Chelsea are expected to overhaul their squad in the summer after failing to maintain their momentum over the festive period in the Premier League and hence, seeing an unlikely title charge face some turbulence. Though the Blues should get into the top four barring any major surprises, they still need to rebuild other areas if they want to be crowned champions.
The left back role is one that has emerged in concern lately with Ben Chilwell expected to depart whereas Marc Cucurella has been prone to silly errors. Having said that, the Blues are drawing up a shortlist of players they could acquire in the summer and are ready to rival Manchester United for Paris Saint-Germain left back Nuno Mendes, according to Simon Phillips.
Nuno Mendes is willing to depart PSG at the end of this season when he enters the final 12 months of his contract at the Parc des Princes in order to pursue a new challenge with England having been mooted as his next possible destination. He is valued at £42 million on Transfermarkt although his contractual situation is likely to drive down the transfer fee.
Man Utd still likely to hold the upper hand
Chelsea’s interest in Nuno Mendes is not a surprise as they have continuously scouted the best young players in Europe and have shown a willingness towards spending good money on their transfers, as well as their wages. However, it is difficult to see Manchester United losing their grip on the move after supposedly receiving the nod from the player himself last week.
Ruben Amorim is going to make a left back’s signing a very high priority for the summer and could discard Luke Shaw as well as Tyrell Malacia from his plans for 2025/26. Mendes would walk into the starting eleven, as a result, and will play in a wing-back’s role that will largely mask his defensive flaws under a coach he has previously worked under.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are unlikely to fully do away with Marc Cucurella. That means Mendes will have a tough competition for places at Stamford Bridge. He is also not going to be top of the Blues’ list of targets in all likelihood due to a relatively weak defensive game, a characteristic that is extremely important to Enzo Maresca’s deep setup at the back.
