Chelsea can start the new year with a bang as they prepare to sign one of Europe's top prospects. Graham Potter's men face Nottingham Forest on New Year's Day but could provide their fans with another gift not long after.
Having already secured the early transfer of 20-year-old attacker David Datro Fofana, there is optimism that some key incomings can be made in January despite it being a month notorious for a lack of deals. Fofana cost around £10million but the rest of Chelsea's action promises to be more expensive than that.
They are looking to complete a move for Benoit Badiashile from Monaco with a fee close to £40million being negotiated for the 21-year-old. Meanwhile, a Reece James back-up is still required as well. It's the midfield that it providing the biggest attention, though.
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Enzo Fernandez has gone from being a World Cup breakout star to one of the main attractions in the European game with a host of top clubs all competing for his signature. Chelsea have made the most progress though, signalling their intentions to match the £105million release clause in his contract, football.london understands.
With midfield being a priority the aim is to get ahead of the competition and make opportunistic deals earlier than their rivals and that is certainly the case with Fernandez. Although it plays against their aims to push Benfica just six months after he joined, offering nearly 10 times more than they spent on him in the summer takes logic out of the equation.
In a bid to start 2023 with a bang it is reported that Todd Boehly and his Chelsea representatives are hopeful of agreeing a deal inside the first week. Relevo write that it is now down to the fine details of a deal with payment structure being finalised. Chelsea have attempted to navigate around such deals with aggressive tactics, involving paying over the odds to get a deal done quickly, as they did with Christopher Nkunku.
Fabrizio Romano has seconded that, writing: "The deal is advanced, but still waiting for Benfica final decision. Chelsea are insisting as they feel deal can be closed next week."
Chelsea now aim to get themselves back into the mix for the top four ahead of an important run of games. Completing a deal for Fernandez could be just the boost they need.
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