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Away from Chelsea’s search for a new anchor midfielder, they are also in the market for another big name in their midfield revamp.
Just like the rest of Europe’s elite clubs, Jude Bellingham will be the one at the top of their target list in the summer. They face a fierce battle to sign him, but their spending so far under the tutelage of Todd Boehly suggests they will be ready to fight.
As such, the club’s new transfer strategists – technical director Christopher Vivell and talent and global transfers director Paul Winstanley – will be on the lookout for players they feel will complement Bellingham’s coveted skills.
Perhaps this is where Rice stands out as the best option. Bellingham excelled alongside the West Ham star at the World Cup in strategy when midfield alongside Jordan Henderson, striking forward while two of his teammates did more of the ‘dirty work’. Such a player would suit Chelsea well: Rice is positioned alongside Kovacic or Kante, with Bellingham ahead of them.
In the same way, Caicedo could fill a role similar to the one he played at Brighton, although it will surely take more time for him to develop a relationship with the England international.
On the other hand, Fernandez may be too similar in profile to Bellingham. Rather than sit idly by, the Argentinian has shown in his young career that he is not content to watch attacks from a distance – he wants to step up and make an attacking contribution as well. Indeed, league goals statistics, assist and his chance creation has not been much different from Bellingham so far this season.
By signing Fernandez, Chelsea can get rid of the need to even go after Bellingham and save a lot of time and money.
