Chelsea ready to make move for £68m “big CB talent”

Chelsea may be looking to bolster their attacking options under Enzo Maresca, despite having a plethora of options available, but it is the defensive aspect in which the Italian must focus on.

Success at Stamford Bridge has been built on a series of top-class centre-backs. John Terry is the most notable name.

The Englishman captained the Blues to five Premier League titles and the Champions League, becoming arguably the finest English defender of his generation.

A few years later, Thiago Silva followed in Terry’s footsteps by also winning the Champions League. The veteran Brazilian may not have been at the peak of his powers by the time he joined Chelsea, but there was no denying his influence.

Elsewhere, Gary Cahill and Marcel Desailly were also excellent at the heart of the defence for the Blues during their spells in London.

There have also been some unheralded players, those who perhaps lurked in the shadows compared to the likes of Terry, Silva or even Desailly.

One name that springs to mind is Ricardo Carvalho. The Portuguese defender followed José Mourinho from Porto to Chelsea in the summer of 2004, and he was certainly one of his shrewdest signings.

Ricardo Carvalho’s Chelsea record

Carvalho was a key member of Mourinho’s Porto side that took on the might of Europe and prevailed. The club won the UEFA Cup in 2003, before sending shockwaves throughout the continent with their Champions League victory during the 2003/04 season.

Of course, Mourinho wasn’t going to stick around, and upon making the move to Stamford Bridge, he promptly went and signed Carvalho for a fee in the region of £20m.

“He proved during Euro 2004 and in the past two seasons with Porto that he is one of the top centre-backs in the game.” said chief executive Peter Kenyon upon his arrival.

Across the next six seasons, the defender would go on to make a total of 210 appearances in all competitions for the Blues. He also won three Premier League titles and three FA Cups, although winning Europe’s premier club competition eluded him.

His partnership with Terry was key to Chelsea conceding just 15 goals in Mourinho’s first Premier League season at the helm – a top-flight record that still remains.

Perhaps not the quickest player, Carvalho made up for a lack of pace with his superb positional skills and intelligence.

He was able to anticipate opposition attackers and close down the play, limiting how many times an opponent would get the ball past him.

Not the tallest, Carvalho was sublime in the air, winning more than his fair share of aerial battles and being a commanding presence while defending set pieces.

The Portuguese centre-back may have been Robin to Terry’s Batman, yet the pair complemented each other perfectly.

Since he left in the summer of 2010, the Blues haven’t quite had a Portuguese defender like him. Might that change this summer?

Chelsea targeting move for Benfica defender

Maresca looks set to overhaul his defence this summer. Axel Disasi was left out of the Club World Cup squad and seems destined to depart the club.

Ben Chilwell was also left out of the travelling squad, while Benoit Badiashile could also be closing in on a move away from London. Should all three leave, there will need to be reinforcements, that’s for sure.

A new report from Portuguese news outlet A Bola (as via Sport Witness) claims that the Blues are now targeting a move for Benfica centre-back Tomás Araújo.

According to the report, Araujo is ‘top of Chelsea’s target list’ and the Blues are prepared to go all out to secure his services.

The 23-year-old was recently rewarded with a new contract at the club after shining last term. This runs until 2029 and features a release clause worth €80m (£68m).

While Benfica don’t wish to sell one of their prized assets, Chelsea have the money to make them an offer they can’t turn down.

Much will depend on how the Club World Cup turns out, but this is a deal that Maresca will be keeping a close eye on.

If he does move to the Blues, could he be Carvalho 2.0?

Why Chelsea must sign Tomás Araújo

Araujo’s ability to read the game and snuff out attacks is one of his key qualities, echoing that of Carvalho.

His forward-thinking abilities are arguably his finest trait, however. When compared to his positional peers across the men’s next 14 competitions, Araujo ranks highly for a range of ball-playing metrics.

Not only does he rank in the top 6% for progressive passes (5.3) per 90, but he also ranks in the top 2% for progressive carries (1.52) and in the top 1% for successful take-ons (0.70) and for progressive passes received (2.22) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

This suggests he loves moving the ball forward at all times, often bursting into dangerous territory in order to help the midfield and attack.

He has been described as a “technical ball-playing centre-back” by analyst Ben Mattinson, and he has been known to step into midfield on occasions, especially on the right-hand side.

This flexibility makes Araujo – who talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed a “big centre-back talent” – an excellent target for Maresca this summer, although much will depend on the fee Benfica will demand.

With the likes of Chilwell, Disasi and Badiashile looking likely to leave, the funds generated could certainly be enough to bring the Portuguese talent to Stamford Bridge.

Carvalho showed his talents throughout a six-year spell in London and there is no doubt that Araujo could follow in his footsteps from next season and beyond.

Champions League football and the chance to challenge for trophies under the Italian will surely be all the enticement the 23-year-old needs to make up his mind in the coming weeks.

If so, it might turn out to be one of the finest pieces of business done by the club throughout the transfer window.

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