he hasn’t just amassed a hefty 77 goal contributions by fluke for both Leipzig and PSV Eindhoven, with his adaptability to play down the left flank – as well as through the middle as a number ten or down the right – gifting Maresca multiple options in the attacking positions.

However, there is no guarantee that Simons would be able to gain a spot in the Italian’s starting XI straight away, particularly if he was trying to usurp Cole Palmer, who managed to collect five more goals and assists last season than his Dutch counterpart.

Whereas, Baleba could stand more of a chance at making a name for himself in the holding midfield positions at Stamford Bridge immediately.

After all, the Cameroonian possesses a fierce effort such as the one above in his back pocket, which varies his game away from just being known as a solid midfield presence.

Moreover, he has also matched and even bettered the likes of Blues stalwarts Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez all across last campaign when assessing their respective numbers, lending credence to analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he is “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.”

Amazingly, despite being well-known for their anchor roles in the Chelsea set-up, over the last year, Baleba has actually trumped both Caicedo and Fernandez when it comes to interceptions and blocks registered per 90 minutes.

Boasting the highest number of successful take-ons when weighed up head-to-head, too, landing the 21-year-old might just gift the Blues some youthful exuberance in the middle, with Mattinson further labelling Baleba as “exceptional” for his well-rounded approach centrally.

Winning his services against all the odds really feels as if it would be a summer pick-up that would send shockwaves through the division as Chelsea aim to be bombshell title hopefuls.

On the contrary, with Gittens already in through the door from the Bundesliga, and with Palmer fresh off a goal-and-assist laden Club World Cup, Simons might be an unnecessary splurge of money, as the Blues roll ever closer to the window slamming shut.